Our Story
The MannaBrew Story
Mesquite Trees
The story of MannaBrew starts in South Africa, deep in the heart of the Karoo in a small town called Prieska. It is here, on the banks of the mighty Orange River, where farmlands are being taken over by thousands of invasive thorn trees, known as Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) trees. While most local people regard these trees as a nuisance, one family has discovered that the deep-yellow seed pods that grow on these trees are in-fact an amazing superfood.
Harvesting
Through 26 years of working with the Mesquite trees, the two brothers, Aam and Brandt Coetzee discovered that, besides other superfood products, you can actually make “coffee” with the Mesquite seedpods.
Well, each year, a small window of only 2 to 3 weeks allows us to harvest a year’s supply of the Mesquite seedpods before the summer rains start to fall. But this small harvesting window brings a smile to the faces of the locals in this poverty-stricken Karoo town.
Job creation
For these people, it is an opportunity to go into the field and collect the pods, which are then purchased from them according to the weight they have collected. This helps to provide them with seasonal work and supports their local economy. The pods are sorted by hand to ensure they are of the highest quality, before being weighed, put into bags, and transported to Somerset West, in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Processing
When the pods arrive at the MannaBrew processing plant, they are sorted once more, before being roasted, milled, and blended into the perfect ground consistency so that it can be brewed using almost any type of coffee-making instrument. The blended Mesquite Espresso is packed in specially made bags to secure a long shelf life. The packaging is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable. Now, it is ready to be enjoyed! The slow roasting process brings out the natural sweetness and unique flavors of this superfood from nature.
The “Coffee”
MannaBrew contains no caffeine, but the essential sugars from the Mesquite beans are known to energise and uplift, like caffeinated coffee, but without any side effects. Once you have tasted MannaBrew, everything else might taste a bit bland in comparison.
Manna Brew Changes Lives!
Manna Brew is not just another consumer product – this is a product that has a real impact on lives ...
Manna Brew changes the lives of the people who drink it, by offering an alternative hot drink that still gives a full coffee experience, whilst being a superfood that is soft on the digestive system that don’t cause acidity in the body, but rather energises and uplift without keeping you awake at night.
Manna Brew changes the lives of the local workers who collect the seedpods, by providing them with a source of income in a poverty-stricken area, so they too can provide for their families. This, in turn, gives a massive boost to the local economy in the area where the seedpods are collected.
Manna Brew changes the lives of the farmers on whose farms these trees grow, who have more time, energy, and resources to produce food when the much-needed water and land is not being used by the rapidly spreading Mesquite tree.
The Numbers Tell Another Story
A story about the stop of the spread of the Mesquite tree, saving water and creating jobs.
Stopping the Spread
Each 226g box of MannaBrew contains an average of 75 Mesquite seed pods, which adds up to about 1125 seeds. Research indicates that an average of 35% of these seeds germinates within the first year. This means that each box of MannaBrew has the potential to prevent another 393 new trees from invading valuable farmland over the next year, and the number grows exponentially from there as each tree produces more seed!
Saving Water
The water usage of the average size Mesquite tree (2,5 to 3,5 m high) is about 60L/day, which means that with each box of MannaBrew you help to save an average of 8 million litre/year of precious underground water per year.
Creating Jobs
Currently, about one thousand people are involved each year during the harvesting process. Every bit helps, as the unemployment rate in the Northern Cape where the Mesquite seedpods are harvested is currently at 40%!
With every sip of MannaBrew, you not only get a healthy energy boost, but you also help to conserve the ecology of the Northern Cape while making a difference in the lives of thousands of harvesters.