West Uganda meets West Auckland
Every Ugandan single Origin or blend of coffee that Mt Atkinson sells, increases our direct trade partnership with Gorilla Summit coffee based in Kanungu, West Uganda.
Uganda is a remarkable country but is still ranked very low on the human development index. One major issue they face is a high rate of infant child mortality, over 10 times that of New Zealand. This is even higher in rural areas like Kanungu, a very remote subcounty in the West of Uganda. It borders the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to the endangered mountain gorillas.
Our Partner Gerald and his team at Gorilla Summit Coffee have a mission: to use their coffee business to transform their community. They are actively involved in initiatives such as:
- Maternity clinics in remote areas.
- Solar panels for coffee growers' houses.
- Funding education for children.
- Mosquito nets for coffee growers' families.
These practical initiatives raise the quality (and length) of life for over 1800 coffee growers and their families. They actively work with these growers in sustainable methods that result in better yields and higher quality coffee. As a result Gorilla Summit achieved cupping scores well into the speciality coffee range (85 and over), adding internationally recognised value. Quality of this level mean premium prices can be paid. Premium prices mean incomes of these otherwise vulnerable families can double.
Supporting the transformation of lives like these remain a core driver of Mt Atkinson coffee's vision. When Jacob met Gerald, a genuine friendship was born, by hearing his story, and visiting the coffee growers in their homes, a partnership was created.
We are proud to roast the best coffee in the world of West Auckland. Not all coffee is created equally. But, how different can it really be? How about life-transformingly different? Our premium Ugandan single origin coffee NZ beans are just that.
But first, what is single origin coffee?
Put simply, a single origin is coffee defined by geographical location. The beans can be traced to a farm, a farmer, a season, country, or a particular harvest. One source. Unadulterated coffee so pure you can taste their sunshine. For you, this translates to a completely unique flavour profile which tells its very own story.
“Single origin coffees are windows into the nuances of time and place… For me, drinking a single origin is a way to experience the imprint of that particular place.”
So how does our single origin coffee come to be?
Since 2010 we have been travelling to Uganda to help pioneer the construction of rain harvesting water tanks in remote villages with little access to clean drinking water. Each time we go we - of course - include coffee research.
During these adventures we met Gerald Mbabazi and forged an immediate connection. He had set up a coffee processing plant that works with 1800 coffee farmers in Kanungu, a remote region in West Uganda, near the border of Congo.
His objective is to use business to transform his community. Empowering these farmers through education on how to grow and harvest higher quality coffee to ensure premium prices are achieved. This results in their businesses and communities thriving. We decided that focusing on this one community would be a great place to start. Already our partnership has grown from product development to importing, roasting and distribution here in NZ.
Read more here:
We see the difference our partnerships make in this coffee farming community. And we taste the love in every drop. And while we don’t believe in picking favourite children, if there’s a coffee we think you should try above others, it’s this one.
What’s our process?
Every coffee behaves slightly differently, so we roast everything right here in West Auckland, New Zealand respecting it’s unique properties. We are known for our consistently great tasting coffee and this is why. Then we bag it and send it out to YOU. That’s it!
Buy the Gorilla Summit West Ugandan single origin beans today.
Change your life. Change theirs too.
Shop the collection now or come down and visit us at the roastery.
