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Packaging fully recyclable - Label 5
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I’m Alex, and what started in 2014 with a single coffee van (and a dream) has now become West Berkshire Roastery - complete with two coffee roasters and a Labrador who thinks he’s the CEO.
Along the way, I discovered that coffee is one big, tangled mess - dodgy practices and shady tactics all over the place. But there’s also a whole lot of amazing farmers doing it right. So, I ditched the usual suspects and set off on a quest for the good stuff: direct-traded coffees served with a generous side of transparency.
With some caffeine-fuelled creativity, I’m here to bring you one of the finest (and cleanest) coffee experiences possible. It’s coffee refreshingly drama free.
Is this coffee organic and tested for mycotoxins?
Our Roastery Collection consisting of Signature Gold, Black Gold & White Gold is fully independently lab tested for artificial pesticides, moulds and mycotoxins.
They are also 100% naturally grown, free of artificial pesticides & glyphosate. We no longer get these coffees certified by the Soil Association .
More can be found here.
ALTITUDE GROWN – 2,000 meters above sea level
CROP YEAR: 2024
LOCATION – Loja, Ecuador
PROCESS – Washed
VARIETAL - Typica Mejorado
A note from the farmer: "This is a unique, limited edition that stands apart from the rest. Our Reserve coffees are meticulously crafted, starting with the careful selection of the finest cherries from the best plants from each section of the farm. Two highly experienced individuals on the farm are specifically trained to focus on the harvesting of these exceptional cherries. Following this meticulous harvesting, another level of scrutiny takes place during the wet processes. Only the best cherries, the largest, the precise in colour, the truly perfect ones, are chosen, setting apart the harvest as truly exceptional.
Subsequently, these specially selected coffee cherries undergo a separate and exclusive process, with the corresponding process which can be fully washed, natural, anaerobic fermentation or experimental. They then move to a dedicated drying room, equipped with specialized care, meticulous monitoring, and the utmost attention to detail throughout this process.
Once the drying is complete, there is
another round of selection to ensure that no visual or physical defects are present, guaranteeing the highest quality. Finally, the coffee is sent to our dry mill in Cuenca, where it becomes the finest, most exclusive offering in our collection.
I believe you will find this a truly amazing coffee." Juan Pena
Hacienda la Papaya employs 7 permanent workers. During the 4 months harvest, they hire up to 40 additional workers. It’s a source of formal employment, because those who work on the farm have social security. It’s the only business that provides formal employment in the zone.
All of the workers are from the community. Eighty percent are women, and most workers have families with kids. Also, during the months of school vacation, high school students work on the farm as well because it coincides with the months of harvest.
They’ve been hiring these students seasonally for 7 years now, and it's been a great success. Normally coffee farms this size can generate stable work for the community. Hacienda La Papaya is an example for farms in other zones. For instance, recently one of it’s neighbours became the regional champion for the having the best coffee in the region, with credit to Hacienda La Papaya. In this way, the locals can have a job where they can keep learning and compete at a global level. Segundo, Jaime, Hilda, Maria, and Walter, are some of the farm’s best workers.
Once opened, consume within 4-6 weeks for best results and before best before date. Unopened lasts for 6 months. Best kept in cool dry environment.