This beautifully structured coffee comes to us from a community of producers in the Kigeri hills, close to the Kibera National park. It is buttery and well balanced thanks to the attentive processing of the Izuba washing station.

This is now our 5th year working alongside import partners Raw Material to bring you some of the finest coffee Burundi has to offer. This year’s lots have come to us from the coffee producing community that reside on the hillside of Kigeri. As with all the coffee we purchase from Kayanza, these have been processed at Izuba, a centralised washing station constructed by Raw Material to serve as a nucleus for the surrounding communities. This localised position benefits producers by distributing needed agricultural products, supporting the local community through funds, staff, and construction where needed.

Raw Material’s focus in Burundi is to empower coffee producers with higher profits and ensure fair wages for the dedicated teams at their washing stations. When producers deliver their coffee cherries into Izuba, they receive the highest possible price set by the Burundian government, with timely and reliable payments made twice during the harvest – a crucial benefit identified by the farmers themselves. At Izuba, the majority of processing costs get reinvested back into the station, resulting in staff wages that are 25% higher than other local washing stations and 33% above the national average.

As mentioned, Izuba serves as a hub for community support, enabling Raw Material to distribute agricultural resources, offer health insurance to staff and producers, and continuously improve processing techniques to elevate the quality and value of the coffee. While the initial cherry price is regulated, the final payment provided to producers is directly tied to the quality of their cherries and the final selling price. This incentivises quality and allows Raw Material to share the rewards of higher value coffee directly with the farmers.

We are always searching for better ways of working to try to undo structures that exist to prioritise buyer over producer and are therefore delighted to showcase this standout washed coffee from the producers of Kigeri and Izuba WS. This beautiful lot walks the line between our base and explore ranges but it’s incredible balance and exceptional buttery body wins the battle, nudging it over into base. The body is the star of the show here alongside notes of stone fruit, apple, dates, black tea and brown sugar. Creating a versatile brew that works well both with and without milk.