Finca Hojarales Earns Top National Recognition at Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2025
Hojarales is recognized as one of Guatemala’s top coffee producers at the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2025, highlighting quality, traceability, and excellence from San Marcos.
Hojarales, a large-scale coffee estate in Guatemala, has earned international recognition after being ranked among the country’s top producers, highlighting the global competitiveness of high-quality Guatemalan coffee.
Hojarales Earns International Recognition in Prestigious Coffee Competition
Empresa Agrícola e Industrial Hojarales S.A. announced that its Finca Hojarales was recognized as one of the three best coffee producers in Guatemala at the 10th edition of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2025, organized by Italian brand illycaffè.
The distinction places the estate among the world’s elite coffee producers and underscores the exceptional quality of coffee grown in El Tumbador, San Marcos, one of Guatemala’s most renowned coffee regions.
Following an evaluation by an international jury of experts, Hojarales achieved second place at the national level, after samples from the 2024/2025 harvest were assessed alongside coffees from nine countries.
A Milestone for Large-Scale High-Quality Coffee Production
The recognition marks a significant milestone for Hojarales, as the Ernesto Illy Award traditionally highlights small-scale specialty coffee producers. Hojarales’ inclusion among the top performers challenges this paradigm, demonstrating that excellence, sustainability, and consistency can also be achieved at a larger operational scale.
This achievement reflects the company’s long-term commitment to quality-driven production, even within a high-volume agricultural model.
Traceability as a Cornerstone of Quality
A key factor behind Hojarales’ success is its rigorous traceability system, which documents the coffee’s journey from seed to cup. The estate emphasizes full transparency, ensuring precise control over origin, varietal, processing methods, and quality standards for every batch.
This meticulous approach, managed by a specialized technical team, allows Hojarales to deliver world-class coffee consistently while meeting the expectations of an increasingly sophisticated global market.
“We dedicate this recognition first and foremost to our founders, who were welcomed in this great country and in our beloved San Marcos,” said a spokesperson for Hojarales. “It is also a tribute to our field workers, whose daily dedication makes the miracle of coffee possible.”
Innovation and Science in Coffee Production
The company highlighted that receiving this award as a large-scale producer carries special significance.
“Being honored alongside extraordinary coffee producers is a tremendous achievement,” the spokesperson added. “This award reflects our philosophy of combining a scientific approach with constant innovation to meet the demands of a global market that continues to evolve.”
San Marcos Strengthens Its Role as a Global Coffee Hub
Hojarales’ success also reinforces San Marcos as a leading coffee-producing region in Guatemala. Notably, the first-place national winner of the competition also originated from the same department, further positioning San Marcos as one of the world’s key epicenters of coffee excellence.
Together, these results highlight Guatemala’s continued relevance in the international coffee landscape and the country’s ability to compete at the highest levels of quality and sustainability.
