There are media outlets that not only report on an industry but help define how it is understood. In the world of design, culture, and lifestyle, Monocle is one of them.

A few weeks ago, their editorial team contacted us to be part of a global report on the most relevant independent coffee brands in the world. A journey through roasters that, from different countries, are establishing their own way of understanding specialty coffee.

Right Side Coffee was the only project selected in Spain.

The result is the recently published article:
“Breaking new ground: 25 exceptional brands that are leading the coffee industry”, where we share space with some of the most influential international references in the sector.

 

A project that began in 2012

When Monocle asked us about the origin of Right Side Coffee, the answer inevitably took us back.

Right Side Coffee was founded on June 9, 2012.
A project that began with an initial investment of €2,000, one machine, and a very clear idea: to build something from scratch, without shortcuts.

During the first years, growth was completely organic. Joaquín Parra started the project alone, in a context where the specialty coffee industry in Spain practically did not exist as such.

In 2014, Lara San Miguel joined, bringing balance to the project and consolidating a structure that would allow for sustained growth.

Today, more than a decade later, the team consists of 15 people between the roastery and the coffee bar.

What makes us different

One of the key questions in the report was direct: what makes Right Side Coffee different within the industry.

Our answer has always been the same idea expressed in different ways: coffee doesn't start with roasting.

From the beginning, we understood the project as something closer to import than to the simple transformation of the bean. Origin is not an abstract starting point: it is a direct relationship with producers, with shared decisions, and with a specific way of working with quality.

We collaborate with very diverse profiles: from producers recognized in international competitions like Cup of Excellence, to small producers with solid and consistent projects at origin. What matters is not size, but the coherence between variety, process, and terroir.

This direct relationship has allowed us not only to select coffees but also to actively influence process improvements, generating a real impact on the final quality of the product.

The working model is based on quality as the axis of remuneration. This, in turn, builds long-term trust relationships, both with producers and customers.

 

Technology, craftsmanship, and a way of understanding machinery

Another aspect we highlighted in our conversation with Monocle was our relationship with machinery.

We work with Probat equipment, a choice that responds not only to tradition but to the logic of building on solid mechanical foundations.

We restore old machines and adapt them with current technology. It's not just a technical decision: it's also a way of understanding sustainability, engineering, and the craft of roasting itself.

Each machine we restore is different. We don't seek absolute uniformity, but precision within a living, adaptable system with its own identity.

 

Recognition that looks outwards, but also inwards

Appearing in a Monocle report alongside some of the most relevant brands in the sector does not change who we are, but it does confirm something important: consistent work, when coherent over time, eventually becomes visible beyond its own environment.

For us, this kind of recognition is not a destination, but a sign that the path still makes sense.

You can read the full report here