Aida Batlle has a unique perspective on coffee and her production of it. Since 2021 she has been producing coffee en masse for various high profile clients. Her specialty coffee is Kona coffee, one of the best beans in the world. The most common method of cultivation is hand picking, with Aida handling every step of the harvesting, from seedling growth to roasting. Kona is one of the rarest and most expensive types of coffee beans, and Aida’s production of it ensures that it remains so.
Aida Batlle joined forces with Jose Maria Soto-Mendo, a celebrated local chocolatier, and together they founded La Bandera de Armas, or The Coffee Maker, a boutique coffee producer based in San Miguel, near Chihuahua, Mexico. The name was derived from their shared love of coffee. From that point on Aida Batlle worked with Jose, traveling all over Mexico to harvest coffee and collaborate with other growers. Today, La Bandera is recognized as one of the most recognized coffee producers in the world.
When Aida Batlle decided to open up her own coffee company, she knew that she wanted to produce only premium, artisan, handmade coffees from the high mountains of her country, and not just coffee. Her range of roasts is extensive, starting with a full bodied and robust Barista roasts, to light Arabicas and Brazilian colas. All of her coffees are made according to her unique production techniques, and she proudly states that they are “roasted on a stove, at 400 degrees Celsius”, a feat in itself. Her range of flavours is similarly broad, but generally includes French accents and fruity colognes. Aida is also very aware of the environmental impact of her business, and works diligently to support environmentally sustainable practices both at the farm and in the roasting and packaging of her products. Her commitment to this is evidenced by the green symbol that she uses on all of her packages, and also by the green chocolates and ganache that she sells under her own label.