The Ortiz Barriere family has been cultivating coffee for over 130 years in the Tecapa-Chinameca region of eastern El Salvador. Today, their farms operate under the name Las Mercedes – a brand that stands for consistency, quality, and deep family commitment. Las Mercedes is led by Silvia Ortiz and her sister-in-law Lucia de Ortiz, who oversee each harvest with extensive experience and an uncompromising dedication to quality.

The coffees from Las Mercedes are harvested exclusively by hand and in multiple passes to ensure that only fully ripe cherries are selected. The farm operates its own beneficio, featuring both traditional brick patios and African drying beds. Coffees are primarily processed as washed, honey, or natural, with anaerobic methods also available upon special request.

Lucia and Sandra are true perfectionists—the beneficio is spotless, highly structured, and strictly organized, ensuring meticulous attention to detail at every stage. Even non-specialty lots—such as the first harvest pass or cherries that are underripe—are processed with such care that they still result in impressively high quality.

For final preparation for export—including quality control, hulling, sorting, and packaging—the family partners with Beneficio Tuxpal near Santa Ana. Export logistics are also handled via Beneficio Tuxpal / Tejemet S.A. de C.V.

The roots of Las Mercedes go back to 1886, when Spanish immigrant Adrian Ortiz began cultivating coffee in El Salvador. After his passing in 1898, his wife Mercedes took over the farm—she remains the namesake of the estate to this day. Their son continued the operation, as did future generations, despite facing significant challenges such as the civil war of the 1980s and a devastating earthquake in 2001.

Under the leadership of Roberto Ortiz, the farm’s infrastructure was extensively modernized, including the wet mill and central facilities. From 2001 to 2017, Las Mercedes was certified under Rainforest Alliance standards, and the farm continues to follow these principles voluntarily: sustainable agriculture, resource conservation, and social responsibility.

The quality of Las Mercedes coffee has received numerous awards—most notably the Cup of Excellence in 2006 and 2009—placing it among the most respected and renowned coffee farms in El Salvador.