About this Coffee
The majority of growers in Ethiopia are smallholders who deliver their coffees to centralized washing stations. Here, their lots are combined into larger regional lots, often sold under the station or region’s name, along with the coffee’s grade. Tade GG stands as an exception—a well-known name in our lineup for those who have followed our coffee program over the years. This private coffee farm, owned and managed by Tesfaye Bekele, operates as a single-owner coffee estate. Additionally, he purchases coffee from neighbouring growers and produces captivating coffees through his processing station.
Tesfaye is driven to achieve excellence in his coffee. Before investing his time entirely into his own land, he travelled across Central and South America, visiting established producers, enriching his understanding of coffee cultivation, farming practices, and processing methods. His expertise in agronomy, horticulture, and coffee quality converges to elevate not only his personal coffee crops but also other smallholders in the area and the land he shares with them. This expertise is evident as his coffee recently ranked #3 in the 2021 Cup of Excellence auctions.
A true steward of the land, he introduces organic and regenerative practices to strengthen the land while maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Tade GG mainly consists of heirloom varietals, also known as forest or semi-forest varietals, which are indigenous to Ethiopia’s oldest trees. Situated on the slopes of the Guji highlands, the farm itself is a semi-forest farm surrounded by purposefully diverse flora that provide shade and regulate nutrients in the soil.
At the heart of Tade GG’s operations lies its washing station. Here, coffee cherries undergo pulping using an Agared machine. The beans are then fermented, washed, and carefully dried on raised beds for a few weeks depending on the climate. Tesfaye embraces the recent change in Ethiopian trade regulations to establish direct relationships with international roasters, enhancing traceability and value by bringing the incredible work he’s done together with his neighbouring growers to specialty markets all over. The Tade GG coffee is an example of how heritage, commitment to quality, and firm values can take an already renowned coffee region to new heights.
In addition to improving coffee production, Tesfaye has also invested in building social infrastructure and empowering the communities he works closely with, including schools for over 1200 children of the coffee growers who have contributed to his wonderful coffee over the years.