KENYA, Konyu, Kirinyanga

Producer: Kabare Farmers Coop Society.

Growing altitude: 1800m above sea level.

Botanical variety: SL28, SL34.

Process: Washed.

Tasting notes: Syrup, blackcurrant, lime, earl grey, elderflower flavours.

Roast date: 27 February, 2026

Nestled on the fertile slopes of central Kenya, Kabare Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS) represents the collective strength of smallholder coffee farming at its finest. Serving as the central management body for eleven cooperatives — Kiringa, Konyu, Karani, Kiangombe, Kaboyo, Mukure, Mukengeria, Kimandi, Kathata, Kiangothe, and Kiamiciri — Kabare FCS unites nearly 10,000 farming households across Kirinyaga County.These farms stretch from the outskirts of Kerugoya town up toward the forested borders of Mount Kenya National Park, where altitude, climate, and soil converge to create ideal coffee-growing conditions.

Kirinyaga’s high elevations slow the maturation of coffee cherries. This extended ripening period allows sugars and organic acids to develop gradually, resulting in coffees known for their structure, vibrancy, and layered complexity. 

The region is particularly celebrated for its cultivation of SL-28 and SL-34, two historic Kenyan varieties prized for their bright, articulate acidity, blackcurrant and red berry notes, juicy sweetness, structured, wine-like depth.  

Combined with the area’s rich volcanic soils, these cultivars consistently produce coffees that are expressive and unmistakably Kenyan.

Within the Kabare FCS network, Konyu processing station, known locally as a “factory stands out with approximately 1,000 contributing farmer members.

On average, each smallholder farmer delivers around 250 kilograms of hand-picked cherry per harvest. After processing, this equates to roughly three-quarters of a single 60kg bag of exportable green coffee per farmer. While individually modest, collectively these contributions form significant, traceable community lots that reflect the shared effort of hundreds of families. 

Kabare Farmers’ Cooperative Society is more than an administrative body. It is a framework that allows thousands of smallholder farmers to access infrastructure, processing expertise, and global markets while maintaining individual farm ownership. 

The result is coffee that reflects both terroir and community, shaped by altitude, volcanic soil, traditional processing, and the disciplined work of nearly 10,000 farming households. 

From the slopes near Kerugoya to the forest edge of Mount Kenya, the story of Kabare FCS is one of collaboration, precision, and enduring commitment to quality, a reminder that exceptional coffee is rarely the work of one farm, but of many hands working together.

“Great coffee is never the work of one farm, but the shared effort of a community moving in the same direction.”  - Kabare Coop Society.