The Factory is located near the town of Mukurweini in the Nyeri County. There are roughly 500 smallholder producers contributing cherries to this lot, 280 men and 220 women. Producers will typically grow tea, maize, wheat, potato, kale, in addition to coffee whilst also raising cattle for dairy and chickens.

Situated at roughly 1,850 meters above sea level, the region where the Factory is located is defined by its bright red soils, full of rich nutrients for coffee trees. The high altitude allows for cool temperatures and ideal rainfall for the slow maturation of coffee cherries. Producers will add manure, compost, coffee pulp and green manure to enrich their soil.

After the producers gather their ripe cherries, they will deliver them to the Factory. Generally, producers only travel 5 kilometers to deliver their coffee, utilizing wheelbarrows, bicycles and motorbikes. Once the cherries reach the mill, the cherries are sorted and then pulped to remove the external fruit from the coffee bean. This is done via machine that squeezes the cherries between a rotating drum and a fixed surface. The coffee is then soaked in cement tanks for 24 hours to break down the remaining mucilage. Afterwards, the coffee is washed with clean water through channels before being dispersed on raised beds to dry in the open sun for 14 – 21 days, or until the moisture content reaches 10 – 12%.

There are various efforts in place to assist the producers with improving production. Tree planting campaigns, irrigation projects, and climate change mitigation information are some of these initiatives. Waste management is another practice enforced in order to prevent harm to the environment. With nearly 700,000 coffee producers, roughly 70% of which are smallholder producers, Kenya shines as a unique coffee-producing country in East Africa. Within the Nyeri County is the Ndiaini Coffee Factory, belonging to the Rumukia Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS). In Kenya, factories are essentially wet mills and collection points for coffee. 

This lot was sourced by our exporting partner, Mercanta Coffee, via Kenya Co-operative Coffee Exporters Limited (KCCE), which was founded in June of 2009. The creation of the KCCE was supported by the government in response to the vital need for coffee producers in Kenya to have more control over the marketing of their coffee in order to increase income. The organization was thus formed to address the many challenges smallholders face in Kenya with its main goal to assist with processing, promoting, and marketing the coffee from these producers. By providing technical and advisory services to producers, they are able to help them increase production and quality, which will improve revenue. With more income, producers are thus able to invest more in their farms and communities.

Delicious and super juicy. Exhibiting classic notes of blackcurrants, citrus fruits and mulberry - acidity-driven and balanced. Dutch Colony have always look forward yearly to new harvest from Kenya and with this having a myriad of flavours as described above that is palate teasing, which turns into raspberry and cranberry when cooled and well balanced, it will definitely not be the last you see us having this available again in our roastery. This brand new year 2026, Ndiaini will be introduced to our retail shop brew menu for you to enjoy. Try them over ice - thank us later!