In our last post we talked about the process coffee goes through after the cherries have been picked (commonly called wet mill process), which results in something called ‘parchment coffee’, characterized by a yellow external layer.
Once complete, the farmer usually takes the beans to a nearby Primary Cooperative Society. These cooperatives are local organizations where all small-scale farmers gather to create volume and negotiate better prices. When the volume and quality from these societies is sufficient, KNCU will collect the parchment coffee and put it through a ‘milling process’ to remove the yellow external layer and grade the coffee according to its size, density and color.
KNCU has its own cupping room, where this coffee is tasted to be sure that it fulfills their high standards of quality and flavour. This extra care and attention is vital, as it ensures that all of their coffees are of the best quality, with a perfect balance. For example, our Kilimanjaro Gourmet coffee is medium to strong acidity, with a light to medium body and gentle citrus taste – a beautiful palate, in much the same way as a fine wine.
Before the coffee goes to auction it is cupped again, this time by the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), who provide a certification based on its quality. This is a very important process as their certification dictates how much ‘quality premium’ will be paid as part of the price at auction.
In one final quality-testing stage, KNCU sends a pre-auction sample to our office in London, where our Quality Manager, Thierry Akroman (a face you probably know well by now!), roasts, grinds and tastes the beans to ensure they reach our own strict standards and requirements. These beans need to pass a lot of tests if they are to make it into our coffee! After Thierry has confirmed whether or not Cafédirect will buy the coffee it is finally time for the coffee Lots to be taken to auction at the TCB. This is where KNCU will bid on the selected Lots in order to sell them to Cafédirect, as agreed before the auction. This process allows KNCU a greater control over pricing and ensures that we are always buying directly from the growers, and not third parties.
Obtaining a full container of Kilimanjaro Gourmet Coffee may take several auctions to achieve, due to the high demands we place on the quality and volume of beans, but once we have enough to a container (which is 280 bags of coffee) the beans are taken on the next stage of their journey…stay tuned to find out more soon…
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