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The Last Bean – Who We Are …

The Last Bean’s mission is to roast high-quality coffee, known as Specialty Coffee, locally in Knokke-Heist, offering a variety of forms and types. This is for both consumers and businesses locally, within Europe, and even beyond, who are looking for an exceptional taste in their cup of coffee. We aim for a true “wow” effect with our customers, as customer satisfaction is our ultimate goal.

The leadership and team of The Last Bean bring decades of experience across various sectors, ranging from food service and hospitality to art, graphic design, and advertising. Alongside this, they hold solid expertise in production and laboratory environments within the chemical industry, as well as international business and people management.

“Life is too short for bad coffee” is a saying that truly resonates. Considering what people pay for coffee nowadays, expectations should be raised – no one should settle for a cup that tastes flat, burnt, or bitter.

The Last Bean contributes to this by offering only coffees that belong to the highest quality segment, unique and/or rare in character. Our roasting is refined to a level where acidity, aroma, body, sweetness, balance, and aftertaste become part of the conversation.

The Last Bean partners with other companies that accelerate knowledge sharing, including Q grade instructors. These Q graders help us continuously refine our roasting expertise and sensory coffee skills, ensuring we reach the top level required to unlock the full potential of the carefully sourced premium beans. At the core of our company lies doing business in an ethical way – from the coffee bean on the plantation to the final product packaged by The Last Bean. Specialty Coffee represents that part of the industry where traceability, sustainability, and fair pricing are not only inherent but also of paramount importance. The Last Bean is a company where leadership acts with unwavering integrity and upholds the highest standards. We firmly believe that diversity, inclusion, and equality strengthen our company.


What is a Q Grader?

A Q Grader is a certified coffee expert trained to professionally evaluate coffee quality according to international standards. This person conducts standardized taste tests (such as cupping) and assigns coffee scores based on factors such as aroma, flavor, acidity, body, aftertaste, and balance.

The certification is awarded by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) after an intensive training program and passing 19 exams.

In short:
A Q Grader is the industry’s specialized “coffee taster” who determines whether a coffee qualifies as specialty coffee.


What is a Q Grade Instructor?

A Q Grade Instructor is a certified and accredited trainer authorized to educate and examine other professionals to become Q Graders under the standards of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

These instructors have extensive experience as Q Graders themselves and receive additional training to teach theory and practice of coffee evaluation (cupping), conduct cupping exams and sensory tests, and oversee the official Q Grader certification process.

In short:
A Q Grade Instructor is a highly qualified coffee expert and educator authorized to train new Q Graders within the international specialty coffee standards.


Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) ans Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)

  • CQI (Coffee Quality Institute) is an independent non-profit organization that works globally to improve coffee quality and the livelihoods of coffee producers. Among other programs, they manage the Q Grader certification.

  • SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) is an international trade organization for the specialty coffee sector. They focus on standards, education (such as the SCA Coffee Skills Program), events, and community building.

Collaboration:

  • CQI uses SCA cupping forms and standards as the foundation for their quality assessments.
  • Many Q Graders and instructors are also active within the SCA community.
  • Both organizations promote quality, sustainability, and professionalization in coffee.

In short:
CQI is independent from the SCA, but they share values, standards, and objectives, and they regularly collaborate on training and quality projects in the coffee world.