Why places like Yorkshire are right to fall in love with Rwandan coffee

We specialise in fruity flavours, think red fruits: cherry, raspberry, grape, with gentle caramel and milk chocolate undertones. Our farmers hand-pick the coffee and our national export board sort and grade the beans before they leave the country, so only the best reaches the consumer. I have travelled up and down the UK meeting a small army of fanatical Rwandan coffee drinkers, from importers and roasters to cafe-owners. If you want to try Rwandan coffee you will never be far from an outlet, be it neighbourhood cafes, in the supermarket or even whilst commuting – I recently sampled a delicious latte made with Rwandan beans at Kings Cross station. In Yorkshire, Taylors of Harrogate are now importing over 350,000 kgs of Rwandan coffee, which is used in a variety of their popular coffee blends. White Rose Coffee Roasters in Halifax, York Coffee Emporium, and Rounton Coffee of Northallerton also have single-origin Rwandan offerings. I recently met Greg Campher of social enterprise Good Human Coffee who just imported 19 tonnes from Muyumbu, Eastern Rwanda. He told me “Rwanda is a country that has come on leaps and bounds, regularly now exporting 86+ rated coffees, it’s become a mainstay for importers, and there are folks producing some incredible cups.” You can also find single origin Rwandan coffees in your local supermarket, including Waitrose and M&S. In 1994, after the Genocide against the Tutsi where one million people lost their lives, all industries in Rwanda were wiped out. We had to rebuild our nation from the ashes, with unity and thinking big as our cornerstones. The growth of our young coffee sector runs parallel to the growth of our nation. The National Coffee Strategy has focused on giving farmers the tools and training to consistently produce high quality coffee cherries. What has developed is a high value, low volume sector, where quality is championed above all. The industry has hauled people out of poverty and into a brighter future with economic opportunity and export products for Rwandans to celebrate and be proud of. As Rwanda’s economy grows and diversifies, so does opportunity. The industry must provide a fair deal for farmers, otherwise their children will turn to different crops or away from agriculture altogether. Rwanda is at the cutting edge of value addition. In-country roasting facilities mean coffee roasted and packaged in Rwanda is readily available and is now exported across Africa, Asia and beyond. Whilst the UK coffee industry will take time to transition from exporting raw green beans, exporters can add value in other ways. Yorkshire companies such as Taylors and Rounton are leading the way with social projects that leave a positive footprint in the countries they work in. To the coffee drinker, I say try Rwandan coffee, you won’t look back. And to our farmers, your coffee is loved. Stay the course and know the rich flavour and consistent quality you produce has great value. Johnston Busingye is the High Commissioner for Rwanda to the UK. This article was first published by the Yorkshire Post.

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Why places like Yorkshire are right to fall in love with Rwandan coffee