I grew up on the South Coast, on a banana farm. I loved farm life, and so you can imagine when you pair my love of coffee with my love of farm life, and take me to Beaver Creek Coffee Farm… In my element! Beaver Creek Coffee Farm is in Port Edward and was established in 1984. The farm is 25 hectares and there are 60 000 trees of 3 different varieties. Originally the estate farmed bananas but the owner’s passion for coffee led him to plant 4 coffee trees, and today you have Beaver Creek Coffee Farm. You can read more about their story HERE.
| Left: Coffee berries on the Coffee Tree. Right: A ripe coffee berry with 2 beans |
Beaver Creek offers daily tours around the coffee trees, through the picking, washing, and roasting process. It is fascinating to see the machinery that is used for the washing and drying process, and of course when you walk into the roastery your sense of smell will undoubtedly be tantalized.
Soil and climate have a huge effect on the flavour profile of coffee, yet these farmers know what they are doing despite the difference in conditions compared to where coffee is usually farmed. Beaver Creek harvest in winter as that is the best climate on the South Coast, and the beans are able to develop best. Beaver Creek don’t have their own espresso bean, therefore they use a Central American bean which they roast on the farm.
Beaver Creek Coffee Beans
House Blend - medium roast
Transkei Gold - medium roast - toffee flavour
Ed’s Special Blend - full roast - chcolate/malt flavour with citrus undertone
Espresso Blend - dark roast
Early Harvest
Izolwana - single origin
SL28 Bourbon - single origin
Catuai
It’s a beautiful farm! They have such an awesome mountain biking trail that runs through it too which I love 🙂 Wrote about it here: https://femmegypsy.com/2013/06/19/socially-acceptable-drug-seemingly-insignificant/
wow that’s awesome. I know that it is a popular stop off for cyclists who ride from Port Shepstone, but now I know that there is a mountain biking trail too! thanks so much!!!