In the UK, it is estimated that consumers use between 2.5 to 5 billion disposable paper cups per year, with few of those reported as being recycled. With 76% of people who purchase hot beverages to go relying on single-use equivalents, the research reveals that more work needs to be done in order to shift consumers away from their reliance on disposable hot beverage cups.

There is a huge opportunity for takeaway hot drinks outlets to adopt simple practices to reduce the significant single-use waste produced. In the US, for example, many cafés and coffee shops offer reusable cups for sale, a discount to customers that use one, or have a cost-effective returnable cup program. Furthermore, many outlets offer seasonal reusable cups to entice consumers to buy and use them, particularly in the fourth-quarter (e.g., Starbucks signature red reusable annual holiday cup) and Earth Day (bright green cups are ubiquitous).

In 2023, to help reduce single-use waste and alter attitudes towards disposable items, more than a dozen cafés in Stirling, Scotland offer customers the option of reusable cup for to-go drinks in return for a £1 deposit. The deposit could be reclaimed at any café participating in the Ditching Disposables Stirling scheme. (Click here for the full story.)

The flexibility of returnable and reusables allow outlets to establish a concept that best suits its operations. By purchasing a given number of returnable cups, organisations can either collect a small deposit from customers, which is then refunded on return of the cup, or implement a borrow charge if the cup is not returned within a set period. According to the survey, some programs are even simpler, by trusting customers to return the cups and ensure a circular economy of reusables within the outlet.

“This survey clearly shows the opportunity on offer to forward-thinking catering outlets as they look to reduce their reliance on single-use packaging,” said Dan Dicker, CEO and founder at Circular&Co. “There’s a clear appetite for more returnable cup schemes and reusables among those buying takeaway hot drinks regularly, which gives businesses the opportunity to make significant commercial and environmental savings, all while improving their appeal to the growing number of environmentally conscious customers.”

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Hamburg based, Tchibo purchased the company back in 2016, and Capitol Foods in 2018 with each operating under its own name. Recognising the strong values and reputation for quality and sustainable practices, parent company Tchibo has taken the decision to consolidate its UK & Ireland businesses under the Scottish brand’s name. 

The single business will provide customers with a wider range of products from across the entire business portfolio whilst offering improved efficiency and service to its entire customer base. 

The recently announced investment in the Glasgow roastery has expanded its production capabilities, with new coffee products coming into the Glasgow HQ over the coming 12 months.  

The winner of Glasgow’s Most Outstanding Business at the Glasgow Business Awards in 2023, the company sees this move as one of the most exciting changes to the coffee market in a decade.  

Paul Chadderton, managing director, Matthew Algie said, “This is a significant moment for our business and particularly for our Glasgow HQ which is the beating heart of our business.  

“Coupling this move with the recent investment programme we announced back in April 2023 it places the firm in a very strong position to build upon our growth strategy and at a pivitoal moment in the coffee sector. 

“The majority of the senior leadership team, including myself, have all relocated to Glasgow as we continue to expand the capabilities of the site, including launching our new fully recyclable packaging, various new product lines and our training and development hub which is an industry leading centre for training the next generation of baristas across the UK and Ireland.”  

Coffee continues to be one of the fastest moving sectors, with the post pandemic boom in coffee drinkers showing no signs of slowing down. With the single company now operating under one collective vision, the team are excited to offer an even more customer centric operation.  

Paul continued, “We are seeing new markets emerge as businesses look to grow their sources of revenue. Sectors such as garden centres no longer simply use their cafes as a footfall driver but is a critical part of their income.  

“Matthew Algie is perfectly positioned to help these businesses and our staff are experts in helping firms get more out of their coffee offering. Whether it be helping firms move to more sustainable operations by using our carbon neutral products, or simply supporting local cafes in adapting to the ever-changing trends within the market- this new announcement will accelerate our ability to support out tens of thousands of customers.” 

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Measuring in at 8,000sqft, the new Starbucks location is the biggest store Starbucks has opened in the UK in recent years, spread across two floors to accommodate the busy shopping and tourist route. The first floor, where the main seating area will be, offers spectacular views of the Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street gardens.  

The 18^th century listed building used to be home to an HSBC Bank and had been vacant since 2021. The redesign and refurbishment carried out by Starbucks not only breathes new life into the building but also pays homage to the rich history and characteristic architecture of Scotland’s capital.  

Alex Rayner, vice president and general manager at Starbucks UK, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the local community and those visiting Edinburgh to our new Princes Street store. One of our largest openings in recent years, the design is all centred around highlighting the iconic local landscape, it’s an exciting way to close off the celebrations of our 25^th anniversary in the UK. 

“The store’s concept is a homage to Edinburgh – a perfect blend between old and new. The curved arch feature over the bar symbolizes the Edinburgh Vaults, but the main statement is undoubtedly the spectacular view of Edinburgh Castle.” 

The new store on 118 Princes Street represents an enhancement of the former Starbucks outlet at 120 Princes Street, which closed last month in anticipation of this relocation. All partners (employees) have been transferred from the previous store, and ten new jobs have been created in the local area. 

