{"title":"Featured","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"ecuador-los-romerillos-mixed-varieties-washed","title":"Ecuador Los Romerillos, Mixed Varieties, Washed","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA balanced and expressive cup with gentle orange acidity, a silky body, and a long toffee finish. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis lot was purchased not only for its excellent flavour, but as the first step in building new long-term relationships that extend value beyond price alone — directing our buying power toward regenerative farming, equitable distribution, and measurable progress aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals 8, 12, 13 and 15.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails open=\"\"\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e+ Broader Context\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1399\" data-start=\"1093\"\u003eThis coffee is the first of our lots selected specifically to help build relationships that create impact beyond quality metrics and market price — relationships that invest in resilience, environmental regeneration, and more equitable value distribution across our supply chain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1399\" data-start=\"1093\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1859\" data-start=\"1401\"\u003eIn response to our brief, our partners at \u003cstrong data-end=\"1455\" data-start=\"1443\"\u003eCaravela\u003c\/strong\u003e connected us with a producing group in rural Ecuador seeking support for reforestation across their farms. Together, we agreed on a structure where part of the price paid contributes directly to the purchase and planting of 119 shade trees, including 35 fruit trees that will create food security or revenue benefits. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1859\" data-start=\"1401\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1859\" data-start=\"1401\"\u003eThese trees will strengthen farm ecosystems, improve soil health, sequester additional carbon, and enhance cup quality and coffee plant resilience in the years ahead. We have also committed to purchase the same quantity or more from the same producers next year, building confidence and resilience to support their investments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1859\" data-start=\"1401\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1978\" data-start=\"1861\"\u003eFor us, this is what responsible sourcing looks like: quality in the cup paired with tangible, improvements to the sustainability of a producers work and environment, through shared investment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1978\" data-start=\"1861\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis coffee is produced by\u003cspan class=\"apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"390\" data-start=\"339\"\u003efour members of the Los Romerillos co\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003emmunity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e:\u003cspan class=\"apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"489\" data-start=\"392\"\u003eVilma Alexandra Ramón Urrego, Rosa Milta Elizalde Sanchez, Carmen Sanchez, and Lucio Elizalde\u003c\/strong\u003e. While Los Romerillos includes other growers, this particular lot reflects the work and dedication of these four family-run farms.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1049\" data-start=\"626\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEach producer brings both tradition and innovation to the lot. Vilma continues to expand her farm while refining fermentation techniques, always focused on building a more secure future for her family through quality coffee. Rosa and her husband Nelson cultivate coffee at Finca Arenal, surrounded by fruit trees, springs, and fertile soils, where anaerobic fermentation and careful drying have become central to their specialty approach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1049\" data-start=\"626\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1468\" data-start=\"1051\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor Carmen and her daughter Lidia, coffee is also an act of continuity — maintaining the practices of their late husband and father, Cristo Rey, through organic farming methods and deeply rooted traditions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1468\" data-start=\"1051\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLucio, with more than 25 years of experience, has transformed his farm into a thriving agroforestry system, integrating fruit trees and sustainable cultivation to strengthen both biodiversity and cup character.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1878\" data-start=\"1470\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross these four contributions, the lot expresses not only careful farming and processing but also a collective commitment to resilience, craft, and community. This coffee is a reflection of what becomes possible when smallholder producers work together, with the support of exporters like Caravela enabling the sharing of knowledge and investment in quality, while keeping family farming at the heart of the work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e+ Roast \u0026amp; Brewing Information\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis coffee has a medium roast, designed to maximise its sweetness and balance without losing the gentle florality and acidity of the varieties and process. As filter gentle citrus acidity and apricot and nectarine roll into a brown sugar finish. This will work well across many methods, but is a great coffee for immersion brews like the French Press.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAs espresso this can tend to tart shots if run fast, or heavy toffee notes if too slow, so we've found a longer ratio (1;2.5) can help give consistent balanced results\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e18.5g:45g, 27 seconds\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"250g \/ Whole Bean","offer_id":57014143680847,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"1kg \/ Whole Bean","offer_id":57070895464783,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0929\/6953\/3775\/files\/squares-58.jpg?v=1773847189"},{"product_id":"rwanda-sholi-washed","title":"Rwanda Sholi,  Bourbon, Washed","description":"\u003cdiv data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA rich, balanced cup delivering the classic red fruit acidity, sweetness, and dark chocolate finish created through the pairing of Red Bourbon and the fully washed process, this coffee is a reminder of the beauty and potential of specialty coffee to combine exceptional quality with meaningful, life-changing impact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than almost anywhere else in coffee, Rwanda demonstrates how intentional quality-focused production can transform rural economies, strengthen communities, and create sustainable futures through agriculture. This coffee feels emblematic of that journey: precise, elegant, structured, and deeply human.