Watch the Film — "Ethiopia: The Cradle of Coffee"
Written by Bacha Coffee | 25 September 2025
|15 mins | Bacha Coffee
The film reflects the ethos of Bacha Coffee: to share over 200 of the world’s finest specialty Arabica coffees with people everywhere.
At Bacha Coffee, we have always believed that coffee is more than a beverage — it’s a journey, a tradition, and a way of life. That belief inspired us to create Journeys to the Source, a new film series tracing the origins and flavours of the world’s finest coffees.
A celebration of dedication and craft, rooted in the hands of farmers who bring specialty-grade coffees to life. Across continents and cultivars, the Journeys to the Source follow enduring relationships — carefully cultivated by our tasters — to ensure each harvest reflects the richness of origin and the consistency of true excellence.
To capture these incredible stories, we commissioned acclaimed documentary filmmaker Fraser Morton to document the perilous yet deeply rewarding journeys behind our search for exceptional coffee. The result is a tour de force that showcases Bacha Coffee’s savoir-faire — from our unwavering commitment to sourcing only specialty coffees, to our pursuit of roasting with the highest level of individualised expertise.
The Film
![]()
![]()
![]()
The first film in the series, Ethiopia: The Cradle of Coffee, takes audiences on a sweeping voyage across continents, celebrating the terroir, craftsmanship, and enduring culture of coffee. Through this film, we invite you to discover Ethiopia — not just as the birthplace of coffee, but as a land and people where coffee is culture, heritage, and a way of life.
Narrated by Taha Bouqdib, the President and CEO of Bacha Coffee, Ethiopia: The Cradle of Coffee reflects the ethos of our brand: to share over 200 of the world’s finest specialty Arabica coffees with people everywhere.
![]()
![]()
The journey begins high in the elevated lands of Sidama, where a remarkable coffee farm thrives in a climate blessed with fertile volcanic soil — ideal for lush, flourishing foliage. We immerse viewers in the rhythm of coffee cultivation: the careful plucking of cherries, the dedication of farmers, the meticulous harvesting and processing — all culminating in an exceptional cup of Sidamo Mountain Coffee. By visiting the farms and building close relationships with each grower, the film reveals the care and precision required to transform raw fruit into coffee beans.
Next, we bring you to our roastery. At Bacha Coffee, roasting is both an art and a science. It demands precision, passion, expertise, and patience to develop the unique characteristics of each harvest and find the ideal method to bring out the best in every bean. Our artisanal, small-batch slow-roasting process has been perfected over many years. At our state-of-the-art 28,000 sq. ft facility in Marrakech, roasting formulas are developed for each of our over 200 varieties of 100% Arabica specialty coffee. This meticulous craft ensures that the sun, soil, and rain each bean has known come through in every cup.
As Rudiger Freytag, our Head of Coffee Procurement & Production, explains:
“Slow-roasting in small batches takes more time than industrial methods — and is therefore more expensive — but we believe it’s the only way to fully extract the unique characteristics and flavour notes that ultimately reveal themselves in the cup.”
![]()
The story culminates at the Dar el Bacha — the original coffee room where our legacy was born in 1910. Here, we celebrate not just a beverage, but a ritual of service, artistry, and human connection. The splendid interior décor reflects the art of refined living, welcoming guests from around the world who seek to experience the savoir-faire behind the finest coffees available. The marriage of Moroccan culture and artisanal coffee — heritage and craft — is rooted in the very DNA of Bacha Coffee. This film stands as a tribute to this legacy — both today and for generations to come.
Ethiopia: The Cradle of Coffee is more than a film; it is both a homage and an invitation to see coffee as an enduring expression of culture, craft, and community — one that transcends borders and generations. Through this film, we celebrate Ethiopia and the people who live and breathe this tradition. Coffee is more than just a living heritage — it is a bridge that connects across continents, cultures, and languages.
Behind The Scenes of Bacha Coffee’s New Film Series
The propeller plane lifted off from Addis Ababa and turned south, its engines shuddering in the thin air. Far below, the city’s patchwork of tin roofs gave way to endless eucalyptus groves, then to the vast sweep of the Rift Valley. A fellow passenger leaned across the aisle, smiling as though sharing a secret.
“You are going to my home,” he said, “You are going to love it. Sidama is paradise on Earth.”
Through the small window, the valley spread wide and ancient. Lakes caught the morning light, shimmering like glass, and ridges folded into one another, resembling monolith ochre waves frozen in time.
The descent into Hawassa Airport was sudden. A small strip of tarmac pressed between its namesake, the famous lake, and the surrounding hills. Fishermen balanced on narrow reed boats, nets flashing silver, while children waved at the fence as the wheels touched down. This is Sidama, one of the world’s most famed coffee-growing regions. And the destination for the next week, where we would be making the first film in a new series about the origin of the world’s most storied coffees: "Bacha Coffee — Journeys To The Source". Welcome to Chapter 1: "Ethiopia: The Cradle of Coffee".
Go Behind the Scenes