Our Team

Toño Capote (Beneficio)

Born in Cajibio, Cauca, Toño is 52 and has been working with us for more than 30 years. He is married to Ruby and is father of 3; Vanessa, 24, accountant, Edwin, 20, high school graduate, who works for an agro veterinary store, and Angie, 18, who is studying to become a veterinary nurse. Toño is our 'beneficio man' being responsible for the selection, pulping, fermentation, washing, drying, and packing.

Fernando Capote (Plantation)

Also born in Cajibio, Fernando is Toño's little cousin. He is 43 and has worked in la Lomita for almost 25 years. He is married to Johana and is father of 4; Mateo, high school student, Romeo and Maria Fernanda, primary school students, and Juanito, who is 2 years old. Fernando is a highschool graduate and studied Coffee Technology at Cenicafe (Colombian centre for coffee research). Fernando is in charge of the plantation, and his responsibilities are the nursing, sowing, pest and weed control, fertilization, renovation, and picking.

Raul and Nydia Canal (Founders)

Raul was born 70 years ago in Cucuta,  Norte de Santander, the place where the first coffee trees were introduced to Colombia. He is the grandson of Don Josue Canal who was owner of La Selva, one of the most important coffee estates in this region dating from the 1900's. He is married to Nydia, daughter of Don Guillermo Villegas and heir of the estate where La Lomita farm is located. In 1979 they planted together the first coffee trees and started what today is La Lomita.

Ricardo Canal (UK Sales)

Ricardo is Raul and Nydia's son born in 1975 and raised in la Lomita among the coffee trees. In 2012 Ricardo, an industrial and mechanical engineer, used his expertise in kaizen and lean manufacturing and implemented our improvement program which aimed to refine and maintain the cup attributes of our coffee. Ricardo currently resides in London and is the person that oversees our operations in the United Kingdom.