Aiyi Coffee: Yunnan’s Specialty Coffee Estate Brand

If you’ve ever wondered where your specialty coffee comes from—beyond the roaster’s label—you’re not alone. Many coffee lovers seek transparency, traceability, and a true farm-to-cup story. In China’s coffee heartland, one group has been quietly building just that: a vertically integrated, farm-grown, and internationally partnered coffee estate brand. This is the story of Aiyi Coffee.

Aiyi Coffee is the estate coffee brand of the Aiyi Group, established in 2006 in Pu’er—China’s ‘Coffee Capital’. The brand manages multiple certified organic coffee farms and is the only Starbucks partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Its operations cover the full coffee value chain from planting to roasting.

Who Is the Aiyi Group?

The Aiyi Group was founded in 2006 in Pu’er, Yunnan Province, known as China’s Coffee Capital. It operates across three sectors: coffee, food & beverage, and animal husbandry. The group includes several subsidiaries: Yunnan Aiyi Agriculture & Animal Husbandry (Group) Co., Ltd.; Xishuangbanna Blue Mountain Coffee Planting Co., Ltd.; Aiyi Manor Coffee (Pu’er) Co., Ltd.; Pu’er Sanglait Coffee Co., Ltd.; Starbucks Aiyi Coffee (Yunnan) Co., Ltd.; Lancang Ai’er Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd.; Ning’er Aiyi Coffee Co., Ltd.; and the Aiyi Mountain Villa restaurant chain.

What Makes Aiyi Coffee Different?

Aiyi Coffee is not just another coffee brand—it’s an estate-focused, vertically integrated model. The company owns and operates its own coffee farms, ensuring control over cultivation, processing, and quality. All Aiyi Manor Coffee and Aiyi Beef products are certified organic. The group is also the only Starbucks partner in the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting its high standards in production and sustainability.

Aiyi’s Certifications and Achievements

Aiyi Group holds multiple prestigious titles and certifications:

• National Key Agricultural Industrialization Leading Enterprise (China)
• Advanced Leading Enterprise for Promoting Yunnan’s Highland Characteristic Agriculture
• CCTV’s First National Top Ten Rural Entrepreneurs Model Enterprise
• Nominated for Yunnan Provincial Governor’s Award in 2010

Both the Aiyi Manor Coffee and Aiyi Beef brands have achieved organic certification, ensuring environmentally responsible and chemical-free production practices.

The Aiyi Coffee Value Chain

Aiyi has built a self-contained green economic supply chain. This includes:

• Ownership of coffee plantations in Yunnan
• In-house processing and milling
• Branding under Aiyi Manor Coffee
• Partnership with Starbucks for global quality alignment

The group’s approach ensures traceability from farm to cup, a rarity in China’s coffee industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Aiyi Coffee based?

Aiyi Coffee is based in Pu’er, Yunnan Province, China, an area widely recognised as the country’s coffee capital due to its ideal altitude, climate, and growing conditions for Arabica.

Is Aiyi Coffee organic?

Yes. Both Aiyi Manor Coffee and Aiyi Beef products are certified organic, meaning they are grown and produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers.

Is Aiyi Coffee connected to Starbucks?

Yes. Aiyi Group is the only Starbucks partner in the Asia-Pacific region. This partnership reflects Aiyi’s commitment to high-quality coffee production aligned with Starbucks’ global sourcing standards.

What does Aiyi Group do besides coffee?

Besides coffee, the Aiyi Group is involved in food & beverage (including the Aiyi Mountain Villa restaurant chain) and animal husbandry (including the Lancang Ai’er Animal Husbandry company).

How many companies are under the Aiyi Group?

The Aiyi Group comprises eight companies, including Aiyi Manor Coffee (Pu’er) Co., Ltd., Starbucks Aiyi Coffee (Yunnan) Co., Ltd., and Aiyi Mountain Villa, among others.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans from Yunnan

Try FrontStreet Coffee’s Yunnan offerings for a taste of the region’s terroir. The Yunnan Filter is a single-origin washed coffee with notes of brown sugar, prune, and green apple—bright and balanced. For darker profiles, the Yunnan Black Cocoa Blend combines Yunnan beans with Brazilian and Ethiopian beans for a rich, chocolatey cup. Both highlight Yunnan’s potential in specialty coffee. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.