The 2024 Harvest Ends at the Drying Beds
More than 450 tons of cherry came through the collection centre. The real work was keeping sorting, same-day pulping, and drying moving when deliveries peaked.
Read the summary
Nyeri County · 1,800 MASL · Licensed & EUDR-Compliant
Specialty Kenyan Arabica, grown slow on the slopes of Mount Kenya.
SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 and Batian from 442 smallholder farmers in Nyeri — organic, naturally pollinated and fully traceable. Buy at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange or direct from the factory, in micro-lots or bulk.
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Smallholder Farmers
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Annual Capacity
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Altitude (MASL)
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Organic & Bee-Pollinated
Season 2025 – 2026
Kenya's leading coffee factory — the highest payout to farmers in the country.
Ksh 160Per kg of cherry
Ksh 250Per kg of Mbuni
Origin & Location
Volcanic soil, cool highland air, and Mount Kenya next door.
New Gaikundo Coffee Factory is licensed under the Ministry of Agriculture to pulp coffee. It is located in Nyeri County in the Central Highlands of Kenya at coordinates 0°32′22″S, 37°00′05″E and an altitude of 1,800 metres above sea level.
The region is defined by fertile volcanic soils, a cool microclimate, and a landscape nestled between two scenic hills with slopes stretching to the east and west. Reliable rainfall and the factory's proximity to Mount Kenya create ideal conditions for slow cherry ripening.
These unique environmental factors combine to produce coffee beans of exceptional sweetness, high density, and remarkable flavour complexity.
The factory is owned by its member-farmers. A management committee elected at the Annual General Meeting oversees operations, from weighing cherry at intake to selling the season's coffee, so every decision serves the farmers who grow it.
Factory Profile
New Gaikundo at a glance
LicenceMinistry of Agriculture
CountyNyeri, Kenya
Coordinates0°32′22″S, 37°00′05″E
Altitude1,800 MASL
Farmers442 smallholders
Capacity250 MT / year
EUDRCompliant
Leadership
Elected by members, accountable to members.
The management committee is elected at our Annual General Meeting for a fixed term. The factory manager is permanent staff, appointed by the committee to run daily operations.
Chairperson
John Kabui
Presides over committee meetings and represents the factory at cooperative union level. Buyers and partners are welcome to write to the Chairman directly.
✉ njiirim63@gmail.comCurrent committee
Vice Chairperson
James Mwangi Kariera
Deputises for the Chairperson and oversees compliance with the factory's by-laws.
Current committee
Secretary
Mr. Kagathi
Keeps official records, minutes and correspondence for the committee and AGM.
Current committee
Treasurer
Jane Wachira
Oversees factory finances, seasonal payouts to members, and the annual audit.
Current committee
Factory Manager
Daniel Mwangi Kamweru
Runs day-to-day operations — cherry intake, processing, staffing and quality control.
Staff
Coffee Profile
Four varieties, one highland terroir.
Bright, lively acidity, a silky medium-to-full body and fruity citrus and berry notes. Select a variety to see how each one contributes to the cup.
CULTIVAR · SL28
Bold acidity, deep concentration.
Blackcurrant
Citrus
Wine-like
Selected in the 1930s for drought tolerance, SL28 is prized for a heavy, syrupy body and a bright, wine-toned acidity that Kenyan coffee is best known for. It performs best on the deep red volcanic soils common across our members' plots.
CULTIVAR · SL34
Full body, generous sweetness.
Red Berry
Plum
Full Body
A sister selection to SL28, SL34 tends to thrive in higher-rainfall pockets and produces a rounder, sweeter cup — often with notes of plum and dark berry that balance the sharper acidity of its counterpart.
CULTIVAR · RUIRU 11
Compact, resistant, dependable.
Disease Resistant
Clean Cup
High Yield
Bred to resist Coffee Berry Disease and Leaf Rust, Ruiru 11 lets members plant closer together and spray less. The cup is cleaner and lighter than SL28/34, but consistent — a dependable backbone of the season's volume.
CULTIVAR · BATIAN
Newer, faster, well-balanced.
Fast Maturing
Balanced
Disease Resistant
Named after Mount Kenya's highest peak, Batian combines disease resistance with a cup quality that can rival the heritage SL varieties — matured faster, and increasingly popular with members replanting older stumps.
Processing Methods
- Fully washed
- Natural
- Honey-processed (on request)
- Aerobic & anaerobic
Cup Profile · Liquorers' Notes
- Bright, lively acidity
- Silky medium-to-full body
- Fruity citrus & berry notes
- Floral sweetness with chocolate undertones
Harvest Season
- Main crop October – December
- Short crop May – July
Pollination
- 100% natural, by bees and beneficial insects
Why Buyers Choose New Gaikundo
Quality you can taste, a supply chain you can trust.
Roasters, importers and traders buy from us for the cup, and keep buying because every lot is legal, traceable and delivered on time.
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High-altitude Kenyan Arabica
Premium Arabica grown at 1,800 MASL, where cherries ripen slowly and develop dense, sweet beans.
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A cup liquorers rate highly
Bright, fruity and complex, with citrus, berry and floral notes over a silky body.
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Organic and eco-friendly
Grown without harmful chemicals, under shade, and pollinated naturally by bees.
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Traceable, licensed, EUDR-compliant
Every lot can be traced back to the factory and our member farms, and is deforestation-free.
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Reliable supply chain
Export logistics are handled by trusted, licensed coffee agencies, from our drying beds to your port.
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Direct farmer impact
Every bag has a human story. Your purchase goes straight to smallholder families in Nyeri.
Compliance & Reliability
Legality and traceability, guaranteed.
We guarantee our buyers legality, traceability and a smooth export process.
