How Britain Accidentally Grew St. Helena Coffee

Most people have never heard of coffee from St. Helena—but the story behind those beans isn’t just about taste. It’s about empire, exile, and one of history’s strangest agricultural accidents. The tiny South Atlantic island, known mostly for being Napoleon’s final prison, also quietly grew some of the most historically significant coffee in the world. But how did coffee even get there in the first place? And why does it still matter today?

In short: in 1732, the British East India Company planted coffee trees—specifically Bourbon variety, brought from Yemen’s Mocha—on St. Helena, then a remote outpost in the British Empire. Over time, the island’s isolation preserved these historic plants, and the coffee gained renewed fame after Napoleon was exiled there in 1815.

The Island That Nobody Wanted

On May 21, 1502, Portuguese captain João da Nova spotted a steep, cliff-bound island in the vast South Atlantic while sailing home from the Cape of Good Hope. With just one sandy landing beach and surrounded by rugged cliffs, the island offered natural defences but harsh, windswept conditions. Uninhabited and free of dangerous wildlife, it seemed useless for settlement—but perfect for a supply stop. Da Nova named it Saint Helena, after the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine.

For centuries, the island served as a remote provisioning post for ships travelling to Asia, or as a place for sick sailors to recover. But beyond its strategic value, nobody paid much attention to Saint Helena itself—least of all for growing crops.

Coffee Comes to a Remote Outpost

While the rest of the world began catching coffee fever in the 1600s and 1700s, Saint Helena remained forgotten. That changed in 1732, when the British East India Company—keen to jump on the global coffee transplant trend—decided to grow coffee on the island. They imported Bourbon coffee plants (the classic Yemen-grown Typica-related variety, also called the ‘round bean’ coffee of Mocha) from Yemen’s port of Mocha. These plants were brought to what was then a British-controlled Saint Helena (taken from the Portuguese) and planted with minimal oversight.

The coffee was left to grow wild, with no real cultivation plan. The island’s isolation meant there was little maintenance, pest control, or structured farming. Still, the Bourbon variety took root. Over time, the island’s high elevation and cool climate proved unexpectedly suitable for coffee—even if no one yet realised its potential.

Napoleon Makes the Coffee Famous

For decades, the coffee plants grew in obscurity. That all changed after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Following his defeat by the British and Prussian forces, French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte was captured. On October 16, 1815, the British government chose the most secure and isolated prison they could think of: Saint Helena. They shipped Napoleon there, where he would remain until his death in 1821.

His exile brought global attention to the remote island—including its long-forgotten coffee. Though Napoleon himself wasn’t known to be a coffee enthusiast, the mere fact that his prison had its own unique coffee crop stirred curiosity back in Europe. For the first time, St. Helena coffee emerged from obscurity, linked forever to one of history’s most famous political prisoners.

Why This Coffee Matters Today

The original Bourbon coffee trees planted in 1732 were direct descendants of the Yemeni Typica strain—the same genetic lineage that spread across the world and became the foundation of most Latin American coffees. Though many of the original plantings have been lost to time, efforts have been made to preserve and revive St. Helena’s coffee heritage using surviving genetic stock and traditional techniques. The island’s isolation helped protect these old cultivars from the hybridisation and disease that affected coffee elsewhere.

Today, St. Helena coffee is a rarity—but also a symbol of coffee’s global journey, from Yemeni highlands to European empires, and eventually to your cup. Its story is a reminder that some of the rarest and most historically resonant coffees weren’t born in labs or marketing campaigns—they were accidental survivors of empire, exile, and neglect.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was coffee first planted on St. Helena?

Coffee—specifically Bourbon variety from Yemen’s Mocha—was first planted on St. Helena in 1732 by the British East India Company. The trees were left to grow with little maintenance.

Why was St. Helena chosen for coffee planting?

St. Helena was a British-controlled island in the South Atlantic used as a naval supply stop. In the 1700s, the British followed France and the Netherlands in trying to cultivate coffee outside its native range, and St. Helena was one of the remote sites selected.

What role did Napoleon play in St. Helena coffee’s fame?

Although Napoleon wasn’t a coffee drinker, his exile to St. Helena beginning October 16, 1815, after losing at Waterloo drew global attention to the island—including its long-neglected coffee crop. His presence made the coffee more widely known in Europe.

What kind of coffee was planted on St. Helena?

The coffee planted in 1732 was the Bourbon variety, originally from Yemen’s Mocha region. It is a Typica-related cultivar that was widely transplanted during the early global spread of coffee.

Is St. Helena coffee still grown today?

Yes, St. Helena coffee is still grown in limited quantities today, with efforts to preserve the original Bourbon lineage. The island’s isolation has helped maintain some of the original genetic stock.

Where is St. Helena located?

St. Helena is a small, remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean, discovered by the Portuguese in 1502. It served as a key stopover for ships and later became a British outpost and Napoleon’s place of exile.

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