Our Coffee
Natural Robusta Green Beans: We carefully screen our Robusta green beans on screens 18, 15, and 12, ensuring quality. We also separate low grades like BHP 1199 and Black beans. These beans come from diverse regions across Uganda, cultivated by small, medium, and large-scale farmers.
Arabica Green Coffee Beans: Grown in the picturesque Mt Elgon region of Eastern Uganda, our Arabica beans thrive at altitudes of 1500m to 2500m above sea level. Varieties such as Washed Bugisu AA, Washed Bugisu AB, and Drugar undergo a meticulous process of washing, pulping, and sun-drying before grading. These beans are sourced from smallholder farmers and contribute to the local community's prosperity.
Robusta Reign
Robusta coffee is at the heart of our business, reflecting Uganda's status as one of the world's top Robusta-producing regions. Our farmers benefit from ideal growing conditions found in many regions across Uganda, particularly in the central areas. The combination of high elevations, ample rainfall, and fertile volcanic soils creates the perfect environment for Robusta coffee plants to thrive.
We take pride in continuing the long history and tradition of Robusta cultivation in Uganda. This legacy has enabled Ugandan farmers to develop expertise in growing and processing this variety of coffee. We work closely with farmer village collection points to ensure the highest quality beans are selected and processed. These beans come from diverse regions across Uganda Luweero, Masaka, and Kapeeka) and Western Uganda (Mbarara, Rukungiri, Ntungamo, and Kasese), cultivated by small, medium, and large-scale farmers.
We also source Robusta coffee from Uganda's east, in Jinja region, near Lake Victoria. Its consistent rainfall, rich soil, and moderate temperatures (15-30°C) are ideal for coffee. Jinja's high-altitude farms (1,300-2,200 metres) enable slower bean maturation, enhancing flavour and acidity.
We're committed to maintaining a consistent and diverse supply of Robusta coffee by harnessing the unique seasonal flavours from various regions across Uganda. Our close collaboration with farmer village collection points in Luweero, Masaka, Kapeeka, Mbarara, Rukungiri, Ntungamo, and Kasese ensures that we can offer our customers a wide range of flavours throughout the year. By understanding the distinct seasons and flavours of each area, we can strategically plan our coffee inventory to meet the preferences of our customers and deliver an exceptional coffee experience.
Arabica's Western Journey:
Traversing the Rwenzori Mountains - From Mbarara to Kasese
In the west, where the Rwenzori Mountains ascend in their rugged, breathtaking splendour, the Arabica farmers of Mbarara, Rukungiri, Ntungamo, and Kasese cultivate their crops. These peaks, imposing with rugged granite, stand as enduring landmarks guiding our journey. The landscape, of glaciers, snow-capped summits, and cascading waterfalls, forms a scene of raw, untamed wilderness, bordering onto the nearby Queen Elizabeth National Park.
In this natural sanctuary, our Arabica coffee thrives, nurtured by the land and free from pesticides. The perfect synergy of altitude, climate, fertile soil, and protective shade, interlaced with the rich fabric of local coffee culture, makes the western part of Uganda an ideal haven for cultivating premium Arabica beans.
Our coffee beans are handpicked and washed with pristine glacial waters, then sun-dried to perfection, ensuring each batch embodies the mountain's natural goodness. The result is a smooth, fruity profile with notes of chocolate, lychee, and mandarin, creating a distinct and delightful coffee experience.
During harvest time, our coffee cherries begin their journey from the collection sites to our collection points. This route, a testament to endurance, sees the beans navigate steep, often muddy trails, embodying the area's unrefined and majestic character.
We profoundly respect the hard work and resilience of our local farmers and site operators in the western regions of Uganda that runs from Mbarara to Kasese. Our regard for the coffee from this rugged region is deeply rooted in its importance to the community's livelihood. Here, coffee farming isn't just a business; it's the key source of income and survival for many families amidst this majestic landscape.
Arabica's Eastern Journey:
Traversing Mount Elgon from Kween to Kapchorwa
Journeying to Mount Elgon, we find coffee beans with a unique character. Their bright acidity and rich taste are a testament to the region's fertile soil, providing a diverse coffee experience that reflects the essence of Uganda.
Our farmers call the districts of Kween, Kapchorwa and Bukwo, on Mount Elgon, home, where the unique blend of high-altitude conditions, historic Arabica coffee varieties, and sustainable farming practices has earned global acclaim. Among these, the Nyasaland variety stands out—a rare gem initially from Ethiopia, introduced by British colonialists and flourishing in our local agroforestry system.
Proudly partnering with the Sebei Women in Arabica Coffee cooperative, we engage 1,843 growers, nearly half of them (953) women. Renowned for their resilience and strength, the Sebei Women play a pivotal role in their communities and society at large. Additionally, we are expanding our network of youth growers, currently numbering 181.
Our farmers in Mt Elgon cultivate Arabica coffee at altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 2,100 masl. These cooler temperatures, combined with better drainage and slower plant maturation, create ideal growing conditions. The resulting coffee beans boast exceptional density, complexity, and flavour, making them quality beans with higher acidity levels, which contributes to a brighter, more vibrant cup of coffee.
Flowering season in July and November marks the beginning of a breathtaking spectacle on our coffee farms. Delicate white blossoms, resembling jasmine flowers, fill the air with a sweet, captivating fragrance that can be detected up to 2 miles away. As the plants burst into full bloom, the sheer abundance of white flowers creates a scene akin to "snowfall on the farm," transforming the entire plantation into a mesmerising sea of white.
Here, we obtained a grant from the United States African Development Foundation (USADF)/UDET to build a wet coffee processing facility in Kween, specifically to help female coffee farmers in those three districts. We also received a grant from UCDA to buy processing equipment. Currently they face long travel times to process their high grade green beans or pulp their coffee using manual pulpers. The mill can process 4 tons per hour, which significantly increases these farmers' production capabilities and access to the coffee value chain.