At Fish River Roasters, quality has always been about more than a score in a cup. It’s about understanding coffee deeply, where it comes from, how it’s produced, how it’s experienced, and ultimately, how it delivers value to the people who drink it.
That philosophy is reflected in a recent milestone for our team. Michael Butchard, Head Roaster & Green Buyer at Fish River Roasters, has officially renewed and upgraded his Q Grader qualification under the Specialty Coffee Association’s new Evolved Q Grader program, built around the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) framework.
This evolution in certification mirrors a wider shift happening across the global specialty coffee industry, one that Fish River Roasters is proud to be part of.
A foundation built on Q Grading
Michael first became a Certified Q Arabica Grader three years ago.
The original Q Arabica system was developed by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) to define and assess quality in Arabica coffee using a shared, globally recognised framework. The goal was to create a common language that could be communicated clearly across the coffee value chain — from producers and exporters through to roasters and cafés.
Certified Q Graders follow strict, standardised protocols for:
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Green coffee grading
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Sensory assessment of roasted coffee
Often compared to a master sommelier qualification, but for coffee, Q Grading plays a critical role in identifying coffees that qualify as specialty. Coffees that score 80 points or above, and pass green coffee grading requirements, can be certified as specialty coffee. This certification helps producers earn higher premiums and provides valuable written feedback to support future improvement.
Achieving Q Grader status is no small feat. Michael completed an intensive six-day course, including a written exam and 19 separate sensory tests, covering aroma recognition, triangulation, cupping calibration, and defect identification. Traditionally, certification required recalibration every three years to maintain accuracy and alignment with global standards.
The shift to Evolved Q and Coffee Value Assessment
In 2024, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) took over the Q Grading program and introduced a significant evolution: Coffee Value Assessment (CVA).
Rather than focusing solely on technical quality scores, CVA broadens the framework to recognise value, acknowledging that coffee quality only truly exists when it meets the needs of a specific customer, culture, or product.
As part of this transition, all existing and former Q Graders seeking recertification were required to update their skills and demonstrate proficiency using the new assessment criteria. Michael has now successfully completed this process and is certified under the SCA Evolved Q Grader program.
This certification ensures that Fish River Roasters continues to assess coffee using the most current, globally recognised standards, while also embracing a more nuanced, customer-focused approach.
Understanding Coffee Value Assessment (CVA)
The CVA framework is built around four complementary assessments that together provide a complete picture of a coffee’s value.
Physical Assessment
A grading of the green coffee sample of a coffee, which measures the size, uniformity, colour, moisture content, as well as the presence and severity of any physical defects.
This assessment establishes the coffee’s physical integrity and consistency before it ever reaches the roaster.
Descriptive Assessment
This is an objective cupping (or tasting) protocol that identifies the intrinsic sensory attributes of a coffee and their intensity.
Rather than judging whether flavours are “good” or “bad,” this stage focuses on accurately describing what is present in the cup.
Affective Assessment
A cupping protocol that assesses the coffee in terms of its suitability for a known customer or product and gives the coffee a score out of 100. The higher the score, the more suitable the coffee is for the target product or market.
This is where context matters most, a coffee isn’t judged in isolation, but in relation to how and where it will be used.
Extrinsic Assessment
This gathers and assesses all the other information that can add perceived value to a customer (and the marketing team!): Geographical, botanical and agricultural information about where and how the coffee was produced; biographical information about the people involved in its production; any certifications (like Organic, Rainforest Alliance, Biodynamic, etc.).
These four assessments combined help coffee buyers and roasters discover the true value of a coffee for a particular customer or end product, ensuring the best possible match.
Redefining specialty coffee
Alongside CVA, the definition of specialty coffee itself has changed.
The SCA now defines specialty coffee as:
“A coffee or coffee experience that is recognised for its distinctive attributes, resulting in a higher value within the marketplace.”
This represents a shift away from a single benchmarked score awarded by highly trained cuppers, toward a broader, more inclusive understanding of value.
While this change has been controversial for some long-time industry professionals, it reflects the reality of a global coffee market with diverse cultural preferences. For example:
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In Scandinavia, bright, highly acidic coffees are prized.
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In parts of the Middle East, lower-acid, heavier, more medicinal coffees are preferred.
Neither preference is more “correct”, but placing the wrong coffee in the wrong context can be disastrous for producers, roasters, cafés, and customers alike.
What this means for Fish River Roasters and our partners
When a coffee’s attributes are aligned with the right product and market, everyone benefits.
Customers receive coffee they genuinely enjoy and are willing to pay more for. Cafés serve coffees that perform better on the bar and resonate with their community. Producers and buyers find the best possible home for their coffee and are rewarded with stronger prices for their work.
Michael’s Evolved Q Grader certification ensures that Fish River Roasters continues to make informed, thoughtful decisions when selecting, roasting, and presenting coffee, using the most current tools available to the industry.
It’s about matching the right coffee with the right drinker, every time.
That’s the idea, and it’s a future-focused approach we’re proud to stand behind.
