Point of Origin: Bette Buna

At the end of last year, we travelled to Ethiopia to spend time with Bette Buna, a coffee producer we return to year after year.

Captured across farms, landscapes and the conversations that shaped the journey, this first film offers a closer look at their work, and the thinking behind it.

It marks the beginning of Point of Origin, a new documentary series exploring the people, places and processes behind the coffees we serve.

At Bette Buna, coffee is not the end point, but the means.

Bette Buna's work is grounded in the belief that even the most challenged rural communities can shape their own future when opportunity meets effort. Together with the community of Taferi Kela, they are building something practical and visible: productive farms, skilled farmers and new opportunities for the next generation.

Bette Buna grows, produces and exports coffee directly from Ethiopia, working closely with partners like WatchHouse who value traceability, consistency and care at every stage.

Their approach is deliberate. Specialty coffee is taken seriously, but people are at the heart of the work: farmers, youth and the wider community. Decisions are guided by long-term development, shared knowledge and building capability over time. Every lot reflects that process: skill, attention and intent.Point of Origin is an ongoing series.

This first film introduces Bette Buna, and the relationships behind the coffees we serve.