Bombe sits in the Bensa district of Sidama, southern Ethiopia. It's serious coffee country. Smallholder farms here climb between 1,950 and 2,150 metres, planted mostly to the local 74110 and 74158 varieties.

Around 725 farmers from the surrounding Shentawane area deliver their cherry to Ayla washing station. That's where the care starts.

Every delivery is hand-sorted on arrival. Underripe and overripe cherries come out, along with anything that shouldn't be there. Then the cherry goes into water. Light, low-density fruit floats and gets skimmed off. The dense, healthy cherries sink, and only those go on to become a top-grade natural.

Next come the raised African beds. About 25kg of cherry goes on each bed, spread roughly 5cm deep. The team turns it five or six times a day. It's slow, patient work. It keeps the airflow even and stops the fruit from over-fermenting.

Depending on the weather, drying takes 15 to 21 days, until the coffee reaches 11–12% moisture. Then it rests in a nearby warehouse before milling and export.

The result is a G1 lot, Ethiopia's highest grade. We've roasted it for filter so all that careful work comes through in the cup.