Our story
Our story begins in the west of Ethiopia, where coffee first began, on a small family farm where coffee was simply part of life. Our father, Sibatu, grew up there. Everyone around him lived by the farm, and it was a good life, but Sibatu looked past the hills. He was a dreamer, and in his heart he saw his family's coffee in cups all around the world. So he moved to the nearest town, finished school, and started his own business.
It was there, during his school days, that he met our mother, Abebaye. She was every bit as hardworking and wise as he was, and together they made a perfect blend. While Sibatu was thinking about selling more, it was she who suggested they own land and farm it themselves. And all the while she ran the kiosk with a warmth that made customers feel like family, and trust grew around her. That same trust led farmers to sit with her, and she taught them how to read the scale when their coffee was weighed for sale, and how to work out their fair share of the price. That became one of our family's values: to teach, so that everyone can know what they own and what it is worth.
From there, door after door opened for young people, farmers and women, and they joined us and grew with us. They are our coffee community today. As the business grew, Sibatu built good relationships with other farmers and suppliers. Because he knew their struggles so well, he stood up in discussions across the state and across the nation, and he became a voice for many farmers and a fighter at the front for the rights of coffee producers and sellers.
"I work hard every day, not because I need more. Thank God, I have everything. I work because I can do more. I want to take on more challenges, and use God's blessing to reach more, grow more and help more."Our father, Sibatu
We children grew up inside all of this, learning business, ethics and school lessons side by side. When we finished university, two of us, Koket and Firaol, took up the family name and our father's dream of reaching the world. So now our father, and all of us, invite you into a house full of warmth. Come in, sit down. Let us have a coffee.
Drying in the sun
The drying beds
Sorted by hand
Sacks ready to move
Inside the warehouse