Coffea Liberica is often dubbed the sweetest, most aromatic coffee in the world. It is more delicate and indulgent than its more significant, more commercially popular siblings, Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta. In fact, this often-forgotten coffee plant is so unique that one of Ukraine’s leading HoReCa service providers chose to name itself after it: Liberica International.
Liberica International is playing a keystone role in the development of Ukraine’s thriving coffee industry, building deep industry relationships with leading international equipment manufacturers to further the performance of the domestic coffee scene. Alongside Eversys and Pentair, Hardtank is proud to be counted among Liberica’s equipment partners.
We spoke to Irina Borzilova, founder and CEO, to learn more about the development of cold brew coffee in Ukraine and how Liberica is using Hardtank equipment to catalyse domestic innovation and growth.
Why did Liberica choose to partner with Hardtank?
“Our decision to work with Hardtank was based on two fundamental factors,” says Irina.
“Firstly, cold drink consumption is growing rapidly across Ukraine, just like the rest of the world. Secondly, there is a marked absence of automated cold brew solutions here. Customers have used other, smaller-format cold brewers, but they don’t work at scale. When you’re selling 20 litres of cold brew per day, the process becomes extremely complex, and you need innovative equipment to maintain quality and consistency.
“Really, our decision was based on a reaction to market conditions. This is what the market needs.”
Preparing cold brew at scale without modern commercial equipment is inefficient. It is a laborious, time-consuming process prone to quality errors, inconsistencies and contamination. It introduces an added layer of stock controlling and forecasting to an already busy food and beverage environment.
How has Hardtank helped Liberica’s mission?
Liberica International chose to start by offering Ukrainian clients the Baby Hardtank. The Baby Hardtank is Hardtank’s more compact commercial cold brew coffee brewer, perfect for operators with limited space or resources who are still looking to build a profitable cold brew program.
“We chose the Baby Hardtank plus Hardtank’s nitro capabilities primarily because of price,” Irina confirms.
“It is not an easy time in Ukraine at the moment, and clients are extremely cautious about their investments, especially when it comes to innovative new equipment. We have a constant challenge in Ukraine; it is a war. This affects all processes in our business and others.”
The Baby Hardtank helps companies commit to the cold brew movement in a more cost-effective manner than the larger machines we manufacture. Capable of brewing up to 250 200 ml portions of cold brew per day, a company leveraging the Baby Hardtank to serve just 20 portions in a service period can expect a return on investment in just over a month.
“We wanted to open the Ukrainian coffee market to the pure taste of cold brew,” Irina adds.
“This surprised many customers at first. For Liberica, we see Hardtank equipment as an opportunity to develop and further fill out the cold drinks sector. We see enormous potential for development via Hardtank, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails and beverages.”
Liberica has been sourcing the world’s best coffee equipment for the Ukrainian market for years, ensuring that the market’s leading operators and roasters can access top-of-the-range tools. Nevertheless, Liberia is also taking a more direct approach to industry innovation and growth by being a key sponsor of the Specialty Coffee Association of Ukraine (SCA Ukraine), investing in and supporting the organic development of the country’s specialty scene. By acting as a prominent backer, Liberica continues to demonstrate that it has the entirety of Ukraine’s coffee industry at heart.
“We are the official sponsors of SCA Ukraine,” says Irina.
“We always have a wide advertising campaign incorporating Hardtank. We develop videos, design banners and advertisements, and host demonstrations of cold brewing on the equipment.”
“In the upcoming championships in May this year, we plan to run a masterclass with the Baby Hardtank. We hope to organise a Cold Brew Championship that sees contestants leveraging Hardtank technology as they seek the best brew.”
To learn more about Liberica’s mission and goal, visit their website. To source your own Baby Hardtank or other commercial cold brew equipment, visit our website or get in touch with us directly.
Liberica
