Kenya
Mwiria

Mwiria, a Kenyan coffee washing station situated near Mutunduri in Embu County, belongs to the Central Ngandori Farmers’ Cooperative Society. Their coffee has notes of raspberry, maple, and vanilla.

Washed process SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian

Flavour: raspberry, maple syrup and vanilla

Body: Acidity:

Roast: omni (filter + espresso)

Mwiria, a Kenyan coffee washing station situated near Mutunduri in Embu County, belongs to the Central Ngandori Farmers’ Cooperative Society. This cooperative manages three washing stations, including Mwiria, where 1,271 local members supply coffee cherries grown at elevations between 1,300-1,900 meters above sea level. These cherries are processed at Mwiria, utilizing fresh water from the nearby Rupingazi river, and subsequently dried and sorted on raised beds. Dionisio Nyaga oversees the entire process, with Mwiria employing two permanent staff members and eight seasonal workers.

Central Ngandori FCS, based at the Mwiria factory, operates a nursery and training sheds, focusing on coffee varieties such as Batian, SL28, and SL34, alongside avocado and macadamia trees. They also promote worm farming to reduce chemical reliance and have attained Rainforest Alliance certification. The coffee grown here benefits from the rich volcanic soil, high altitudes, and cool climate around Mt. Kenya. Most farmers in the region are smallholders who grow coffee alongside crops like bananas, maize, and macadamia, with the cooperative emphasizing regenerative agriculture practices and member training.

Central Ngandori FCS provides pre-harvest financing to its members and has partnered with Sucastainability for marketing and specialty-focused buyers. The coffee in this lot is graded as AA, signifying larger beans. The processing involves meticulous sorting, pulping, fermentation, washing, soaking, and drying before it’s sent to Kahawa Bora Mill for further preparation and shipping. The name “Mwiria” has historical significance, tied to indigenous trees used by Mau Mau freedom fighters during Colonial times. This coffee from Embu is renowned for its bright acidity and classic Kenyan flavors, making it a standout representation of the region’s quality.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Our packaging

Producer: 1,271 Smallholders
Farm/Coop: Central Ngandori FCS
Country: Kenya
Region: Embu County
Altitude: 1,300-1,900m above sea level
Varieties: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian
Process: washed
Harvested: November 2022
Importer: Melbourne Coffee Merchants
Body
Acidity
Tasting notes: Raspberry, maple syrup and vanilla
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varieties

Batian variety

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

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.

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.