Betty is back!. This year's espresso celebrates women in coffee farming and champions empowerment and inclusivity. Sourced from the Muhanga district of Rwanda, known for producing some of Africa's best coffee. Dial in Betty espresso, knowing with every brew you’re supporting a cooperative founded by women.
ABOUT BETTY ESPRESSO 2026
Every year, in March, we release Betty, one of our three incredible limited-edition superheroes. Betty is our way to champion women in our industry, from farming to processing and everything in between. Without them, we wouldn’t have this exceptional coffee.
This year, our Head Roaster Jonny searched far and wide for a coffee that not only tastes amazing but also supports positive impact at origin. Betty, this year, comes from the Aba Sholi cooperative in central Rwanda, a group established in 2008 by 30 women. At the time, coffee was quite a small part of the local economy in the area, primarily due to there being no nearby washing station.
After successfully adding new members every year to the cooperative, in 2014, Aba Sholi were able to open their very own washing station. This was a big moment for the region, allowing the coffee production in the area to boom. Fast forward to today, and there are over 600 producers within the Aba Sholi cooperative, many of them women. Since 2014, the cooperative has made quite an impression on the industry. From being Fair Trade certified to winning the Rwanda Cup of Excellence Award, it’s great to see them putting sustainability and quality above everything!
Rwanda is known as ‘the land of a thousand hills’, which makes it perfect for growing exceptional coffee. With rich soil and plenty of sunny days, the Muhanga region is any farmer's dream. However, it does come with its challenges, as farming on steep hills makes it nearly impossible to use harvesting machinery and transporting cherries is challenging.
This year’s Betty is naturally processed, which gives the end cup those recognisable notes of blood orange and strawberry jam. Once the cherries are handpicked and sorted, they are slowly dried under cover for approximately 40 days. It’s during this time that the sweetness from the cherry itself is absorbed by the bean itself, which causes the end cup to be on the more fruity side.
With every sip of Betty, you’re not just enjoying a remarkable coffee - you’re supporting a future where women in coffee have a stronger voice, more opportunities and the recognition they deserve.
How to brew Betty Espresso
Using an espresso machine we recommend 18g finely ground coffee in, for 36g coffee out, with a shot time of 25-30 seconds.
MEET THE ROASTER
Betty Espresso is roasted on Betty, a 1955 cast iron, Probat coffee roaster. We found Betty in Cardiff in 2010 and lovingly brought her back to life through a series of restorations by Extract Coffee co-founder, David Faulkner.
Her most recent restoration throughout 2018 and 2019 made further improvements on her efficiency and will keep this iconic machine running for many more years to come.
