Ugandan Coffee debuts at Manchester Coffee Festival with new campaign to drive sales

Ugandan Coffee is making its first showcase at the Manchester Coffee Festival (14-16th November), one of UK’s biggest hot beverage events, as part of its ongoing campaign to encourage British coffee aficionados to choose the delicious beans grown on the fertile soil of Uganda, for their next cup.

This marks the Ugandan specialty coffee producers’ first appearance at the North West’s biggest coffee event, where it hopes to secure new listings with retailers and hospitality venues in the North of England. Known as the “Pearl of Africa,” Uganda offers one of the finest topographies in the world for growing quality coffee beans. From the fertile volcanic slopes of Mount Elgon in the east to the Rwenzori Mountains in the west, each region boasts unique growing conditions and flavours.

Last year Ugandan Coffee broke its export record and has now set its sights on increasing this figure whilst securing the cups of more British coffee drinkers; it currently accounts for a mere 1% of the UK’s total coffee imports. After fostering strong connections at the London Coffee Festival earlier this year, the group is looking to deepen its engagement with the UK market by joining the Manchester Coffee Festival.

The coffee grown on its soil has an exquisite, distinct taste, and the country has been harvesting the beans for over 200 years. Robusta coffee beans first started growing in the wild forests bordering Lake Victoria over two hundred years ago, and by the late 19th century, Ugandan Robusta was finding its way into European markets.

Today, coffee is a vital part of Uganda’s economy, employing over 1.7 million households and contributing significantly to foreign exchange earnings. Uganda is the 7th largest coffee producer globally.

However, until recently, a cup of Ugandan coffee has been hard to find on UK soil, with the coffee market dominated by imports from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. According to the British Coffee Association, coffee consumption in the UK is among the highest in the world, with an average of 2.3 cups per person per day, yet Ugandan coffee accounts for just 1% of British coffee imports.

Backed by a campaign from the UK Trade Partnerships Programme, it wants to encourage British coffee drinkers to seek out a cup of Ugandan coffee for their next caffeine fix. Through targeted support in marketing, branding, quality testing, and sustainability, the programme has strengthened the capacity of Uganda’s specialty coffee producers. It has also fostered collaboration, enabling producers to consolidate shipments and streamline access to UK and EU markets. This momentum coincides with the launch of a new direct flight route between the UK and Uganda that started on the 18th May; a welcome development that further supports growing trade and connectivity between the two countries. As a result, the UK has received a curated selection of Uganda’s coffee gems – all of which will be proudly showcased during the Manchester Coffee Festival (14-16 November).

It hopes to raise awareness about the new generation of Ugandan coffee producers who are championing sustainable farming, empowering women, and transforming local communities – while offering UK consumers the chance to discover an exciting and often-overlooked origin.

These include growers who are dedicated to driving community uplift including support for local schools, financial education and youth programmes. Their practices are steeped in sustainability from bean to cup, with agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture and initiatives such as shade-planting and beekeeping in place. Not to mention many farms have a female-led workforce, who they upskill with technical training and fair wages.

For example, Mountain Harvest, set on the ridges of Mount Elgon, is dedicated to empowering women through coffee production and has grown the number of women it works with from 13% in 2019 to 41% in 2025.