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Our EXCEPTIONAL SELECTION COFFEEs
Organically Grown Micro Lots from: Ethiopia , Honduras & Indonesia
Ethiopia single origin (micro lot )
- Country: Ethiopia
- Sub Region : Hada Bekele, Idido, Yirgacheffe
- Producer Type : Amarech Ararso
- Variety : Ethiopia Heirloom Varieties
- Growing Altitude 2050 MASL
- Processing : Anaerobic Natural
Anaerobic Idido Micro lot
The indigenous ‘heirloom’ varietals - which grow wild in Ethiopia - are responsible for the unique flavour notes which make for an unusual but beautifully refined cup, characterised by strong citric acidity, sweet chocolate , floral/herbal notes and boozy complexity
Brandy liqueur, passionfruit, cherry & strawberry, are just some of the flavours that make this beautifully balanced coffee truly exceptional.
THE "Ama project "
The producer group known as "Idido, Yirgacheffe" operates under the "Ama Project," the project was established in 2023 with the primary objective of supporting women farmers and fostering women's empowerment within their respective communities. The history of this group is rooted in its commitment to uplifting the roles and contributions of women in agricultural endeavors. Situated in Idido, Yirgacheffe, this group serves as a pivotal consolidation point for its members' produce.
Ama provides extensive support to its members, including the implementation of the "Ama Commitment Income Diversification Scheme." This initiative aims to enhance the financial well-being of members by offering training, financial assistance, and necessary equipment. These efforts collectively work towards improving the livelihoods of women farmers and promoting gender equity in the agricultural landscape.
While Ama and its associated farmers hold no certifications, the commitment to organic farming is evident. The cooperative has opted for organic practices, although official certification has not been pursued due to the considerable costs associated with verification.
The producer
Amarech Ararso, is the producer of this lot her name means "she became beautiful." Her farm and processing station is located in Hada and plays an essential role in the cooperative's activities.
Amarech Ararso sources cherries from local farmers and processes them in-house. The farm spans 2 hectares and stands at an elevation of 2050 meters, fostering favourable conditions for cultivating high-quality coffee beans.
Throughout the harvest season (November to January), Amarech employs 40 seasonal workers in addition to its 5 permanent employees. The farm's cultivation practices involve cultivating coffee under the shade of false banana trees, embracing organic methods. Despite the absence of formal certification, the coffee is meticulously handpicked during the harvest by skilled seasonal workers.
Following harvesting, the coffee cherries undergo a specific processing regimen. The cherries are fermented in plastic barrels for seven days and then subjected to a drying period of 15-20 days. Post-drying, the coffee is stored within an on-site warehouse before being transported to the Addis Ababa processing facility.
The journey of the coffee towards export involves being processed and dried before reaching the Moplaco dry mill located in Gerji, Addis Ababa. From there, the coffee is transported via train to Djibouti, facilitating its export to international markets.
The cooperative's endeavors extend beyond the realm of coffee production, encompassing economic, social, and governance aspects. The "Ama Commitment Income Diversification Scheme" serves as a prime example of their social initiatives. Furthermore, this year Ephtah Coffee's contributed with 250,000ETB to build new drying beds to adds to the existing ones.
In terms of economic transactions, farmers receive immediate payment of 60% upon delivering their produce. The remaining portion is disbursed when the exporter settles with the suppliers after marketing the lots.
Notably, Amarech, the primary supplier, received a prefunding of 8 million ETB from Ephtah Coffee.
Challenges faced by the cooperative include navigating high inflation rates, governmental bureaucracy, and interference. The recent surge in cherry prices resulted from the influx of exporters vying for foreign currency.
Looking to the future, Ama's "Commitment Income Diversification Scheme" is poised for expansion, and plans are underway to open a shop in Addis Ababa where women can sell their handicrafts. Additionally, the farmers associated with the cooperative cultivate false banana to produce Kocho, a local food product.
Amarech's personal journey reflects the resilience and strength of women in rural Ethiopia. Married at the age of 14, she has overcome challenges and emerged as a successful entrepreneur with a family of ten children and six grandchildren so far.
SINGLE ORIGIN - HONDURAS (Parainema)
- Country: Honduras
- Region: Las Pacayas,Corquin, Copan
- Farm: Yolanda Urrea Arita
- Variety: Parainema
- Altitude: 1200 MASL
- Processing Method: Natural
Yolanda owns the farm el Triunfo, which is located in the las Pacayas area of Corquin, Copan. Yolanda manages her farm with the help of her husband and her three sons who are all studying agronomy. The farm is only small, at two hectares, and most of that is native forest and shade trees, since Yolanda believes that the key to the quality of her coffee is in the synergy of coffee with the rest of the environment.
