Who was in the March 2025 box?

Avoiding the terrifying collection of wildlife in Melbourne (AU), stunning mountains in Transylvania (RO).

After coffee, still somehow end up at a techno club at 4 AM in Berlin (DE)

and seriously good brews without the pretentious fluff in Barcelona (ES).

Melbourne - Australia

Penny “Min Pin” Ferguson

Penny "Min Pin" Ferguson is an artist, illustrator, and designer based in the lush, slightly terrifying wilderness of the Dandenong Ranges, Australia. She’s the mastermind behind Min Pin, a brand that turns her weird, wonderful, and slightly mischievous illustrations into everything from prints to jewelry to homewares.

If it can be adorned with playful shapes and characters, Penny’s probably thought about sticking her art on it.

She’s got a thing for bold colors, a love for the surreal, and an uncanny ability to make the cute look just a little bit strange (or maybe the strange look kinda cute?).

When she’s not making stuff, she’s probably avoiding Australia’s terrifying collection of wildlife.

What made you decide to start your own brand?

Funnily enough, I started making things as Min Pin because a painter I really liked started following me on Etsy and I wanted to show her all the paintings and jewelry pieces I had been working on too!

How did you come up with the name 'Min Pin' for your brand?

My middle name is Min and when I started Min Pin I was making lots of brooches - or pins - so it came from that.

It’s also a nickname for a breed of dog which is nice.

Australia is a giant death trap filled with creatures that want to kill you.

Have you had any close encounters with deadly animals or plants, or are you just really good at avoiding them?

I have definitely had plenty of run-ins with scary spiders and a couple of snake spottings on bush walks, but that’s about it!

No alligators hiding under the dunny lid here I’m afraid :-0

How does living in the Dandenong Ranges influence your artistic process?

It’s very beautiful here.

It is like the Disney movie Fern Gully.

Lots of huge Mountain Ash Gums and big ferns.

I think that I am very inspired by the shapes of the plants and the trees.

The forest is quite mild and cool here too.

Not the usual hot, sparse bush that is usually associated with Australia.

If you could collaborate with any artist or designer, who would it be and why?

I have recently discovered the work of Swedish artist Moki Cherry.

I would have loved to have painted a mural with her!

Her work is so colorful and free.

She also seems like a lot of fun.

If you weren't an artist, what alternative career path do you think you'd have pursued?

I am a mother of two young kids and am currently juggling both artist/mother roles.

If I weren't an artist I think I would just be a full-time mum and pour all my creativity into projects with them - maybe even start a hobby farm!

"Be nice to everyone <3"

Transylvania - Romania

Meron

Meron Coffee is serving up top-tier specialty coffee in Transylvania, a region known for its stunning mountains, medieval towns, and a language that sounds like a mix of five others.

With a passion for quality beans and a commitment to the perfect brew, Meron has become a go-to spot for anyone who takes their coffee seriously, but not too seriously.

Romania happens to be one of the biggest coffee consumers in Europe, so they clearly know what they’re doing.

Why the name Meron?

Throughout our coffee, we want to give you the boost for a great and amazing day: alluring flavors, delightful company and a quick reminder that life is about NOW, about this MOMENT.

Our name has Greek roots and it means „day”.

It’s the reason why we want to shape your day, and we will provide you the absolute equilibrium & taste for you to build on.

The whole idea behind our business is to capture the present moment and the one thing that brings joy to the people.

Cool logo!

Is there something behind it?

Our logo is simple, minimalistic, and explains what we are for all coffee lovers: the home of coffee.

A place for togetherness & community, where people can express themselves and share their passion for coffee.

More than our logo, I would tell you that our yellow color speaks better about the brand.

You can find it in the hand of the people that buy a coffee to go, in the sneakers that our baristas wear, in the design of our locations, or in the socks that our people from the Headquarters wear.

It's the distinctive sign that speaks for our brand.

Your team besides Dracula himself…

There's more to Transylvania than Dracula.
Transylvania is also known as the land behind the forest.

