Silvio Leite is a passionate and inspiring person who has played a pivotal role shaping specialty coffee in Brazil and globally, and is widely recognised as one of the world’s best coffee cuppers. We have had the pleasure of working with Silvio since 2013, when he sourced our first lot of Brazilian coffee from Fazenda Progresso and connected us with the Borré family. In the years since, Silvio has sourced some of the very best coffees on offer in his home state of Bahia and further afield in Brazil, as well as producing exceptionally beautiful microlots on his farm, Cerca de Pedras São Benedito.

We first met Silvio face-to-face at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo in 2018, and have since had the privilege of spending time with him in Brazil on several occasions, as well as during his recent visit to Australia. His extensive knowledge, unwavering passion and dedication to quality shine through in every interaction.

With over 30 years experience in specialty coffee grading, tasting and quality control, Silvio co-founded and leads the Cup of Excellence Program as a head judge. He also plays a key role in the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association, showcasing Brazilian coffees on the global stage. Silvio’s attention to detail and commitment to quality are evident in every aspect of his work.

Silvio is deeply dedicated to coffee and the people involved. His company, Agricoffee, not only exports coffee but also provides support, training, consultation and mentorship for small-scale producers. Silvio works hard to enhance quality and create sustainable, transparent relationships between producers and specialty coffee buyers.

In 2020, Silvio purchased his own farm, Fazenda Cerca de Pedras São Benedito, fulfilling a career-long dream to produce his own coffee. Located on the outskirts of the beautiful Piatã, in Silvio’s home state of Bahia, the microlots Silvio produces here are truly exceptional. We’ve been fortunate enough to purchase Cerca de Pedras lots twice now, they are seriously special coffees.

Not only do Silvio and his team produce superb coffees at Cerca de Pedras, but the farm also serves as an educational hub for other smallholder producers in Piatã. Silvio’s goal is to make the farm a model for producing specialty coffee sustainably, sharing this knowledge with growers who may not be able to otherwise afford it.

We love getting to work with Silvio and are constantly inspired by him.