From the Highlands to Clandestino: The Untold Story of PNG Coffee

Most people sip their morning coffee without ever thinking about how it got there. But in PNG, coffee doesn’t just “arrive.” It’s grown on steep mountain slopes at altitudes up to 6,000 feet, hand-picked cherry by cherry, carried up muddy tracks, and hauled along roads that peak at 7,500 feet before it ever makes its way to the mill. From there it’s dried, milled, sorted, and finally shipped to us in Noosa.

PNG has always been part of our story. Our name, Clandestino, comes from my dad’s days as a young pilot, flying clandestine missions out of PNG's hidden strips, often with cargo containing sacks of coffee and gold strapped in the back of the plane.

That spirit of adventure is still in our DNA, and last month I travelled to the Highlands together with Raf Buganha, our Roastery Manager. We set out to reconnect with the people and the land that produce one of the most honest, organic coffees on earth.  

PNG isn’t an easy place to travel. That’s the reality of going remote in an undeveloped country. It’s not about comfort. It’s about standing in the mud deep in the highlands during the daily afternoon rains, surrounded by the village and seeing how much human effort it really takes to produce something most people take for granted.

At Clandestino, we source coffee from Eastern Highlands for our staple Highland Coffee and main components of our house blend Magneto.

Reflecting on the trip, both Raf (a first time visitor to PNG) and I came home with incredible stories, new respect for the people who grow this coffee - and a solid case of crook guts. We have a better grasp of the supply chain having visited each step of the operation, and seeing firsthand the care and effort that goes into every bean. 

PNG coffee grows in smallholder plots in backyards among bananas, taro and sweet potato, usually under the canopy of trees. Unlike elsewhere, it isn’t farmed with tractors or sprayed with chemicals. Farmers pick ripe red cherries by hand, using nothing more than baskets and buckets, before pulping them on site with hand-crank machines.

The beans, now in parchment, are rinsed and laid out to dry in the sun and rotated frequently until they reach around 15% moisture. Only then are they bagged, slung over shoulders, and carried up muddy mountain trails to village collection points.

All of this work—every hand, every mile, every back-breaking step creates a coffee that’s alive with chocolate notes, bright juicy acidity and a depth you can taste in every cup. It’s proof of how much effort and pride goes into every bean long before it ever reaches our roaster.

At Clandestino, we don’t just roast coffee. We chase stories like these, because they remind us of the truth behind every origin. No suits. No shortcuts. Just soil, sweat, and the spirit of the Highlands.


So next time you sip our Highland Coffee, remember that it’s not just a drink. It’s the story of mountains and mud, of farmers hauling sacks on their backs, of trucks crawling along slippery cliff-hanging roads in the clouds, of mills working tirelessly around the clock to prepare beans for export. It’s history, resilience, and adventure in a cup.

Happy brewing!

Jaxon Taylor, Founder

Highland Coffee is grown and picked on rugged slopes of the Highlands. Direct trade. 100% pesticide and fertilisers free. It is a bold cup with a smooth mouthfeel and soft acidity, bursting with notes of roasted walnut, rich dark chocolate, maple syrup and green apple. 

Take it on an adventure in the limited edition of Miir cups with design inspired by the rugged rolling landscapes of PNG.