And it's true, it has a certain picturesque vibe, with infinite hills, and welcoming and hardworking people.

It's one of the most developed areas of Romania and it has beautiful countryside, smart cities, flavorful cuisine, and stunning architecture.

How did you start roasting?

Somehow, it was a natural step that came with business development.

But more than that, roasting in our lab gives us the freedom to choose what kind of beans and origins we want from all over the world.

For every origin that arrives in our roastery, we develop a specific roasting profile. In this way, we create an opportunity for every coffee lover to grab a bag of unique coffee and an experience for other coffee shops.

Our belief is that there is no specific recipe for roasting coffee.

Our knowledge taught us why.

Our experience taught us how.

Our dedication teaches us daily that passion for good coffee is what truly brings people together.

With a team of awarded trainers and a national barista champion as a head roaster(Delia Avram), we are constantly testing and sourcing coffees from all around the world.

In our Roastery, you can find the best beans in the world, experimentally processed coffees, competition coffees, or those that stand out with complex and unusual tasting notes, which we are sharing with you right from our home, Transylvania.

Something original about your town?

Cluj-Napoca is a vibrant city because of all its students, tourists, restaurants, festivals, tech, history, and culture.

And ofc, for its specialty coffee spots.

If you take a walk on foot you will see that the specialty coffee stage is blooming.

You will find at least 10 coffee shops where you can enjoy a good cup of coffee and a nice brunch.

"Since vampires don’t exist apparently…
… but there would be plenty of good coffee to keep them awake. 😊"

Berlin - Germany

Kolo

Kolo Coffee Roastery is roasting up some of Berlin’s best beans in a city where you can drink coffee at breakfast, beer at lunch, and still somehow end up at a techno club at 4 AM.

With a focus on quality, sustainability, and making sure your caffeine fix actually tastes good, Kolo has built a loyal following of coffee lovers who know the difference between "just a coffee" and a properly crafted cup.

Who is the team behind Kolo?

Mostly a one-person company, which is me, Vlad Demonenko, just now I’m starting to hire new people to the team.

What is coffee to you?

I mean it’s everything ( life, trips, people, challenges) and just a cup as well.

Do you think coffee roasting can be seen as a form of art?

I think it’s definitely what it is, same as craft metal or glass producers, it’s the same.

Jerry's journey for art and coffee continues!

Do you have any recommendations for places in Berlin where we can find both?

So we are happy to open our doors at Brunerstrasse 158, where we do all our experiments in the showroom.
And a few shops that we really like- Roestate Berlin, Sofi, Acid.

What was the most memorable coffee in your life, and was there one that you’d like to forget?

I appreciate everything and nothing same with coffee.
All it’s for me, big work even if it’s coffee that tastes bad.
Coffee, what I remember now it’s the first era of thermal shock from Colombia.
Orange bourbon from Paraiso 92.
And that one, what I want to forget, is the same coffee, as I was competing with these coffees in WBRC 23 and had a wrong green delivery last time.
So I have no chance to make it well.

The Amsterdam Coffee Festival is coming up!

Will we be seeing Kolo there?

Unfortunately, we need to stay in Berlin, and have fun here during our opening.

"I’m really curious about what's next for us in this space and coffee.
But really believe in strong community connections that value more and more with the time."

Barcelona - Spain

Atmans

Atmans Coffee is a no-nonsense coffee spot serving up seriously good brews without the pretentious fluff.

Tucked away in Barcelona, a city where it's totally normal to eat dinner at midnight and get lost in alleyways that may or may not lead to a secret bar, Atmans keeps things simple—great beans and laid-back vibes.

The roastery's name, what is the story behind it?

I was thinking for a long time about a name to give birth to the company that could summarize everything I feel about coffee..

I’m talking about years since I wanted to develop a project for myself.. even opened and read dictionaries to try to find it by stages but.. nothing came up for a long time..

until one day digging something on the internet as a serendipity, I saw that word and liked the shape of the word, the letters and went to find the meaning and boom!!

