The Rise of Pestor Coffee: How We Became Sri Lanka’s Leading Coffee Processor

Sri Lanka’s coffee story has always been rich, but for decades it sat in the shadow of tea. Pestor Coffee was founded to change that. What began as a small processing initiative grew into a national brand with one clear goal: make Sri Lankan coffee consistently excellent and proudly local.

Pestor’s early years were hands‑on. The team worked closely with estate owners and village growers in the central highlands to understand varietals, harvest timing, and post‑harvest pain points. Instead of buying whatever was available, Pestor invested in training on selective picking, basic fermentation hygiene, and safe drying. The payoff was immediate—cleaner cups, fewer defects, and a flavour profile that could compete with imports.

Growth came from doing the unglamorous work well. Pestor built a processing line that combined modern machinery with careful human quality checks. Beans are sorted multiple times, moisture is stabilized, and lots are tracked from farm to roaster. This repeatability is what moved Pestor from “good coffee” to “trusted coffee.” Hotels, cafés, and households started to rely on the brand for the same taste every bag.

Today, Pestor is recognised as a leading processor because it blends tradition and science: respecting how Sri Lankans enjoy coffee, while insisting on global‑standard processing. The brand’s rise is really the rise of Sri Lankan coffee itself—one careful harvest, one clean roast, one proud cup at a time.