In the majestic Blue Mountains of Jamaica grows the world’s finest coffee. At elevations higher than 2,000 feet above sea level, the rich soil and continuous rainfall combine to create conditions perfect for cultivating the world’s most distinguished brew, Wallenford® Jamaica Blue Mountain® Coffee. Famous for its rarity, perfect flavour, intense aroma and balanced taste, this unique coffee soothes the spirit and satisfies the soul.
Wallenford® Coffee Company has historically been the largest cultivator of Jamaica Blue Mountain® and Jamaica High Mountain Coffee in the island. The company controls approximately 5,000 acres of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee land and our operations span two parishes within the Blue Mountains namely St. Andrew and Portland and three parishes within the High Mountain regions namely Clarendon, St. Catherine and St. James.
The company also owns pulping factories within both regions which carry out the first stage of coffee processing. At these facilities, the beans are washed and removed from the skin (pulp) and are then loaded in trucks which are transported to our Tarentum Drying & Finishing Works Plant located in the parish of Clarendon. At Tarentum, the beans are dried, hulled, graded, sorted, handpicked and packaged.
Wallenford® prides itself on its farming and production practices which are driven by our mantra of “doing well and doing good.” We work closely with farmers and provide support to their farms, and the surrounding communities. We provide infrastructure as well as inputs to help them cultivate a crop that is profitable for them and can support their families. We also adopt schools in the Coffee growing areas and have provided everything from new kitchens, to internet, to computers and tablets. The result has been constant improvement in the quality and taste of the coffee that we produce and a strong relationship between Wallenford ® and the coffee communities of Jamaica.
At the eastern end of the island of Jamaica is a majestic range of mountains known as the Blue Mountains and only coffee grown in this precise geographic region is certified "100% Jamaica Blue Mountain®". The brand is a globally protected certification mark, meaning only coffee certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica can be labeled as such.
Arabica Typica is the dominant variety of coffee planted in Jamaica with almost 90% of farmers cultivating the variety. The Arabica Typica is a low yielding variety, but it produces the highest cup quality noted for its mild flavour and smoothness. Over the last several decades, the Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought after coffees in the world.
The Blue Mountains area spans four of Jamaica’s parishes, St. Andrew to south, Portland to the north, St. Mary to the west and St. Thomas to the east. Arising 2,300 metres (7,500ft) they are some of the highest mountains in the Caribbean. The climate of the region is cool, misty with high rainfall and generous cloud cover. The soil is rich, with excellent drainage.
