This coffee is from Espindola, Loja, Ecuador, grown at 1820 meters altitude. It is produced by Manuel Efren Jimenez at La Cascarilla farm. The coffee is Red Bourbon cultivar and processed using washed method with 72-hour fermentation. The coffee offers notes of red cherry, pineapple, and Assam tea with a delicate black tea finish. This is the roaster's first Ecuadorian offering.
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.
