Shop Getachew Zeleke in Los Angeles, CA

Some of our favorite people—and coffees—start with the numbers. Getachew’s journey in coffee began not on a farm, but behind a desk as an accountant. A true bean counter. After saving up his birr, he bought a plot of land in Addis Ababa as an investment. In 2008, as urban real estate values rose, he sold the property. With the proceeds, he purchased land in Shakisso, and in 2009, he planted his first coffee trees. That was the start of Dimtu. Getachew began harvesting his own coffee and registered as a cherry buyer, sourcing from local outgrowers and selling dried cherry to the ECX. In 2016, with a shift toward specialty, he registered Dimtu PLC. Now operating his own farm and a washing station he built himself, Getachew focused on producing high-quality coffees from the highlands of Guji. Frustrated by delays and quality issues in dry milling, he took matters into his own hands and built a dry mill. Today, he oversees every stage of production—from cherry to export—ensuring quality, traceability, and sustainability at every step. This level of detail and dedication is exactly what we admire. Getachew’s work is a true reflection of what it means to be committed to quality. Tastes Like: muddled blueberry, fudge, bergamot