Repurposed from a vacant unit, the Edinburgh store is certified as a Greener Store, meeting 25 required standards, as verified by an outside auditor, across eight environmental impact areas such as energy efficiency, water stewardship and waste diversion. This brings the environmental impact of running the store as low as possible, as part of Starbucks ongoing commitment to sustainability and becoming resource positive. This also includes offering a 25p discount to all customers who bring a reusable cup when purchasing a drink.  

This latest store opening is another step in Starbucks plans for growth in the UK, with many more stores planned for communities across the UK, particularly in key city and drive thru locations and with a focus on innovative store formats such as smaller, digitally forward stores.

Customers visiting the new store will be able to choose from a range of beverages and food available from Starbucks Holiday menu. This includes the returning Toffee Nut Latte, Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, Caramel Waffle Latte and the brand-new Hazelnut Crunch Hot Chocolate. Starbucks® UK proudly serves a broad range of dairy alternative options for free.

Starbucks is committed to 100% ethically sourced coffee in partnership with Conservation International. The cornerstone of its ethical sourcing approach to buying coffee is Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices.  

The new store will be open from 07:00 to 21:00 Monday to Sunday. 

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The Pentawards, founded in 2007, has been a beacon of global excellence in packaging design, with its annual competition attracting over 30,000 entries from 95 countries over the past 16 years. eteaket’s recognition on this stage underscores its commitment to pushing the boundaries of sustainable packaging, the company says.

eteaket’s Retail Carton Sustainable Credentials

At the heart of eteaket’s success is its sustainability-focused novel construction design, which significantly reduces the use of production materials. The design allows for the creation of only six full cartons, compared to the 52+ that would have been required using traditional methods, resulting in an estimated saving of 75 square meters of aluminium in production.

The innovative box design enables sleeves to slide and lock securely in place, facilitating small manufacturing runs and eliminating overstock. This not only ensures a positive reduction in manufacturing materials but also delivers a fully finished, consistent, and professionally presented product with sustainability at its core. The award winning cartons mean they can create bespoke tea blends & retail artwork for companies including Scottish Ballet, Aberfeldy Whisky Distillery and Social Bite.

eteaket’s commitment to environmental responsibility is further evident in the materials used for the carton. Crafted with FSC certified card stock, the carton is fully recyclable, and the inner packet holding the tea is made from a biofilm called Natureflex, which is home compostable.

To reinforce their dedication to minimising environmental impact, both the packaging manufacture – J Thompson Printers, as well as the warehouse are located in Scotland, where the tea is hand packed, localising production.

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Established over 150 years ago, Matthew Algie has grown in recent years and with this investment programme, it will allow the firm to roast over 2,500 tonnes of coffee each year for its customers. 

The investment project will include the introduction of a new green bean handling and blending system, upgraded automation, new conveying systems, and state of the art packaging lines. 

In addition to the operational improvements, the investment will support the firms’ new sustainability strategy which will see the entire business become net zero by 2035 with its entire business operations, including supply chain, hitting the target by 2040. 

A new green storage area will enable hessian sacks to be replaced with larger 1 tonne transportation bags that will deliver a 90% manual handling reduction, as well as increased coffee container capacity. Shipping coffee in bulk containers from coffee producing countries to UK ports will increase capacity by 11%, and onward delivery to the Glasgow site will see a 25% capacity increase which will reduce costs and carbon emissions. 

Paul Chadderton, managing director, Matthew Algie said: “Matthew Algie has been an employer in Glasgow for over 150 years and our history of producing and distributing the best quality beverages is world renowned.  

“This recent round of investment builds additional capacity and will future proof the business to offer even more products to its customers.”  

The Glasgow roastery is already carbon neutral, but the firm recently launched its Net Zero Roadmap which details the investment and improvement programmes across the entire business in order to become net zero. 

Paul continued: “Equally important however is how these improvements will help supercharge our efforts to reach net zero, as by 2035 our operations in the UK and Ireland will be carbon neutral or better, with our entire value supply chain net zero by 2040. 

“This is a hugely exciting time for our business and particularly our Glasgow roastery as we look to continue on our growth trajectory whilst being the leading supplier of sustainable, high-quality beverages in the UK and Ireland.”  

Matthew Algie’s investment project has been enabled by support from by Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s national economic development agency. 

Rhona Allison, managing director of business growth at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Matthew Algie’s products are enjoyed by consumers across Scotland, the wider UK and Ireland. 

“This innovative project will enhance the company’s productivity and manufacturing capability whilst also reducing its carbon emissions, delivering 38 new jobs and safeguarding many existing roles in the process. Scottish Enterprise is delighted to support Matthew Algie’s growth, investment and ambition to significantly increase their productivity.” 

The investment work will be carried out around ongoing production and will be completed in Autumn 2023. 

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The programme is part of the Ditching Disposables initiative from Zero Waste Scotland, a pilot that ran in Portobello, Edinburgh in 2021, which saw six businesses in Edinburgh cut their use of single-use items by up to 99%. A total of 14 businesses across Stirling will now offer customers a reusable cup for a £1 deposit that can be refunded by returning it to any participating café. The initiative will last for six months, with other cafés able to sign up throughout that period.

