Coffeelink started life in Suffolk in 2005 and since then has grown the business to a roastery, cafes and coffee vans. There was a brand relaunch with the move to a new premises in Ipswich 2017 and you can read their full journey here. I met Azzouz for the first time last year in a serendipitous way, deciding to walk into his roastery on the exact day he was reviewing transport options to bring in coffee he was buying in Ethiopia. I'm really happy to be able to offer one of his coffees through this site and from an origin we have now been working on closely together for 2 harvests now.
The coffee on offer is the Zege Forrest from Ethiopia, where Coffeelink have a long standing direct relationship and Azzouz has been to visit. Working in conjunction with their friends Partners for Change in Ethiopia, this is a fantastic charity on a mission to help women and children.
Around Lake Tana in Zege, coffee has been growing from time immemorial. It is prohibited to plough or cultivate the land in order to protect the forest. Originally, the coffee of the lake area was forest grown coffee, but due to the felling of the recent decades, this historic coffee has almost disappeared around Lake Tana. The only exception is the Zege peninsula. Here, we find the biggest coherent woodland on Lake Tana. A great example of biodiversity and preservation where “sacred” coffee protects the forest and the forest protects the coffee. On Zege, coffee is truly a special commodity. Traditionally, the natives and the friars of the convents cultivate the coffee for their own consumption and the local market with much anticipation. Virtually everything is being collected and used. The coffee is cultivated in 1,850 metres above sea level.
Roaster - Coffeelink
Location - Ipswich, Suffolk
Coffee Origin - Ethiopia
Grower - Zege Forest
Location - Lake Tana
Process - Washed
Variety - Heirloom
Taste notes - Long lasting and complex flavours of red fruit, plum, blackcurrant, cinnamon & caccao.
To see the coffee on the Coffeelink site as well as their full range of coffees click here