Yolanda and her husband, Luis, manage the farms together and biodiversity is central to their approach. They have a variety of different fruit trees and native trees that attract all sorts of wildlife from birds to wild cats. On the farm they grow vegetables and raise cows, which they use the manure from to fertilise the farm. Although it's not certified, Yolanda and Luis manage their farms biodynamically.
This 2022/2023 season continued to be challenging with difficulty getting pickers to help with the peak volumes. Aruco continue to develop with having their own dry mill now in places to process all micro lots (ML's)
The producers will receive about 70% of the FOB price for their micro lots.
All micro lot coffees are processed at the Aruco Mill, to centralise and have greater control over the process; ensuring consistent procedures. The mill is situated 800 metres above sea level (MASL), giving a drier more stable environment/climate in which to dry the coffee; a much better alternative to the higher altitude farms where the weather can be less predictable.
On arrival at the mill the coffee cherries are assessed ( Brix reading taken - a measure of the amount of dissolved sugar ) and a decision is taken on the process for the coffees depending on space and what the producer has done already. The cherries are cleaned, washed and then floated to remove any that are unripe .
This coffee is then taken to the drying beds where it is dried for 20 - 30 days and turned hourly.
Subtle notes of : Banana, strawberry jam, lemon tea, grapefruit, with a good body and medium acidity.
Honduras - General
No one knows for sure exactly when coffee first reached Honduras, but it is believed that seeds arrived from Costa Rica between 1799 & 1804, amongst the goods brought by travelling merchants.
Today, Honduras is the largest coffee producer in Central America & the industry plays an important role within the national economy.
Despite the huge scale of its annual coffee production & great potential for both growth & quality development, Honduras is rarely found center stage in the Central American coffee hall of fame – a mantle more likely coveted by its neighbours, Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador; & yet on paper the reputation of Honduras should be up there with those countries, since it has the same conditions to produce very good coffees.
The high average annual rainfall, which reaches 240cm in the North of the country, can also complicate the process of drying coffee once it has been harvested, prior to export.
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Honduran speciality coffees are classified using a system categorized by the height at which the coffee was grown.
Strictly High Grown (SHG), applies to coffees grown above 1200 masl, &High Grown (HG) above 1000 masl.
ALTITUDE RANGE - 1000 - 1600 MASL
AREAS SOURCED FROM- Copan, Montecillos, Agalta, Opalaca, El Paraiso, Comayagua
NUMBER OF COFFEE FARMING FAMILIES - 110,000
Flores Island, Indonesia
- Country: Indonesia
- Region: Ruteng, Manggarai region, Flores Island
- Farm: Flores - Mbohang Lot 4
- Variety: Yellow Caturra, Typica, Kartika
- Altitude: 1500 masl
- Processing Method: Anaerobic 'Palm Juice Culture' Natural
Ruteng, Manggarai region
Tuang Coffee comes from Ruteng in the Manggarai region, Flores Island, and Nusa Tenggara in Timur, Indonesia. It started in 2014 when Andre Tuang decided to leave his job in Jakarta and head to Flores to work with farmers in Flores Manggarai. Before then it was rare to find coffee in that area that was not mixed with coffee from other regions like Sumatra, Java, or Toraja. Coffee was exported as commodity grade while farmers were under appreciated. They suffered from limited market access and unfair payment systems. Also few people cared about specialty coffee processing. By 2023, the organisation has more than 2000 members gathered in 12 farmer groups. Farmers are trained every season on when and how to pick their cherries for maximum quality. Tools are provided such as grass cutters, that encourage farmers not to use any herbicides, and pruning scissors and gloves. Financial support is also provided with a pre-harvest deposit or a bonus after the season. They grow yellow caturra, typica and kartika.
Coffee grows here in very healthy conditions. Trees are well spaced from one another. Farmers use dried grass, leaves, and pulped cherry skins as organic fertilizer. Pruning is carried out only when needed and shade trees are grown around the coffee areas. Cherries are picked by farmers in the Mbohang Village, then sent for processing in Ruteng.
Prefinancing is available to farmers every season. On the cherry price, the group offers one transparent price for every farmer and a fee rate for farmers’ group leaders who assist in procurement and quality collection.
Social and Environmental projects associated with this group and their coffee production are: funding the electricity infrastructure in Mbohang area; scholarships for employees and farmers children to pursue higher education; loans with zero interest rate for farmers and employees.
Anaerobic 'Palm Juice Culture' Natural
Flavour Notes: Wild strawberry and mango with jasmine, dark chocolate and tamarind