Ditching single-use items is one of the most effective actions businesses can take to reduce their contribution to climate change. Much of the carbon emissions that are produced can be attributed to the products that we make, use, and discard — and single-use items are an avoidable contributor. Consumers use an estimated 16 billion disposable coffee cups each year. The single-use cups (along with lids, sleeves and stir sticks) are often made with hard-to-recycle materials like Styrofoam, polyethylene or polypropylene that are sent straight to the landfill. Ditching disposable items can not only help businesses close the gap on their own net zero goals, but they can also save money by negating the need to reorder items that are thrown away after one use.

The Ditching Disposables Stirling trial is being managed and funded by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government and delivered in conjunction with environmental consultancy Green Gain. Zero Waste Scotland aims to lead Scotland to use products and resources responsibly, focusing on areas that can have the greatest impact on climate change. Its goal “is to inform policy, and motivate individuals and businesses to embrace the environmental, economic, and social benefits of a circular economy.”

Commenting on the initiative, Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said in a statement, “Single-use items are emblematic of our throwaway culture, which it’s vital we change if we’re serious about tackling the climate crisis. Choosing to reuse is one of the best things we can all do for the environment, and the Ditching Disposables initiative has a proven track record of supporting businesses and consumers to live their best sustainable lifestyle.”

One of the cafés participating in the reusable cup scheme is Kings Park Pavilion, whose owner, Craig Wilkie, shared in a statement, “[we] signed up to Ditching Disposables to try and tackle the amount of single use disposable cups we use for takeaway drinks. Our café gets a lot of takeaway trade throughout the year, but particularly in the spring and summer months. We are really keen to monitor the impact of the reusable cups on reducing wasteful single use cups and lids.”

Wilkie said the programme represents a great opportunity to test the reusable cup model and looks forward to sharing the experience with other cafés in Stirling, adding, “we hope to work with our customers to engage them in the scheme and give them a better takeaway experience, whilst reducing waste, and hopefully saving money on disposable cups.”

In addition to Kings Park Pavilion, the 13 other cafés participating in the Ditching Disposables Stirling initiative (as of 3 April) include Luna CBD, Nooch Café, Piece Out (at The Peak Leisure Centre) Stirling Coffee, The Burgh, The Pend, The Smith Café, The Tolbooth, Toasted Stirling (formerly Voseba), Unorthadox Roasters, Victoria’s Coffee Shop and the Village Café (at The Peak Leisure Centre), and beginning in May, The Station Coffee House. (Participating cafés can be located by visiting: transitionstirling.org.uk/ditching-disposables.)

The Ditching Disposables Stirling will run until 5 October, and other local hospitality venues are encouraged to sign up throughout the trial.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Cairngorm Coffee has hatched the plan to future proof its Edinburgh city centre branch, which opened in 2014.

Such was its popularity among office workers and tourists that the Frederick Street venue alone turned over more than £250,000 in 2019.

However, with lockdowns, low footfall, and a staffing crisis caused by the “pingdemic”, the venue has since struggled and turnover was just £30,000 in 2020 and £55,000 in 2021.

Although city centre footfall dropped, Cairngorm Coffee thrived as online orders skyrocketed. The brand has since expanded its wholesale business and won a new legion of fans after opening in Bonnie and Wild at St James’ Quarter. The company’s Melville Street location continues to serve the West End of the city, as it has done since 2016.

Now Cairngorm Coffee founder Robi Lambie is hoping to restore Frederick Street back to its former glory with a business model ready for life in a post-pandemic city centre.

With less hustle and bustle to contend with, the Frederick Street cafe will cater to the change of pace and increasing interest in specialty coffee by transforming the branch into “an immersive coffee experience” serving limited edition beans from around the world.

Robi said: “We are doubling down on what made our “OG” location great back in the day – the experience – but this is a complete revamp. I don’t think it’s enough to just open a run of the mill specialty coffee shop anymore. So many people make great coffee so we have to do more to compete. While the roastery and Melville Street are flourishing, Frederick Street wasn’t best prepared for the pandemic and it has struggled to recover from it, so we’re going to be aggressive and relentlessly ambitious to make sure we’re ready for the cost-of-living crisis.

“We will stop at nothing till we’ve created the most well-rounded, immersive coffee experience possible. Visiting our shop will be an event, during which people slow down and truly appreciate the very best coffee, rather than just guzzle it on their way to work.

“We’ve renovated the space to return to the essence of what this shop was when it opened, which is all about community and bringing the very best coffee possible to our customers.  I love the idea of customers getting to know each other around one big table as they learn about coffee. We want it to be as approachable and welcoming as possible.

“I believe Frederick Street can be more than just a coffee shop. We’ve been inspired by some of the world’s top coffee venues that we’ve visited on our travels, like Coffee Collective in Copenhagen, Sub-Zero in St. Kilda’s, Aunty Peg’s in Melbourne, and George Howell Coffee in Boston. We want to bring the essence of what we love about them to Edinburgh, but put our own spin on it.”

The venue’s repositioning as an experiential brand home is the next step of a five-year plan devised by co-owners Robi Lambie and Harris Grant for Cairngorm Coffee to become one of the world’s leading coffee roasteries.

