This sweet and vibrant coffee comes from Gatta Farm in the Sidama region of southern Ethiopia. The farm sits at an altitude of 2120 – 2210 M.A.S.L and is surrounded by indigenous trees (many over 100 years old), waterfalls and rivers – an ideal environment for cultivating coffee. It is run by the renowned speciality coffee exporter Daye Bensa, who planted the first coffee trees on the farm in 2013. We’re loving this coffee’s ripe sweetness and clementine and peach profile, which are beautifully complemented by floral and citrus aromas.
This coffee comes from approximately 940 neighboring smallholder farmers who supply cherries to Gatta Farm, alongside coffee grown on the farm itself. Located near Shantawene village in the Bensa district of Sidama, Gatta Farm is named after a waterfall that flows through its grounds.
The farm’s journey began in 2008, when Daye Bensa co-founder Mulugeta Dukamo discovered the site while managing the construction of a nearby washing station. Coffee cultivation followed, and in 2017, a processing center and drying station were established. By 2020, the farm achieved organic certification.
Gatta Farm is not only dedicated to quality coffee production but also a source of meaningful employment for the local community. Local residents are involved in planting, harvesting, and processing coffee, with women playing key roles in processing and quality control. Daye Bensa has also invested in a training facility on the farm, fostering knowledge and skills in coffee processing for both employees and the community.
Ethiopia is widely recognised as the birthplace of coffee, and genetic studies reveal that innumerable varieties grow there. Given the way that coffee is produced in Ethiopia, it is very difficult to obtain any single variety lots. For this reason, the term “heirloom” is often used as a catch all phrase to describe a combination of Ethiopian coffees whose varieties cannot be easily ascertained.
In 1967, the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (“JARC”) was established to identify different varieties of coffee and their benefits, and to propagate varieties with high yield, quality and pest and disease resistance. One such variety is JARC 74158, which was planted by Daye Bensa on Gatta Farm. Accordingly, this lot primarily comprises JARC 74158, alongside heirloom coffee produced by the neighbouring farmers that also supply the farm with cherries.
This coffee was hand-picked according to strict ripeness criteria and delivered to the processing centre on Gatta Farm. After being floated to remove defects and debris, the cherries were pulped - which removes the skin from the coffee cherry but retains the mucilage (a sweet and sticky gelatinous layer surrounding the seed). The coffee was then sun dried on raised beds for 2-3 weeks (weather-dependent).
We sourced this coffee through Atrie Weno, who established an importing company in the UK (“Coffee Legends”) to import coffees from Daye Bensa, with the aim of creating stronger connections between roasters and Ethiopian coffee producers.
Daye Bensa is a family-run business. It was founded by two brothers (Asefa and Mulugeta) in 1996. Atrie, Asefa’s brother-in law, used to be Daye Bensa’s deputy general manager and Atrie’s nephew, Kenean, is now the Head of Coffee. This is the second coffee we’ve purchased from Atrie (the first was from Rumudamo, another washing station run by Daye Bensa) and we look forward to continuing our work together and deepening our knowledge and work in Sidama.
The coffee was harvested between December and February and arrived in the UK in June 2024. Daye Bensa makes two payments to the farmers - the first when the coffee is harvested and the second in July/August, based on the quality of the coffee. The second payment is made before the start of the school year, so that families have the funds they need to prepare their children for school.
For further details on the prices below visit our Transparency Page.
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