May 2026

Haider Abamecha is from the Limu Kossa Woreda (district) of Jimma, in the southwest of the capital Addis Ababa. The region is at high altitude, providing optimal slow maturing conditions for coffee cherries, which improves bean density and flavour. The area features significant agroforestry, with coffee grown under a natural forest canopy, which helps with biodiversity conservation.

With over 30 years of experience in the coffee industry, and after five years working in Saudi Arabia, he returned to Jimma and began sourcing and supplying coffee on a small scale. He started exporting his coffees in 2011, and now oversees multiple certified farms and collection networks. The main farm at Limu Kossa produces around 20 boxes annually, with a box being a container holding around 300 individual coffee sacks. To support this, the farm employs over 4,000 seasonal workers, as well as a staff agronomist to manage the farm’s health and productivity year-round.

Along with the original farm at Limu Kossa, Haider has developed a second farm, around 300 hectares in size, in the Dangaja Kebele area of the Limu Kossa district. This second site is also certified Organic and Rainforest Alliance (RFA), and 2025 marked the first harvest from this new farm. A third 120 hectare site is currently under development in Gera, a small area within the Oromia Region.

Haider’s operations are rooted deeply in strong ethical and social frameworks. His farms are certified under Organic, RFA, and C.A.F.E. Practices standards. He has also implemented policies related to human rights, minimum working age requirements, and worker welfare. Every year, he distributes school supplies and books to the local community, and has invested in rural infrastructure, including road building and school construction.

This lot is from his main farm and was processed traditionally. After harvesting, the cherries are pulped to remove the fruit and mucilage, then fermented in water overnight before being washed and dried on raised beds. The final dry milling is completed at a certified facility in Walmera Kolobo Woreda, about 20 km west of Addis Ababa.

Haider Aba Mecha has been working in coffee for over 30 years. This particular lot was grown on his first farm - Limu Kossa, and is processed using a traditional natural method. The coffee cherries are wet-fermented over night after harvesting, and dried on raised beds.

Haider then sends the dried cherries to Walmeria Kolobo for milling. This style of processing creates flavours of rich cocoa and baked stone fruits. We have roasted this to our darkest level to really bring out those dark chocolate notes!

Ndereyimana Louis is a dedicated farmer from the Nyamasheke District in the Western Province of Rwanda. Known for its lush, steep hills, high altitude climate, and rich volcanic soils, the region is an ideal location for starting a coffee farm. The initial success of his modest beginning with 500 coffee trees became the catalyst for his family’s development, providing a means for education and social welfare.

By 1999, Louis had expanded into purchasing coffee parchment from surrounding farmers to supply local companies. As his family grew, so did his ambitions. By 2017, he had transitioned from trading coffee to processing it, involving his children to establish a multi generational business deeply rooted in Rwandan coffee tradition.

Today, Louis and his family operate two facilities in Rwanda’s Western Province: Nyamasheke Hills Coffee in the Nyamasheke District, established in 2017, and a second facility established in 2018 in the Karongi District called Birambo CWS. Combined, the two washing stations produce significant annual volumes, averaging four containers or 76,800 kg. Both sites utilise the high quality Red Bourbon variety, which is well suited to the local climate and known for its consistent quality and balance. Alongside this, they have begun preparing seedlings of Yellow Bourbon with an eye on the future. These seedlings will be distributed to local farmers, with the first harvests expected within the next four years.

The exceptional profile of the coffee is a direct result of its unique terroir, located in the basin of Lake Kivu and the high mountains surrounding Nyungwe National Park. The farms sit at altitudes ranging from 1,750 to 2,200 masl where nutrient rich volcanic soil provides ideal conditions for slow cherry maturation. This combination of high elevation and fertile earth allows the company to produce a world-class product that reflects the premium standards of the region’s specialty coffee market.

Cherries are received from local coffee farmers and sorted by hand before being floated to remove any unripe or damaged cherries, as well as debris. The cherries are then depulped and fermented for 12 hours. After fermentation, they are washed and graded using channels. The final step is drying on African beds for approximately 25 days. Once ready, the coffee undergoes dry milling at MTCo Dry Mill, located in Nyamasheke.

The producer, Ndereyimana Louis, began with 500 coffee trees and grew his venture into a multi generational Rwandan coffee business. Transitioning from trading to industrial processing in 2017, he involved his children and now operates two washing stations, Nyamasheke Hills Coffee and Birambo CWS. The stations carry out hand sorting, fermentation, washing, and drying. The unique terroir near Lake Kivu and Nyungwe National Park has high altitudes and volcanic soil, ensuring slow cherry maturation and world-class specialty coffee.