I hope you are all keeping well.
We wanted to inform you of a little change within our core Heritage Range Coffee Selection; namely that our St. Cuthbert’s Journey coffee is going on a pilgrimage from Rwanda to Burundi.
As we weren’t able to secure any Rwandan coffee this year we are hoping across the border to Burundi instead. We have chosen a bean that suits a medium-light roast profile that will blend well in our Castle Blend and stand it’s own as an exciting beautiful single origin too. You can buy our new Burundi St. Cuthbert’s Journey Coffee here or pop into our roastery directly.
A bit more about Burundi, coffee and the area our bean comes from:
Did you know that coffee plays a crucial role in Burundi? It does not only provide income to more than 65,000 families but is also the main industry and export product of the country. With a mountainous land and a tropical climate, the country offers good conditions to cultivate coffee trees.
The current structure of the Burundian coffee industry is organised around washing stations – cooperatives or privately-owned – spread around the country. Those washing stations led the move to Specialty coffee, investing in their processing infrastructure, improving the quality of the cherries they buy, and keeping their lots separate, to improve traceability.
Though a small country, Burundi is definitely in the path of producing more unique and interesting specialty coffees.
Born on a coffee farm located in the Muramvya province, Cassien Nibaruta has developed his passion for coffee from a very early age. After studying engineering, he worked for a few years for a coffee processing company, honing his skills and gaining experience.
Cassien opened his own washing station in 2012 in the Murambi village. A few years later, in 2016, he built the Gaterama washing station in Bugendana. While both washing stations operate under separate entities, the philosophy remains the same: produce the best speciality coffee of Burundi, while making an impact at the community level.
From the beginning, Cassien made sure to involve the community in both of his projects: using local building material, employing local workforce, respecting the topography and its environment… Sharing the ownership of this project with the local population was/is the key to his success.
The Murambi and Gatemara washing stations buy coffee from the surrounding farmers – 628 for Gaterama – and also process coffee cherries from each cooperative’s plantation. As in many East-African countries where coffee is an “easy” cash-crop, changing the mindset of the farmers make a real difference when producing specialty coffee.
Cassien and his teams followed a successful strategy: not only did they involve the community and the farmers, they are also distributing coffee seedling and natural shade trees. Telling people what to do is good, empowering them doing it is better.
Our New St. Cuthbert’s Journey
The new Burundi Beans we’ve chosen for our St. Cuthbert’s Journey Coffee are from the Bugendana region and processed at Gatemara washing station.
Altitude: 1,600 – 1,850 M.A.S.L
Variety: Bourbon, Mibrizi
Processing: fully-washed
Cup Score: 83.25
Flavour Notes: Tangerine – Milk Chocolate – Biscuity
We’re excited to see what you think of this wonderful bean! Do let us know – send us a message or tag us on your socials – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
All our best,
Until next time,
Cherish The Moments – Savour The Taste!
Carina & Bernhard x
