ABOUT US & Our coffee
Opening your own business is an aspiration for many people, and for Jono, he was determined to turn this dream into a reality.
His journey to Portobello started on a road trip through Europe with his wife, a Peugeot 206 and all their belongings. Final destination: Edinburgh. Their plan was to open a mobile coffee and piadina stall (which is a type of Italian flatbread). This would one day become Tani Modi on Hanover Street, their family business, and home away from home.
7 years later, it seemed it was time for another adventure
Ben is originally from Rwanda and first moved to Edinburgh in 2015 to study at Edinburgh College
Like many students, coffee was something that would help him meet his deadlines and get up for early lectures, but he struggled to find good African coffee in cafes and on UK shelves, with South-American beans dominating the market here.
Ben grew up playing in Rwanda’s green and lucious coffee fields and his fond childhood memories provided the inspiration for Rafikï Coffee, a business he started whilst studying, which brings high-quality African coffee and a taste of Rwanda to British soil.
It was their shared passion for coffee that first brought Ben and Jono together in 2020, and the pair quickly decided to embark on a new project: a coffee shop. After two years of lockdown and a lot of late-night takeaways, they came up with a vision for an empty shop on Portobello High Street.
They wanted to create a space that brings people together, a space where you can chill on your own or be social, somewhere where you can explore your creativity and a place to host events and exhibitions.
But above all they wanted to highlight the exceptional coffee and products from Africa and give back to communities in the continent that they both call home.
African coffee roasted in Edinburgh
All of our coffee is brewed from Rafiki Coffee beans. Rafiki Coffee is single origin, Arabica coffee with dark chocolate, caramel and citrus tones, combined to give a rich, flavourful brew. This coffee is Fairtrade, organic, and ethically sourced directly from farmers. Then, back in Edinburgh, the beans are freshly roasted to perfection before being used in our café and sold in our shop. Rafiki Coffee has an overall score of 88% on the Specialty Coffee Association Agency (SCA) scale. This is our delicious Tanifiki house coffee that we serve daily
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote African coffees on the global market and help to empower African farmers and communities by bringing the best and freshest coffee to Edinburgh.
Our Vision
More than a coffee shop, Tanifiki is all about community and collaboration. We believe that in order to help our communities and countries progress, we need to connect the best of both of our worlds. We know that Tanifiki can make a difference.
