India Kerehaklu Anoxic Washed

The specialty coffee industry may be focused on Arabica, but we want to demonstrate that other coffee species are worth a try, too. Growing a variety of species is increasingly crucial for farmers adapting to changing climate, and each brings its own flavour profile and ecological strengths. This is our very first Robusta coffee, and our good friend Pranoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu used his expert processing skills to bring it to life. The beans themselves are a slightly different shape, very cute and round, and the profile of Robusta is fundamentally different, tasting much like classic diner coffee. However, this one will be much more clean and interesting: It is a washed option, very comforting with plenty of chocolately, nutty notes (think Snickers and peanut butter) plus a layer of fruity marzipan sweetness that shines through as it cools. We've chosen not to give this coffee a cup score, as the scoring system is designed for Arabica – but it's safe to say we were thoroughly impressed and can't wait for you to give it a try. Note that Robusta also benefits from longer resting after roast and cooler brewing water for more sweetness (try temperatures in the low 80s Celcius). Kerehaklu is a stunning and biodiverse coffee plantation in the Southern Ghats region of Karnataka in South India, run by father and son team Ajoy and Pranoy Thipaiah. (Our colleague Will has visited twice, and wrote about the wildlife and the agronomy here.) Pranoy strongly prefers washed process coffees (though Kerehaklu also produces some great naturals) and has been finessing his techniques with every harvest. Kerehaklu is spread across 250 acres and has been chemical-free since 2016. The biodiversity there is incredible, with macaques, parrots, snakes, deer, civets, and boars regularly roaming, and even some occasional tigers. It has been run by the Thipaiah family for five generations. Today, Ajoy mainly looks after the growing and agronomy side, while Pranoy manages processing. They primarily grow arabica coffee, but also two other species, canephora (Robusta) and liberica. Some plants on the estate are more than 100 years old, so the land and plant matter are well adapted to one another. Most of the varietals are Indian cultivars called 'Selection' — these are hybridised from other varieties to grow well in their environment. The Thipaiahs keep a plant nursery where they look after young plants from seed, including various 'Selection' arabicas, Obata, and SL28. They also have lots of avocados and pepper vines, both of which they produce to a very high standard and sell. The estate is home to many beautiful cluster fig trees (some estimated to be 400 years old) that grow around other trees slowly and eventually engulf them. The cluster figs aren't particularly tasty to humans, but they are much beloved by the many birds that live there, and the birds' guano is an excellent fertiliser for the coffee. These fig trees are the secondary canopy, with the highest canopy coming primarily from citrus trees. The ample shade means the coffee can grow and mature slowly. As a result, the output on an estate like this is much, much lower than more intensive "monocrop" coffee farms, but if you take a wider look at the total sum of outputs from all the crops, they are incredibly productive. Elevation: 1200 Meters above Sea LevelVarietal: RobustaCup score: n/aPrice paid per kg: £9.50Process: Washed

The specialty coffee industry may be focused on Arabica, but we want to demonstrate that other coffee species are worth a try, too. Growing a variety of species is increasingly crucial for farmers adapting to changing climate, and each brings its own flavour profile and ecological strengths. This is our very first Robusta coffee, and our good friend Pranoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu used his expert processing skills to bring it to life. The beans themselves are a slightly different shape, very cute and round, and the profile of Robusta is fundamentally different, tasting much like classic nutty diner coffee. However, this one will be much more clean and interesting: It is naturally processed for a creamy and complex cup with notes of fig, cashew, and flapjack. We've chosen not to give this coffee a cup score, as the scoring system is designed for Arabica – but we feel confident that your preconceptions about Robusta will be challenged with this coffee! Note that Robusta also benefits from longer resting after roast and cooler brewing water for more sweetness (try temperatures in the low 80s Celcius). Kerehaklu is a stunning and biodiverse coffee plantation in the Southern Ghats region of Karnataka in South India, run by father and son team Ajoy and Pranoy Thipaiah. (Our colleague Will has visited twice, and wrote about the