This exquisite washed Gesha from La Noria farm in Ecuador is a 2023 Cup of Excellence winner. Located in the Vilcabamba Valley of Loja province at 2100 meters altitude, the coffee is produced by Tim Leahy and Bernard Uhe. The beans undergo a meticulous double fermentation washed process: initial 48-hour fermentation in bags followed by depulping and another 48-hour fermentation. When brewed, especially as an espresso, it offers vivid flavours of honeysuckle, passion fruit, and bright citrus with a fine, silky, and luxuriously creamy texture. The farm practices environmentally conscious agroforestry as part of the ChocoVilcaMundo cooperative.
Kiss the Hippo launched in 2018 as London's first carbon negative coffee roastery. Every coffee they sell is certified organic by the Soil Association and certified carbon negative, with reforestation projects in Colombia, Madagascar, Zambia, and Nepal through a partnership with Swiss nonprofit On A Mission. They pay farmers at least 50% above Fair Trade prices, often double. The roastery has won the UK Barista Championships three times, with victories by Joshua Tarlo in 2018, Paul Ross in 2019, and Paul Ross again in 2020 and now supplies seven London café locations. Sustainability extends to fully compostable pods, recyclable packaging, a Living Wage commitment, and a partnership with bio bean that turns used grounds into biofuels.
