Phillip Di Bella, to those that know him, is a modest man.  He can often be found making coffees or washing dishes in the retail department of the Di Bella head office at Bowen Hills; in fact, if he was to engage you in conversation, it would take a little time before you realised who you were actually talking to – even then, you would be inclined to think twice.

The truth is, Phil has been a major player in the international coffee industry for many years now and when you delve into the facts there is a lot more to it than making coffee.  Of course, that has a lot to do with it, but when you look upon the subject on an international level, the secrets to this whirlwind success story become clear in an instant. Roasting coffee has been an intimate passion of Phil’s for quite some time now, and it reflects in his coffee and the way he runs his company.  Dedicating his time to sourcing the best quality beans from around the world and training his roasting technicians in an intense ongoing process.  Only after trust is gained can you approach the beans and not before.

Watch him in action and you’ll soon realize that Phil cares more for his beans than many people care for their own children. Di Bella employs what is known as their “crop to cup” philosophy which focuses on fair-trade practices and the eradication of child labour.  With 90% of the world’s coffee supply being grown in third world countries, there is little sense in employing a string of buyers, handlers, and distributors as the profits drop every time another person comes into contact with the beans.  This means the money that goes to the farmer is significantly less than they are entitled to and in turn their families need to work on the farm to help increase the income.

This is a vicious cycle that has, sadly, been going on for many years.  Di Bella has employed their buying practices to ensure the highest price is paid to the farmers with as little secondary handling as possible (in most cases there is only one person between the farmers and Di Bella who is employed mainly to ensure high quality beans from well treated workers), as well as providing the farmers’ families and staff with education, healthcare, nutritional plans, vaccination, pre-natal care and dental care.  With any luck, leading by example will encourage other coffee companies to employ these same practices and work together to contribute to the development of coffee growers and their families.

It is this personalized selection criteria that makes Di Bella Coffee consistently head and shoulders above the other leading companies and has earned Phillip a reputation as one of the most respected men in the coffee industry today.

Phillip Di Bella’s first book, ‘Roasted Passion’ written by renowned author and academic Dr. Robert Norton, is the story of Di Bella Coffee, so far...  The book covers Phillip’s struggles and achievements in creating and building the company and his personal and business challenges. To read more about Phillip’s journey … Click Here