Meet MAV Coffee in El Salvador: the origin of our Dawn Patrol coffee

Some coffees stand out for their taste. And then there are those that tell a story, a legacy, a passion. Dawn Patrol, our coffee with notes of caramel, roasted almonds and chocolate, is one of them. To understand what lies behind each cup, we travelled to El Salvador to meet Irene, her brother and their father, the family behind MAV Coffee, and visit the farm that supplies Dawn Patrol beans: Valle de Oro. The MAV Coffee adventure is a family story that dates back to the late 1800s. Today, the fourth and fifth generations of the Villavicencio family produce, manage and export specialty coffees from three unique farms: San Antonio, Valle de Oro and La Pacaya. MAV Coffee produces and exports single-origin coffees, coffees from a single location, with complete traceability. Their goal? To make coffee a sustainable, honest and profitable way of life for El Salvador, while preserving the local environment. 

Founded in 1890, Finca San Antonio is the family's historic farm. This is where it all began. It represents heritage, generations of hard work, and a spirit of quality passed down from the great-grandfather. During our visit, we saw plots undergoing regeneration. After decades of cultivation, the farm has been replanted with Sarchimor varieties, which are more resistant to rust while maintaining consistent cup quality. San Antonio embodies both history and modernity: agricultural techniques are being updated, and a nursery is maintained to prepare future plants. 

Valle de Oro is defined by MAV Coffee as their most technological and sustainable farm. Here, nothing is left to chance: modern technologies (drones, satellites) are used to monitor the soil, optimise inputs and reduce environmental impact; a sustainable management system without pesticides is in place, with the soil and natural vegetation as allies; and fair payment and technical training are provided to employees. Although located at medium altitude, this farm plays a key role in the overall quality of Dawn Patrol, bringing consistency and balance to the blend that makes up this coffee. 

Perched between 1,750 and 2,000 metres above sea level, Finca La Pacaya is considered the jewel in the crown of MAV Coffee. It is a farm growing exotic varieties, where cherries such as Geisha, Mocha, Kenya and Tabi are cultivated with the utmost care. La Pacaya has won the prestigious Cup of Excellence three times, making it one of the symbols of Salvadoran coffee excellence. During our visit, although the harvest had not yet begun due to the altitude, we could sense the immense potential of the plots. 

After visiting the farms, we went to the beneficio, where the green beans are stored until they are packaged for export. This is where each bag is checked, sorted, labelled and prepared for shipment to roasters around the world, including ours. You can feel the importance of quality control here: not only on the farm, but also at this stage, which guarantees total traceability of the coffee, from the plant to the cup. More than just a producer, MAV Coffee aims to be a model of social, economic and environmental sustainability in speciality coffee. Their mission is clear: to show that coffee can be a sustainable way of life, respectful of nature and people, while producing very high-quality coffees. The family is working to make this passion a living legacy, not only for themselves, but for the entire Salvadoran coffee industry. Dawn Patrol: more than just coffee, an experience to share. When you drink a cup of Dawn Patrol, you taste: Valle de Oro's sustainable innovation, the meticulous care taken at the beneficio, the passion of Irene, her brother and their father. Every sip becomes a story, an encounter, an emotion. Because Dawn Patrol is not just coffee.

It's an authentic experience, born from a place, a family and unique expertise.