Speedway • Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Grade 1 • Single Origin

What we're tasting: Peach Yoghurt | Velvety | Floral

Named after the Hackney Speedway, based right here in Hackney Wick until, much like everything else in Hackney Wick, it was knocked down to make way for... flats. This Ethiopian bean slaps. It's full-bodied, well-rounded, it's giving lemon zest and red berries with an almost lavander complexity. It's amazing as espresso

Tell us about the coffee

Roast: Light/Medium
Origin: Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe, Worka Chelbessa
Varietal: Heirloom
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1900-2200

This lot comes out of Ethiopia, mostly from the Yirgacheffe / Gedeo zones, grown high up between roughly 1,500–2,200 metres where coffee slows down and actually develops some character. Heirloom varieties, hand-picked, sorted the long way round. Nothing rushed. 

Worka Chelbessa, down in Gedeb at the southern edge of Gedeo, has built a reputation over the last decade for producing some of the region’s standout coffees. It’s one of the first places Neguesse Debela backed when he got into coffee, setting up here in 2017 before expanding a couple of years later to a second site nearby in Danche.

Across the two stations, Neguesse and his team focus on really clean washed and natural lots, while also experimenting with processing to keep pushing quality forward year on year. There’s a real attention to detail running through it all.

The profile here is what makes it stick. You get that fuller, juicy body, but paired with the citrus and florals you’d normally expect from lighter, more delicate coffees. The difference is it doesn’t drop off. It holds onto its sweetness and feels properly balanced all the way through.

What about the name?

Speedway coffee is inspired by Hackney’s rich, rebellious history and pays tribute to the Hackney Speedway, once home to the legendary Hackney Eagles motorcycle racing team.

Known for its adrenaline-pumping races, Hackney Speedway was a thrilling part of East London culture from the 1930s to the 1990s. The framed Hackney Eagles programmes in our shop serve as a nostalgic nod to those electrifying nights under the floodlights.

Just like the speedway races, this Ethiopian bean packs a punch! Bold and exciting, this coffee delivers dynamic flavors that honor the fast-paced, rebellious spirit of Hackney's past.