Mother and son chart a new path adding flavour to coffee

Clan Farm in Kiangwachi village, Kirinyaga County, is where culinary-inspired coffee brands are blended.
Josephine Wangui, a brewer, hopes to take her hobby to the next level while making her home a place for the brands.

Wangui, who is striving to offer more sophisticated flavours, is not alone.

She works with her son Malvin Waweru, a professional coffee barrister and trainer. 

Waweru also has a certificate in roasting from Dormans Coffee and was trained in fermentation in Jordan.
Wangui was motivated by a desire to improve coffee-making, which many people did in a conventional way. 
With a dream of doing things differently, mother and son drew from their culinary credentials to deliver unique flavours.

“Waweru kept conducting coffee training on other peoples’ farms. It prompted us to set aside three-quarters of an acre in 2019 for coffee growing and training,” Wangui tells the Seeds of Gold team.

The two have come up with Kombucha, a flavour trending in Kirinyaga and several other counties.
“Kombucha is fermented coffee and an alternative to other beverages like soda,” Wangui says.

How do Wambui and her son make their Kombucha?

Once the berries have been picked, they are selected. Only the red ripe cherries are retained.
“If the green, unripe and black overly ripe dry berries are not removed before pulping, they reduce quality,” Wangui says.

What follows soon after harvesting is removing the skin and pulp. 
“One can use different methods, from the natural, washed or honey processes. That should be done on the day of harvesting,” Waweru says.
Fermentation follows in 12 to 36 hours.

“One can opt for dry or wet fermentation after which the coffee is cleaned again and dried. After drying the moisture content should be 10.5 to 12 per cent,” he adds.
The dry husks are then removed, after which the coffee is cleaned and graded. 

Roasting follows afterwards. The coffee is then packaged as whole beans or ground.
“The extent to which beans are roasted depends on individual farmer preferences, though over-roasting gives a burnt flavour,” Waweru says.

To sustain their project, Wangui and Waweru bought the needed machinery – the de-pulping kit, grinder, hulling machine, an espresso gadget and a roaster. 
A drying area was also put in place.

Wangui and her son package their coffee in 50g and 250g volumes. A 50g pack goes for Sh150 while the Sh250g one is Sh600.

Other produce

Mother and son also grow sage, lemon grass, rosemary, Roselle hibiscus and celery and other herbs organically.

Wangui is a member of Kariti Self-Help Group, which is being funded by the Kirinyaga devolved government. 

The Wezesha Kirinyaga Economic Empowerment Programme is aimed at helping farmers diversify.

The pond, part of the programme, has been of help to Wangui during dry seasons as she has a steady supply of water for her coffee and herbs, ensuring continuous production.

“I started by growing hibiscus after realising that the plant does well in tropical and subtropical regions. It does not require too much water. We make hibiscus jam,” she says.
“Hibiscus is grown for its many health benefits and has been used for centuries for decorative and medicinal purposes.” 

She says lemon grass has a wide range of therapeutic properties and can grow in many soils.
Apart from the hibiscus jam, Wangui and Waweru process the other herbs for sale.
To market their products, Wangui and Waweru use social media platforms, word of mouth and agriculture forums and fairs. 

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