This single-origin coffee is produced by Sergio Chinguel Alberca, a second-generation coffee farmer in Sport Piura, Huabel, Jaen, Cajamarca, Peru. The coffee is grown at altitudes between 1,850 and 1,900 meters above sea level on a three-hectare family farm. The Caturra variety is cultivated using organic methods without agrochemicals, incorporating sustainable practices with leguminous shade trees that naturally enrich the soil with nitrogen. The coffee undergoes washed processing with 48-hour dry fermentation in GrainPro bags, which Sergio uses to enhance flavor by keeping the coffee wrapped in honey and fermentation juices. Following fermentation, the beans are dried on covered raised beds for 15 to 30 days depending on weather conditions. Flavor notes include red apple, redcurrant, and caramel.
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.
