This coffee is a Gesha cultivar from Guatemala, grown in the Antigua region at 1,900 meters altitude. It is produced by Felipe Contreras on his family's farm, which began when Gildardo Contreras purchased it in 2012. The coffee undergoes a hybrid washed process: cherries are pulped, fermented in concrete tanks for 76 hours, then the mucilage is removed before the beans soak in water for another 24 hours. This creates a coffee with flavour clarity similar to washed processing, with sweetness reminiscent of natural processing. The cultivar traces its roots to Ethiopia, where it was collected in the 1960s and later gained prominence in Panama. Tasting notes include Lemon Sherbet, White Grape, and Oolong Tea.
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.