As part of this strategy, the company has recruited Adrian Manusco, one of the coffee  world’s most respected experts as Head of Coffee. The Australian who has more than 15-year’s experience in the industry is a Q grader (arabica), AST trainer and World Brewers Cup Judge.

Adrian, who has previously worked for Minor Figures and Five Senses Coffee in Melbourne, will curate the very best of coffee from around the world for the menu. On opening week, beans from Nomad in Barcelona, Spain,, Lucid in Belfast, Northern Ireland,  and Black & White in North Carolina, USA, will be on the menu alongside coffees from Cairngorm’s own roastery in Leith.

All coffee will be available as a limited edition – Cairngorm will only ever buy-in enough to make 50 cups of each whole bean.

Adrian commented: “We’re excited to be able to showcase the coffee we’ve been drinking at home and celebrate our friends in the global coffee community.

“Coffee is a natural product, which means it deteriorates as it ages. We’ll be freezing every coffee so people can taste it at its very best.

“Frederick Street will be a safe environment for people to learn to love specialty coffee. When you walk in through the door, our job will be to provide a truly curated service – we’ll spend time with every single customer. We’ll find the exact coffee that will suit your tastes: it’s our job to find what you really want, not what you think you want.

“I get that this all sounds incredibly pretentious, but we ask people to come with an open mind. We promise you the most welcoming, least scary experience possible – and you’ll leave appreciating coffee more than you ever thought was possible.”

Each customer will be guided through a choice of three different espresso beans and a wine-style hand-brewed filter menu with 15 different options – with plans for this to exceed 100 by the end of the year.

The cafe will open from 9am to 5pm on Wednesday to Sunday. The space will be used as a space for cuppings, recordings and events on Mondays, Tuesdays and evenings.

Long-standing barista Matt Mitchell will return to Frederick Street as head barista after a stint at Melville Place, while Hannah Dear has moved from Ledger Coffee Roasters in Wisconsin, USA,  to join the team as manager.

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An annual nationwide competition that seeks to identify the leading barista talent, Starbucks Barista Championships tests top baristas from every store across all four nations, to recognise the very best in class of Starbucks coffee craft expertise.

As the UK Champion, Fraser will now spend the next few months competing against Starbucks baristas from 43 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), in the hope of being crowned the best in region, this year’s 2022 EMEA Barista Champion.

Originally from Broxburn (Scotland), Fraser joined Starbucks Market Street store in St Andrews after leaving his university course in Medicine in October 2021. As a lifelong Starbucks fan, he was particularly intrigued by the stories behind Starbucks coffee, taking the time to learn about the craft behind each of Starbucks signature roasts before serving the hand-crafted beverages himself.

To be crowned UK winner, Fraser had to prove his expertise in tasting and identifying different Starbucks blends and their roasting profiles, detailing the different origins of Starbucks coffees around the world, as well as going head-to-head in a latte art showdown.

Competing in his first ever Starbucks Barista Championships against seasoned baristas was even more impressive as Fraser was the only finalist who had not yet been awarded Starbucks prestigious coffee master apron.

“Starbucks Barista Championships was an incredible experience, I never thought I was going to make it past the first stages, never mind win. It couldn’t have come at a better time – my confidence had taken a hit after I left university, and this was the perfect opportunity to have some fun and push myself out of my comfort zone,” Fraser added, “I urge all baristas to go for it when the next competition rolls around, it’s a great way to practice your craft, hone your skills in coffee-making and appreciate the art of perfecting the best flat white of your life!”

Ahead of the next stage of the competition, Fraser will be perfecting his latte art swan while enjoying his favourite Starbucks beverage the Blonde Roast White Chocolate Mocha, served warm with Starbucks Original Nut Blend and pump of hazelnut syrup.

Alex Rayner, general manager at Starbucks UK, said: “We are really proud of all our partners (employees) as they progress to the final stages of Starbucks EMEA Barista Championships, which will take place at our iconic Milan Roastery in Italy – a place where people can discover the art and science of coffee while celebrating everything that we have learnt about coffee over the last 50+ years.

“We want to wish Fraser and his fellow partners the best of luck for the international competition and look forward for seeing our talented baristas showcase their passion and coffee craft expertise, from bean to cup.”

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The Peak & Wild collection of three distinctive coffees, launching at the end of February, will become the roaster’s first range of climate positive coffees, meaning carbon emissions have been offset twice to have a positive, not a neutral, impact on the planet.

The concept has been developed in support of Matthew Algie’s partnership with The John Muir Trust – a conservation charity dedicated to the protection of wild places.

Through the collaboration, Matthew Algie is expected to help preserve and restore 1,000 hectares of Scotland’s rainforest over the next three years. Located across a few isolated pockets, mostly on Scotland’s West Coast, the rainforest is one of Europe’s most precious habitats which provides a nature-based solution for capturing carbon. Due to its high levels of rainfall and mild temperatures it has a unique biodiversity which is now in danger of going extinct, with climate pressures, increased herbivore grazing, nitrogen pollution and the invasion of non-native species all contributing to the problem.

Available to coffee shops and hospitality operators from 28 February, Peak & Wild will also help as many as 2,500 young people across the UK achieve their John Muir Award. The award encourages participants to experience nature, engage in conservation initiatives and help secure the future of conservation.

