SL28, Ruiru 11, Batian varieties, washed process
Roasted for filter brewing

Redcurrant, candied citrus, and light toffee

This coffee comes to us from a single producer — Francis Muigai Muru — located in Kiambu county, Kenya.

Francis Muru has been producing coffee since 2010, when he inherited a portion of his farm. The farm’s name comes directly from Francis, who took the first three letters of his first name, and the first letter of his surname to come up with the almost eponymous ‘Fram Farm’.

Since inheriting the land, Francis has worked to reinvest in the area and purchase more adjoining parcels when they become available. As a result, the farm is some 40% larger now than when Francis started out, and currently occupies around 3.5 hectares in Kiambu county.

For the most part, Fram Farm is planted out with SL28, Batian, and ruiru 11 varieties. The SL varieties date back to the 1940s and are extremely well-regarded for the classic Kenyan cup profile they offer. Ruiru and Batian are newer introductions to Kenya, intended to be both more resistant to disease, and quicker to reach fruit production age.

While most farmers in Kenya are part of a co-operative society and deliver their cherries to a centralised facility for processing, Francis operates his own pulping, washing, and drying operations on site at Fram Farm. This allows Francis the opportunity to control quality from start to finish, and to sell his coffee as his own.

To accommodate the unique needs of very small single-producers, Kahawa Bora/Sucafina has invested in a custom-made microlot milling line capable of dry-milling quantities as little as one bag at a time. This specialised setup is a rarity in Kenya, and it empowers small-scale growers to preserve their distinct ‘brand’ identity when marketing their coffee.

For us, this selection from Fram Farm is floral, aromatic, and lifted in style, offering vibrant redcurrant juiciness, sweet candied citrus, and a gentle, light toffee finish.

This is our first time purchasing from Fram Farm, and have done so through import partners Sucafina.