Rwanda Rwamatamu Musozi

We’ve been delighted to roast coffee from Rwamatamu washing station for the last three seasons. Our relationship began when, through a connection with the importer Omwani, our Head of Coffee worked at their family owned washing station for two weeks in 2023. She worked with them to establish a cupping lab at the washing station so that they can roast and taste their coffee before selling it. This knowledge exchange typifies the kind of relationship we’re excited to foster and we’re glad to be able to purchase from the same producers year on year. 

Musozi is the name of the lot we selected; it’s a Kinyarwandan word that means “mountain”. Previously we’ve chosen their washed peaberry lots but this year we chose this natural processed lot with a very different flavour profile. We love the vibrant, juicy quality of the acidity. We aren’t the only ones who think their coffee is excellent, Rwamatamu came in third place out of 297 coffees at the most recent Best of Rwanda competition with a washed coffee that scored an average of 90.71. The quality of their harvests has improved every year, so we wouldn’t be surprised if they win the top spot soon. 

This season, like last year, we’ll donate £1 from every tin sold to Rwamamu’s Producer-Led Project. The total donation last year came to £406 which they used to buy goats to provide natural fertilizer for their plants, and also milk for the co-op members. You can find more info about the projects or make a direct donation HERE. 

A family owned and operated washing station, Rwamatamu was established by Gaston Rutaganda and Laetitia Mukantwaza in 2015. Back then the couple wanted to grow and process coffee in order to support their family and to create jobs in their local community. There’s been a lot of growth since then but these twin aims, focusing on family and community, are still the driving forces at Rwamatamu. 

Today, the washing station is operated by Gaston and Laetitia’s daughter Bernice Marie Umuraza Rutaganda and her husband, Luke Walther. Bernice grew up on the plantation and has supported her family’s work over the years by translating negotiations, creating educational materials and managing marketing. While she was in the United Kingdom to earn a degree in project management Bernice met the folks at Omwani, the importer who brought us this coffee. According to James at Omwani, “What hit us right off the bat was her unfiltered enthusiasm for her family's coffee – it was contagious, to say the least. As we delved deeper into Bernice's world, it wasn't just coffee that fueled our connection. Shared values and community impact surfaced in our conversations.”

The 2024 Harvest Report produced by Omwani contains this update:

This has been Rwamatamu’s first year of production at their new station in Mbare, 65 miles away from their main station in Nyamasheke. This means that they’ve been getting to know a completely new community of farmers with their own methods of cultivating coffee.

In Mbare, the farming community skews older, because young people are increasingly gravitating toward opportunities in the nearby city of Kigali. As a result, farming - particularly coffee farming - is on the decline, often treated as a secondary endeavour to other cash crops being grown in the area.

Additionally, the previous owners of Mbare station produced lower grade commercial coffee, and would buy any cherries that were bought in, regardless of quality. Over time, this led to the neglect of coffee trees in the region. However, properly tending coffee trees will provide a larger yield of higher quality cherries that can be sold for specialty prices, resulting in greater earnings per harvest for each farmer.

Currently, Rwamatamu are working on building a strong, trusting relationship with Mbare’s farming community. Once this foundation is established, Rwamatamu plans to introduce training and advice tailored to the cultivation of specialty coffee trees, helping farmers realise the full potential of their harvests.

For the full report, click HERE.

A note about packaging