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Recreo Coffee & Roasterie in West Roxbury is the neighborhood coffee shop a lot of us dream about: it’s bright and cozy, with a deep personal touch of a family who’s been growing coffee for 50 years. Within the walls of Recreo Coffee, you are going to find delicious coffee brewed with precision, love and care. What you’ll also find is a rich history of a family who loves its land, its farmers, and its community.
The shop is run by Miriam and Hector Morales. They are warm, cheerful, and they are deeply invested in the networks they have built in the Boston area, and in El Recreo Estate Farm‘s home of Nicaragua. Miriam’s mother and father—formerly a lawyer and engineer—have transformed what was once a recess or recreo from their busy urban lives to a socially and environmentally responsible coffee farm employing 30 families who grow and produce the beans. Hand picked and shipped straight from Nicaragua, the coffee beans can be found at local Farmers Markets, as well as the shop in West Roxbury, where they are roasted and brewed in plain view.
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On a recent trip to the shop, my husband and I ordered an americano, a cortadito, and the most amazingly flavorful cold brew I have ever tasted. One sip of this black coffee packed a rich combination of chocolately, bitter and sweet flavors all at the same time. We enjoyed our coffee and a few pastries in a cozy banquette as we watched a slideshow of photos taken at El Recreo Estate Farm.
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As we indulged, we learned from Miriam that the pastries sold at Recreo Coffee & Roasterie all come from The Danish Pastry House in Watertown. Their milk is from Crescent Ridge Dairy in Sharon, and they use Taza Chocolate, based in Somerville. Recreo Coffee is embedded in the local community, and their sourcing of local ingredients is no exception.
Back in Nicaragua, El Recreo Estate Farm takes on a big social and environmental responsibility. There is a school for the children of the families who live and work on the land, along with a technical school for adults that focuses on reading and agricultural training. Meals, lodging, and medical care are provided to the families who live and work on site. There is also a rotation of drives and donations, like shoes for the children and a visit from Santa at Christmas time.
I asked Miriam if she had any hopes for Recreo Coffee’s future, and she spoke passionately about expanding their outreach to farmers and families throughout Nicaragua. Projects like a medical brigade, a more developed school, and a greater network for spreading knowledge to farmers and small businesses are all in their hopes for the future. Though it seems small, buying a cup of coffee at Recreo Coffee & Roasterie does impact the possibility for these programs. With people like Miriam and Hector leading the way, you can be sure that a pastry or cold brew is supporting an entire network of farmers and businesses who treat their products thoughtfully and carefully.
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For more information about Recreo Coffee & Roasterie and El Recreo Estate Farm, visit their website.
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