Assembly House Espresso

Assembly House Espresso

Espresso is the ultimate expression of coffee's utility, versatility, and tactility. It needs to propose an enjoyable experience drunk black and paired with milk. Therefore, espresso should have prominent sweetness, low acidity, and viscous texture.

To achieve these qualities with the Assembly House Espresso, we source coffees that naturally exhibit these characteristics. And then we roast them in ways that ensure they are fully optimised for espresso and also offer a delicious cup when brewed with all other methods - especially French Press.

The Producer: Kalehe Arabica Coffee Cooperative

This season’s coffee is produced by the Kalehe Arabica Coffee Cooperative, a network of smallholder farmers working in and around Virunga National Park in DR Congo. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Virunga spans over 3,000 square miles along the borders of Rwanda and Uganda and is recognised as one of the most biodiverse places on earth.

The park’s history is complex. Its natural resources carry enormous economic value but have also made the region vulnerable to instability. Civilian safety and security remains volatile in an environment in which armed groups engage in criminal activities ranging from ivory poaching and illegal fishing, to kidnapping and extortion.

In response, the park established the Virunga Alliance in 2013 - a coalition of public organisations and private businesses - designed to channel Virunga’s natural resources into a resilient, green economy.

Since then, the Alliance has developed hydroelectric plants that now provide clean, reliable energy to thousands of households, including the city of Goma - where two million residents got access to electricity for the first time.

One public entity working alongside the Alliance is African Coffee Connect - an organisation building a network of coffee small holder cooperatives, including the Kalehe Arabica Coffee Cooperative of 3,179 producers (including 993 women, many of whom are community leaders).

This latest Assembly House Espresso is comprised of coffees produced by the Kalehe cooperative. The revenue generated through coffee sales enables the cooperative to fund construction of municipal water infrastructure, health centres and schools.

The coffee is one of several coffees we've contracted in DR Congo this year, including our Best of Congo lots Muungano 102 and Sopade 104.