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin \u0026amp; Producers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRwandan coffee is one of the greatest demonstrations of how specialty coffee can work, with intentional, progressive year-on-year improvements in quality leading to higher values and financial returns for rural economies and networks of primarily female producers working together in self-organised co-operative structures. If sustainability combines economic, social, and environmental factors — and the ability to develop production in harmony with all three — it is difficult to imagine a better example.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst coffee began in Rwanda as an entirely volume-based business under Belgian colonial rule, with forced labour and other exploitative conditions, the industry collapsed during the economic pressures of the 1980s, which were also a catalyst for the 1994 Genocide. As part of the reconciliation and rebuilding that followed, coffee — already understood by much of the rural population — was chosen as a vehicle to rebuild smallholder economic activity, create jobs and export income, and foster meaningful communal working relationships through mill structures supporting both society and financial stability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith international support and a long-term focus on embracing quality rather than quantity, Rwanda developed a coffee industry now regarded as one of the world’s most positive examples of specialty coffee’s potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike many East African countries, Rwanda has no large estates. Most coffee is grown by approximately 400,000 smallholder farmers and their families, many farming less than a quarter hectare each. This small-scale structure means lots are typically consolidated through mills or co-operatives, where community and shared infrastructure become essential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis lot comes from members of the Kundwa Women Coffee group, a female-only producer association operating within the Abateraninkunga Ba Sholi co-operative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocated in central Rwanda, Sholi was established in 2008 by 30 women seeking to invigorate the local economy through coffee. Initially, coffee played only a small role due to the lack of local processing infrastructure, but as membership expanded the co-operative invested in its own washing station, opening in 2014.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Abateraninkunga” translates from Kinyarwanda as “mutual assistance,” reflecting the values underpinning the co-operative’s growth. Today, over 600 producers contribute coffee grown between 1,800 and 2,000masl. Alongside Fair Trade certification and Cup of Excellence recognition, the co-operative has invested heavily in local infrastructure including healthcare, water access, and community spaces available to both members and non-members alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariety \u0026amp; Processing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst initially introduced to Rwanda by German and Belgian colonists in the early 1900s, Bourbon’s prevalence today is largely due to its suitability for Rwanda’s altitude, rainfall, and volcanic soils, alongside the country’s intentional shift toward quality-focused production systems after the 1994 Genocide. Recognising that Rwanda’s geography would never allow it to compete as a volume producer, many rebuilding initiatives instead focused on producing exceptional quality coffees capable of generating greater long-term value. Today, Red Bourbon accounts for roughly 95% of Rwanda’s coffee production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a fully washed lot, a process traditionally reserved for the highest quality selections from each producer group. Farmers deliver hand-picked cherries to the co-operatively owned washing station, where they are sorted both manually and by floatation to remove underdeveloped cherries before being de-pulped and wet fermented for 15–18 hours, typically overnight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing fermentation, the coffee is washed clean and graded by density through long washing channels. Denser, higher-quality beans are separated for premium lots such as this before being moved to shaded pre-drying tables and finally raised beds, where they dry slowly over 14–21 days depending on weather conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis careful process highlights the acidity, clarity, and sweetness typical of Bourbon, whilst preserving the structure and elegance that define classic washed Rwandan coffees. The result is a cup that feels vibrant and articulate without losing warmth or depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’re especially excited to offer this coffee alongside a natural processed lot from the same producer group, allowing a rare opportunity to explore how processing alone can dramatically reshape flavour and texture from the same terroir and variety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur Connection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had the great honour of attending AFCA in Kigali in 2019, running barista workshops with champions from across Africa whilst spending time with Maxime and the team from Covoya, who sourced this coffee and have worked with Sholi for many years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring that trip I visited several mills, including Sholi itself, and witnessed first-hand the extraordinary optimism, professionalism, and ambition driving Rwanda’s coffee sector forward. Coffee here feels deeply connected to community, not simply as an export product, but as a mechanism for rebuilding livelihoods, relationships, and long-term possibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExporters are often simplistically described as “middle-men,” but in reality they provide the financing, logistics, quality support, and long-term relationships that allow coffees like these to travel across the world. Watching the Covoya team reinforce their relationships at their annual 'Producers Awards' at the event was one of the most moving experiences of my time in coffee. Following some welcoming demonstrations of traditional dances, producers from all across Covoyas multi-generation Africa projects mingled, shared stories, and were celebrated by each\u0026amp;nbsp;other. Whilst