Fiji travel: The coffee business supporting communities through every cuppa

Bula Coffee is made from 100 percent wild beans. Photo / supplied

Luke Fryett from Bula Coffee talks about island life, creative hotspots, and growing wild beans in the bush.

I had a cafe in Tauranga before moving to Fiji. I had always associated coffee beans with brown beans used to make coffee, it had never occurred to me it was fruit on a tree. It was fascinating to learn about the whole process from the cherry to the cup - it's very intricate and there are lots of variables to getting the perfect bean.

Bula Coffee owner Luke Fryett says helping local communities is just as important as crafting a good brew. Photo / Aaliyah-Rose Fryett

Bula Coffee also helps some of Fiji's remote villages get a good sustainable income. We're unique in that our coffee is 100 per cent wild harvest, the beans are grown in the bush the way nature intended them to grow, no chemicals or anything added to them, just sunlight, rain and the goodness from the Fiji soil. The altitude they are grown at also gives them a good strong taste.

Sustainability isn't just important to the business; it is the business. I love the whole process of getting the perfect cup of coffee, however, our main purpose is to make sure that as well as a great cuppa, we're also giving people in the villages a better shot at life. If we had found peanuts growing in the wild instead of coffee, then we would have learnt the ins and outs of growing peanuts to ensure a good sustainable income for the locals. Everything we do is based around our set of values.

Fiji's only locally-grown coffee brew is a hit with locals and visitors. Photo / supplied

We are about 10 minutes on the Nadi Side of Sigatoka town, located on the beach, with a small coffee farm and processing plant. Alongside our Bula Coffee HQ, another great spot for food and drinks is Retro Cafe, which is right on the Queens Highway at the Cuvu Market.

For a creative fix alongside your coffee fix, Peter Lancaster Lithography press and art gallery is the place to see some epic local talent or spend a day making your own artwork. Hot Glass Fiji is just up the road as well, you can stop into their studio, or book a class to make your own glass cup or plate to take home, it's really cool.

When it comes to the best time to visit Fiji, I always enjoy mid-May to end of September. The days are nice and warm, but the nights are cool, perfect for toasting marshmallows on a bonfire at the beach.

For details, see bulacoffee.co and fiji.travel