The Worka Chelbesa washing stations in Gedeb have become a cornerstone of Black & White’s Ethiopian offerings. Year after year, they’re responsible for some of the cleanest, most expressive washed coffees on our menu—and we buy more from this site than any other in the country.

At the heart of it all is Negusse Debela, a computer engineer by training and one of Ethiopia’s most forward-thinking coffee producers. Through SNAP Specialty Coffee - founded in 2008 - Negusse and his team have raised the bar for consistency and quality across several washing stations in the country. The two sites at Worka Chelbesa are among the standouts, supported by close collaboration with our partners at Atlantic Specialty Coffee.

Process:

This lot, made up of local landrace varieties, follows a traditional Ethiopian washed protocol - underwater fermentation, gentle rinsing, and slow drying on raised beds. No experimental tweaks, no co-ferments—just meticulous attention to detail from cherry to dry parchment.

In the Cup:

If you’ve enjoyed other Black & White classics like Danche or Riripa, this one will feel like coming home. Floral, sweet, and structured, it offers notes of wildflower honey, lemon zest, and soft black tea tannins. It’s bright, balanced, and beautifully composed—everything we love about washed Ethiopian coffee, done right.

Tasting Notes: Soft Florals, Wildflower Honey, Lemon Zest, Black Tea

Producers - Smallholders delivering to Worka Chelbesa

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 6-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12 - should we have any left in stock!). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.