Kenya Gathaithi AA

Embark on a vibrant flavor journey with our Kenya Gathaithi AA single origin. This lively cup bursts with notes of yuzu, black currant, toffee—perfectly balancing sweetness and tartness in a juicy, complex profile. Bright hints of stone fruit, plum, apricot and peach shine through, complemented by a citrusy aroma and flavors of grapefruit, subtle raspberry sweetness, and a velvety mouthfeel that finishes clean and sweet.

A Roastmaster’s Obsession
Kenyan isn’t just any coffee, they're also Roastmaster Mike Perry’s all-time favorite! Our Kenyan coffees are so good, he brings home 3 lbs every week. Mike is constantly in pursuit of great Kenyan coffees - if you’re looking for a next-level cup of joe, Kenya is the single origin that Mike brews for himself, again and again.

Gathaithi Farmers’ Cooperative Society was registered under the cooperative society act of
2000. It was formerly part of the Giant Tetu Coffee Farmers Society. This cooperative has only
one factory – Gathaithi Coffee Factory. Currently, it has 1,656 active members.

LOCATION
Gathaithi Farmer’s Cooperative Society is located at Gaki location, Gathaithi sub-location, Tetu
sub-county in Nyeri County. At 160 km north of Nairobi, you will find the factory sandwiched
between the elegant Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare ranges, putting it at a vantage point of better
production.


SOILS AND CLIMATE
Gathaithi Coffee Factory is dressed with red-volcanic soil that infuses it with all the mineral and
organic goodness necessary for optimum production. It experiences an annual rainfall of
1,100mm at 1,720m above sea level. In addition it enjoys cool temperatures of 16-26°C.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING
In line with the rising awareness on the need to conserve the environment, the factory has dug
the waste water soak pits away from the water source where the waste water is allowed to soak
in back to the soil. Currently the factory does not engage in wastewater treatment. Additionally
the society encourages its members to plant trees on their farms.

MANAGEMENT
Gathaithi Coffee factory is run by a factory manager who oversees all activities within the factory.
Together with other staff members they carry out duties such as weighing coffee, selection and
grading of coffee, paying farmers and addressing farmers’ complaints.

ECOLOGY
In addition to coffee, common crops grown are banana and maize. Grevillea or macadamia trees
are also planted to provide shade to the growing coffee trees.

WELFARE
Currently the factory offers farm inputs on credit and cash advances to farmers as incentives.

Coffee is grown through the highland regions of Kenya, including Kisii, Nyanza, and Bungoma in the west; Nakuru and Kericho in the Great Rift Valley; Machakos, Embu, and Meru to the east of Mt. Kenya; and the Taita hills near the coast. The largest and oldest coffee growing areas are the central highlands, particularly Nyeri, sandwiched between the foothills of Mt Kenya to the east and the Aberdare mountain range to the west. Most coffee in Kenya is grown between 4,500 and 6,500 feet. Nearly all of Kenya’s 700,000 coffee producers are small land holders belonging to cooperatives. Most common varieties in Kenya are Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34, and K7. SL34 and K7 were developed from heirloom bourbon known as “French Mission,” which was the primary variety grown prior to the 1930’s that can still be found today, as can Blue Mountain on some farms. Kenyan coffees are graded by screen size and while there are several grades, specialty coffee is AA, being the largest and highest quality grade, AB, or PB (peaberry), used in combination with quality grade FAQ or FAQ Plus (Fair Average Quality).

It seems likely that coffee grew wild within the region that would become Kenya, buried deep inside impenetrable forests, or perhaps hiding in plain site; but it wasn’t until 1895 that missionaries both protestant and catholic attempted to grow coffee for commercial purposes. The 100 seeds from Reunion Island that would serve as progenitors to the Kenyan coffee industry arrived on a train, carried by priests belonging to an order known as “Holy Ghost Fathers.” On August 12th, 1899, they arrived at the spot that would quickly become the country’s capital city. One of the early protestant medical missionaries was Dr. Henry Scott. After his death in 1911, a new hospital complex was named after Dr. Scott and when the department of agriculture took over the complex in 1923 they kept the name: Scott Agricultural Laboratories, or “Scott Labs.” This is the origin of the “SL” in SL28 and other coffee varieties selected at the lab.