I found it!! :) Atmans comes from Sanskrit and means the soul, the inner self, and the essence... the thing that we believe that each coffee has its own atman , which is not always visible to the naked eye, but can be appreciated through our deepest senses.

What is your favorite coffee origin?

I have a preference for “Mama African’s” coffees..

since the first day, I had an Ethiopian coffee, I’ve noticed something different that speaks for itself and made to explore further and experience lovely surprises..

in the end, is from where the coffee is from..

But with time I’ve learned to develop this mindset from atmans knowing that each Process, Origin and Variety (POV) has its particularities and it’s what I’m trying to showcase under our selection to our clients.

Also selecting things that they do have not anything to see and you can get surprised.

Do you like the street art in your town?

I love street art!!

Actually my background comes from the world of arts..

used to be a graffiti writer in my youth, and kept trying but time was limited..

so I try to express my art through coffee these days.. :)

Actually the colors of the labels are set up based on what I perceive in the coffee, just as a way to try to play around and transmit what the coffee is saying by itself.

It’s something that I started to do back in 2013 when I moved to London and had the luck to manage one of the best CoffeeShops at the time as a way to keep myself entertained meanwhile I was cupping dozens of coffees per week to select the best ones to our clients.

Just found it funny to do and gave continuity until today, and helped me out a lot to develop the visuals of the brand, something that I created also by myself following these “art skills” and sensibility I had about well-done things :)

Jerry only had a brief visit to Barcelona—what should be on his must-see list when he returns?

I’d love places where you can breathe inside the busyness of a town, top spots where you can feel somewhere else even if you are in Barcelona or somewhere else..

There are surprising’ streets around town like that, that for moments you don’t realize you are in Bcn and you could be somewhere else that you find just by coincidence..

I love the area of Carmel and their spots to view the landscape and the town, Forum area was created like an Urban Park and is super chill to have a comforting walk, behind Wela’s Hotel and the port there are also a nice walking areas where you can check the city from a different perspective ..

One of my favorites is a park close by the Prat’ Airport where you can watch benches and how the planes are landing and taking off.. amazing..

If you wanna explore a bit further, towards Sitges and Girona there are amazing spots to go to the beach and many awesome hiking routes around Catalonia and Andorra.

Can you share the most hilarious experience you've had during your coffee career?

Oh wow..

I have to make up my mind here.. spent the last 22 years of my life in Coffee (more than half of my age ;) and I’ve had many as you can imagine.. but.. if you can not censor this I’ll explain to you.. :P

When I was living in London, for the first year or so I had some issues with the language, it was hard for me to understand English coming from Spain where the level, in general, is not that good when you finish your studies so.. there was this guy ordering a Latte or something to take away..

we tend to ask for the names to properly deliver the drinks in order and he gave me the name “Penis”.. with the rush of a Saturday in the middle of Portobello Rd’s market just wrote whatever I could pronounce later on when I had the drink ready..

so when I called the name loud..

You can imagine how every-fucking body was turning to me watching what this guy was calling to..?

hahahah I’ve realized what I was saying after screaming his name.. felt deeply embarrassed but.. now with time I remember it is super funny at the same time.. ;)

The Amsterdam Coffee Festival is coming up!

Will we be seeing Atmans there?

I’d love to be at each festival, but I don’t think this year would be possible.

wanna keep focusing on building up and strengthening the team and the brand and take some other more specific events and actions, but hopefully next year we’ll be around!!

There is a huge coffee scene in there and I haven’t visited since the very beginning!! Say something

"Something can be anything.. :P haha..

Well.. I want to thank you for this collaboration and I hope you all enjoy the coffee I’ve sent you guys, and this can open the door for many more collaborations in the future and also the interest of Atmans in your clients and friends.

We’ve many options on the menu for all ranges and we really put so much effort into the selection process, roasting and QC to have a very strong brand with the time we’re having."

we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!     we're the artists!