Staying grounded
Meet Mohamad Merhi, co-founder and managing partner at Cypher Urban Roastery
Mehri is a stickler for details. From bean sourcing, to the exquisitely handsome packaging, everything at Cypher Urban roastery has to be done to his, very precise, standards. No surprise, then, to discover that Dubai’s coffee aficionados – not short of an exacting standard or two themselves when it comes to coffee – are flocking to him for their java fix…
I’ve always had a natural affinity for coffee. My family have loved it for generations. Some of my fondest memories are listening to my late grandfather, who’d tell us his life story while sipping on a cup of fragrant, freshly brewed Arabic coffee.
The speciality coffee scene has boomed over the last five years here. People are really appreciating the craft that goes into brewing their morning cup, and are more open to trying new blends. They’re also interested in the story behind each bean and its journey, which is something that we at Cypher pride ourselves on. When we launched Cypher, I was at a point in my life where I wanted to throw myself into something meaningful. I wanted to revive the ancient art of coffee in the Middle East and redefine the relationship people have with it.
This mission starts with sourcing the highest standard of coffee beans, and ensuring that people in the Middle East can enjoy some of the best coffee in the world. We believe in engaging and educating the community from farmers to brewers. We want to give back to the community and the world around us. And we are deeply committed to the promotion of fair trade practices across the bean life-cycle.
The best quality produce?
I developed a fondness for Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia and Guatemala. In my opinion these four origins consistently produce the best quality.
It’s not just about coffee for us now. Last year we launched Snackwell, our 100 per cent natural fruit-based snacks. Our aim is to help coffee producers who harvest fruits alongside coffee beans to generate other sources of revenue. We also launched Nabtih, (meaning plant). It’s a new initiative to reduce waste associated with harvesting and distribution of coffee by recycling and repurposing its byproducts. For example, we’ve repurposed jute bags – originally used to transport coffee beans – into pots for basil, rosemary and mint. Cypher also stocks sustainable products such as olive oil sourced directly from farms in Palestine.