It is the latest venture from the coffee roaster which has a long history of championing sustainable initiatives. In addition to being the first roaster to introduce Fairtrade espresso to the UK 25 years ago, Matthew Algie was the first in the world to offer triple certified coffee and to achieve Carbon Neutral International Standard.

Jill Wotherspoon, head of brands at Matthew Algie said, “Peak & Wild is the culmination of years of experience in crafting exceptional coffee which is sustainably produced.

“It is our most ambitious project to date, and we are incredibly proud to be working alongside The John Muir Trust to restore vast areas of precious and endangered habitats and to be bringing young people closer to nature by inspiring an appreciation of the outdoors.

“Few people know about Scotland’s rainforest, but it is a hugely significant area for biodiversity that plays a crucial role in tackling climate issues by naturally locking up huge amounts of carbon. Not to mention being the home to thousands of different species of animals and plants, some of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

“That is why this partnership works so well. We need to both repair and protect our rainforest whilst informing people about the role it has on our everyday life. What better way to spread the message than through our network of café customers.”

The beautifully presented range includes Bracken, a bright and enduringly fruity blend with a sweet aroma and perfectly balanced body; Bramble with sweet dried fruit notes and the heady scent of wine and ripe plum; and Brazil Santa Izabel, a single origin coffee distinguished by its velvety body and sugar cane sweetness.

Never stock-piled, each of the coffees is delivered fresh from the roastery for the optimum flavour, body and aroma, says the company. Following the initial launch of 750g bags for cafes, Matthew Algie will also release 227g whole bean retail bags to allow customers to prepare the coffee at home.

Adam Pinder, Head of Income Generation at the John Muir Trust, said, “Scotland has the highest quality and quantity of rainforest in Europe, but only 30,000 hectares of this vital habitat remain.

“The John Muir Trust cares for areas of rainforest on Skye, Knoydart, Quinag and the Nevis range, each of which are home to some of the world’s rarest plants. Our work to restore Scotland’s rainforest helps to tackle both the biodiversity and climate change crises, and we are delighted to have Matthew Algie’s support, not only on the land in our care, but engaging young people with wild places across the UK through the John Muir Award.”

“This partnership will provide valuable funds for the Trust’s work, while also raising awareness of this little-known but vital habitat.”

To find out more about Matthew Algie, visit: matthewalgie.com.

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The independently owned roastery, which is a leader in sustainable practices, has unveiled its climate pledges at the same time it will be serving its coffee to delegates attending the crucial COP26 summit. 30 cases of triple certified Darwin coffee have been supplied to event organisers ensuring world leaders can enjoy 25,000 cups during the two-week summit.

As well as supplying its carbon neutral coffee to the world’s most influential politicians, the roaster will also be showcased at the summit as an example of what businesses can do in this field, featuring as a key case study for One Carbon World’s webinar on 8 November.

Matthew Algie was chosen due to its long history of championing sustainable initiatives. It became the first roaster to introduce Fairtrade espresso to the UK and the first in the world to offer triple certified coffee. It was also the first roaster globally to achieve the Carbon Neutral International Standard.

The roaster has also joined forces with John Lewis and Marks & Spencer and 25 other businesses to sign a pledge ahead of COP26 urging leaders to take action to protect farmers’ livelihoods.

Matthew Algie is also focused on building upon these achievements with a new strategy designed to reduce its carbon footprint, support coffee farmers around the world, and further engage with environmental initiatives closer to home.

Among its pledges is a commitment to working with farming partners in the Global South to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Coffee farmers face increasing pressures caused by the climate crisis, and Matthew Algie is working directly on solutions with farmer organisations and supporting them through Fairtrade and organic financial premiums.

Matthew Algie estimates that the premiums the roastery will contribute in 2022, which could fund anything from training on sustainable practices; to crop diversification; to new equipment, will equate to around £1.5m extra revenue to farmers.

At home, Matthew Algie is also actively seeking a charitable partner for 2022 in a bid to support more environmental initiatives in the UK. In additional to a substantial annual donation, it aims to use its network of cafes to drive awareness of the cause and deliver extended fundraising.

Ewan Reid, managing director of Matthew Algie said: “COP26 is arguably the most important climate event in our lifetime so it is hugely encouraging to see our coffee being used as a symbol of how responsible businesses can rise-up to the challenge of climate change. We have been supplying tea and coffee for more than 150 years, but this is the most notable and high-profile event we have ever been involved with.

“Sustainability has been at the heart of everything we do for more than three decades, and we continue to strive to find ways to reduce our impact on the world around us, while also working with our partner farming communities to understand and help mitigate against the climate crisis.

“Like everyone else, we are on a journey with sustainability and we don’t have all the answers to these challenges, but we are constantly questioning what we do while working closely with leaders in this field to educate and explore new innovations that can make a difference.”

