The journey of a coffee bean begins long before roasting—it begins in the field, in the cherry. The method of harvesting matters hugely, especially for premium estates. As one blog states: selective picking by hand ensures that “only the fully ripe, red cherries are harvested. Skilled farmers carefully pick each cherry at its peak ripeness, ensuring that every bean inside has developed the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.”[1]

At Melkodige Estate, this approach is foundational. Harvesting is performed manually, ensuring that only cherries with optimal colour, firmness and sugar content are picked. This avoids the inclusion of under-ripe or over-ripe cherries—both of which can negatively affect flavour. For instance, one article notes that hand-picking allows visual inspection and leads to “coffee cherries picked at the proper ripeness produce beans with a more balanced and nuanced flavour profile.”[2]

Because the terrain at Melkodige is mountainous and shaded, mechanised harvesting is neither effective nor desirable—manual picking remains the gold standard. Indeed, for steep slopes and shaded plantations, hand-picking is often the only viable option.[3]

From cherry to cup, every step in the chain matters. By ensuring that only the correct cherries are harvested, Melkodige sets the stage for processing excellence and flavour integrity. The hands in the field are the first link in the chain of mastery that ends in your brew.