A Saturday Well Spent
Another Saturday, another round of slurps, laughs, and eye-opening conversations. This particular session was organised and executed by Over A Drink Coffee, CoffeeXpress and AGnimble, three teams driven by the same passion for making coffee more open, fun, and accessible. We gathered at CoffeeXpress in Westlands, Nairobi on Saturday, 16th August, and the energy in the room was everything. (Mark your calendars, because the next one is set for 27th September!)
Eyes on the cups, spoons at the ready – everyone dialed in for the first round of tasting.
Why We Cup
The idea behind these meetups is simple: open the doors of coffee to more people, especially the youth. For way too long, this industry has felt complicated, wrapped in jargon, and fenced off by rules that belong in history books. We’re here to break that spell. Coffee isn’t a mystery. It’s a drink, a livelihood, and a whole world of opportunity – and we want Kenyans to enjoy it fresh, right here at home.
The calm before the storm – beans laid out, cups lined up, ready to tell their stories.
High on Their Supply
And enjoy it, we did. Producers came through, eager to taste their beans roasted and brewed to perfection. As one of them joked, “It’s nice getting high on your own supply.” Meanwhile, curious young minds joined in, asking questions, scribbling notes, and realising just how many paths exist in the coffee world—from farming to roasting, barista work to marketing, even research and tech.
More Than Just Coffee
But it wasn’t all serious learning. There was laughter, plenty of slurping (a must at cupping), and those golden moments where strangers turned into friends. These sessions are as much about creating networks and contacts as they are about flavour notes and aftertastes. Coffee connects people – and on Saturday, it connected us all.
Slurps, smiles, and a few raised eyebrows – the moment flavours meet curiosity.
Tearing Down Old Walls
Slowly but surely, we’re dismantling the gatekeeping culture that once held this sector captive with old colonial-era rules and “members-only” attitudes. In its place, we’re building a space of openness, creativity, and togetherness.
One Cup at a Time
At the end of the day, the real takeaway was this: coffee doesn’t just live in textbooks or export containers. It lives in conversations, in community, in the joy of discovering something new. And every weekend like this brings us a step closer to making that truth the norm.
Here’s to more cups, more curiosity, and more Saturdays that taste this good.
Writer: Gakuo Wanjohi