Lot 29: Bendición Banyai Specialty Coffee Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada

The plantations of Bányai Speciality Coffee are managed by Sándor Tóth and his son Márk Tóth, Hungarian coffee experts.
Sándor has been working in the coffee industry for more than 20 years, is a three-time Hungarian barista champion, a finalist in the London World Barista Championship (CGS category), represented Hungary at the 2011 World Barista Championship in Bogota and was also responsible for the training of the 2013 CGS World Barista Champion Ákos Orosz.
In 2010 he finished, SCA International Trainer, UK Barista Judge Exam, SCA Diploma in Barista, Brewing, Sensory, Roasting exams. In 2013 he founded his coffee roastery in Hungary.
Following in his father's footsteps, Mark started competing in the amateur barista category at the age of 11, where he finished first in three years. After his high school studies, he graduated from BGE University with a degree in Hospitality and is currently studying for the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence - collaboration with the SCA at Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
In 2018, they started their coffee cultivation and fermentation research in Costa Rica. Microbiological laboratory support is provided by Fermentia Ltd. under the leadership of researcher Viktória Bódai PhD and initially with the assistance of Péter Cserta. The Bányai plantations were purchased in 2022. In the same year, they started their cooperation with the Coopro Naranjo cooperative and built a 100 square meter fermentation laboratory. The station is equipped with 8 pcs, 800-litre pressure-resistant stainless steel food grade tanks and the necessary instrumentation. Here they carry out their experimental research and developed the ‘Bioprotective’ processing method. The lab is run jointly with Coopro Naranjo specialists Bernal Valverde, Jose Antonio Vega, Julio Barrantes
Luis Gustavo Chavez supervises and manages the cultivation work in the plantations.
They have prepared a microbiological map of the plantation, selected the terroir wild yeasts and are conducting their research on this basis.
The Finca Bendicion is the smallest Finca in Bányai company, totalling 2.5 manzana (1.8 hectares) and is located in the Central Valley of Lourdes, near the famous Herbazu estate, at an altitude of 1,450 metres above sea level.
The finca is south-east facing, so the sun is shining from morning to afternoon, and for this reason shade trees have been planted in recent years. Inside the Finca is one manzana Geisha, the plants are currently 7 years old.
Sándor and his son places great emphasis on building a healthy soil microflora, so they use compost, organic fertilizers and herbs as green manure. They support the healthy growth of plants through continuous aeration of soil and foliar conditioning. Experiments are also being carried out in this area to develop a population of cover crops that reduce the risk of soil erosion and improve soil structure, nutrient supply and water retention. During the January-February 2025 harvest, the ripening process of Geisha was prolonged, with fruits harvested with less honey but with highly developed beans. Prior to peeling, the fruits were washed and then dried in a single layer in the sun, after that they peeled it without water, in black honey. The high temperature of the beans is not conducive to yeasts, but it is ideal for enzymatic processes, releasing flavour compounds that cannot be released at low temperatures. After 12 hours, the coffee was cooled back to 18-20°C to create ideal conditions for terroir yeasts and fermented in a closed tank under naturally occurring CO2 pressure for 96 hours. At the end of fermentation, the beans were washed with clean water and dried evenly on raised beds. After drying, the reposing time was 1.5 months in parchment husk.
Because of the controlled and hygienic conditions, the coffee is still beautifully clean even after 30 minutes of cupping.
At Bányai Speciality Coffee Concept, they respect tradition and take an ethical approach to their environment. They have made many friends and are constantly consulting local producers. They share the results of their fermentation research with the surrounding producers. They put a lot of energy and work into building biodiversity and creating a safe, regenerative production. Their live algae solutions for crop production have been featured in National Geographic. The Bányai Speciality Coffee Concept is a perfect example of how to effectively impact cultivation by approaching it from the perspective of the consumer and barista profession.
Achieving a place at the 2025 Cup of Excellence Costa Rica is proof that the modern fusion of science and tradition promises great potential.