The Bulambuli washing station is found at the foot of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, and was built in 2022 by the coffee exporters Ibero. It receives cherries from 200-400 smallholder farms of less than a hectare each. The farms are often family run, and are grouped into parishes. Each parish encompasses 7-12 tiny villages, and farmers tend to work together to produce and deliver their coffees to the washing station. The high altitudes of their plots are perfect for coffee production, and the SL14, 28 and 34 varietals grown here are more commonly associated with neighbouring Kenya.
Ibero employs an expert local team for every stage of the coffee production: farmer support, cherry buying, traceability, milling, processing, grading, bagging and exporting. The dedication to producing unique coffees with a real impact for the farmers is driving the coffee industry in Uganda, and it is building momentum. The distinctive flavour profiles and intensity in the cup is exciting, and this is our third year buying coffee from Bulambuli.
Seasonal buying is about seeing coffee as a crop not a commodity, buying in harmony with the growing seasons to enjoy coffee at its best. This kind of buying has always been the backbone of our business and it’s something we’ve improved and refined every year.
