We reviewed one of their wonderful Kenyan coffee in December, which had some great feedback.

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The owner Steve has a real passion for high-quality coffee and is helping spread the word of speciality coffee in Norwich and throughout the UK.

Symposium source the majority of their coffee from East Africa. A region that is famed in the speciality coffee scene for producing world-class washed coffees that produce some extraordinary flavour notes, however, it is also a region of poverty and exploitation of people and the land.

Symposiums sustainable coffee sourcing model focuses on direct trade & sourcing through carefully selected coffee importers that encourage producers to improve the quality of their coffees meaning a higher price.

This can make a huge difference to household incomes as well as protecting the forests in East Africa. When farmers can build profitable coffee businesses, they don’t have to clear trees to create space for agriculture.

While sourcing coffees that are sustainable in coffee-growing countries is incredibly important so too is the responsibility of businesses in consuming countries to be environmentally friendly.

They use Dutch coffee Pack bags that invest in CO2-reducing projects in coffee-growing countries so the emissions that are needed to produce their bags are compensated.

Another big talking point in the coffee industry from an environmental standpoint is coffee roasting. In many cases, it is a huge gas-powered oven heated to over 200 degrees.

Symposium, however, use a Giesen W6E electric roaster which is cleaner, more sustainable and does not emit any noxious gasses compared to a gas roaster.

The Best Coffee Beans UK | Reviewed

The Origin

The Ngozi coffee from Symposium coffee roasters originates from the Ngozi region of Burundi.

This fully washed lot is from smallholder producers on Mihama Hill in Ngozi.

These farmers work with Cafex, a project launched by a Belgian-Burundian couple that wanted to combine the coffee production of their ancestral lands with sustainable development and a desire to improve the lives of the local population. 

This lot is milled and exported by Ikawa Nziza which began in 2013 as a partnership between the owners of Cafex mill and Schluter (now Covoya Europe), specifically aimed at building and promoting the specialty coffee production in Burundi.

Ikawa Nziza’s mill is the first purpose-built specialty drymill in Burundi, situated at altitude and designed to cater for high-quality microlot coffees.

The Cafex station has positively impacted families in the region. The town where the washing station is located is undeveloped and the implementation of the Cafex station allows men and women of the town to find a job that gives them a better salary to improve their quality of life.

Families who have a seasonal job have the opportunity to receive an extra income that gives them access to medical care or allows them to buy books in order to send their children to school. Whereas many coffee producers have to wait many months to receive final payment for their harvest, Cafex has introduced a weekly payment to growers, with no delay. It allows them to have a regular income throughout the harvest coffee season.

What To Expect

Here’s an idea of what to expect from this delicious Burundi coffee from Symposium:

Team Batch brew method of choice - Aeropress.

If you loved this coffee and want it to have it in your life again order directly from Symposium now.

Download Our Free Brew Guide PDF

Box 51

06•04•21

The Origin

The North Kivu coffee from Symposium originates from the North Kivu region of Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The North Kivu is an organic certified coffee from smallholder farmers in the Isale region of North-Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.

This coffee was produced by Virunga Coffee Company in eastern DRC with the particular lot processed at the Katanda wet mill. 

Virunga Coffee Company was established in 2011 with the vision to: “Change lives in DRC through commerce in a mutually profitable way by being a major coffee actor in Kivu.”

As well as providing a stable supply chain and specialty market access, Virunga is actively involved in a number of sustainability and social programs in farming communities.

These include an extensive tree planting program, disease prevention outreach to tackle critical diseases such as Ebola and HIV, and equipment to help farmers improve their agronomic practices.

The subregion of Isale is located just north of the regional capital of Butembo, on the outskirts of the Virunga National Park.

The region has excellent conditions for speciality arabica production with plentiful rainfall, high altitude and highly fertile volcanic soils.

The region is also very poverty-stricken and has had a severe lack of infrastructure which has made high quality arabica both difficult to produce and very challenging to export.

Virunga Coffee Company has sought to overcome many of these problems through hands-on farmer education and investment in local infrastructure such as roads and bridges. This has allowed quality improvements every season and, in turn, higher premiums for farmers.

What To Expect

Here’s an idea of what to expect from this fantastic DR Congo from Symposium:

Team Batch brew method of choice - Cafetiere.

If you loved this coffee and want it to have it in your life again order directly from Symposium now.

10•08•21

The Tariku coffee from Symposium originates from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia.

Tariku Mengesha is the sole owner and produced this natural Ethiopian coffee entirely on his farms.

The farm is located throughout the Banko Chelchele kebele (neighbourhood) of Gedeb woreda, south of Yirgacheffe and just west of the the vast Oromia region.

Tariku applied the basic agronomic practices and keep the field free of any weeds, grows pulse crops in his coffee field so as to maintain the fertility of the soil.

Also does the pruning practices with the technical help from Technoserve and distict Agricultural experts.

this lot is as a Natural process, first by soaking the cherries to remove all immature, overripe & foreign matters and than drying on raised beds for 28 days.

While coffee is Mengesha’s primary income, which he uses to support his family that includes 10 children (3 boys and 7 girls).

Here’s an idea of what to expect from this delicious natural Yirgacheffe from Symposium

Team Batch brew method of choice - Aeropress Coffee.

If you loved this coffee and want it to have it in your life again order directly from Symposium now.