This coffee is a single origin from Nicaragua, specifically from the Jinotega region at 1,200 meters altitude. It is produced by Máximo Rodriguez at Finca La Venus, a 20-hectare farm that transitioned from commodity coffee to specialty production. The coffee is the Java variety, which has an interesting origin story - descended from Ethiopian Arabica varieties brought to Java in 1928 by Dutch botanist P. J. S. Cramer, then taken to Cameroon before arriving in Nicaragua. This is a naturally processed coffee with notes of Green Tea, Orange, and Jasmine.
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.
![Santa Rita [Washed Java]](https://cdn.thewaytocoffee.com/b98fkOqrjQQxqxP8FyOErQGRRJXF8ItHAxJxTZGGvJc/rs:fit:512:512/plain/s3://orugk53bpf2g6y3pmztgkzi/img_69940252ed4939.85226824.webp)
![Santa Rita [Washed Java]](https://cdn.thewaytocoffee.com/xQgr0rXt-XwTeWdydu48C5ZAbtBNUNV7_Svwl-RZ-R8/rs:fit:1024:1024/f:avif/plain/s3://orugk53bpf2g6y3pmztgkzi/img_69940252ed4939.85226824.webp)
