Paso Paso

Paso Paso is a Hanover-based roastery with an unusual story: here, coffee isn’t roasted for farmers, but together with them. Founder Bram de Hoog built the entire project on the principle of “Farmer-Owned Coffee”—a model in which growers hold a direct stake in the company that roasts and sells their beans. The result is not only exceptional transparency but also coffee with a clearly traceable origin.

Paso Paso was founded in Hanover after Bram de Hoog—a former sourcing manager at green coffee importer Ally Coffee with seven years of experience—purchased Thomas Brinkmann’s existing roastery. Brinkmann, an experienced roaster and former roasting champion, had spent over twenty years running the roastery and met Bram in 2018 in Nicaragua during the Cup of Excellence judging. Their meeting blossomed into a partnership: Brinkmann fulfilled his dream of owning his own farm in Nicaragua, while Paso Paso gained a base and experience. The company is formally registered as Istmo Producers Collective GmbH, and its ownership includes the farmers themselves, Bram de Hoog, and design strategist Jasper van Gils—who brought a strong visual identity to the project, winning the SCA Best Branding award at World of Coffee in Copenhagen.

What sets Paso Paso apart from most specialty roasters is its vertical integration taken to its logical conclusion. Green coffee comes exclusively from farmer-co-owners, prices are set through direct dialogue, and profits from sales are returned to the producers in the form of dividends. Roasting is done using the traditional drum method, and the lineup includes espresso, filter, and micro-lot series. The roastery is located at Lagerstraße 1 in Hanover and ships daily throughout the EU.