Overview

Our coffees Our beans are locally sourced microlots and they are roasted right here in Mbeya. The beans are roasted according to a roast profile developed specifically for The Ridge. We went through over 30 different roasts and qualities to find the best one suitable for our cafes. Our farmers Most of the coffee in Tanzania is grown and processed by small holders in the Southern Highlands and in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions. Coffee is an important cash crop for many families in rural Tanzania and it has contributed to improving the livelihood of the local communities and farming families. At Ridge, we see the value in supporting the local economy and we do this by serving coffee that is produced by our farmers. We only serve 100% Tanzanian Arabica beans. Our baristas Our baristas are also highly trained and what sets them apart is they get to see the entire process, from crop to cup. We invest in our baristas by training them with world class techniques. They have been under apprenticeship and trained by a barista champion from South Africa. We hope to enter our baristas into the East Africa Barista Championships in the coming year so keep a look out! Our name Lastly, you might wonder what our name is all about or if it even means anything. The inspiration for our name came from the Mbeya mountain range. You'll notice that when you get off the flight from Dar or enter Mbeya by road, the first thing you'll see is the sharp outline of the Mbeya ridge line against a clear blue sky. We think it's representative of our coffees here - it stands out, it's unique and it's a symbol of strength and beauty. We love our range and that goes for both the mountain and the coffees of this region.