Kenya
Mugaya

Mugaya Coffee Factory is closest to the town of Kagumo in the Kirinyaga District of Kenya’s Central Province. It was established in 1975 and is currently affiliated with the Mutira Farmers Coop Society. The region’s main crop season runs from October to December, followed by a smaller season from March to May.

Washed process SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11

Flavour: blackcurrant, plum, malt

Body: Acidity:

Roast: omni (filter + espresso)

Mugaya Coffee Factory is near to the town of Kagumo in the Kirinyaga District of Kenya’s Central Province.

It was established in 1975 and it currently serves 924 active members, owning an average of 200 trees each. The main varieties of coffee grown here is SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11 and batian.

The region’s main crop season runs from October to December, followed by a smaller season from March to May.

Grevillea, Macadamia, avocado trees and Moringa are used as shade trees for the coffee. Maize, beans, potatoes and yams are also produced in the area.

Location

Mugaya Coffee Factory, towering at 1570m above sea level, is covered with red-volcanic soil at a temperature of 12-26°C. It also receives annual rainfall of 1,100mm which explains its lush topography and voluminous coffee production.

Process

After picking, ripe cherry is brought to the factory by smallholder farmers, before it undergoes processing to remove the skin and pulp – known as the wet processing method.

The factory is using a disc pulper to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that is protecting the green coffee bean. The factory is receiving assistance from our field partner Coffee Management Services (CMS).

The long term goal is to increase coffee production through farmer training, ready access to inputs, Good Agricultural Practice seminars, and providing the most current printed materials on sustainable farming.

Certifications

Rainforest Alliance, 4C, Fairtrade, UTZ.

Sourcing and ingredients

100% SL28, SL34, and Ruiru 11 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: Mutira Farmers Co Operative Society
Country: Kenya
Region: Kirinyaga
Altitude: 1548m above sea level
Varietals: SL28, SL34, and Ruiru 11
Process: washed
Body: Medium
Acidity: Bright
Tasting notes: Blackcurrant, plum, malt
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varietals

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.

The Kirinyaga region of Kenya

This region is located east of Nyeri, and has similarly rich volcanic soils and a high percentage of smallholder producers.

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.