The ‘How Your Business Can Save the Planet’ webinar will be delivered by One Carbon World on 8 November at 09:30. Further details and tickets can be secured here: www.onecarbonworld.com/event-details/how-can-your-business-save-our-planet

For more on Matthew Algie’s sustainability journey, visit: www.matthewalgie.com

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The striking studio on Edinburgh’s Leith Walk is a specially designed space that showcases PekoeTea’s range of teas with a stone topped central counter, at which customers can sit and experience flavours ranging from white, green, black and oolong teas to Kinnettles Gold Scottish Grown Tea, Cherry Sencha Green Tea, Chocolate & Coconut Black Tea and a range of single malt whisky teas. With a sleek hot water tap dispensing water at a variety of temperatures, teas are brewed especially for visitors, who will gain an insight into the unique teas and blending process behind PekoeTea.

Customers will also be able to see the dedicated blending area, with walls clad with more than 30 base teas, 20 flowers, ten fruit flavours and a variety of oils, which combine to provide notes for PekoeTea’s renowned range of teas.

Group or bespoke tea tastings will allow visitors to find their favourite flavours, while tea blending sessions will allow customers to develop their own blend – all under the expert eye of the PekoeTea team.

Co-owner Esther Kungu Cooper said: “Our new tea studio will provide a base for us to share our blending processes and work more creatively as a team but, most importantly it will be a destination for tea lovers and aims to bring people together over delicious tea. We want to draw back the curtain on tea blending, revealing some of the aromas and flavours, which go into creating the perfect blend. This project has been planned for over 18 months, so we’re delighted to open the doors and share our love of teas from across the world with a wider audience!”

PekoeTea is run by Esther Kungu and Jon Cooper, who started the company more than 11 years ago with a base on Edinburgh’s Leven Street. Esther and Jon have developed a unique blending process that allows them to create their own flavours (instead of simply buying in pre-flavoured teas), alongside sourcing single estate teas from around the world. PekoeTea has created unique blends for some of Scotland’s most prestigious hotels and venues: from The Royal Yacht Britannia to Edinburgh’s Waldorf Astoria; Cameron House to Glasgow’s Mackintosh at The Willow. PekoeTea have also supplied the Japanese Embassy with Kinnettles Gold Scottish Grown Tea.

With a nod to Japanese tea ceremonies, the studio has been developed by award-winning interior designers, Splintr, who have added a washi paper screen and high oak shelves, lined with tea caddies, that reach up towards the original Victorian cornices. In a curious coincidence, the new studio is just a few doors down from what was originally a Melrose tea and coffee house, one of the historic tea producers and importers that has provided Edinburgh with such strong links to tea over the centuries.

The studio also allows the team to provide specialist training for wholesale clients and produce online workshops that can be used to spread the word to the company’s increasingly global audience. With an increased focus on their digital presence, the PekoeTea Studio also provides a useful creative space to facilitate product design and photography, alongside blend development.

Working directly with tea growers from Scotland to Sri Lanka, Kenya to China, PekoeTea sources the finest single-estate teas, to create unique handcrafted blends: the only company in Scotland to specialise in such blending techniques rather than relying on simply adding to pre-flavoured teas. Jon and Esther produce a range of teas: from black, white and green teas, to oolong, fruit and herbal blends. A selection of five whisky teas have also been specially blended by hand and flavoured with real Scotch single malt whisky; alongside a Fudge Tea.

Bespoke blends can be created privately for customers, and seasonal flavours like a comforting Christmas blend with flavours of apple, cinnamon, cloves, and orange or a summery Orange Blossom Oolong are also available at certain times of year. All PekoeTeas are loose leaf and many are also available in biodegradable pyramid teabags.

PekoeTea takes a comprehensively ethical approach to trading: from sourcing to selling teas. It is an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer.

For more information about PekoeTea, visit: www.pekoetea.co.uk.

The new PekoeTea studio will be open at 11 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8LN from Thursday to Saturday and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays by appointment.

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Catherine Franks of Steampunk Coffee Roasters and Café, North Berwick, has been recognised by the visual storytelling campaign #FoodHeroScot for her commitment to positive change, doing things differently and sharing her vision of a more sustainable business model. 

She wins an in-kind support package, including marketing and PR, worth over £25,000 – the first of ten such awards which will highlight the sustainability efforts of the successful brands. 

Launched in June 2021 by Medialiciously and its partners, #FoodHeroScot’s mission is to put sustainability at the heart of Scotland’s recovering post-pandemic food and drink industry and create a platform to connect conscious consumers with ethical and sustainable food and drink brands, as well as helping the brands with finding sustainable food and drink suppliers. 

The non-profit campaign, is supported by STV’s £1m Green Fund which champions the efforts of sustainable Scottish SME businesses by profile-raising, communicating with consumers and encouraging Scots to reduce their carbon footprint. It is also supported by leading Scots business figures including: Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder; Nick Nairn, owner of Nairns Ltd; Carina Contini, director at Victor & Carina Contini; Karis Gill, co-founder of Social Stories Club and Loral Quinn, CEO of Sustainably.

Catherine Franks began Steampunk Coffee in 2012 supplying coffee and cakes from the back of a vintage camper van at events including markets and festivals with coffee roasted in her garage. Steampunk supplied other cafes and ran pop-ups before moving to the warehouse at Kirk Ports which is the current home of their roastery and café.

