Fantanesh, our Quality Manager in Addis Ababa, visited the Bahati Blue farm in 2024. It was the first time she had found coffee trees under shade in Kenya.
The farm is run by the couple Sheila and Alkis, who grow two varieties: Batian and Ruiru 11. Harvesting usually takes place from December to March, but heavy rains this year meant that it stopped in February.
Once the cherries are fully ripe, they lie overnight on drying beds and are pulped the following morning, before being washed.
Harvesting lasts all day, to harvest as many ripe cherries as possible and prevent them from falling off the trees, which would reduce the quality of the batches.
In this case, AB quality, which is defined by the size and density of the beans, AB being the second-highest quality after AA.
