Ethiopia Sidamo Shantawene is a natural-processed coffee from Daye Bensa, a grower and exporter founded in 2006. The coffee comes from the Shantawene village in the Sidamo region, grown at 1900-2300 meters altitude. It features heirloom varieties and was awarded 7th place in the 2020 Cup of Excellence in Ethiopia out of over 1,400 entries. The coffee is sourced from Daye Bensa's own farm and smallholder out-growers across three villages.
The Little Marionette is a specialty roastery in Rozelle, in Sydney's Inner West, founded in 2010 by Ed Cutcliffe. The name plays on the image of a puppeteer pulling strings, a nod to Cutcliffe's role in connecting producers, roasters and drinkers across the supply chain. The roastery works on a 1967 Probat, chosen for its cast iron thermal properties and the deeper caramelisation they bring to the cup. Around 80 percent of sourcing runs through direct relationships with farms including Volcán Azul in Costa Rica, Finca Campos Hermoso in Colombia and Daye Bensa in Ethiopia, several of which have placed in the Cup of Excellence. The Little Marionette has since expanded internationally with operations in London, Winchester and New York.