wildlife and the agronomy here.) Pranoy strongly prefers washed process coffees (though Kerehaklu also produces some great naturals) and has been finessing his techniques with every harvest. Kerehaklu is spread across 250 acres and has been chemical-free since 2016. The biodiversity there is incredible, with macaques, parrots, snakes, deer, civets, and boars regularly roaming, and even some occasional tigers. It has been run by the Thipaiah family for five generations. Today, Ajoy mainly looks after the growing and agronomy side, while Pranoy manages processing. They primarily grow arabica coffee, but also two other species, canephora (Robusta) and liberica. Some plants on the estate are more than 100 years old, so the land and plant matter are well adapted to one another. Most of the varietals are Indian cultivars called 'Selection' — these are hybridised from other varieties to grow well in their environment. The Thipaiahs keep a plant nursery where they look after young plants from seed, including various 'Selection' arabicas, Obata, and SL28. They also have lots of avocados and pepper vines, both of which they produce to a very high standard and sell. The estate is home to many beautiful cluster fig trees (some estimated to be 400 years old) that grow around other trees slowly and eventually engulf them. The cluster figs aren't particularly tasty to humans, but they are much beloved by the many birds that live there, and the birds' guano is an excellent fertiliser for the coffee. These fig trees are the secondary canopy, with the highest canopy coming primarily from citrus trees. The ample shade means the coffee can grow and mature slowly. As a result, the output on an estate like this is much, much lower than more intensive "monocrop" coffee farms, but if you take a wider look at the total sum of outputs from all the crops, they are incredibly productive. Elevation: 1200 Meters above Sea LevelVarietal: RobustaCup score: n/aPrice paid per kg: £9.50Process: Natural

We are honoured to be launching several remarkable coffees from Kerehaklu, a stunningly biodiverse coffee plantation in the Western Ghats region of India owned by the Thipaiah family. This lot is naturally processed and has a beautiful balance of sweetness and acidity in the cup with juicy notes of pear, fig, and cardamom. Our colleague Will was in India this year just as the arabica harvest was coming to an end, the first time he was able to cup coffees that we would receive later on. There's nothing like the sparkle of fresh crop coffee cupped at origin, and these coffees have held up nicely since then: They're tasting bright, sweet and delicious, and we've purchased more lots from Kerehaklu than ever before – including an anoxic washed and two Robustas (a first for us!). Kerehaklu is spread across 250 acres and has been chemical-free since 2016. The biodiversity there is incredible, with macaques, parrots, snakes, deer, civets, and boars regularly roaming, and even some occasional tigers. It has been run by the Thipaiah family for five generations. Today, Ajoy mainly looks after the growing and agronomy side and while Pranoy manages processing. They primarily grow arabica coffee, but also two other species, canephora and liberica. Some plants on the estate are more than 100 years old, so the land and plant matter are well adapted to one another. Most of the varietals are Indian cultivars called 'Selection' — these are hybridised from other varieties to grow well in their environment. The Thipaiahs keep a plant nursery where they look after young plants from seed, including various 'Selection' arabicas, Obata, and SL28. They also have lots of avocados and pepper vines, both of which they produce to a very high standard and sell. The estate is home to many beautiful cluster fig trees (some estimated to be 400 years old) that grow around other trees slowly and eventually engulf them. The cluster figs aren't particularly tasty to humans, but they are much beloved by the many birds that live there, and the birds' guano is an excellent fertiliser for the coffee. These fig trees are the secondary canopy, with the highest canopy coming primarily from citrus trees. The ample shade means the coffee can grow and mature slowly. As a result, the output on an estate like this is much, much lower than more intensive "monocrop" coffee farms, but if you take a wider look at the total sum of outputs from all the crops, they are incredibly productive. This coffee is a real investment in the environment — a seasonal delight! This lot is an anoxic natural, meaning the coffee underwent a stage of fermentation in an oxygen-reduced environment prior to drying. Pranoy generally prefers the use of local yeasts that are the result of the natural microbiome rather than commercial yeasts (although he has experimented with both). One way that he kick-starts fermentation in anoxic coffees is by adding liquid from another active fermentation. This process is often referred to as Mossto or Mosto, a term taken from the wine industry that literally translates to 'grape juice'. At Kerehaklu, Pranoy has been experimenting with this technique since 2023, although it is only now becoming more common. Elevation: 1200 meters above sea levelVarietal: Selection 5bCup score: 87Price paid per kg: £13.25Process: Anoxic Natural

