Coffee sourcing in Kenya and Ethiopia - a report

This year, I made my comeback to the cupping tables in Nairobi and Addis Ababa—and this time, I brought along a fellow coffee roaster, Joris.

Joris has been part of the Caffenation team since 2019, starting as a barista and now also working as one of the ‘boykes’ at our roastery. While the actual coffee roasting is still on the horizon for him, he has already mastered the art of cupping. Having him by my side for this unforgettable trip to origin made the experience even more special!

At Caffenation, we’re all about efficiency—yes, time is money—so I had a tight schedule planned for the two of us. We flew out of Brussels on Saturday night, first heading to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. After a quick transfer on Sunday morning, we landed in Nairobi, Kenya, where the team at Kenyacof was expecting us Monday at their offices and cupping tables for this year’s coffee selection.

Sunday afternoon was all about catching up on sleep, followed by a bit of city exploration in the evening. This was my sixth trip to Kenya, but I’ve never been particularly fond of Nairobi—until now. The city is evolving rapidly, with an exciting mix of great restaurants and accommodations for tourists and expats. With improved safety and security measures, Nairobi is becoming a far more enjoyable place to spend time.

Monday was, as usual, cupping day. A total of 64 carefully selected coffees awaited us at Kenyacof, a sister company of Sucafina, with whom we’ve been partnering since 2016 for our Kenyan coffees. This year, we had the privilege of working with Cory Andreen—one of my all-time favorite coffee cupping experts. And what a smooth ride it was! Everything was incredibly well-organized, and the overall cup quality was the best we’ve ever experienced.

After a day and a half of cupping and re-cupping, we finalized our selection—10 different coffee lots, totaling 136 bags. This is a significant increase from previous years, mainly because the overall profile is shifting toward lower acidity and more espresso-friendly coffees. Not that we couldn’t find enough bright and fruity lots (which we love for our Kenya Kay filter coffee bags), but some coffees were simply too perfect for our Mister LGB (milk) blend to pass up. When the opportunity presented itself, we had to bring them in!

From the Nairobi offices, we headed straight into the car with our driver, Sebastian, for an afternoon visit to a washing station. Seeing where and how coffee is processed is always an educational experience, and our stop at the Kiangundo station in Kirinyaga was no exception. It’s one of our classic visits, but for Joris—on his first origin trip—it was truly unforgettable.

 

Traveling through coffee country is always an experience. These regions near the equator offer stunning landscapes and warm, welcoming people. Just a couple of hours north of Nairobi, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, and Nyeri are among the most incredible places to visit.

After a well-deserved day of rest at the Aberdare Country Club, it was time to move on and catch our next flight—to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

In Ethiopia, we have a strong collaboration with Tropiq, a daughter company of the specialty coffee trading group Nordic Approach/Neumann Group. At their offices, our local hero Adham had an impressive table lined up with washed and naturally processed coffee samples, ready for us to cup. Like eager young wolves, we dived in, discovering some truly outstanding lots to bring home.

I can already promise you some real coffee fireworks next summer (and into autumn and winter) when these Danche, Chelbesa, Buku, and Nano Challa coffees make their way to our roastery—and into your beloved red, gray, green, and pink coffee bags!

To wrap up our five-day buying trip, we made a final stop at the mill just outside Addis Ababa. This is where most of Tropiq’s coffees are selected, hulled, screened, polished, and bagged. Dry mills are always bustling with dust and noise, but out of all the mills I’ve visited, this one was by far the most fun!

On the downside of our origin trip, we found that Addis Ababa—still a bustling city on the rise—has unfortunately also become much more dangerous. While I had no issue strolling through the old city center on foot during my visits in 2008 and 2020, this time, it was no longer possible without a bodyguard. Even in broad daylight, walking around is risky and strongly discouraged.

It’s a real shame, as the city has so much to offer—great sights, vibrant coffee bars, and excellent restaurants. Let’s hope for better days ahead.

Stay tuned on our socials for more photos from Joris and me!

Rob