Ethiopia

Washed Ethiopian landrace

Raspberry, lime, honey

The Chelbesa station is managed by Ephtah. This station is located at 2200 m.a.s.l on a 2-hectare area where 150 raised beds are installed.

This region is characterized by its microclimate and fertile soil, making it perfect to grow exceptional coffee, enhancing coffee profiles, and leading to more fruity and floral notes. Coffee farmers grow mainly heirloom varieties. These coffees are cultivated at 2150 to 2200 m.a.s.l.

Once the cherries arrive at the processing station, the team carefully selects the best ones, removing any that are unripe, overripe, or defective. This step is crucial to ensure a high-quality final product.

Then, the skin of the coffee cherry is removed using a pulping machine, which removes the fruit from the bean. The beans, still covered with mucilage, are then placed to ferment in tanks for 48 to 72 hours. This fermentation process helps to break down the remaining fruit layer. After fermentation, the beans are thoroughly washed to remove any residual mucilage.

The coffee is then sundried for 10 - 15 days until it achieves the ideal moisture.

Ephtah Specialty Coffee is a women-owned coffee export company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, established in 2021 by Wubit Bekele. It focuses on exporting high-quality Ethiopian coffee, particularly Grade 1 specialty coffee, processed using methods like natural, honey, anaerobic, and slow-dried techniques. The company emphasizes sustainable and traceable supply chains, prioritizing quality, transparency, and community impact. Ephtah supports women in the coffee industry through training, financing, and leadership opportunities, working directly with female farmers and ensuring direct payments to their personal bank accounts. Its operations include the Lalesa washing station in Gedeb, Yirgacheffe, the largest drying and washing site in the region, which employs 20 permanent staff and up to 250 seasonal workers during the harvest season (November-January). Ephtah also invests in social and environmental projects, such as quality premiums, school fee assistance, and plans to expand drying facilities and community support initiatives like the Ama Commitment scheme.