rockbern /rok-b3:n/
WHO We Are
noun
A virtuous devotion to invent, to discover, to craft, to create, to make great tasting coffee. (we crafted this up too) 
The Rockbern odyssey began in 1998 when a young man found himself working in his grandfather’s coffee farm while transitioning to the University. What began as a means to earn pocket money (to buy jeans), unexpectedly evolved into a valuable apprenticeship, reinforcing a timeless lesson that; excellence is never an accident, instead it is intentional and demands sincere effort.
Throughout his university years and beyond, Peter grappled with the task of re-imagining and demystifying a deeply ingrained colonial ideology. The notion that coffee was merely a ‘cash crop’ for export, with indigenous actors relegated to the periphery as mere producers. This proved to be both alluring and challenging in equal measure.
In life, transformative ideas often emerge from a confluence of many forces that are both harmonious and contradictory e.g. obligation, frustration, rebelliousness against status quo, discomfort from ‘learned helplessness’, passion, creativity and thirst for adventure.
In 2012, armed with nothing else other than conviction of their faith and trust in God, Peter together with Bernice decided to embark in a bold endeavour, giving rise to a bespoke brand synonymous with refined craftsmanship and distinctive coffee.
Our journey has been marked with new hurdles each day that are met by determined hurdlers. It’s been one enjoyable voyage of discovery guided by the principles of; high quality, consistency, authenticity and holding the smallest detail to the highest standards. This has enabled us to foster a thriving community in each and every continent.
Driven By These Ethos
We take immense pride in our roots as coffee farmers, a tradition passed down through generations in our families. This lineage grants us a profound understanding of the challenges faced by coffee growers, as well as the solutions needed to infuse them with a renewed sense of joy for their craft.
Driven by this ethos, we’ve cultivated a global community of conscientious producers and partners who share our commitment to sustainability and compassion. Through dedicated investment of time and resources, we’ve amassed a wealth of knowledge to underpin our Sustainable Sourcing and Traceability model.
We embrace an unapologetic pursuit of excellence, constantly pushing the boundaries of craft coffee. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity, we eagerly explore new methods, varieties, and approaches that enrich our community’s experience.
When it comes to roasting, our goal is simple: to respect the farmers’ hard work by honoring each coffee’s unique character by roasting it with precision to bring out the best in it. Our approach accentuates sweetness, juiciness, balance, and body while spotlighting distinctive flavor notes. Achieving this level of mastery demands countless hours of practice, coupled with state-of-the-art equipment. We continuously refine our skills in quality control, cupping, and roasting, utilizing both our commercial roaster for larger batches and our Probat UG 22 for Nano and Micro lots. Before reaching your cup, every bean undergoes meticulous sorting, destoning, and packaging, adhering to stringent food safety standards; FSSC22000.
Our secret ingredient? It’s the essence of Rockbern – uniquely ours and woven into every aspect of what we do.
Our Heritage
Our grandfather was a renowned Kenyan coffee farmer. He was among the first group of independent coffee farmers to plant the SL28 and SL 34 around the volcanic highlands of Mt Kenya in Kirinyaga. Due to his great passion and desire to understand what makes great coffee he opted out of the larger cooperative society and established Mwendia Estate. He was farmer no 29 in Kenya to pursue this path.
We are very proud of the fact that the undiluted knowledge and exacting standards have trickled down to us as the third generation.
Our Culture
Deliver WOW effect through great coffee and services
To WOW you must differentiate yourself, which means doing something different and unconventional. We strive to influence using a new coffee culture and stoke new trends by offering the best creative products and experiences that have an emotional impact on our customers.
Purpose Driven
You can only register success by fulfilling your purpose. At Rockbern, we are inspired and resourced by God to fulfill a certain purpose in the coffee industry while enhancing His Kingdom.
Happiness
At Rockbern we are conscious of the fact that we are not only striving to offer our customers high-quality products but a brand that truly stimulates their happiness, that’s the essence of any good coffee. Happiness is contagious too, hence, we have deliberately cultivated a culture of being happy at all times.Happiness binds our spirit and gives us a strong sense of identification with the whole mission.
With God we win
At Rockbern we draw our inspiration from Almighty God, we have tethered our Goals, Dreams and Aspirations to this pillar hence we are always confident of success knowing God is with us.
Passion and Determination
We are inspired because we love what we do, we believe in what we are doing and we believe in where we are going. We love and understand coffee both as a beverage and as a culture and believe in offering the best experience to our customers.
Deliver WOW effect through great coffee and services
To WOW you must differentiate yourself, which means doing something different and unconventional. We strive to influence using a new coffee culture and stoke new trends by offering the best creative products and experiences that have an emotional impact on our customers.
Purpose Driven
You can only register success by fulfilling your purpose. At Rockbern, we are inspired and resourced by God to fulfill a certain purpose in the coffee industry while enhancing His Kingdom.
Happiness
At Rockbern we are conscious of the fact that we are not only striving to offer our customers high-quality products but a brand that truly stimulates their happiness, that’s the essence of any good coffee.
Happiness is contagious too, hence, we have deliberately cultivated a culture of being happy at all times.Happiness binds our spirit and gives us a strong sense of identification with the whole mission.
With God we Win
At Rockbern we draw our inspiration from Almighty God, we have tethered our Goals, Dreams and Aspirations to this pillar hence we are always confident of success knowing God is with us.
