Guatemala Fredy Orantes Natural

João Artur Siqueira Rodrigues runs his coffee farm with a level of warmth and enthusiasm that overflows into his community and is just the kind of small family business we love to support. Our co-founder Micah had the pleasure of meeting João and his family earlier this year and couldn't resist buying a few bags of this tasty natural with notes of chocolate, citrus, and Brazil nuts. This is a classic story of a medium-sized family farm growing brilliant, chocolatey coffee. We’ve seldom met someone with as much ‘dad energy’ as João Artur: He was excited to show off his restoration of a classic Chevrolet work truck, but not nearly as excited as he was to show off the healthy coffee trees which he’s planted right up to the walls of their lovely family home. He is rightfully proud of how he’s shifted production of his farm from various fruits into coffee at the right time to grow into the specialty coffee market. The entire family met us with warmth, kindness, and laughter when we visited, and the love that’s in this farm is palpable. This medium-sized family business shows how coffee farming can be a sustainable livelihood in places like Brazil, and we think that’s something to be celebrated! Based in Minas Gerais, João grows three varieties of coffee on his farm: Red Mundo Novo, Yellow Catucai, and Yellow Catuai. This lot was mechanically harvested and naturally processed. He's a regular participant in our Futures project, but we also wanted to showcase this lot on its own. Elevation: 900-938 Meters Above Sea LevelVarietal: Mundo Novo, Catucai, CatuaiCup score: 83Price paid per kg: £7Process: Fully natural

Maria Helena Barbosa Brunelli (pictured above, right) is one of those people who both overflows with kindness and commands respect. Within seconds of meeting her, we were awed. She won two categories of the regional competition we attended in Brazil and was the picture of grace in victory. Maria Helena runs the farm herself after her husband's passing, and her background as a doctor informs her careful attention to detail and extra cleanliness in her working style. This lot of Paraiso varietal was dried on muslin cloths rather than straight on the patio itself. This led to a crisp, clean cup that is rare in Brazilian coffee, with beautiful notes of apricot, lemon, and camomile. We think Maria Helena is a future rockstar producer, and we hope to keep working with her for many years to come! Here's a bit more of Maria Helena's story in her own words: "We practically started a new story, with no family tradition as it usually happens in coffee farms. We acquired the farm, my husband and me, in 1989, knowing nothing of rural work and agriculture. The farm already had its milk phase, its beef cattle phase and, 13 or 14 years ago, we started with a little coffee area in an experimental fashion. Little by little, we expanded and professionalised not only the coffee cultivation, but also the farm management and we kept the beef cattle processes. We started to preserve the soil, the springs, and the streams that go through the property and the forest. We also planted several trees spread in the free circulation areas and created an orchard, a garden and a yard, making this little world our place of living." Elevation: 850 Meters above Sea LevelVarietal: ParaisoCup score: 85Price paid per kg: £11.59Process: Fully natural, cherries are sorted, then dried on muslin cloth

We’re so excited to feature four exquisite new natural lots — all under the 'Cherry' name — from our good friends at Bette Buna! This lot underwent a 120-hour carbonic fermentation period to highlight clarity and depth while developing luscious notes of strawberry, blueberry, and clementine. Led by Gabriel Restrepo and Hester Syoum, the expert processing team at Bette Buna are always impressing us with their unique flavour profiles as they push the boundaries of experimental fermentation techniques. If you'd like to be able to compare and contrast the processing results of all four new lots, check out our special Bette Buna Tasting Set here. Betta Buna was founded by partners Hester Westerveld-Syoum and Dawit Syoum when they inherited their grandfather’s tiny family farm in Taferi Kela, Sidamo. With a background in NGO and development work, they decided to grow and scale the farm as the foundation for a larger company with greater impact. After starting in 2019, they have now grown considerably, expanding the Taferi Kela farm from two to 50 hectares and spreading to a second 50-hectare farm in Megadu, Guji. Both farms have tree nurseries where climate change-resistant varietals are grown to share with surrounding farmers. Similarly, they have facilities where they not only process their own lots but also educate other farmers in processing techniques, while their Coffee Campus programme provides training in roasting, brewing, and even exporting. They provide countless opportunities for their farming communities by not only teaching and motivating farmers but also hiring local workers at their nurseries and mills, including single mothers and disabled people who would struggle to find employment elsewhere. They also prioritise sustainable farming methods, rewild forests on their land, and protect local wildlife to promote ecosystem health for future generations. We're proud to support Bette Buna and plan to partner with them for many years to come. This lot began with carefully sorted cherries placed in hermetic barrels or high-capacity bags, where carbon dioxide was introduced to create an anoxic environment. Over 120 hours, this controlled CO₂ fermentation promoted intracellular activity within the coffee seeds and guided selective microbial growth, dominated by yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. Elevation: 1900-2200 Metres Above Sea LevelVarietal: 74112, 74110, Wild Guji MegaduCup score: 90.5Price paid per kg: £18.85Process: 120hr carbonic natural

We’re so excited to feature four exquisite new natural lots — all under the 'Cherry' name — from our good friends at Bette Buna! This lot underwent a 96-hour carbonic fermentation period that enhanced fruit expression, producing ultra-sweet notes of strawberry, vanilla, and Concord grape with the perfect gentle acidity. Led by Gabriel Restrepo and Hester Syoum, the expert processing team at Bette Buna are always impressing us with their unique flavour profiles as they push the boundaries of experimental fermentation techniques. If you'd like to be able to compare and contrast the processing results of all four new lots, check out our special Bette Buna Tasting Set here. Betta Buna was founded by partners Hester Westerveld-Syoum and Dawit Syoum when they inherited their grandfather’s tiny family farm in Taferi Kela, Sidamo. With a background in NGO and development work, they decided to grow and scale the farm as the foundation for a larger company with greater impact. After starting in 2019, they have now grown considerably, expanding the Taferi Kela farm from two to 50 hectares and spreading to a second 50-hectare farm in Megadu, Guji. Both farms have tree nurseries where climate change-resistant varietals are grown to share with surrounding farmers. Similarly, they have facilities where they not only process their own lots but also educate other farmers in processing techniques, while their Coffee Campus programme provides training in roasting, brewing, and even exporting. They provide countless opportunities for their farming communities by not only teaching and motivating farmers but also hiring local workers at their nurseries and mills, including single mothers and disabled people who would struggle to find employment elsewhere. They also prioritise sustainable farming methods, rewild forests on their land, and protect local wildlife to promote ecosystem health for future generations. We're proud to support Bette Buna and plan to partner with them for many years to come. This lot began with carefully sorted cherries placed in hermetic containers, where carbon dioxide was flushed in to create an anoxic environment. The 96-hour CO₂ fermentation promoted intracellular fermentation within the coffee beans and encouraged selective microbial activity, dominated by yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. Elevation: 1900-2200 Metres Above Sea LevelVarietal: 74112, 74110, Wild Guji MegaduCup score: 90Price paid per kg: £18.85Process: 96hr carbonic natural