Lillian Salil is a coffee farmer based in Uasin Gishu County in western Kenya, where she manages a 10-acre farm on the Plateau region. Her farm grows both Ruiru 11 and Batian varieties, which are cultivated and processed separately to highlight the unique characteristics of each varietal.
Through a partnership with Lot 20 Coffee, Lillian produces carefully separated single-variety lots—something relatively uncommon in Kenya, where many farmers traditionally harvest and process multiple varieties together. This approach allows the distinctive flavour profiles of each variety to be showcased more clearly.
Lillian’s farm is highly modernised, using drip irrigation and organic manure sourced from her commercial dairy operation. These practices support healthy coffee trees and allow for careful management of the farm throughout the growing season.
Coffee cherries are selectively hand-picked at peak ripeness before undergoing natural processing. In this traditional method the whole cherries are dried slowly in the sun before the beans are hulled, allowing the fruit to impart sweetness and complexity to the final cup.
