Swerl – AA GAKUYUINI – Kenya

We are truly happy to be able to offer this beautiful fruity-forward lot from the Gakuyini Factory from the latest harvest in December 2022.

This factory lies on the slopes of mount Kenya and benefits from the fertile volcanic soil in the area, and the high altitude of 1700 masl. The volcanic soil allows for an incredibly suitable soil for the roots, as well as a unique mix of minerals and nutrients.

The quality offered is this high partly due to how meticulously this coffee is produced and processed.

Firstly, cherries are hand sorted for unripes and overripes by the farmers before they go into production. The coffees are graded by density in to 3 grades by the pulp­er. Grade 1 and 2 go separately to fermentation. Grade 3 is considered low grade.

The coffee is fermented for 16-24 hours under closed shade. After fermentation the coffees are washed and again graded by density in wash­ing channels and are then soaked under clean water for 16-18 hours. Thereafter, the coffee is sun-dried on African drying bed, and covered in plastic during midday when the sun is the strongest and at night.

There are about 1500 farmers that deliver coffee to the factory, and it has almost as many female members as male members.

The Gakuyuni factory is also part of one of the cooperatives that has consistently been able to pay the best prices to the farmers for the past five years.

Many of the farmers are surrounded by several wet mills (factories) and they are free to choose where they deliver their cherries. Due to the traditional auction system in Kenya, quality is rewarded with higher prices. The better factories will then attract more farmers by producing coffees that earn the highest prices, which they return to the farmers in the form of a second payment. After the cost of marketing and preparation is deducted, this can sometimes be up to 90% of the sales price

The Gakuyuini factory also takes action for a more sustainable coffee production by recycling the water used for coffee processing and by distributing manure that can be used as fertiliser.