A French Group with large interests in palm oil and rubber plantations in Malaysia decided to look for agricultural investments in East Africa. In February 1950, they sent their agent, Mr. Jas Nicoll, with a comfortable chequebook and a very large mandate (any country and almost any crop) to East Africa. Very quickly he came to the conclusion that an investment in coffee plantations in Kenya was the answer to his quest.

In a few months, he managed to set up a company (Socfinaf) and acquired the first coffee estate in April 1950. It was N’gewe Estate. Jas Nicoll acquired the neighbouring Mchana Estate in May of the same year. Mchana – with 1,090 acres, 659 of them under coffee – was already one of the larger estates in Kenya. In January 1951 he managed to acquire two other estates close to Mchana and N’Gewe. Kiki Estate and Mukuyu Estate (325 acres with 136 acres under coffee) were added on.

The four estates were regrouped into one entity, called Mchana (seeing as it was the largest of the four units). By doing so, Mchana Estate became the largest single coffee plantation in the whole of Kenya and was in “full bearing”. In 1950, the newly created Socfinaf produced 267 tons of clean (or Washed) coffee and 21 tons of Mbuni (as natural coffee is known) out of 9,700 tons produced that year in Kenya. In 1950, the yield was 450 to 500 lbs an acre as against an average of 250 lbs for the whole of Kenya.

General Info:

Farm: Mchana Estate
Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 & K7
Processing: Fully washed & dried on African beds
Altitude: 1,600 to 1,766 metres above sea level
Owner: Coffee Management Systems
Town / City: Ruiru
Region: Kiambu County

Coffee Resting before bagging at Mchana

Mchana today

Today’s Mchana Estate is 906 hectare with 458 hectares under coffee – almost the same original amount of hectare used to grow coffee as in 1950, making it one of Kenya’s largest.
The potential for high quality, however, was there and was part of the heritage of the farm. 2/3 of the trees still bearing at Mchana were planted before Socfinaf’s acquisition, and they are mostly SL28. Small subsections of the farm have been planted under Ruiru 11 and K7 , but the majority of cultivars are the ‘traditional’ SL28 & SL34, known for their great cup profile. Indeed, all the potential for exceptional quality has been there from nearly the beginning – it just needed a helping hand.
Coffee Management Systems (CMS), one of Kenya’s premier marketing and agricultural extension services, took over the farm from Socifaf management in late 2017, and they are making the most of that potential. Today, Mchana’s management has been placed safely in the hands of Mr Wambungo. He is an innovative and expert farm manager and is committed to maintaining Mchana’s reputation as one of the best producing estates of in Kenya while also adding ‘best quality’ to that reputation.
Mr. Wambungo began immediately with renovation activities: old trees were pruned or replaced so as to ensure a better harvest in a couple of years’ time. He has implemented crop development charts, which track each block from flowering to maturity. Mr Wambungo’s efforts are already seeing results. Productivity has increased significantly, and lots from Mchana now fetch good prices at auction. The farm is expected to continue to improve as his expertise is put into effect.

Conclusion

We currently stock Kenya Mchana Coffees – AB and Peaberry.

AB – In the cup expect orange rind, cranberry and blackcurrant flavours with a fruit nectar, heavy body. This coffee is versatile and suitable for all brewing methods.

PB- In the cup expect cranberry, black currant and orange flavours with a heavy, syrupy body. This coffee is best suited to espresso, siphon, plunger and pourover.

Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree. Grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

Danilo Salazar has been involved in coffee from birth. His small, 7 hectare farm – named San Cristobal del Llano – was originally his grandfather’s. As a child, he would help and play amongst the coffee trees that today he cares for, himself. Danilo and his family are very involved in all the work that goes into the farm. They conduct many of the maintenance activities year-round, including monthly weeding and quarterly fertilisations. Once the harvest season ends, all the trees are pruned to eliminate old and damaged branches, open up the plants for sunlight and to mitigate diseases. During March through October, 4 foliar and soil fertilisations are conducted. At the beginning of November, additional weed control takes place to prepare the farm for another harvest.

General Info:

Farm: San Cristobal del Llano
Varietal(s): Caturra & Red Catuaí
Processing: Natural; Dried on patios & finished in beds
Altitude: 1,700 masl
Owner: Danilo Salazar
Town: Zarcero
Region: West Valley
Country: Costa Rica
Total size of farm: 7 hectares
Area under coffee: 7 hectares

Processing

This Caturra and Catuaí lot has been processed using the Natural method. Upon being selectively hand-harvested, with only the ripest cherries being picked, the coffee is delivered on the same day to the nearby Café de Alturas de San Ramón Mill. Here, the cherry is received, sorted, weighed and then washed with clean water to eliminate any foreign matter. Immediately after washing, the cherries are taken to the patios for drying, where they are regularly turned and evenly dried for 15 to 20 days, depending on the sunlight. Once the coffee reaches the correct humidity, it is stored and rested until it is time to export.

Danilo works closely with the organisation that mills and markets his coffee – Café de Altura of San Ramón Especial S. A. – to ensure the high quality of his end product. Founded in 2004 by coffee growers from the San Ramón Canton and surrounding areas, Café de Altura de San Ramón has always sought to access speciality markets, obtaining the best possible price in order to both generate wellbeing for the producer and the community and to provide a good return for shareholders. Today the company processes, markets, exports and roasts speciality coffee along with providing a host of other services to members.

Today, the company processes coffee from 3,800 producers hailing from 4 different Costa Rican coffee regions. It is managed collectively by 590 member producers, most of whom are small- to medium-sized coffee growers. It’s original commitment to quality and customer satisfaction remains, despite its growth. As such, it only receives processes and sells excellent coffee, from regions located over 1,000 meters above sea level with strict quality and farm management standards.

Costa Rica Danilo Salazar – coffee treas

History, awards and sustainability

This extensive history and the group’s continued efforts have fostered an important reputation for the organisation. They have won prizes in various events and competitions, at a national and international level, such as National Coffee Competition, Pacific Coast Coffee Association, Roaster Guild Cupping Pavilion Competition, Gold Harvest Auction, Q Auction, Sintercafé, Costa Rica Cup and, most impressively, multiple wins in the Cup of Excellence Costa Rica. Lots that they have processed have placed in no fewer than 11 Cup of Excellence competitions since 2007 and have won a Presidential Prize (a score of 90+) twice.

The organization has also achieved several certifications for management and Good Agricultural Practices, among them: C.A.F.E Practices, Rain Forest Alliance and Utz Certified. Its commitment to the protection of the environment and sustainable production is significant. This is, in part, the rationale in many of the trainings they provide to producers, most of which focus on using organic products that are effective and that can be made with the raw material that is discarded from their own farms.

Conclusion

In the cup expect blackberry tart, black grape and nougat flavours with a viscous body. This versatile coffee is best suited to Aeropress, espresso and pourover. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree. Grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.