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.

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

Learn more:
Our packaging

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

Varieties

Ruiru 11 variety

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

SL28 variety

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 variety

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.