The coffee:

The Guatemalan coffee is sourced from the El Retiro de Quisaya Farm, situated in the Chimaltenango region - an area where a quarter of the population is in some way involved with growing or processing coffee.

The farm was established 100 years ago by the Ortega family and its name comes from the river that runs within the land. During the harvest, cherries are carefully handpicked and then pulped to remove the external fruit and then fermented for 14 hours.

After this process the beans are carefully cleaned and then patio dried in the sunlight for ten days. The beans are turned meticulously to ensure an even drying process, delivering its complex flavour profile characterised by notes of sweet herbs.

We blend these Guatemalan beans with Rwandan coffee from Rwamatamu, a family-owned and run business founded in 2015 with the goal of reducing poverty by creating local job opportunities.

The estate has 20 hectares of coffee farmland where they grow both their own crop. On top of this, they also purchase cherries from affiliate co-operatives, local producer families, and smallholder farmers.

Rwamatamu sits atop rich volcanic soil. The estate is located near Lake Kivu, in a region that provides a tropical highland climate with regular rainfall. This makes the trees flourish, producing a dense, hard bean that is characterised by its gentle herbal notes and overall sweetness.