This coffee is from Quindio, Armenia, Colombia, produced by Jairo Arcila at Santa Monica farm. The Papayo variety, originally thought to be a Caturra mutation but now linked to Ethiopian varieties, undergoes Carbonic Maceration Natural processing—a winemaking technique using carbon dioxide during fermentation. Grown at 1500 MASL and harvested in October 2024, it offers tasting notes of Sea Buckthorn, Orange Wine, and Persimmon.
Kiss the Hippo launched in 2018 as London's first carbon negative coffee roastery. Every coffee they sell is certified organic by the Soil Association and certified carbon negative, with reforestation projects in Colombia, Madagascar, Zambia, and Nepal through a partnership with Swiss nonprofit On A Mission. They pay farmers at least 50% above Fair Trade prices, often double. The roastery has won the UK Barista Championships three times, with victories by Joshua Tarlo in 2018, Paul Ross in 2019, and Paul Ross again in 2020 and now supplies seven London café locations. Sustainability extends to fully compostable pods, recyclable packaging, a Living Wage commitment, and a partnership with bio bean that turns used grounds into biofuels.