I'm often cynical about market forces and the dynamics between 'business' and 'sustainability' the power and value of meaningful work, pride, dignity and hope were displayed with true honesty and passion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ithaka","offers":[{"title":"250g","offer_id":57810836586831,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"1kg","offer_id":57810836619599,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0929\/6953\/3775\/files\/sholi_58.jpg?v=1780046754"},{"product_id":"rwanda-sholi-bourbon-natural","title":"Rwanda Sholi,  Bourbon, Natural","description":"\u003cdiv data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis coffee represents another side of modern Rwanda: confident, experimental, and increasingly willing to explore new expressions of flavour whilst remaining rooted in the same values of community, quality, and long-term sustainability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere the washed lot from Sholi feels precise and structured, this naturally processed version reveals something softer, wilder, and more expansive — a reminder that processing is not simply technical, but creative. The same land, the same variety, and the same producers can tell entirely different stories depending on how coffee is handled after harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin \u0026amp; Producers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRwandan coffee is one of the clearest examples anywhere in the world of how specialty coffee can generate meaningful social and economic transformation when quality, collaboration, and long-term thinking are prioritised together.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the collapse of the country's colonial-era commodity coffee systems and the devastation surrounding the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda consciously rebuilt its coffee sector around smallholder quality production. Coffee became not only an export industry, but a mechanism for rebuilding rural livelihoods, encouraging co-operation, and creating sustainable economic opportunity through shared infrastructure and producer-led organisation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Rwanda's coffee industry remains overwhelmingly smallholder based, with approximately 400,000 farming families cultivating tiny plots across the country's mountainous terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis coffee comes from members of the Kundwa Women Coffee group operating within the Aba Sholi co-operative in Muhanga District. Founded in 2008 by 30 women seeking to create stronger local economic opportunities, the co-operative has steadily grown into one of Rwanda's most admired quality-focused producer groups. Today, over 600 producers contribute cherries to Sholi, with the co-operative investing profits back into healthcare, infrastructure, education, food security, and long-term community resilience.The values of “mutual assistance” embedded within the co-operative’s name remain visible throughout its work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariety \u0026amp; Processing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhilst washed coffees have historically defined Rwanda's reputation, processing some of the top selections naturally represents an exciting evolution within the country's specialty sector \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eincreasing the diversity of flavour and value created for the smallholders.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bourbon variety’s density and sweetness, combined with Rwanda’s high elevations, cool evenings, and slow cherry maturation,  provide exceptional raw material for natural processing. Here, rather than removing the fruit immediately after harvest, the coffee cherry remains intact throughout drying, allowing sugars, acids, and fruit compounds from the skin and mucilage to influence flavour development over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis lot is naturally processed via traditional sun-drying on raised beds. Cherries are harvested and sorted by hand before being floated to remove underdeveloped fruit and isolate only the highest quality cherries for drying. They're then dried slowly under cover on the beds for around 40 days depending on ambient conditions, carefully turned and monitored throughout to ensure even drying and stability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNatural processing tends to create a broader, heavier cup profile than washed coffees, often amplifying fruit character and sweetness whilst softening acidity. In this coffee, that process transforms the clarity of Rwandan Bourbon into something more layered and complex, whilst still retaining the balance and elegance that make coffees from Sholi so compelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTasting the washed and natural lots side-by-side offers a rare opportunity to experience just how dramatically processing can shape perception, texture, and flavour from the exact same terroir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur Connection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI first visited Rwanda in 2019 during AFCA in Kigali, spending time with producers, exporters, and coffee professionals from across East Africa whilst running workshops alongside champions from across the continent.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat struck me most was the sense of optimism surrounding coffee in Rwanda. There is an extraordinary openness to learning and experimentation alongside a deep understanding of coffee’s ability to support long-term social and economic rebuilding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat spirit feels especially present in coffees like this. Producing exceptional washed coffees already requires immense precision and infrastructure, but natural processing introduces another layer of complexity and risk. Seeing producer groups like Kundwa, in partnership with Sholi, confidently exploring these methods whilst maintaining such remarkable quality feels symbolic of how far Rwanda’s coffee sector has come in a relatively short time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m incredibly grateful to Maxime, Phil, Howard and the wider Covoya team for helping build and maintain the relationships that allow coffees like this to both exist and travel across the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ithaka","offers":[{"title":"250g","offer_id":57811204211023,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"1kg","offer_id":57811204243791,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0929\/6953\/3775\/files\/sholi_61.jpg?v=1780046703"}],"url":"https:\/\/ithaka.coffee\/collections\/featured.oembed","provider":"Ithaka","version":"1.0","type":"link"}