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Here is an example of a local business capitalising on the English Lake District’s World Heritage status, that is truly world-class.

Farrer’s of Kendal have launched World Heritage Coffee. Their first limited edition of World Heritage Coffee is Finca El Edén which was launched at 2019’s Westmorland County Show. Farrer’s have sourced beans grown in the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then roasted them in the Lake District.

The beans come from Quindio I Colombia, which forms one trisect of what is known as the Coffee Triangle (with Pereira and Manizales as the other key conurbations.) Quindio sits within the rural Paisa region of Colombia, famous for producing coffee. The second smallest department in Colombia there is a high concentration of coffee producers in the area, and it is one of the key production areas in the country. El Edén itself is situated in a privileged position amongst the Cordillera Central, one of three veins of the Andes as they run through the country north to south.

Coffee in Colombia is generally picked by smallholders with their families and neighbours and washed and dried on the farm, often at high altitudes on steep slopes, or brought to a nearby beneficiary for processing. This World Heritage Coffee is collated at the dry mill facility managed by local farm owner Hernan Israel Ocendo Usman in Armenia. It is sourced from a group of 10 farms within the Quindio department, all from more technically advanced farms that focus a large amount on the quality of the coffee they grow.
The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia World Heritage Site is an exceptional example of a sustainable and productive cultural landscape that is unique and representative of a tradition that is a strong symbol for coffee growing areas worldwide. It encompasses six farming landscapes, which include 18 urban centres on the foothills of the western and central ranges of the Cordillera de los Andes in the west of the country. It reflects a centennial tradition of coffee growing in small plots in the high forest and the way farmers have adapted cultivation to difficult mountain conditions.

Established in 1819, Farrer’s is one of the oldest coffee roasters in the UK. As part of their celebrations of that 200 years they have launched Farrer’s World Heritage Coffee, promoting and linking their home in the English Lake District to coffee producers across the world.

Dave Walsh, Farrer’s General Manager commented: “We created this coffee to further demonstrate the benefits to local businesses in maximising the opportunities that the English Lake District’s World Heritage status presents. We saw the value in the brand, and this inspired us to embrace this opportunity to craft a product utilising the unique characteristics of two World Heritage Sites from opposite side of the world to produce coffee.

“As a business you have to ask yourself what could I do with that branding? What can I create that will help me stand out from the crowd and at the same time shout about where we are based and what we do? After all the branding is distinctive, eye catching, and presents countless collaborative opportunities for local businesses…why would you not make use of what is available to you?"

World Heritage Coffee is now available online www.farrerscoffee.co.uk or from Farrer’s Tea & Coffee House in Kendal.

Details of the coffee:

Region:      Armenia, Quindio, Colombia
Altitude:     1458 metres above sea level
Varieties:    Castillo, Caturra
Harvest:     September-November 2018
Process:     Washed
Producer:   Racafe & CIA. S.C.A.
SCA score: 83.50
Flavour:     Candyfloss, Marzipan, Plum, Strawberry