I arrived in Nairobi at 3 in the morning after a short red-eye Turkish Airlines flight via Istanbul. I was picked up at the airport and taken to the bed & breakfast on the other side of the city to get a few hours' sleep, before the first coffee-related activity was to begin. Vava Angwenyi, founder of Vava Coffee, had put together a packed schedule for my visit.

For a few days, we went from one place to the next, meeting new people and seeing new places all the time and spending some time in traffic in between. Nairobi is a big city, the road infrastructure is not ideal, there's no metro, buses or trams so it's pretty much impossible to get anywhere without a car. Public transportation consists of countless small, private mini buses, which add to the traffic. Due to this, it often takes an hour or several to get from once side of the city to the other. It may be a little bit better outside the city limits, but going from one place to another still takes time. Therefore, domestic flights are an important means of transport within the country and so are the few train lines there are. The train stations are impressive, they look like airports and so are their security checks. Timing is key when traveling by car within Kenya in order to avoid the rush hours, therefore it makes sense to start early, when the roads aren't that crowded yet.

The city is multifaceted, has many different neighborhoods and there's even a national park with wild animals within the city limits. The population is diverse, too: Kenya has over 40 tribes and most Kenyans belong to one. There are lots of expats, too, tourists, and business people from around the world. During our stay, we also found some interesting restaurants and we felt quite at ease in the city.

Deman Estate is, in fact, not just one single farms but spans two farms near each other, whose total area is still rather small. Besides other plants, such as macadamia trees, the farm mainly cultivates two coffee varieties: the aforementioned Ruiru 11 and Batian. Mutai likes these cultivars primarily because the SL varieties, which are also widespread in Kenya and are known for their high cup quality, are too susceptible to disease, which is getting more of an issue due to climate change. Nowadays, cultivating SL varieties often requires an increased use of chemicals such as fungicides, which Mutai prefers not to use. He largely avoids pesticides and fungicides and uses natural techniques and means of pest control whenever possible – and he chooses to cultivate varieties that are more resistant. If, at times, this is not enough to protect the plants, he buys biological agents from a specialized company in Nairobi. For fertilizer, Mutai mainly uses the dried husks of the coffee cherries, the yellow parchment layer of the dried coffee beans, and Minjingu Organic Fertilizer.

The soil at Deman Estate is a mixture of sand and soil rich in nutrients. Mutai plants new coffee trees himself with seeds he buys from the aforementioned Coffee Research Institute, which has an outpost near Deman Estate. After the harvest, the coffee from both farms is sorted by grade. In Kenya, the beans are divided into eight categories depending on their size, for example AA, AB or C. On farm-level, this task is done by putting the coffee onto large sieves, which are then shaken by two people in order for the beans to be agitated and to fall through if they fit the holes. At the mill, a similar process is conducted by machines.

More recently, Mutai has also started fermenting some of his coffees using the «carbonic maceration» process known from winemaking: After harvesting, the cherries are placed in a tank right away and, without adding any water, they undergo an anaerobic fermentation for 2-3 days. Next, they are laid out on drying beds (raised tables with meshes for table tops) and dried during a few weeks. Mutai also experimented with the «honey process», but he is most interested in naturals with or without carbonic maceration. He intends to have a small roasting machine at his farm in the future to roast samples and coffee for his own use. Therefore, he was very interested in our roastery, how we roast and what machine we use.

We were treated to a small lunch, freshly brewed coffee, and macadamia nuts opened with rocks at Deman Estate. The return trip to Nairobi was no joy, as it took us much longer than coming here due to the traffic

Kenya is known for its washed coffees, which can be extremely juicy, crisp and clear. Notes of red and dark berries, stone fruit such as plum, citrus fruit and floral notes are typical. Below, we briefly summarize the traditional way of post-harvest processing of coffee in Kenya.

1. Factories: The freshly harvested coffee cherries are delivered to «collection centers» or directly to the «wet mills» (also «factories», «washing stations»). After basic sorting and inspection for defects, they are weighed there and the producers receive a small deposit – as well as a receipt. They will need this to claim payment later, after the coffee has been sold at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange.
   
2. Depulping: Next, the beans that are within the coffee cherries are separated from the pulp («depulping») and are sorted by density in water channels: The densest beans sink immediately and are categorized as best quality in P1, while those floating on top are considered the lowest quality (P3). Everything in between is labelled as P2.
   
3. Fermentation: The beans are finally removed from the water and placed in fermentation tanks for usually 18-24 hours. They are often washed 2-3 times during this process, with water being added each time, the beans being stirred well, before the water is drained again.
   
4. Washing: After fermentation, the coffee is washed in water channels again and sorted by density once more: lighter beans float off and are dried, heavier ones remain in the water and are washed for up to 24 hours.
   
5. Drying: The beans are now laid out for about 12-20 days – first on a kind of mat, then on drying beds and, often, on a surface of jute or wire mesh to finish. This is usually done outdoors. During the hottest hours of the day and overnight, the beans are therefore covered to protect them from the sun, weather and moisture.
   
6. Milling: Next, the parchment layer of the beans is removed. To do so, the beans are run through a type of grinder that removes the dry, papery, pale-yellow layer: The green green coffee is revealed underneath.
   
7. Grading: Before being ready to be sold, the beans are graded according to their size, e.g. AA for very large beans, which is conducted with yet another grading machine. Finally, samples are taken and packed, which are usually sent to the Coffee Exchange – or directly to export companies such as Vava Coffee.
   

Despite a full schedule and rather limited time overall, there was still a little time left during this trip for evening activities that had nothing to do with coffee. In Nairobi, Vava had bought tickets for a theater show, which we visited along with a friend of hers. The very modern play was about mental health and illness and was very impressive and well acted. Nairobi felt like a village when visiting this theater: Vava was approached by numerous people with whom she had worked in one way or another or whom she knew otherwise, and Vava's friend Robert also met acquaintances by chance every now and then.

The students of the coffee school also work at the café, some more hours, others less to fit their schedules. There, they can apply newly learned skills first-hand and practice on the job. A glimpse into the creation of La Dulce Toro Café can be found in this beautiful video. The students do not have to pay any admission to attend the school, which is financed by contributions to Gente del Futuro. We also support the project financially with a share of the money from customer contributions in our online store as well as part of the 1% of our annual turnover. Part of Vava Coffee's green coffee sales also goes into the project.

Participating students get the chance to attend free SCA courses at the Foundation and Intermediate levels at Gente del Futuro in the areas of Barista, Brewing (filter coffee) and Sensory. At a later stage, a decision is made together with the students as to whether they want to learn more about an area themselves or whether they want to attend more advanced courses, which can also be financed in part.