Kenya
Gachatha

The Gachatha factory is operated by the 900 smallholder farmers of the Gachatha Farmers Cooperative Society in the Nyeri region. Their coffee has notes of blood orange and blackcurrant, with a jammy body.

Washed process SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian

Flavour: blood orange, blackcurrant, jammy

Body: Acidity:

Roast: omni (filter + espresso)

Gachatha Farmers Co-operative Society was formed in 1963, and today has just over a thousand members, almost all active farmers. A typical member farm is 0.4 hectares, with 300 trees.

The factory itself supports 9 permanent staff, with around 25 seasonal workers to help with cherry reception, depulping, and drying.

The area surrounding Gachatha is densely populated, so every effort is made to minimize impact. The factory treats all water in soak pits to ensure no contaminates run into the local waterways, which are a source for drinking water.

The community also places great importance on protecting the indigenous trees that remain in the area, so that the local bird life can be sustained.

We’ve been looking forward to sharing this coffee since Reuben was there back in 2017, and to be supporting a cooperative which shares our values around community and the environment.

Sourcing and ingredients

100% SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian coffee beans, provided by Condesa Co.Lab and roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Packaging

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

1:3
dose:yield
ratio

To brew on espresso, we recommend using 20g of beans (dose) to get 60g of espresso out (yield), during 24-28 seconds.

g dose

g yield

View the how to brew espresso (single origin) guide.

1:16.7
beans:water
ratio

To brew in infusion/fed brewers (V60, Chemex) use a ratio of 1:16.7 ratio of beans:water.

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:14.3
beans:water
ratio

To brew in immersion brewers (plunger, AeroPress, Kalita, batch brewer) we recommend using a 1:14.3 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:12
beans:water
ratio

To brew as cold brew we recommend using a 1:12 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

Producer: Gachatha
Country: Kenya
Region: Nyeri
Altitude: 1800m above sea level
Varietals: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian
Process: washed
Harvested: November 2022
Body: Medium
Acidity: Bright
Tasting notes: Blood orange, blackcurrant, jammy
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varietals

Batian varietal

Batian is the latest variety to be developed in Kenya, it is named after the peak of Mount Kenya

Ruiru 11 varietal

Released in 1985, Ruiru 11 is a disease resistant varietal developed in Kenya

SL28 varietal

SL28 was developed in 1931 by Scott Laboratories to suit the growing conditions in Kenya. The varietal is known for its exceptional cup quality

SL34 varietal

Developed by Scott Laboratories in Kenya, the SL34 varietal was designed to be high yielding with good cup quality.

The location

Coffee from Kenya

Alongside Ethiopia and Colombia, Kenya is one of the origins we get most excited about at the roastery. It exports some of the most vibrant, bright, and unique coffees in the world.

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.