Time to Plan for Rwanda!

Published 6 June 2023

In just a couple of weeks, MCM is heading back to Rwanda for our first visit since 2019! While in the country, Aislinn will be catching up with our dear friends at Buf Coffee and the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative, and spending time visiting farms and coffee washing stations in both the Southern and Northern Provinces.

During the trip, we’ll also cup and select coffees from the current harvest, which will land in Australia later this year. Before Aislinn heads off, we want to hear from you to help us build our buying brief and accurately plan for the 2023 season!

Rwanda is one of our favourite origins to visit and, after four long years away, we are so excited to be visiting again! When we visit, we are always blown away by the warmth and generosity of its people and their pioneering approach to coffee production. We feel passionate about celebrating the coffees from this beautiful country, and sharing the stories of those that produced them with our roasting community here at home.

Now is the perfect time to let us know what you are interested in for your Rwandan line up! Whether you would like to feature a lot from a particular producer whose coffees you have loved in the past, or to brief us in on your preferred flavour profile, regional characteristics or intended volumes – communicating your requirements ahead of purchasing helps us to accurately gauge demand for the year and is the best way to secure the coffees you love!

Aislinn will spend most of her time in the capital, Kigali, where she’ll be cupping with the teams at RWASHOSCCO – a cooperative owned exporter who connect us to quality-focused cooperatives like Dukunde Kawa and Maraba – and at Buf Coffee. We can’t wait to hit the cupping table and see what the season has in store for us. We’re looking for clean washed lots, with a refined acidity, tropical fruit sweetness and complex florals. 

Outside of Kigali, Aislinn will first head north to meet with our dear friends at Dukunde Kawa Cooperative and tour their three washing stations, Ruli, Nkara and Mbilima. She’ll also visit the single producers we’ve been so lucky to source coffee from via Dukunde Kawa, Andre Hakizimana, Anastase Minani and Marie Bedabasingwa. In the south, we’ll spend time with Sam and Epiphanie of Buf Coffee, who process cherry at their washing stations Umurage, Ubumwe, Nyarusiza and Remera, and visit the children at their Umuvumu Kindergarten. 

We’re looking forward to a busy, fun-filled and educational trip, with loads of great coffees to taste! Stay tuned on our movements via our Insta stories later this month, or get in touch now to make a request or head here to learn more about our Rwandan sourcing. We’re here to help.