We've been pals with the Batch Baby team for a while now. Tom and Saskia are devoted birders, and it probably comes as no surprise that here at Skylark we are pretty big bird fans too. We spent a lovely day earlier this year visiting the white storks at Knepp together, an amazing rewilding project that we support with some of our profits. Tom brought his camera and took some beautiful pictures that Saskia turned into the design for this special collab bag, and we then went back to the roastery and cupped some delicious coffees. This Sidra from Ángela Rojas in Colombia stood out with its bold rose note and sherbet-like sweetness, perfectly capturing the feeling of a sunny nature walk with friends. Each special edition pink resealable bag contains 200g Ángela Rojas Sidra. Building a sustainable future requires collaboration on many levels. In addition to our usual £1/kg donation, £2 from each bag of 'Bird Baby' sold will go to London Wildlife Trust and their Rewilding East London initiative, a new species recovery project to reintroduce two native species once lost from Britain – beavers and white storks – to restored wetlands at Eastbrookend Country Park, East London. The reintroduction of white storks will be the first project of its kind in the capital. We love sourcing coffees from the talented Luz Ángela Rojas, who left her fast-paced career to return home and rejuvenate her family's Colombian coffee farm. Her passion and dedication to coffee create beautiful results, often with the most stunningly perfumey profiles! You can read a bit more of her story below: Luz Ángela Rojas grew up surrounded by coffee plants, immersed in nature while helping her father with every task the farm required. Her childhood and adolescence were spent amidst the green landscape of the coffee farm, where she learned from a young age the value of hard work in the fields. During a time of coffee crisis, her parents advised her not to stay at the farm. "Study, do something different," they said. The idea was for her to go to university and follow a different path, away from the challenges of the coffee sector and the traditional roles of household duties, looking after children, and maintaining the home. Ángela began a career in healthcare, where she became a head nurse. However, as she advanced in her career and gained professional experience, something was calling her back to her roots: coffee. She began to realise that coffee plants, just like humans, require care and attention to thrive. It was then that Ángela began to reconsider her life. Coffee became part of her dreams, and she saw it not only as a family tradition but as a project that could be reinvented. She decided that her life would not just be about studying and working in the city, but about integrating her knowledge of health and management into the coffee world. She discovered that the principles of administration she had learned could be applied to any business, even to her family’s coffee farm. Ángela worked for two years as a nurse and then five years as an audit leader until the pandemic changed her course. Her administrative job allowed her to work from anywhere, giving her the opportunity to return to the farm and rediscover her purpose. Although her parents insisted she follow her professional career, she reconnected with life on the farm and decided to stay and work alongside her parents. Thus, the new project was born: a family dream that not only seeks to preserve the roots of coffee but to transform, innovate, and make it unique. Ángela is committed to offering differentiated coffees with a wide variety of flavours beginning with quality agronomic work. Her goal is for the coffees to be so exquisite that, without the need for complicated processes, they can captivate the final customers. The project is entirely family-run, and everyone involved is more motivated than ever to continue learning and taking their coffee to new horizons. Ángela, with her experience, dedication, and vision, has transformed the family legacy into a model of innovation within coffee farming, never losing sight of the essence of what it means to work the land and the coffee. Elevation: 1600-1850 Meters Above Sea Level Varietal: Sidra Cup score: 90 Price paid per kg: £24.60 Process: Anaerobic washed First three photos below copyright Tom Sixsmith 2026.