• Speciality coffee roasted fresh, coffee subscriptions uk
  • Speciality coffee roasted fresh, coffee subscriptions uk
  • Speciality coffee roasted fresh, coffee subscriptions uk
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Gorilla Summit | Uganda | Honey

Gorilla Summit | Uganda | Honey

orange, lemon, shortbread

£9.00 GBP
£9.00 GBP
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Speciality coffee, fresh roasted, coffee subscription, ugandan coffee

Coffee overview

Flavours

orange, lemon, shortbread

Information

Country: Uganda

Region: Kayungwe, Bwindi

Altitude: 1400 - 2200 m.a.s.l.

Process: Honey

Species: Arabica

Varietal: SL28, SL34

This honey-processed microlot is sourced from 500 smallholder farmers in the Kayungwe community, located near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in South-West Uganda. These dedicated farmers supply coffee cherries to our longstanding partner in the region, Gorilla Summit, who process the coffee at their washing station in nearby Kanungu.

Gorilla Summit Development Limited is an independent coffee enterprise founded by local Ugandan Gerald Mbabazi, whose family has long been engaged in education within the region. Historically, coffee from Kanungu has struggled with quality issues due to a lack of investment, infrastructure, and a local market. However, the area's climate and elevation offer ideal conditions for producing high-quality arabica coffee. Recognising this potential, Gerald built a central washing station to uplift the local coffee economy, paying higher prices for ripe cherries to incentivise quality production.

Gerald's vision for Gorilla Summit is to use speciality coffee as a means of transforming local communities. By reinvesting profits into healthcare, food security, and education, Gorilla Summit is making a meaningful difference.

The Region of Kanungu

Kanungu, located in South-West Uganda, lies south of Queen Elizabeth National Park, near the borders of Rwanda and Congo. Known as one of Uganda’s poorest regions, Kanungu faces high rates of infant and maternal mortality, prevalent disease, and limited access to healthcare and education. Despite these challenges, the area offers exceptional conditions for growing specialty arabica coffee, with rich, fertile soils, ample rainfall, high altitudes (reaching up to 1,900 metres above sea level), and abundant sunshine. Initiatives like Gorilla Summit are driving progress towards a sustainable, locally-driven economy by paying fair prices to farmers for high-quality coffee, helping to improve local livelihoods.

Kanungu District is also renowned for its rare wildlife, including the world’s largest population of endangered mountain gorillas and the famous tree-climbing lions. The region is home to the indigenous Batwa-Pygmy community, who live alongside the Bakiga people. The Bakiga tribe's dance, known for its powerful stomping and chanting, is one of Uganda’s most distinctive traditional dances. Legend says that the Bakiga’s rhythmic stomping can even create mini-earthquakes!

The Honey Process

Ripe coffee cherries are carefully handpicked and taken to the wet mill for processing. Upon arrival, they are placed in a clean water tank for density separation: lower-quality cherries float and are removed, while only the densest, highest-quality cherries are selected for the next steps. These chosen cherries are then pulped and immediately transferred to raised drying beds, where they are sun-dried over a period of 4-6 weeks.

Once drying is complete, the coffee is rested in its parchment for approximately one month to stabilise. It then moves to the dry mill for secondary processing, which includes hulling, sorting, grading, hand-picking, and finally bagging in GrainPro or Ecotact bags to preserve freshness for export.