We talk with founder Hiy-Ling Nathalie Lao about Southeast Asian espresso, moral sourcing, and the sweetness in being cellular.
BY SARAH CHARLES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Pictures courtesy of Là-Haut Espresso
Within the center of Bordeaux, France, Hiy-Ling Nathalie Lao, founding father of Là-Haut Coffee, pedals in the course of the town on her custom-built coffee bike, turning in ethically sourced espresso and what she cries “doses de bonheur” (doses of happiness). Rather of working tardy a counter like lots of her friends, she has selected a special trail.
For Nathalie, Là-Haut isn’t only a café on wheels—it’s a undertaking. “I wanted to honor and connect to my roots by sharing a part of my heritage through bringing Lao coffee to France,” she says. “Southeast Asian coffees are generally underrepresented in the European market. I hoped to not only introduce people to a great coffee but also to make Laos better known and appreciated.”
Espresso from Laos residue uncommon in France, even amongst uniqueness roasters. However thru Là-Haut, Nathalie is converting perceptions, sparking interest a couple of area continuously overpassed in international espresso narratives. “People are often surprised and some even ask me if coffee really grows in Laos!” she says, guffawing. “It leads to lovely conversations. Many share memories of traveling there, and together, we revisit those moments through coffee.”
Espresso is certainly one of Laos’ maximum notable agricultural exports and a key contributor to the financial system. In 2023, Vietnam imported over 12,190 tons of Lao coffee, making up 81.4% of Robusta exports and 50% of the rustic’s overall espresso exports. The U.S. imported simply 0.02%, and Europe 1.5%.
Lao coffee farmers face challenges together with achieving patrons in high-potential markets, making improvements to trait control, expanding productiveness, and nutritious the sphere’s group. However thru on-line auctions and targeted entrepreneurship from each the manufacturer and shopper facets, Lao espresso is discovering its park out of the country.
A Other Manner of Doing Trade
From the beginning, Nathalie knew she sought after to problem conventions. “I guess I’ve always had a thing for being different,” she informed Barista Copy. “At first, I wanted to open a traditional café, but after traveling in Southeast Asia and seeing all these mobile vendors, I changed my perspective. I loved the idea of bringing coffee directly to people, of creating an open-sky coffee bar that could move and adapt.”
These days, Là-Haut Espresso has grow to be a regular presence in Bordeaux’s markets and neighborhoods, a miniature however radiant espresso hub on two wheels. The motorbike is a mindful selection. “When I started my coffee journey, I had left a previous job where I no longer found meaning,” Nathalie says. “Choosing the bike felt obvious; it represents freedom, openness, and connection. It allows me to meet people where they are, without barriers.”
Her industry style intertwines sustainability, ethics, and pleasure. Là-Haut’s beans are sourced from a cooperative of smallholder farmers in Laos, the place Nathalie guarantees honest pay and direct relationships. “Serving ethically sourced coffee was never optional,” she says. “It’s at the very heart of Là-Haut Coffee.”
Cultivating Pleasure as Resistance
Operating a cellular café comes with its percentage of demanding situations: the unpredictable Bordeaux climate, technical problems, and the bodily hard work of biking lengthy distances. But Nathalie’s motivation runs deeper than comfort. “I think most people feel the world could use more warmth, kindness, and connection,” she says. “Through Là-Haut, I wanted to create small moments of joy—genuine encounters that remind us of what really matters.”
That spirit of connection sustains her. “When I give, I also receive back,” Nathalie says. “That energy has carried me through four years on the road. For me, distributing these doses of happiness is already a form of resistance and hope.”
Her on-line family, too, performs an important function. Via Instagram, Nathalie stocks behind-the-scenes moments, from visits to Lao farms to her motorbike breaking i’m sick, turning even the cruel days into tales of resilience and authenticity.
The Highway Forward
Requested about her desires for Là-Haut, Nathalie’s solution is discreet but profound: “To keep delivering those doses of happiness, staying true to my values, and fulfilling my needs,” she says. “For my customers, I want every cup to bring joy and care. For the farmers in Laos, I hope for recognition, pride, and better livelihoods.”
As France’s espresso scene evolves, Là-Haut Espresso stands as a reminder that uniqueness espresso isn’t best about precision and methodology. Center, connection, and the will to do issues otherwise—and ethically—additionally topic. That is a lesson that Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s often has often shared, and the way he constructed a world, well-loved ice-cream logo.
Every now and then, all it takes to decorate a while is a grin, a motorcycle, and a truly excellent cup of Lao espresso.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Charles (she/her) is a senior scribbler and essayist who is sensible of the arena’s messiest techniques—condition, business, tradition, meals—thru well-dressed storytelling, unused angles, and research. She interprets international politics and economics into tales that display how they situation our day by day lives, and vice versa. You’ll be able to succeed in her at sarahcharlz@gmail.com.
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