TALKS PROGRAMME: TASH MURPHY (SUCAFINA UK)

Approaching her 20th year in specialty coffee, Tash joined Sucafina UK alongside Sam Langdon to form the ‘Dynamic Duo’. Sam and Tash have spent the last 2 decades working in a multitude of roles in coffee, from barista to roaster to trader and between the two of them hold a wealth of knowledge to ensure our UK clients have access to both fantastic coffees but also engaging customer service. You are in safe hands! Having spent 6 years managing Pharmacie Coffee Roasters in Brighton & Hove, Tash was responsible for green buying, planning and QC so is aware of the importance of providing roasters with the right coffees to create an exciting offerlist in the competitive UK specialty market. Tash is a self-professed taste addict and will never pass up the opportunity to join her clients for a cupping. Or craft beer.

Talk Title: Matriarchs, Agroforestry & Drought - Kenyan Coffee Producers & the Impact of Climate Change on the 2023 Harvests

Kenya 2023 Harvest Update from the field: Aging coffee farmers, water shortages & inconsistent weather patterns are common narratives throughout African coffee-growing communities. At the end of February, Quality Control co-ordinator Franciska Apro and I visited some powerful matriarchs working with Sucafina's sister company Kahawa Bora mill in Kenya and listened to their experiences of growing high-grade arabica in a country experiencing the negative effects of climate change. We were met with both hope and frustration and some ingenious ways producers are using agroforestry to future-proof their coffee farms. One thing is clear, Kenyan harvests, like many other producing origin countries are changing in terms of availability, volume, cup quality and processing. In line with Sucafina's sustainable purchasing practices, what does our 2023 Kenyan offerlist look like for the UK & what did we taste in amongst the 88-89's on the cupping table?

Attend Tash’s talk and loads more at Glasgow Coffee Festival. Tickets are available here.