Speedway • Ethiopia Chelbesa • Single Origin

Lavender | Berries | Lemon | Complex

Sold out for this year, it'll be back in 2025.

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 earl grey tea and a deep lavendar, berry and lemon complexity with a tea like mouth feel.

Roast: Light/Medium
Origin: Ethiopia, Chelbesa G2
Varietal: Heirloom
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1900-2200

About the beans

Tucked away in the Gedeo zone of Gedeb, Chelbesa is a gem in one of the finest coffee-growing regions in Ethiopia. Surrounded by lush, semi-forest vegetation, including shade-grown coffee trees and false banana plants, it's the perfect setting for growing standout beans.

In 2019, SNAP Specialty Coffee set up a brand-new wet mill in the nearby hamlet of Danche, with the goal of sourcing only red cherries from local farmers. They made it happen, and the result? Some of the best coffee this region has to offer.

What's unique about their process is the ceramic fermentation tanks, which help speed up fermentation by retaining heat and adding clarity to the coffee. This particular lot comes from 495 smallholder farmers who deliver their cherries to the mill, grown in the region's rich red-brown soil—a fertile, iron-heavy soil with just the right acidity.

These cherries were processed the traditional natural way. After being sorted through a series of flotation tanks to separate the under-ripe and immature cherries, the good ones are cleaned and laid out to dry on raised beds for 28 to 35 days. The result? A coffee that’s as rich and vibrant as its origins.

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.