We’re getting about 25 different coffees from our Ethiopian partners Bette Buna this year, so we’ve decided to name each lot after one of the people who worked on producing it, exporting it, or contributing to social work at Bette Buna.
This one is named for Yeshu, a talented lab manager and researcher whose warmth and dedication have benefitted Bette Buna from the start. A childhood friend of Dawit's, her huge heart for the Ethiopian people has propelled her to achieve high standards both in and out of the Bette Buna lab. In addition to assisting with cuppings and quality control, she recently led an extensive data-gathering project throughout Taferi Kela (pictured above) to help determine how Bette Buna's social projects can have the greatest impact. She's an absolute force for good and we've loved getting to know her better this year!
This special Yeshu lot has gorgeous notes of bergamot, mandarin, and Honeycrisp apple. It's sweet with gentle acidity — fruity, crisp, and complex. Its anaerobic honey processing creates a stunning flavour profile that is surprisingly similar to an expertly processed washed coffee.
For a bit more about Bette Buna, check out our blog post here or read on below ...
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.
Having started in 2019, they have already grown considerably. They have expanded the Taferi Kela farm from 2 to 50 hectares and have spread 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 work hard to incorporate sustainable farming methods, rewild forests on their land, and protect local wildlife to promote ecosystem health for coming generations.
This particular lot was grown by community farmers in Taferi Kela and processed by Bette Buna at their washing station. After depulping, the coffee was fermented in sealed barrels for 96 hours before drying 8-15 days on raised and shaded beds. It was then rested in the warehouse to stabilize and reach the correct moisture level. After dry milling locally to remove the parchment, the team applied another round of hand sorting to remove any primary defects. After that, the bags of green coffee were loaded on a truck to take a 3-5 day drive to the main Bette Buna dry mill in Gelan, located close to Addis Ababa. Here the green coffee underwent another round of cleaning, screening on size and density, and color sorting, and was finally bagged for export.
We're proud to support Bette Buna and plan to partner with them for many years to come.
Elevation: 2100 MASL
Varietal: Enat Buna, 74158, 74112
Cup score: 90
Price paid per kg: £15
Process: Anaerobic Honey
