Every cup of Cafetal coffee begins with a place and a person. Our story starts in Santander, Colombia, where founder Julian Gonzalez grew up, and continues in Adelaide, where we roast specialty Colombian coffee and share the work of the people who grow it.
From Santander, Colombia, to Adelaide
A production engineer and experienced coffee roaster, Julian founded Cafetal Coffee Co. in 2019 to bring Colombia’s coffee flavours and culture to Australia. His approach is grounded in relationships with producers, traceable origins and careful small-batch roasting.
Santander is one of Colombia’s historic coffee-growing regions. Its mountain landscapes, biodiversity and water sources form the backdrop to a relationship central to Cafetal’s story: Julian’s connection with Liliana Caballero Rojas, owner of Hacienda Casablanca.
Meet coffee producer Liliana Caballero Rojas
Hacienda Casablanca is in the Vericute district of Floridablanca, Santander, in northeastern Colombia. Liliana, the daughter of farming parents, acquired the farm with her family in 2006. She made coffee cultivation her life project, aiming to improve the well-being of her family and the farm’s permanent and seasonal workers.
The property dates to 1860. Once part of a farm covering about 150 hectares, Hacienda Casablanca now covers about 20 hectares following subdivision. Liliana plans the annual renewal of older trees and cultivates varieties including Castillo, Colombia, Tabi, Gesha and Pink Bourbon.
What makes Hacienda Casablanca’s coffee special?
The farm’s shaded growing environment, biodiversity, water sources and careful harvesting practices contribute to distinctive coffees, including cup profiles with citrus and caramel notes. It produces coffees using methods including natural, honey, extended fermentation, and traditional washed processing.
With support from the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, Hacienda Casablanca obtained Rainforest Alliance certification in 2008. The farm took first place in the 2016 national Yara Champion Program Cup Contest with a score of 89.48, was a finalist in 2017 and 2018, and won first place in the 2024 Santander coffee cup competition.
Why origin matters to us
For Cafetal, Colombian coffee is about more than flavour. Knowing where a coffee comes from and recognising the producer’s work makes each cup more meaningful. Our relationship with Liliana and Hacienda Casablanca helps us connect the people and place behind the coffee with the coffee drinkers we serve in Adelaide.
For more about our origins and the farm, read our Colombian coffee story.