She is thrilled with the #FoodHeroScot award and says: “It’s such a fantastic campaign and to get this recognition is hugely appreciated. It just shows everyone can make a difference. Our ethos underpins everything we do – it’s never an add-on.” 

Steampunk never serves bottled water, instead makes tap water freely available to customers and non-customers alike. Even through Covid, they promote the use of reusable cups. Catherine has long campaigned for re-usable cups and offers a discount to customers who use them. She has a tin refilling process – temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus – which she is very anxious to resume, and her coffee comes in fully compostable or recyclable packaging. They collect their food waste and disposables for composting and aim to educate customers about the need to dispose of compostable responsibly. 

“As a business we are conscious of the waste streams we produce and we want to ensure  that at the end of its life the waste from any of our packaging can be recovered and put into the correct waste stream. We also recognise that it is important to give clear information to customers about how to deal with the waste to ensure this happens.

“During the last year many people had more time to think about the world we live in and how we want to change it as we come out of lockdown. I think that kind of crystallised priorities for a lot of people.” 

Commenting on the first #FoodHeroScot award, Lee Fitzpatrick, managing director of Medialiciously and key founder of #FoodHeroScot said: “When we launched this campaign we were confident there would be great examples out there of businesses driven by sustainability and Steampunk is exactly that, a truly worthy inaugural winner. A number of other exciting initiatives are in the pipeline for recognition but we would encourage anyone who knows a real Food Hero to nominate them and highlight the great work being done to help the Scottish food and drink industry emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.” 

The campaign includes ten powerful mini documentaries on businesses or social enterprises that will be featured in coming months, shared on the #FoodHeroScot website and spotlighted through a media campaign delivered by STV, as part of their Green Fund commitment.  

To find out more about supporting positive recovery of the industry or for more details on how to nominate businesses in the food and drink sector, visit: www.foodheroscot.co.uk 

To find out more about Steampunk and their efforts to promote sustainability and to contact them directly, visit: www.steampunkcoffee.co.uk

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The Scottish brand, which has been supplying coffee to Five Guys, Amazon’s UK headquarters, Locke Aparthotels and Ole and Steen, is the brainchild of founder Lynsey Harley. Lynsey is one of the leading women in the UK coffee industry today, having been involved in the country’s booming speciality coffee industry since its inception, gaining some of its top accolades along the way.*

Harley founded Modern Standard Coffee with a vision to make great coffee for everyone and it is with this ethos that she launched her first café at 49 Barclay Place overlooking Bruntsfield Links. The café serves its own roasted and ground coffee sourced directly from farmer partners in origin countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala. These are ethically sourced speciality coffees made from the highest-grade beans in the world selected for their flavour, complexity, and aroma. Lynsey’s team then roasts, grinds and brews to an exceptional standard. These qualities set speciality coffee apart from most commercial coffee which is bought and roasted in bulk with less attention given to detail.

The café serves its award-winning Momentum Espresso as the house coffee, as well as rotating single origins from Bolivia, Colombia, Kenya, Ethiopia or Guatemala where Lynsey travels to source her beans from. There is decaf available and Lynsey is also planning to introduce a naturally low caffeine option, something that is relatively new to the UK coffee shop scene, but more popular in Europe. Fresh pastries and cakes from Wild Hearth and Bakery 101 are served daily and affogatos will be available in the summer months.

The original architect of the building at Barclay Place was Thomas Purves Marwick (1854 – 26 June 1927) a Scot specialising in the Free Renaissance and Neo-Baroque styles whose work is particularly important to the architectural character of the Bruntsfield and Marchmont areas of the city. Lynsey, who project managed the renovation, was keen to ensure a sympathetic approach to the re-design. Having spent time in Denmark and being the coffee roaster to bakery chain, Ole & Steen Lynsey was inspired by its design aesthetics when planning the interior for the café and hired Copenhagen based architect and interior designer Mia Borch Münster from Münster Copenhagen.

Harley says: “Adding some Danish design to Scottish architecture makes for a wonderful combination of old and new. I think we’ve lucked out hiring Mia. She totally understood my vision a comfortable light filled space to relax and enjoy a bit of hygge. Opening with pandemic restrictions in place means that the café has been carefully designed to account for the welfare, safety and comfort of our guests.”

She added: “It’s been a long-held dream of mine to return to Edinburgh, where I went to university and where I had my first job in a big brand coffee shop, and open my own café. When I left the city there was little or no coffee scene and then the industry just exploded. Ever since that first job my passion has been for coffee. I have been lucky enough to travel the world discovering and buying great coffee so I am very excited to be able to bring, what I think is, the very best coffee in the world to my old home-town. With our roastery based in Glenrothes, the beans don’t have too far to travel either.”

Modern Standard Coffee’s new café address is 49 Barclay Place, Edinburgh. The café is open seven days a week, 8am – 3pm.

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In a newly released study, Harvey Water Softeners took the top 50 largest cities (by population) across the UK, and reviewed the amount of people who searched for tea on Google per month for 20 types of popular tea over the last two months, to see which cities have been drinking which tea the most during lockdown. The research revealed that with more than 40,500 average monthly searches during this period, Yorkshire Tea took the top spot. According to the findings, searches for Yorkshire Tea increased considerably during lockdown, with just 14,000 searches for Yorkshire Tea across the whole of the UK pre-Covid-19.

