Kenya Ndiaini coffee is a from the renowned Nyeri region in central Kenya. This particular coffee is named after the village of Ndiaini, a name that translates to “deepest part of the river” in the local language, evoking both a sense of place and depth of flavor. The coffee is produced by smallholder farmers affiliated with the Ndia-Ini Cooperative, an established organization that has played a key role in the local coffee industry since its founding in 1969. Situated near the rich, red volcanic soils and cool high-altitude climate of Nyeri, the Ndiaini area offers ideal growing conditions for coffee. The region’s elevation, rainfall patterns, and diurnal temperature swings all contribute to the exceptional quality of the beans. These environmental advantages, combined with careful processing and traditional farming practices, create a cup that is complex, vibrant, and highly sought after by coffee enthusiasts around the world. The Ndia-Ini Cooperative consists of about 1200 registered members, although only around 395 farmers consistently deliver their coffee cherries to the central washing station. Each member maintains a small plot of land, cultivating coffee as a primary cash crop, and the cooperative ensures traceability to the farm level. Kenya Ndiaini coffee is typically composed of several well-known Kenyan varietals, including SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian. SL28 and SL34 are prized for their ability to produce exceptional flavor clarity and acidity, while Ruiru 11 and Batian add disease resistance and yield stability. This varietal mix, when grown in Nyeri’s fertile soils and processed with care, results in a distinctive and lively flavor profile. The beans are processed using the fully washed method, a meticulous system that involves pulping the cherries to remove the skin, fermenting the beans to break down the mucilage, and thoroughly washing them before drying. This technique helps to highlight the coffee’s inherent brightness and clean flavour characteristics.

The vast majority of the coffee bought and sold in Kenya is traded through the national auction system, where marketing agents enter cooperatives' and estates’ coffee and traders come to bid. The main buyers from this auction system are large multinationals, who then offer the lots to importers and roasters. Unfortunately, this has been the only way to purchase Kenyan coffee for a long time and we’ve become frustrated with the lack of transparency, poor service and price volatility.

In the last few years we have started buying directly from the auction using a local Kenyan company, who bid on the coffee on our behalf, after we have cupped through auction samples which have initially been filtered by a local cupper. This was a conscious decision to support local, Kenyan businesses, and to make the supply chain more efficient and to get the coffees moving quicker from origin.