Chai L Neo – Earns Q-Grader Certification

Greenwell Farms is extremely proud to announce Chai Neo’s recent completion of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) Q-Grader training and her successful qualification as a licensed Q-Grader.

Chai has been working at Greenwell Farms since April of 2009 in the Retail Department and in the Roasting Room.  She has been cupping coffee here at Greenwell Farms for several years utilizing her natural talent for describing flavors and detecting nuances in coffees.

The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) is a nonprofit organization working internationally to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of the people who produce it. CQI provides training and technical assistance to coffee producers and other individuals in the supply chain to increase the value, volume and sustainability of high-quality coffee production. At the backbone of the Q Grading System are Licensed Q Graders, professional cuppers accredited by the Coffee Quality Institute.

To receive accreditation as a Q-Grader, Chai had to successfully pass a rigorous three-day exam comprising of 22 sections on coffee related subjects, such as green grading, roast identification, coffee cupping, sensory skills and sensory triangulation.  As there are just over 1,000 Q-graders for the entire world, Chai joins an elite group of coffee industry experts.

This achievement will contribute greatly to the Greenwell Farms quality control efforts and help the company meets its goal of producing the highest quality coffee possible each year in Kona.