Our Christmas coffee this year tastes like the season itself: winter spice and plummy notes with hits of orange. It's a naturally-processed Ethiopian coffee from Alaka, in Yirgacheffe, and it's the cup we'll be brewing to start our day all season.
Where our Christmas coffee comes from
This year's Christmas Blend is a single origin from smallholder farmers in Alaka Kebele, in the Yirgacheffe region of southern Ethiopia. Yirgacheffe has been a key region for exceptional coffee across generations.
The farms sit at 2,100 to 2,200 metres above sea level. At that height, coffee cherries ripen slowly, which gives them time to build concentrated sugars and more complex flavour. The trees are a mix of Ethiopian heirloom varieties alongside 74110 and 74112, two selections developed in Ethiopia and widely grown across the south.
How it's processed: why natural Ethiopian coffee tastes so fruity
This is a natural-process coffee, which means the whole cherry is dried with the fruit still on the seed. That's where the jammy, plum-like sweetness comes from.
- Sorting. After delivery, cherries are hand-sorted to remove any underripe, overripe or damaged fruit, plus anything that shouldn't be there.
- Drying. The whole cherries are laid out on raised beds and turned regularly so they dry evenly.
- Resting and hulling. Once they reach the right moisture level, the coffee is rested, then hulled to remove the dried fruit and prepared for export.
Christmas Blend tasting notes
- Winter spice: gentle warmth, like mulled spices on the nose
- Plum: ripe, jammy dark fruit from the natural process
- Orange: a rich, citrusy-chocolate finish
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Origin |
Alaka Kebele, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia |
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Producers |
Smallholder farmers |
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Process |
Natural |
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Varieties |
Ethiopian heirloom, 74110, 74112 |
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Altitude |
2,100–2,200 masl |
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Harvest |
2026 |
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Roast |
Omni roast (espresso and filter) |
How to brew our Christmas coffee
This is an omni roast, so it works as espresso, with milk, or as filter. Each way brings out a different side of it.
Espresso: 18g in, 44g out, in around 29 seconds. A longer shot gives the complex fruit room to show. With milk, it turns into a syrupy, caramel-sweet flat white or latte.
Filter: 60g of coffee per litre of water, around 3 minutes brew time. Brewed this way you'll get more florals and the spice notes come forward. Great for a pot on Christmas morning.
A coffee gift for Christmas
Looking for a gift for the coffee lover in your life? A bag of our Christmas Blend is an easy win: it's limited, seasonal and tastes of the holidays. It comes in 250g (£11.90) and 1kg (£40.50) bags, and we deliver anywhere in the UK.
Want to give more than one bag? Our gift subscriptions send fresh speciality coffee to their door over the months ahead.
Visiting London over the holidays? Drop into one of our cafés and pick up a bag of the Christmas Blend. If you're lucky, it might even be on the menu as filter!
Christmas coffee FAQs
What does the Christmas Blend taste like? Winter spice, plum and orange.
Is the Christmas Blend a blend? This year it's a single origin from Alaka, Yirgacheffe, in Ethiopia. "Christmas Blend" is the name of our seasonal release.
Can I use it for espresso and filter? Yes. It's an omni roast, so it works for espresso, milk drinks, cafetière and pour-over.
Do you deliver internationally? Our online shop delivers within the UK only. If you're visiting London, you can pick up a bag in our cafés.
How long is it available? It's a limited seasonal release and available while stocks last, so order early for Christmas.
Get yours before it's gone
Our Christmas Blend is here for the season only. Shop the Christmas Blend and make this year's festive cup an Ethiopian one.
