Rwanda

Originally from the Huye district, the first in Rwanda to distinguish itself in the production of specialty coffee, this coffee is a fine example of the Honey Process.

Simbi Coffee is a local cooperative, now consisting of 1,850 members, including nearly 1,600 women. Since its founding in 2013, Simbi has aimed to pursue and uphold exceptionally rigorous selection and processing standards to ensure consistently high-quality coffee, season after season.

Coffee cultivation in Rwanda has traditionally been carried out by small farms, often on plots of land surrounding the workers’ own homes. The farms that supply Simbi with coffee cherries follow the same model, promoting sustainable growth throughout the region.

The Honey processing method doesn’t completely remove the pulp and mucilage, giving a profound sweetness to the beans. One that’s so pronounced that it gives the coffee its name.

Coffee in Rwanda: collaboration
and quality standards

Rwanda has emerged as one of the leading nations on the specialty coffee scene. The fortunate combination of high altitude, volcanic soil and stable microclimates provides ideal conditions for cultivating the historic Arabica Bourbon variety.

Over the past two decades, thanks to a major agricultural renewal programme and the establishment of local cooperatives and community washing stations, Rwandan coffee has earned international acclaim for its aromatic clarity and refined acidity.

The Simbi coffee washing station stands as a model of excellence for both the local and national economy: through its high quality standards and the sale of specialty coffee at premium prices, it provides stable employment for hundreds of families, and reinvests part of its profits in education, healthcare and rural infrastructure. The sector remains one of the main sources of income for rural communities, symbolising a renaissance founded on training, sustainability and traceable quality.

"Some coffees strike you with their strength, others with their delicacy. In Rwanda Simbi Honey, I find both: the strength of the sun that slowly dries it, and the delicacy of honey, which remains within the bean. It's a coffee that speaks of respect: for the land, for time, and for the people who cultivate it."