Rwamatamu: a timeline from the eye of Omwani

In our fifth year sourcing coffee from Rwamatamu in Rwanda, we've seen their quality skyrocket, earning 1st place in the washed lots category at last year's Best of Rwanda.

​But what does it take to produce award-winning coffee?

Bernice (who we work with as part of the Rwamatamu family business) once told me that having the security of a committed buyer year on year allowed her and the Rwamatamu team to focus fully on their coffee. The time that they would have spent searching for someone to purchase from them is now spent refining their operations and improving quality.

​This lines up perfectly with our working model at Omwani; we firmly believe that buying consistently from the same producers every season is the basis for a strong supply chain.

​But I also know it isn't the only factor at play, because developing in the way Rwamatamu has over just 5 years takes a truly dedicated producer.

The fact is, the team at Rwamatamu are both passionate and engaged in the coffee industry. They make the most of every opportunity for growth while also taking the time to look back and improve upon existing operations.

2023 - Establishing a Quality Control program

As a producer, receiving visitors is a chance to help expand industry understanding of the work that goes into producing coffee. We've run several roaster visits since 2023 and the takeaways are always invaluable; visitors learn from Rwamatamu's incredible staff about processing and gain the kind of insights we don’t see day-to-day in the UK/European coffee industry. In turn, Rwamatamu have also used these trips to get input from industry professionals on their processes.

​I remember back in 2023 when the team were still setting up their cupping lab, they had a week with Colombian producer William Ortiz (from Minga Coffee), who advised Rwamatamu on how to run a successful quality control program. Later that season they were joined by Steampunk Head of Coffee Ludwika Kopczynska, who coached the team on cupping protocols and how to use them to measure and improve coffee quality. (Read more about Ludwika's insights here)

​Our own Head of Coffee, Dave, also got in on the action, running a few guided fermentation protocols that Rwamatamu have since developed into a dry fermentation method that’s been used in some of their lots from the most recent 2026 harvest.

​That same 2023/24 season, part of the Rwamatamu team travelled to neighbouring Burundi and met with fellow producers Migoti in Bujumbura. With years of experience producing coffee for the international market, Migoti had plenty of insights to share with Rwamatamu. What’s been so wonderful about this collaboration is that Pontien (Migoti) and Gaston (Rwamatamu) are still in contact today; a friendship formed and coffee knowledge is shared. It’s rewarding to know we played a small part in making this happen.

2024 - A new washing station

​The work didn’t slow down here either, as Rwamatamu’s next major development was the purchase of a washing station in Mbare, which put them much closer to Kigali’s dry mill and gave them larger production capacity than their original site in Nyamasheke. It was a big move, but because the team had done the research, training, and planning needed, the new station benefited them massively, with production volume and quantity soaring.

Reflecting on this today, it’s not like a company moving its head office and the staff changing desks, it was a huge undertaking. Rwamatamu was set up and making massive improvements, but the vision to make Mbare happen was worth the investment/risk and a great decision. What’s exciting is that the Mbare lots today are on par with the Nyamasheke Lake Kivu classics, and it’s wonderful to cup coffees from two different regions of Rwanda.​

2025 - Refinement

Bigger volumes require better organisation of course, and in 2025 Dave returned to Rwamatamu alongside a few of our roasting partners to help with that year’s lot designations. The goal was to reduce the number of lots by combining similar coffees together into larger volumes. This would make it easier to track each coffee as it moved to milling and eventually shipment. 

The challenge is ensuring any small ‘micro lots’ that are truly outstanding aren’t lost in the design. In the industry, there is still a desire to keep small, unique lots; however, from a processing perspective, this is harder to manage and it can work the other way when lots don’t perform as well. Rwamatamu still produces micro lots and nano lots, but the focus on larger Washed and Natural lots has meant better processing, quicker drying and better cupping scores. Dave, Peter, Dom, and the Rwamatamu team did a great job reviewing the lots from each region and making the right calls on what to combine last year.

​At the same time, Fiona Grant (founder of Glen Lyon Coffee) spent that same harvest getting a hands-on lesson in coffee production from the Rwamatamu team and their Youth Association of coffee growers. In turn, Fiona ran several workshop sessions on cupping for the group, teaching them about the sensory side of coffee.

The future of Rwamatamu

Over time, Rwamatamu Coffee's founders, Laeticia and Gaston, have taken small steps back as their children became more and more engaged with the family business. Daughter Bernice and son Regis now both hold management positions and are eager to continue the company’s development.

​This is the next generation of coffee producers. Laeticia and Gaston’s children want to take over the business eventually, and they are eager to keep the momentum of growth and improvement in a way that will be sustainable for years to come. This new enthusiasm and excitement for the business has been contagious, and already there are projects kickstarting youth and women's groups taking shape. We’re excited to play our small part in this and truly celebrate the work that goes into producing this coffee. 

Relationships at their basis are about consistently working together and buying year in year out to benefit both parties. As Rwamatamu have raised the quality of their coffee, marketing it to our customers has given Omwani a reputation for incredible coffee from Rwanda, and long may this continue! 

From Dave’s chance meeting of Bernice when she was doing her degree in the UK and working at Rounton’s cafe in Middlesborough to a 5 year and counting relationship that we feel is truly special.

If anything has piqued an interest in this article please do feel free to reach out and ask questions - whether it’s the producer-led projects, or getting involved, spending time at origin - or simply ordering samples and tasting their coffee. We’d love to hear from you.