Description

The Kenyan Githaka fully washed coffee is sourced from Sevenoaks Trading who work with Sondhi Trading who purchased this coffee at the Nairobi coffee auction.

Kenya

Even though Kenya is a neighbour of Ethiopia, the Kenyan coffee industry started as late as 1893. French missionaries brought coffee trees from the Bourbon (now Réunion) which provided the first Kenyan crop of coffee in 1896.

Under British Colonial rule, the establishment of large estates was the norm, with coffee sold on the London exchange. In 1933, the Kenyan coffee board was established, and all coffee sales were moved back to Kenya. A year later, the Kenyan Auction system was created, which was how coffee was and still is sold in Kenya.

The dominance of the large estates was broken in the 1950s with the establishment of the Swynerton Plan, that created family holdings that combined subsistence farming with production of cash crops. Hence, the transfer of coffee production from the established British estates moved to the Kenyans. The result was a 55% increase in production.

Kenyan coffee

The Kenyan coffee (and tea) industries may have been founded during the Colonial days, but they are now a force in the world. Kenya is one of those origins that stood above many others before the word single origin was banded about as a badge of honour.

Famous for its fruity acidity, Kenyan coffee is a stalwart in coffee.

Kenyan Coffee Auction System

As already mentioned, the Kenyan Coffee Auction was started in 1934. In the almost 90 years since its inception, it has become the predominant way coffee moves from the production facilities to agents that will export the coffee. Like many established systems that are this old, there are many detractors.

An article that covered this and the auction can be found on perfect daily ground – here…

There is a great explanation of the process there, which we have summarised below:

Farmers take harvested cherries to a local washing and pulping station, or production facility (known among Kenyan producers as a “factory”).

After the “factory” has processed and dried the coffee, it is transported to a dry mill. At the dry mill, a unique tracking number (also known as an “out-turn number”) is assigned before being milled, graded, and stored.

Now the green coffee is handed over to a marketing agent, who prepares a catalogue for all their lots. The catalogue includes sizing and grading information. Traders use this catalogue to participate in the upcoming weekly auction.

On the auction floor (or trading floor) buyers bid for the coffee, and as is standard for an auction, the highest bidder will win that particular lot.

Once receiving payment from the winning bidder, a worker at the warehouse, where the coffee is being stored (known in Kenya as a warehouseman), issues a coffee warrant. This is a document that gives the buyer formal ownership of the coffee.

However, this money doesn’t go to the farmer, but instead to the marketing agent. The agent then summarily deducts their fees. It is then their responsibility to pay farmers or co-operatives for the coffee, but this process can sometimes be delayed.

Kenyan Githaka

Githaka Estate is in Muranga county approximately 12 kilometres from Thika town, at an altitude of 1550 masl. The Nguri family have been farming on the Githaka Estate since the late 1970s. In recent years, second generation family members Tony, Margaret, Catherine and Mwaura Nguri have taken over the management of the farm. They have a sustainable approach to farming and have worked to achieve the following certifications- Café Practices, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ and 4C.

Details on Coffee

Region:	Kiambu, Kenya.
Producer:	Githaka Estate, Nguri Family.
Harvest:	Main crop: October – December (2020). Landed SA April 2021.
Processing:	Fully Washed and Sun-dried on raised beds.
Altitude:	1550+ masl.
Packaging:	Hessian
Cultivars:	Arabica SL28, SL34.
Characteristics:	A four-star complexity coffee, with berry fruit sweetness and orange notes. A bit of cocoa on the nose, which becomes more of a player in espresso.
Roast used:	Slight soak with increase in flame before yellowing and then again as browning begins. Once first crack begins, flame decreased, allowing for an 11% development.
Our brews:	Brew Method Ratio Brew Method Ratio Espresso 1:2.4 (28 sec) AeroPress 16g:200g (fine) Plunger 48g:800g (coarser than table salt) Pour over/filter 18g:300g (on the coarser side)

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Transparency Information

Sourced from	Sevenoaks Trading
FOB price	U$D3.62/lb
Cupping score	82.5 (Sevenoaks) we cupped at 84
Producer / Organisation	Githaka Estate
Lot size bought	5 x 60kg bags
Relationship	We have a working relationship with Sevenoaks that goes back to 2008. This is our first coffee from this Estate.

Images

From Sevenoaks

Sources:

• The World Atlas of Coffee, James Hoffman
• Sevenoaks Premium product documentation.
• Perfect Daily Ground