Coffee has been cultivated in Kenya since 1893, when French missionaries brought seeds from Réunion Island (formerly known as Bourbon Island) and planted them in church gardens. By the turn of the 20th century, Kenya’s coffee had grown into a major commercial export. Just north of the capital, Kiambu County emerged as the heartland of Kenya’s coffee boom in the early 1900s. The region boasts nutrient-rich soil, cool mountain nights, and access to spring water. Today, it remains home to generations of coffee farmers and historic estates, carrying forward a legacy of dedication for world-class, quality coffees.

This particular Kenyan single-origin, roasted by our friends at Origin, is a natural coffee grown and processed on the Kamundu Coffee Estate. Perched high in Kiambu County, Kamundu is one of six coffee estates operated by Sasini PLC, a majority Kenyan-owned agribusiness that cultivates, processes, and markets coffee alongside tea and other crops. Renowned for combining innovative agronomic practices with a deep commitment to sustainability and community outreach, Sasini today accounts for nearly a fifth of Kenya’s total coffee exports. Like all Sasini estates, Kamundu is equipped with its own wet mill and pulping facilities, ensuring strict quality control from branch to bag.

Origin’s notes

“Kamundu Estate Natural is a distinctive Kenyan coffee produced at Kamundu Estate in Kiambu County. The coffee is naturally processed, with the cherries dried whole before the beans are removed, creating a sweeter and more fruit-driven expression than the classic washed Kenyan profile.

“In the cup, it shows apricot jam, passion fruit and citrus, combining rich fruit sweetness with bright, lively acidity.”

• Flavours: Apricot jam, passion fruit, citrus, wine gums, jasmine tea & cinnamon
• Body: Medium, smooth
• Acidity: Juicy
• Roast: Medium
• Brewing: Pour-over, Chemex, siphon, plunger, espresso & milk-based

Coffee details from Origin

“Kamundu Estate is a 155-hectare coffee farm situated at around 1,950 metres above sea level in Kiambu County, just outside Nairobi.

“The estate is part of the coffee-growing landscape of Kenya's Central Highlands, where high elevation and favourable growing conditions support the development of complex, expressive coffees. Kamundu is also one of the estates operated in Kiambu by Sasini, alongside Ting’ang’a and Kakindu.”

• Country: Kenya
• Region: Kiambu County
• Washing station: Kamundu Estate
• Owner: Sasini PLC
• Altitude: 1,800 - 1,950m ASL
• Variety: Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34
• Processing: Natural