Tagel Alemayehu

Tagel Alemayehu is a central figure in the contemporary Ethiopian specialty coffee landscape, operating as both a producer and an exporter through his company, Olkai Coffee. Founded in 2018, Olkai serves as the vehicle for his extensive experience in the coffee sector, which spans over two decades. Alemayehu’s connection to coffee is generational; he grew up in Bule Hora as the son of a local coffee trader who was instrumental in the region's infrastructure, having built the town’s first washing station and installed the first Pinhalense dry huller in the area. This early exposure to the technical and logistical demands of coffee production laid the foundation for his career.

Before establishing his own enterprise, Alemayehu spent approximately 15 years managing various washing stations throughout the Guji region. Notably, he managed one of the region’s earliest specialty-focused natural processing sites as early as 2004. This period of his career allowed him to refine his understanding of post-harvest processing, a skill set that remains a hallmark of the coffees associated with his name today. Interestingly, his professional background also includes time as a race circuit driver, an experience he credits with sharpening his discipline and ability to make rapid, high-stakes decisions—traits that have proven valuable in the fast-paced environment of coffee harvesting and export.

Olkai Coffee operates as a family-run business, with Tagel leading operations and his wife managing export logistics. The company maintains a significant footprint in southern Ethiopia, overseeing six washing stations distributed across the Guji, Bule Hora, and Sidama zones. These facilities serve as hubs for an extensive outgrower network. By cultivating long-term relationships with local farmers—some lots are sourced from networks of over 1,000 smallholders—Alemayehu has built a supply chain predicated on local trust and consistent quality control.

In practice, Alemayehu’s work focuses on the meticulous processing of regional varieties, such as Kurume and Dega. His stations, including the notable site in Hambela Goro, are recognized for producing high-quality natural-process coffees that exhibit the characteristic fruit-forward and floral profiles associated with the Guji highlands. The processing methods employed at these sites are designed to highlight the terroir of the specific woredas (districts) where the coffee is grown, such as Kercha, Birbirsa Kojowa, and Hambella Wamena.

For the roaster and the consumer, the 'Tagel Alemayehu' tag represents a commitment to traceability and regional expertise. Because he manages the processing infrastructure directly, he is able to exert control over the drying and sorting stages, which is critical for the consistency of specialty-grade Ethiopian coffee. His ability to bridge the gap between smallholder farmers and international roasters has made his lots a staple for specialty coffee companies seeking reliable, high-scoring, and distinctively flavored Ethiopian origins.

Today, the story of Tagel Alemayehu stands as a testament to the evolution of the Ethiopian coffee industry, where experienced local managers are increasingly taking the lead in export and quality management. By leveraging his family history and his own technical background, he has successfully transitioned from a station manager to an independent exporter, ensuring that the coffee produced by his network of farmers reaches the global market with its quality intact. His ongoing work in Guji continues to be a reference point for those interested in the intersection of traditional Ethiopian coffee culture and modern specialty processing standards.