The second most searched tea was “green tea” – apparently there was no specific brand search, just a general search for green tea – which had an average of 27,100 searches per month. PG Tips came in third with 14,800 searches, followed by Pukka Tea, Tetley Tea and Twinings Tea all with 12,100 searches. Rounding out the top 15 tea searches in the UK, per Harvey Water Softener’s findings, are:

• White tea: 8,100
• Earl Grey: 6,600
• Clipper Tea: 6,600
• Darjeeling: 6,600
• Whittard Tea: 5,400
• Turkish tea: 4,400
• Masala Chai: 3,600
• Assam tea: 3,600
• Typhoo Tea: 2,900

The leading brand may have changed, but one fact remains — black tea still reigns supreme in the UK. Although, green tea is definitely gaining interest among British consumers as it was the second favorite searched tea, landing in the top three searches in every city in the UK per Harvey’s findings.

The Surrey, England-based company’s research revealed that Yorkshire Tea hit the top spot for every single Yorkshire town and city. Yorkshire Gold, a tea brewed specifically for hard water, appeared in the top three spots for both the cities of Poole and Swansea. According Harvey, these areas are well known for having hard water.

Newcastle is the only place in the UK where Earl Grey landed in the top three spots, while Bristol is the only city in the UK without green tea or Yorkshire Tea as their top tea, with the Pukka brand being their top searched tea during lockdown. (Pukka Teas are more premium-priced fruit and herbal teas that also include organic and wellness tea lines.)

Scotland and Northern Ireland consumers’ tastes seem to differ from consumers in England and Wales, with Tetley Tea hitting their top three overall.

Although Harvey Water Softener’s findings offer insight into the purchasing decisions being made through search data on the favourite brands of tea, they do not actually report the “most purchased teas” online, just the “most searched teas.” So, while Yorkshire Tea might have the top spot among online tea searches, it might not necessarily be the most purchased tea in the UK — online or offline.

The family-run manufacturer of water treatment products did note that no matter what tea consumers prefer, tea lovers across the UK will want to avoid water with a higher proportion of certain minerals, such as calcium, as these minerals could negatively impact the quality of the taste of the tea, as well as building limescale on kettles.

The company further explained that calcium, in particular, has been known to react with the flavonoids in tea, creating a film that floats around on the surface of a cup of tea. According to Harvey Water Softeners, “many people find that hard water causes a limescale build-up in your kettle, making it a pain to use, flakes of limescale in your tea and the kettle becomes less efficient and costs more in energy bills over time.”

And that’s the tea — enjoy your favourite cuppa!

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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Started in 2016 by Mark Wilson, the idea behind Blendly was to create a one-stop online coffee roasting and blending service for Baristas and cafés owners.

After the national lockdown was announced, Wilson decided to open Blendly to customers of these cafés to either buy coffee blends created by their favourite cafés, or create their own.

In opening to domestic customers to buy coffee blends, the Blendly is giving businesses that are currently closed or operating at a reduced capacity a chance to reach customers they might not normally be able to.

Visitors to the Blendly website can start creating their own coffee blend or buy from ready made batches. Created blends can be shared electronically with QR codes or referral links.

Blendly offers both individual purchases and a subscription service – Barista Home, from £4.99 per month. Commercial plans start at £12.99 per month.

The team at Blendly said: “People are always looking out for products that identify with them, reflecting their character and personality, traits that are unique to themselves.

“The coffee market has grown significantly over the past 20 years and blends are consistently evolving to accommodate changing palates and preferences. These are amongst the many reasons why more and more people are switching away from their usual coffee brands to Blendly.”

For more information, visit: blendly.co.uk.

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Working with One Carbon World, Matthew Algie verified its carbon footprint methodology and results, and offset its emissions by purchasing certified credits from a tree planting project in Uruguay and a wind energy project in India. As a result, it is the first roastery in the world to achieve the Carbon Neutral Gold Standard. One Carbon World is an initiative which aims to reduce climate change and assists organisations in achieving carbon neutrality over the next four years.

As part of its commitment to net zero emissions, Matthew Algie has also joined the UN Climate Neutral Now Initiative. Launched in 2015, this scheme aims to encourage and support all levels of society to take climate action to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century, as set out in the Paris Agreement.

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The company will open in a 1,997 sq ft unit located on the first floor of St. Enoch Centre as part of ambitious plans for the Australian coffee house which reportedly intends to open a further 13 other locations in the UK over the next two years.

The Retail Food Group-owned chain, has more than 1,000 coffee houses across 39 countries worldwide including over 460 in Australia.

Nicholas Brill, director of international for Gloria Jean’s Coffees, said: “Gloria Jean’s Coffees is very excited to be entering the UK market, and we’re looking forward to seeing two stores open, one in Scotland and another in London, which will be open to the public within the first half of 2019.

“The stores will feature the new logo, retail design, a fresh menu and our customer service will reflect the values of the Good Cup coffee philosophy. Good Cup ensures that we deliver speed, quality and consistency of product with every coffee and that’s something our team is committed to every day.”

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