Oast House, Zambia

THE COFFEE. 

Taste. 

 You can’t beat a boozy natural on espresso. A juicy cherry and stone fruit acidity with a sweet and boozy almond body and an all-encompassing mouthfeel reminiscent of melted dark chocolate. This season's Oast House is dessert disguised as dinner eaten in bed at 23:27pm after a string of questionable choices. Does it taste amazing? Yes. Will your head and bank account thank you tomorrow? Probably not. 

Process. 

 A naturally processed Marsellesa sourced from Mount Sunzu Coffee in partnership with our friends at Omwani. The varietal offers excellent cup quality as well as a high yield and is notable for its exceptional acidity, sweetness, and complexity in the cup. 

 The coffee was processed on-site at the Mount Sunzu’s own wet and dry mill. Carefully and selectively picked by hand, the ripe cherries were then floated to identify defects, before being laid out on raised drying beds for 30 days. The coffee was then hulled, graded, hand winnowed and sorted on site before being prepared for export.  

THE PLACE.  

Enviroment.

In the past, when talking about African countries with a reputation for exceptional coffee production, Zambia wasn’t often one that came up. Mount Sunzu Coffee is now at the forefront of Zambian producers changing this narrative. 

Nestled at the foot of Zambia’s highest mountain, the farm lies in Zambia’s far north against the Tanzanian border. The farm is also at the heart of the Miombo woodland belt, a biodiverse savanna ecosystem home to native trees, grasses, and wetlands. The indigenous forest provides the coffee trees with well needed shade and keeps the soil biodynamic and healthy. 

Here, fertile loamy soil, high altitudes, and a rich ecology, as well as a temperate climate greatly benefit coffee cultivation, boasting the ideal conditions for the slow maturation of coffee cherries and greatly enhancing the cup’s sweetness and complexity.

THE STORY. 

Origins.  

This coffee was produced by Mount Sunzu Coffee, company first dreamed up in Switzerland in 2016 by Fridolin Stocker and brothers Yanik and Luca Costa. It’s taken years of planning and land negotiation for the project to get off the ground. In that time, they’ve built the project from the ground up, sewing the first seeds in 2021, training staff, and installing infrastructure.  This lot is their first harvest, and its exceptional quality makes us extremely excited to see what they produce in years to come.  

Sustainable Commitments. 

Mount Sunzu Coffee produces all of its coffee on a single farm, allowing for greater emphasis on traceability and oversight on production practices. Alongside producing exceptional coffee, an integral part of the Mount Sunzu project is the protection of the local Miombo Forest and applying climate-conscious farming practices, such as solar-powered irrigation, placing them at the forefront of innovation in environmentally friendly coffee farming praxis. 65% of the power used on the farm is created by its own solar panels and innovations in their watering have reduced waste by 35%. Of the 780 Hectares purchased, 600 are also reserved to protect the Miombo Forest and Dambo Wetlands.   

Mount Sunzu Coffee also places equitable and sustainable employment and local development at the heart of its mission. So far, they have created 300 jobs in the local area and provides each employee with a pension fund and health insurance, affording workers more long-term stability.  They also actively encourage and support their employees in joining the National Union of Plantation and Agricultural Workers.  

This isn’t a completed project, the three founders have major aspirations to elevate the quality of their produce and drive equitable and sustainable change for both the local people and environment. They are current focused on improving local road networks and upgrading both water and electrical infrastructure. 

As Co-Founder Luca says, ‘quality for us goes beyond taste: it includes how we care for the environment, treat people, and build lasting relationships.’ 

Better Partnerships. 

 The partnership between Omwani and Mount Sunzu Coffee is part of Omwani’s commitment to move away from pricing coffee against the volatility of the C Market. By signing a three-year fixed-price contract with Mount Sunzu, they have ensured a price that covers fair wages and allows for reinvestment in future crops. By bypassing the commodity exchange, the model protects both producers and roasters from market fluctuations. While it carries some risk if prices fall, committing to these contracts prioritizes long-term security and ethical sourcing over short-term market trends.  

 In Omwani’s own words, ‘Let’s move beyond the market’s ups and downs. Let’s build a coffee supply chain grounded in fairness, trust, and lasting relationships.’