A house of specialists,
built around a single standard.
Founder-led. Team-run. Board-supported.
Shabaya operates across sourcing, roasting, teaching, hospitality and growth. Each function is owned by a specialist, working under one operating standard set on the bar and enforced at every step of the chain.
Martin Shabaya
Martin Shabaya.
World No.5 Barista. 4× Kenya National Champion. 3× Africa Champion. Sanremo Ambassador.
Martin founded Shabaya Limited to build the Kenyan coffee company he wished existed when he was learning. Full chain. African-owned. Priced and presented at world-class level.
He remains the working head of the Academy, the sensory lead for competition coaching, and the face of every brand-defining conversation. His time is protected by an Operations Manager and a Board of Advisors so the company can scale without diluting the standard.
- World No.5 · WBC Milan 2021
- 4× Kenya National Champion
- 3× Africa Barista Champion
- Sanremo Ambassador · Africa
Six functions. One standard.
Each Shabaya function is owned by a specialist. Team members are introduced by role and craft. Individual bios and portraits are shared with active clients and partners on request.
- OM
Operations Manager
Where the roastery meets the calendar.
Runs the day-to-day of the company. Roast schedule, wholesale fulfilment, Academy cohorts, event logistics. The reason everything ships on time and every account is looked after.
- Operations
- Fulfilment
- Client accounts
- HR
Head Roaster
Twelve minutes decides the cup.
Owns the roast profile for every single Shabaya coffee. Green analysis, curve design, sensory QC, and the daily calibration that keeps a signature blend tasting like itself across seasons.
- Roast profiles
- Green QC
- Sensory calibration
- HE
Head of Education
The palate is a muscle. We train it.
Leads the Academy day-to-day. Curriculum design, cohort management, sensory library, alumni programme. SCA-aligned across foundations, intermediate and advanced tracks.
- Curriculum
- Sensory
- Alumni network
- GS
Head of Green Sourcing
From the picker to the port.
Walks the farms. Runs the relationships with estates and cooperatives across Kenya, and increasingly Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia. Handles cupping-to-contract on every direct trade lot.
- Origin relationships
- Direct trade
- Cupping
- HH
Head of Hospitality
Wholesale, events, and the bar.
Runs wholesale accounts across cafes, hotels, offices, and embassies. Also leads private events: cuppings, corporate coffee bars, and the wedding coffee moment programme.
- Wholesale
- Private events
- Bar service
- HG
Head of Growth
The audience is a garden.
Owns the Journal, the newsletter, social channels, and the diaspora subscription programme. Connects everything Shabaya makes to the people who should be drinking it.
- Brand
- Content
- Diaspora growth
Board of Advisors.
Shabaya Limited is guided by a Board of Advisors covering coffee industry, hospitality, finance, and global brand strategy. The board meets quarterly to review the roast programme, the wholesale portfolio, and the strategic roadmap.
Advisor names, credentials and full bios are shared under NDA with active clients and partners on request.
- I
Advisor
Coffee industry
- II
Advisor
Hospitality
- III
Advisor
Finance
- IV
Advisor
Global brand
Careful people, high standards.
We hire for taste, patience, and self-direction. Every team member is expected to hold the bar at every step of the chain, from the picker in Nyeri to the guest at the table.
If you would like to be considered for a future role, or to collaborate with us, get in touch.