Gatomboya AA

Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AA beans are the largest size with 17/18 screen size, meaning that they are larger than 7.2 millimeters.

Smallholders selectively handpick only ripe cherries and deliver it to Gatomboya Factory. At intake, the Cherry Clerk oversees meticulous visual sorting and floating, choosing only dense and ripe cherries.

After intake, cherries are pulped and fermented for 16 to 24 hours. Following fermentation, coffee is washed clean water and soaked for 8 to 14 hours.

Then, parchment is laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. They cover drying parchment during the hottest time of day, to maintain slow, even drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture.

It takes approximately 21 days for parchment to dry.

Gatomboya Factory is one of the wet mills operated by the Barichu Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS) in Nyeri County, Kenya.
The factory serves as a central processing station for surrounding smallholder farmers, providing infrastructure for cherry reception, processing, and quality control.

The factory works with more than 600 smallholder farmers, each cultivating small plots of land. This cooperative model allows producers to access processing facilities, technical support, and a direct route to market while maintaining ownership of their farms.

As part of a cooperative system, Gatomboya supports smallholder farmers by providing fair access to processing infrastructure and encouraging Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The project promotes long term sustainability through resilient coffee varieties and responsible soil management, while fostering knowledge among farmers to continuously improve quality year after year.

Variety Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34
Process Fully Washed
Region Nyeri, Central Kenya
Washing Station Gatomboya Factory
Farm Smallholder Farmers
Altitude 1400 - 2000masl

Suggested for Filter & Espresso