Coffee cherries are hand-picked when ripe to ensure quality rather than using machinery.
These cherries are then floated in water and only the beans that sink move on to the next step because high density means high quality and the beans that float do not move on to the next step.
These dense beans are then sent to the washing station, where the skin/outer layer of the cherry is removed using a depulping machine to reveal the seed (coffee bean) which moves on into fermentation tanks whilst the skin and pulp is removed and can be used as compost.
These beans are then placed under water for 24-48 hours to remove the mucilage/residue left over after the depulping stage to guarantee a crisp, clean and consistent cup of coffee.
After fermentation, these beans move on into washing channels and then onto drying beds where they are hand-sorted, bean by bean to ensure quality.
After drying for 14-21 days to reach the appropriate moisture level of 10-12%, the beans are then sent for milling.
At the mill, the outer layer (parchment) is removed, the beans are then separated according to size, colour and density and then hand-sorted again, this time under UV light to further remove any defects that the machine could not pick out as this is the final stage before export.
All of these steps are taken to guarantee that you receive an excellent and consistent high quality coffee and we only work with producers who take all the steps listed above.