ETHIOPIA, Tesfaye Bekele, Guji, Sidamo

Producer: Suke Quto - Tesfaye Bekele. 

Growing altitude: 1800-2200m above sea level. 

Botanical variety: Kurume, Welicho. 

Process: Washed. 

Tasting notes: Syrup, jasmine, citrus, clementine, white peach flavours.

Roast date: 22 December, 2025

After a devastating bushfire swept through the Guji highlands, Tesfaye Bekele stood among the ashes with a conviction that the forest could, and must, return. Out of this commitment to conservation, Suke Quto Farm was born.

In the aftermath of the fire, Tesfaye realised that restoration would only be possible if the community was involved. He began distributing coffee and shade-tree seedlings to local families, inviting them to replant what had been lost. Over time, more than 150 out-growers joined him, each contributing to the slow and steady regeneration of the landscape.

Through this collaborative effort, Tesfaye achieved his dream: a farm that restores the ecosystem, produces environmentally responsible coffee, and provides a stable, dignified income for the surrounding community. Today, smallholders harvest organic cherries from forest-grown coffee trees and deliver them to Suke Quto for meticulous processing, a closed-loop system that reinforces both quality and sustainability.

In 2009, Tesfaye submitted samples to our international export partner, hopeful that his coffee would speak for itself. The initial cupping feedback was unexpectedly poor. Unconvinced, Tesfaye personally returned the next day with fresh samples from Suke Quto.

The result was the complete opposite: outstanding quality.

It became immediately clear that the first sample had not come from Suke Quto at all, a moment that underscored the absolute importance of direct purchasing, full traceability, and transparent supply chains. Since then, Tesfaye and the exporter have worked side by side, running countless experiments and refining processing techniques to elevate the coffee even further.

Our export partner Trabocca continues to play a pivotal role at Suke Quto. They cover the cost of the farm’s organic certification and reward Tesfaye with premiums when quality benchmarks are met.

“Trabocca is our main buyer,” Tesfaye explains. “We sell our coffee to them every year, and they distribute it across the world. Trabocca is very serious about quality control and has brought us to the level at which we are now — a level we are truly proud of.”

Together with Trabocca, we have been purchasing coffee from Suke Quto for more than ten years. This long-standing relationship is one we hold with immense pride. Supporting Tesfaye and the community around Suke Quto is not only a commitment to exceptional coffee, it is a commitment to the people who grow it, the land that sustains it, and the future of coffee farming worldwide.

Suke Quto stands today as proof that when producers, exporters, and roasters unite around shared values, coffee becomes more than a product.

It becomes a force for restoration, resilience, and real community impact.