Every bag of coffee has a backstory that starts long before it reaches your kitchen. It begins with a legend in Ethiopia, travels through the ports of Yemen and the coffee houses of Europe, and ends, for now, at our roaster in Robe.

Here's the journey your coffee takes.

The legend of Kaldi

The best-known story says coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi. He noticed his goats became lively after eating bright red cherries from a wild shrub, tried them himself, and the rest is history.

It's a lovely tale, but it's a legend. It wasn't written down until the 17th century, hundreds of years after it was supposed to have happened. What we do know is that arabica coffee grew wild in the forests of south-western Ethiopia, and that's where its story starts.

From Yemen to the world

The first reliable records of coffee drinking come from Yemen in the 15th century. Sufi mystics drank it to stay awake through long nights of prayer. Coffee was cultivated in Yemen's mountains and shipped from the port of Mocha, which is where the name of the chocolate coffee drink comes from.

From there, coffee spread to Mecca, Cairo and Istanbul, where coffee houses became places to talk, trade and argue. By the 17th century it had reached Europe, and coffee houses sprang up in Venice, London and Paris. London's were nicknamed "penny universities," because for the price of a coffee you could join the conversation.

The Dutch, French and Portuguese then planted coffee across their colonies, in Java, the Caribbean, Brazil and East Timor, spreading it right around the tropics.

The coffee belt

Coffee only grows well in a band around the equator known as the coffee belt. Arabica, the species most specialty coffee comes from, grows best at altitude, usually between about 1,000 and 2,000 metres, with steady rainfall and rich soil. Altitude matters because cooler temperatures slow the ripening of the cherries, which builds more sugar and flavour in the bean.

Our blends and single origins draw on many of these regions:

  • Ethiopia: the birthplace of arabica, with floral, citrus and berry notes. Try our Yirgacheffe and Guji Natural.
  • East Timor: clean, sweet coffee from small, shade-grown farms. Read the story of our Maubisse, and how Timor helped protect the world's coffee from disease.
  • Sumatra: full-bodied and earthy, thanks to the island's wet-hulled processing. Try our Sumatra Blue Bianca.
  • Brazil: the world's biggest producer, known for chocolate, nuts and smooth body.
  • Colombia: balanced and sweet, with caramel and fruit.
  • Central and South America (Guatemala, Nicaragua and Peru): clean, bright coffees with chocolate and spice.
  • India, Java and Papua New Guinea: body, spice and depth.

Coffee is even grown here in Australia, in northern New South Wales and Queensland, though only in small amounts.

Harvest seasons

Coffee is a seasonal crop, like any fruit. Harvest times vary by region:

  • Brazil: around May to September
  • Colombia: a main harvest late in the year, and a smaller one mid-year
  • Ethiopia: around October to January
  • Central America: roughly November to March

Green coffee from a fresh crop tastes brighter and livelier than an older one, so we work with our brokers to buy fresh lots through the year. Then we roast in small batches, so the coffee reaches you at its best.

From cherry to bean: how processing shapes flavour

A coffee bean is the seed of a cherry. Once the cherries are picked, how the fruit is removed shapes much of the final flavour:

  • Washed: the fruit is removed before drying, giving a clean, bright cup.
  • Natural: the whole cherry is dried in the sun with the bean inside, giving a sweeter, fruitier cup.
  • Honey: some of the sticky fruit is left on during drying, balancing clarity and sweetness.
  • Wet-hulled: a method used mainly in Indonesia, where the bean is hulled while still damp. It gives Sumatran coffee its heavy body and earthy character.

The future of coffee

Coffee faces real challenges. Climate change is pushing growing areas higher up the mountains, and recent droughts in Brazil sent prices soaring. Researchers are breeding new varieties to withstand heat and disease, and farmers are experimenting with new fermentation methods that create surprising flavours.

Whatever changes, our approach stays the same: choose good beans, roast them carefully in Robe, and get them to you fresh.

Every time you open a bag, you're part of a story that's centuries old. Explore our full range of single origins and blends to find the chapter that suits you.