We are thrilled to announce that Blue Turaco’s 100% Specialty Ugandan Robusta had launched into 142 Waitrose stores this month.
Whilst there is plenty of African-grown coffee on the UK’s retail shelves, Blue Turaco is the only coffee brand in retail that is owned by an African coffee farmer and championing 100%specialty robusta coffee.
Founder, Wycliffe, picked coffee as a young boy. He used his wages to pay for his school fees and has seen first-hand how coffee can impact the lives of its farming; it provided his food and education . He now grows coffee in Uganda, where he uses his farm and huge robusta coffee experience to educate smallholders on better ways to grow and high quality Robusta.
“Our tagline is Powerful Coffee, Powerful impact” says Wycliffe, “but it is more than a strapline. Community impact is at the core of Blue Turaco. Our vision is to create a model where coffee truly pays in farming communities”
The coffee
Blue Turaco uses 100% Speciality Ugandan Robusta sourced directly from smallholder farmers in Uganda. Graded and roasted by UK award-winning baristas, Robusta has a deliciously strong, yet smooth and nutty flavour. It naturally contains double the caffeine as arabica coffee.
“The coffee industry has largely focussed on specialty arabica, neglecting its cousin, Robusta, which as its name suggest, is a more hardy bean. Now, speciality coffee is waking up to the incredible flavours of well-grown Robusta with new roasting techniques being used to unlock the amazing flavours” says Wycliffe.
The impact
Buy working directly with, and buying direct from smallholder farmers, Blue Turaco pay farmers 30% more than traditional routes. And 20p from every pack sold pays for 2 school lunches in Ugandan village schools.
Blue Turaco Specialty Robusta will be available at Waitrose as Whole Bean, perfect for bean-to-cup machines, a French press or moka pot from 23 October 2023.
Waitrose partnership
Founder and CEO - Wycliffe Sande quote “Seeing the first African specialty robusta smallholder coffee famer owned brand listed in Waitrose is not just a moment; it's a milestone. The journey has been long, and many sacrifices beyond what I can express have gone into reaching this point. But there are so many people who supported us all the way. This one is for you and all my fellow smallholder robusta farmers. We're proud to champion a coffee that's yet to claim its rightful shelf space – until now. Thank you, Polly Asbury at Waitrose, for her true support. Let's get the robusta coffee revolution started."