Bududa Natural

Bududa sits around 1,700 meters above sea level on the slopes of Mt Elgon in eastern Uganda. The landscape here is unusual, with a ringed valley surrounded by mountain walls and a smaller ridgeline running through its centre. Those features create a protected microclimate with great conditions for growing coffee.

Coffee has a long history in Bududa, but getting consistent access to the region's cherry hasn't always been straightforward. Its proximity to the Kenyan border has historically created another market for coffee grown here, while Zukuka Bora's operations were originally based more than an hour away.

In 2023, Zukuka Bora purchased land and established a permanent site in Bududa. Rather than asking producers to come to them, the move gives the team a lasting presence within the community and is part of a longer-term effort to build trust with the people growing coffee here.

For this natural lot, ripe cherry is rested before being moved onto raised beds inside parabolic drying structures. Naturals require considerably more time and space than Zukuka Bora's washed coffees, with the cherry spread thin, regularly turned and carefully managed throughout drying.

We're finding a sweet, structured natural with bright fruit and plenty of weight in the cup. Blackberry, green apple and a coating finish.