We’ve been toying with the idea of launching a regular newsletter for a while now. We have so many engaging conversations among ourselves – whether it’s discussions about delays at origin, our thoughts on new and emerging coffees, causes close to our hearts or simply what we’ve been up to here in the UK.
We pride ourselves on being transparent with our customers and producers, and we'd love to share some of these discussions, open up the conversation, and hear your thoughts too.
From now on, we’ll be sharing regular updates that include our latest news, updates from East Africa, information about incoming coffees, and a deeper dive into a topic we're passionate about. In this segment, we'll share our opinions (emphasis on opinions!) from the entire Omwani team.
Let us know what you think!
Updates from the team
Cupping With Pride
Did you know, more than 30 countries out of 54 in Africa have anti-homosexuality laws?
You may have seen last year that Uganda passed strict new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, which, shockingly, included harsher penalties – including the death penalty in certain 'aggravated' cases. We shared our thoughts on it here.
This caught our attention because Uganda is at the heart of what we do - it's where we started and where many of our partners live and work.
In response, many roasters considered boycotting the country and its coffee business, but that is not the solution. It can’t be. Boycotts don't help the Ugandan people; they actually harm those on the ground in the most negative way possible.
Instead, we reached out to the African Queer Youth Initiative (AQYI), a fantastic organisation operating in several countries across Africa. Their primary aim is to support the LGBTQ+ community with employment opportunities, safety, and living conditions.
This resonated with us, so we organised our first Cupping With Pride fundraiser in London - an event where we shared information from AQYI, held a cupping, and ran a raffle. All proceeds from the raffle and ticket sales were donated to AQYI.
We vowed to make it an annual event, and this June, we held it again – raising £500 and, importantly, increasing vital awareness of the cause. You can find out more about AQYI here.
While we can’t change these laws, we can support the people in these difficult situations as much as possible, and we hope these events contribute to that goal.
World of Coffee
June was a busy month for us as we also headed over to Copenhagen for World of Coffee – our first time there, and a really valuable event.
We went in headfirst – the only way to do it – and found it very worthwhile. We were blown away by the sheer scale of the event and felt proud to have a place among some of the industry leaders.
It’s platforms like this that we hope will ensure our voice is heard as far and wide as possible.
James becomes a dad of two!
James has been enjoying a few weeks of Paternity Leave after welcoming his daughter, Emma, with wife Jen recently.
We’d like to take this moment to give a huge shout out to Jen, who battled the newborn phase spectacularly while James nipped across to Copenhagen for World of Coffee in Emma’s first few days (a story we're sure will hang over James' head for years to come). Thanks Jen!
Meanwhile, in Africa
We work to prevent delays as much as possible, but as anyone in the African coffee business will know, political shifts and logistical changes can come at the very last minute.
There are ongoing closures of the Suez Canal, for example, due to attacks by Houthi rebels, so some shipments are having to go right round the Cape of Good Hope - causing ongoing delays. This is impacting all East African exporters, including us.
We’ll therefore use this update going forwards to inform you about any breaking or ongoing news at origin which may impact us – and you – as well as sharing how we’re overcoming these challenges.
Ethiopia
During a conversation at World of Coffee, our Ethiopian exporter shared how MSC have indefinitely cancelled every ship going in and out of the main port. The decision was made because Houthi rebels have begun firing missiles again, primarily targeting those heading to Israel, amid the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
Our coffee was due to leave on this route, so we’ve had to find another shipping company which is still running. Our Ethiopian coffees are all packed and waiting in their container, so now it is just a case of getting them on the water.
Burundi
Burundi is currently facing a major fuel shortage which continues to worsen by the day – all due to a foreign-currency shortage. It will undoubtedly impact our shipments and transport within the country, so we’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
Coffees that are on the way
As many of you will know, we’re constantly expanding and developing our coffee range with core producers in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya.
However, we’re also working with some really interesting producers in places like Madagascar, Zambia, Malawi, Angola and Zimbabwe. These conversations are ongoing and we’re always looking at ways of bringing new and emerging coffees to the UK market – so stay tuned!
While we aim to be as efficient as possible, working in bulk where we can, we also want to continue highlighting the coffees which are really special – and those with their own, unique stories. They deserve to stand out alone, so we’ll continue these small but just as valuable partnerships alongside the larger groups we work with.
But what coffees are arriving now?
Our Kenyan coffee arrived recently, representing a huge milestone for our relationship with Lot 20 as our first year collaborating with them throughout the harvesting and production period.
We’re ahead of schedule with our Rwandan coffee at the moment too, with much more to come. Dave recently had some great meetings with our partners there and we have bought 60 new lots.
Elsewhere, our Malawi and Ugandan coffee is incoming soon, as is our Ethiopian coffee – however, delays are to be expected here given the circumstances we shared above.
There are always plates spinning behind the scenes at Omwani, and we're looking forward to sharing more behind-the-scenes glimpses over the course of these upcoming articles!
But wait! We spent so long covering recent events that we ran out of room for Dave's think piece on investing in coffee producers. It's an excellent description of how his move from roasting to importing affected his view of the industry, and you can read all about it by clicking here.
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