- Fully licensed under Kenya government coffee regulations
- Export logistics handled by trusted, licensed coffee agencies
- Compliant with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
- Traceable, sustainable and deforestation-free coffee
Mode of Trade
Two ways to buy our coffee.
At New Gaikundo we sell our coffee through two main channels, working with trusted, licensed coffee exporters and agents.
Channel 01
Auction
Our coffee is available through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, a regulated marketplace where beans are sold to registered buyers.
Why auction?
- Fair market pricing based on demand and quality.
- Exposure to many buyers at the same time.
- Traceability and authenticity for every coffee lot.
How it works
- Coffee is delivered to the auction house, graded and catalogued for sale.
- Buyers place competitive bids, and the highest bidder secures the lot.
- Payment and delivery follow auction regulations, so trading is secure and efficient.
Channel 02 · Best for roasters & importers
Direct Sale
For buyers who want personal service and flexibility, our Direct Sale channel offers a premium trading experience tailored to you.
Why direct sale?
- Customisable orders: choose your preferred grade, quantity, and form (cherry, parchment or green beans).
- Strong relationships: build an ongoing partnership with the producer for consistent supply and quality.
- Priority access: get early access to new harvests and specialty lots.
How it works
- Contact us with your requirements.
- Receive samples to approve before you commit to a bulk purchase.
- Agree on flexible pricing, payment and delivery terms.
- Deal directly with our team for clear communication and smooth transactions.
Annual capacity of 250 MT · Advance booking available · Bulk supply or micro-lots
The Process
From cherry to parchment.
Seven stages, most of them finished within 24 hours of the cherry leaving the tree. Tap any stage to open it.
Only fully ripe, red cherry is hand-picked from the tree — never stripped. Farmers pass over the same bush multiple times through the season as cherries ripen unevenly.
Delivered cherry is tipped into a float tank. Under-ripe, overripe and damaged cherry rise and are skimmed off, leaving only dense, ripe cherry for pulping.
The same day it arrives, cherry passes through the pulper, which strips the outer skin and most of the fruit, leaving parchment coated in sticky mucilage.
Pulped parchment rests overnight in fermentation tanks. Natural enzymes break down the mucilage layer, a step that shapes much of the coffee's eventual clarity and acidity.
Fermented parchment is washed in clean water and run through grading channels, where denser, higher-quality beans sink first and are separated from lighter ones.
Washed parchment moves to raised drying beds, turned by hand through the day and covered at midday and overnight, until moisture reaches export-safe levels over one to three weeks.
Dried parchment is bagged and prepared for milling, where it will eventually be sorted by size and density into AA, AB, PB, C and E grades ahead of sale.
Inside The Factory
What the wet mill actually looks like.
Straight from our collection centre — raised drying beds, the parchment and input stores, and the team that keeps it running.
Production & Sustainability
Sustainable, eco-friendly and community-driven.
Enough volume for serious buyers, grown in a way that protects the land it comes from.
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250 MT Annual Capacity
Book in advance to guarantee your preferences, with flexible lot sizes from bulk supply to micro-lots.
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100% Organic Farming
No harmful chemicals. Our coffee is shade-grown, which supports soil fertility and biodiversity.
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Natural Pollination
Bees and beneficial insects pollinate our coffee, which means better yields and better cup quality.
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Trained Farmers
Our farmers are trained in sustainable farming practices, with ongoing extension services and capacity building.
The Latest
News & Insights
Updates from the factory floor, member stories, and coffee news from the highlands.
More Drying Beds, the Same Careful Routine
The new beds add about 30% to daily processing capacity. Parchment still has to be spread thin, turned by hand, and covered when the weather changes.
Read the summaryEng. Robinson Wachira Nyambura on Building a Better Farm
It has been 2 years since Eng. Robinson Wachira Nyambura started as a member and counting — he has doubled the yield from his coffee plot through training, peer learning, and closer attention to soil health.
Read the summary
Membership & Community Impact
442 smallholder families behind every bag.
New Gaikundo represents 442 smallholder farmers in Nyeri County. Every purchase directly supports their families.
442Farmers
213Men
206Women
23Youth
- Promotes women and youth participation in farming and leadership
- Provides training, extension services and capacity building
- Coffee income supports education, healthcare and livelihoods
- Every purchase directly supports smallholder families in Nyeri
For Farmers
How membership works.
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Register with the factory office.Bring your national ID and a registration fee set by management.
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Receive your share number.Every member is issued a unique share number used to record every delivery against your name.
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Deliver cherry to the collection centre.Weighed and recorded on the spot, against your share number, every delivery day.
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Vote and earn.Attend the AGM, elect the management committee, and receive seasonal payments plus bonus once the year's coffee is sold.
Ready to join?
Visit the factory office during collection season, or reach out below and a member of our team will walk you through registration.
Start Registration
Find Us
Visit Our Factory
Located in the heart of Kenya's coffee highlands, our doors are open during harvest season. Members are always welcome at the collection centre.
Factory Location
Gaikundo, Mukurwe-ini Sub-County
Nyeri County, Kenya — next to AIPCA Gaikundo Church
Hours
Mon – Sat: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Extended during harvest season
Buy Our Coffee · Get In Touch
Request samples, book a lot, or ask a question.
Tell us what you're looking for (grade, form, volume and destination) and the factory team will reply with samples, availability and terms. Prospective members are welcome too.
Email draft ready.
Your email app should open with the message addressed to the factory office. If it does not, email admin@newgaikundofarmers.com.
Factory Office
Gaikundo, Mukurwe-ini Sub-County
Nyeri County, Kenya — next to AIPCA Gaikundo Church
Phone / WhatsApp
Chairman, John Kabui
Office Hours
Mon – Sat, 8:00am – 5:00pm
Extended hours during peak harvest