About Us

The MF Coffee Project is a collaboration between friends and coffee enthusiasts in Malawi and Scotland who believe that the coffee industry can be improved through direct trade and sustainable practices. Currently, the market is dominated by intermediaries and large monopolies, making coffee one of the most traded commodities in the world. This system often sees coffee beans bought and sold numerous times before reaching the consumer, disproportionately benefiting middlemen over farmers and consumers.

Without direct market access, coffee farmers are especially vulnerable to global market fluctuations. Our mission is to bridge the gap between farmers, producers, and consumers, establishing a more direct and equitable system for buying and selling coffee.

Our Journey

In 2015, we established the MF Washing Station in Nkhota Village, near Manchewe Falls — Malawi’s highest waterfall and our namesake.

Here, founders Lyson, Noel, and Josh, all smallholder farmers from northern Malawi, process their coffee cherries with care and precision.

Coffee processed at MF travels from northern Malawi to Scotland, where it’s distributed across the UK.

This direct connection allows MF to collaborate, invest, and grow — producing some of the world’s finest coffee year after year. Every cup you enjoy supports sustainable farming, uplifts farmers, and boosts the local economy.

Expanding to Kenya

In 2025, we took our next big step by working with the Gititu Cooperative in Kenya — one of the country’s oldest and most respected farmer-owned groups. Together with African Coffee Roasters in Nairobi, we’ve started roasting coffee at origin, right where it’s grown.

Roasting at origin means fresher coffee, less time spent in transit, and more of the coffee’s overall value staying in the country that produced it. It also helps strengthen local roasting infrastructure and create opportunities for producers beyond farming alone.

This collaboration in Kenya is our proof of concept — showing that African-roasted coffee can be world-class, sustainable, and commercially viable. The long-term goal is to take what we learn there and bring it home to Malawi, where we’re already laying the groundwork for a local roasting facility.

Our Goals

Dry Mill Construction:
Our next goal is to build a dry mill in Manchewe, where we can mill coffee locally using sustainable hydroelectricity from Chipopoma Power. This will keep more of the processing in-house, create jobs, and add value to the crop.

Local Roasting Facility:
Our long-term goal is to establish a roasting facility in Malawi, allowing us to roast, package, and export roasted coffee directly from where it’s grown — keeping more value in local hands.

Why Choose Our Coffee?

Same Coffee Beans, Unique Processing:
We partner with farmers to cultivate the highest-quality coffee cherries. At MF, we experiment with different processing methods — washed, honey, and natural — to highlight the remarkable range of flavours possible from the same coffee.

Sustainable Practices:
By choosing our coffee, you support sustainable farming and the transition from chemical fertilizers to shade-grown cultivation. We collaborate with Chipopoma Power, a local hydroelectric project harnessing the nearby waterfalls to generate renewable energy.

Direct Trade Benefits:
By cutting out middlemen, we ensure that more of your money goes directly to the farmers who grow your coffee.

Customer Testimonials

"Delicious coffee and really nice to feel like you're making the ethical choice too — perfect!"
– Hannah S