House Blend

Varietals: SL28, SL14

Processing: Natural (Uganda, Karambi) | Washed (Uganda, Katanda)

Altitude: 1,300-1,650m above sea level

The Farms:

Katanda is a community at the very southern end of the Rwenzori Mountain range in Uganda. For the local people, coffee is a vital cash, and coffee farming in the area is a communal experience.

The farmers here pick and then pulp their coffee cherries using hand pulpers, before washing and drying the cherries in the sun. At this point, the coffee is transported to the local coffee station at Nyabirongo. After rigorous assessment, the parchment is hulled, graded and prepared for export.

Like Katanda, the farmers in Karambi are also heavily reliant on coffee as a cash crop. The farmers here harvest and dry the cherries in the open before hulling them. This natural process is known locally as ‘Drugar’, and is the most common in the region. Due to widespread poverty, farmers in the Rwenzoris do not use chemical fertilisers in production, however by the same token they are unable to afford expensive certifications to prove this.

The Beans: Strength 3.5/5

Our Espresso Blend pays homage to the rich Italian coffee culture, emphasising full body and heavy mouth-feel. Using beans from Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains, we have developed this roast to suit more traditional coffee tastes, but with a modern twist. The prolonged roast time and increased end temperature results in a stronger more bitter taste, however the characteristics from origin still shine through, delivering a well-balanced coffee with a full body, bright and crisp acidity, and plenty of fruity notes with stone fruit and apricot.

Environmental/Social Commitment:

In Uganda, widespread poverty is a huge issue and acts as a barrier to education for many. To help tackle this, we have invested in a local school, providing over 80 underprivileged children in coffee growing communities access to a better learning environment. The Holy Trinity Model Primary School in Kyempara is keen to teach the children of the importance of coffee as a source of income, and the need to work with the natural environment to harness coffee excellence.

The headteacher, Alex Thabulenga, has created a practical curriculum that ensures the children are not only educated in the basics, but also become equipped with the skills they need to gain employment. Alex’s hope is to break the cycle of poverty, encouraging the local community to learn about sustainable farming techniques and use these to grow higher quality coffee, thereby earning more for their families.

Moreover, deforestation for firewood is similarly a major issue, resulting in soil salination and desertification of previously arid farmland in the area. To address this, we are supporting the distribution of hundreds of fuel-efficient stoves, which not only reduce the need for women in the community to spend hours collecting firewood, but also significantly decrease the amount of wood needed for the community to warm homes and cook meals.