Solitude Espresso
Our seasonal espressos each come with their own story, which is part of what makes them so special. Here we take a closer look at the producers behind this coffee.
THE FARMS
Farms in the region tend to be very small, rarely totalling more than 5 hectares in size, and often as small as a single hectare.
The majority of farmers keep one or two pigs or cows and some poultry to support their income and provide sustenance. In addition to coffee, many grow maize, peanuts and beans, amongst other cash crops. As well as providing a second source of income, produce such as maize provides useful by-products like mulch for the coffee trees; locking in moisture on the high sloped contour farms. Similarly, the primary fertiliser for many farms in the region is manure from livestock
HARVESTING & PROCESSING
The journey for each coffee began at the farms, where they were carefully harvested by hand upon peak ripeness.
The cherries were then delivered to the cenbtral processing unit to be weighed and sorted. Next, the cherries were pulped via machine to remove the external fruit and fermented in water tanks to break down the remaining mucilage for 72 hours. The coffee was then washed once more and graded using water channels. The coffee was evenly dispersed on raised beds to dry in the open sun for 10 – 14 days, or until the ideal moisture content was reached. The parchment was lastly delivered to the dry mill to be hulled and prepared for export.
sourcing coffee
Our Coffee Broker
For over ten years we have worked closely with Mercanta. They pay a fair price for coffee, empowering the growers they work with. Such is our faith in their commitment to supporting farmers that we now purchase 100% of our coffee through Mercanta.
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