OUR SOURCING ETHOS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ABOUT US
Our story began in 1985 when our founder first started selling coffee in the heart of Bristol. A deep passion for quality and a commitment to good oldfashioned customer service have been the backbone of our success, driving our year-on-year growth since our inception. From the start, we’ve been dedicated to not only delivering exceptional coffee but also ensuring that every step of our journey is marked by transparency and respect for both people and the environment.
Now a mid-stream coffee roaster spanning three generations, we pride ourselves on our industry-leading coffee collections and our unwavering commitment to sustainability. We are passionate about not only producing the finest coffees but also ensuring that our entire supply chain, from farm to consumer, operates transparently and with care for the environment. By focusing on sustainable practices, we aim to minimize our environmental footprint and contribute positively to the communities and ecosystems where our coffee is grown.
While many specialty coffee roasters select only the ‘cream of the crop’ to wear the ‘specialty coffee badge,’ our philosophy goes beyond this. We believe in buying the entire crop, not just the highest-grade beans, and turning all of it into something special. This approach ensures that farmers receive fair compensation for their entire harvest, supporting their livelihoods and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. By embracing this holistic and transparent approach to sourcing, we honor the hard work of our farmers and contribute to a more equitable and environmentally friendly coffee industry.
OUR COFFEE ETHOS
We
work with special coffee
From crop to cup, we are passionate about creating positive experiences for the whole supply chain. We support initiatives at origin which improve the livelyhoods of the farms as well as promoting equality and better farming practices.
Fairtrade
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world and enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.
From fighting deforestation and climate change to building economic opportunities and better working conditions for rural people, the Rainforest Alliance is working to solve urgent environmental and social challenges.
Organic
Organic coffee means farmers don’t use unnecessary chemicals and pesticides - good news for plant and animal life. It’s also good news for farmers, organic certification means they command higher prices, on top of the Fairtrade premium.
CERTIFIED COFFEE
Certified coffees take one or more aspects of sustainability into account. This means the coffee was grown in a healthy environment, is economically viable for farmers, promotes fairness among farmers and workers, or all three aspects.
To us, certifications aren’t badges, they’re principles. We were an early adopter of Fairtrade coffee back in 1991 and we continue to help certified cooperatives grow and improve.
Rainforest Alliance
DIRECT TRADE COFFEE
We are commited to buying as much of our coffee direct from the producer as possible to make sure we have full control over our quality as well as making sure that producers are paid fairly Our target is to buy 80% of our coffee direct from the producer by 2025. (We need to leave a little room for certified coffee which comes from certified co-operatives).
We have 5 key targets for our direct trade coffee:
1. Full visability. We can tell you about the farm, the farmer and their story.
2. The farmer receives a fair, sustainable price. Always above the Fairtrade minimum.
3. Our farmers commit to sustainable farming methods and best practice and refute child labour.
4. A continued micro-lot program. We regularly get ‘one-of-a-kind’ coffees which are unique, inherently seasonal and above all; sensational!
5. Guarenteed quality! Whether its speciality coffee or commodity coffee, we will always portray the coffee in its best light.
FARM IN FOCUS
Mió is a coffee farm in Monte Santo de Minas, Brazil, that exports, imports, stores, and sells coffee. Coffee harvested with care by Mió workers.
A family owned / run farm that has been in the family for over 100 years, its owned by Carlos and Renata Pellicer and promoted by their daughter Ana Luiza Pellicer. We have established a great working relationship with the farm and it is the newest farm we have added to our direct trade portfolio.
The farm spans a total of 1,589 hectares. A third of the land is used for the coffee processing and milling facilities, some pasture areas and the plantation of eucalyptus trees, which is home to some lovely bees. The rest of the land is equally divided between the coffee trees and the native forest reserve.
MIO pride themselves on a 100% traceability guarantee for the entire crop every year. Each stage of the journey, from where the cherries were harvested, which trucks moved them, how and when they were processed, is tracked using satellite imagery. Being a technology-driven farm improves the farmworkers’ quality of life, ensures an abundant harvest and guarantees the highest processing standards for the crop.
FARMING CREDS
State: Minas Gerais BR Region Sul de Minas Coordinates 21°12’08.0”S 46°57’10.5”W
size 1,589.46 Hectare
OUR PROCESSES
Natural
A dry process, which doesn’t involve a wet-mill — considered the most ecofriendly coffee process there is. Used for most of Mió’s microlots to increase the fruity and citrus aromas while retaining the sweetness in the cup.
Honey
This involves the mechanical de-pulping of the cherries at the wet-mill while ensuring the mucilage stays attached to the beans. This sticky part of the cherry contains high amounts of sugar, resulting in a pronounced body and developed, chocolaty sweetness in Mió’s coffee.
The Farm
WHY WATER? WHY COFFEE?
85 million people around the world don’t have access to clean water. The majority live in isolated, rural areas – the same areas growing our coffee.
It’s wrong that while we enjoy the purest filtered water in our coffee, the communities at the end of its supply chain face a water crisis.
We bring clean water, sanitation and education to coffee-growing communities across the world.
Access to clean water changes everything. Child mortality rates drop. Girls can spend more time in school. Women can start their own businesses. And dignity is restored to communities.
‘Every coffee bean we sell, contributes to our cause of ending the water crisis in 3rd world countries within our lifetime!’
CAFE FEMENINO
The Café Femenino coffee program is one-of-a-kind ethical sourcing model committed to ending the cycle of poverty affecting women coffee farmers across the world. Café Femenino provides direct compensation to women farmers, along with the opportunity and resources to enact positive change in their communities and on their own terms.
We are proud supporters of the program and we roast several of their coffees.
This coffee stands for woman.
EQUALITY IN COFFEE FARMING
Women in remote and rural coffee communities face a host of challenges that keep them trapped in poverty. Many of these isolated women live in male-dominated societies and have very little financial control or decision-making power.
In 2003, 464 women farmers in northern Peru decided to change this dynamic by separating their coffee production from the men’s. In that moment, for the first time, this group of women created their own product and income. Their coffee cooperative CECANOR joined their commercial partner Organic Products Trading Company (OPTCO) to create Café Femenino—a gender-focused program to support social justice and empowerment for women coffee producers worldwide.
OUR ENVIONMENTAL IMPACT
Saving the future of our planet
Bridge Coffee Roasters is dedicated to leading the charge in sustainable practices within the coffee industry. We understand that our role goes beyond just providing high-quality coffee; it also involves a deep commitment to protecting our planet. Central to our sustainability efforts is the mitigation of carbon emissions associated with our operations. Coffee production and roasting can have significant environmental impacts, and we are fully aware of our responsibility to minimize these effects.
Understanding the environmental footprint of coffee production, we have implemented comprehensive measures to mitigate our carbon emissions. We have now been officially carbon assessed by Carbon Footprint Ltd., which allows us to accurately measure our emissions across all areas of our business. With this detailed assessment, we are strategically investing in impactful projects that not only offset our current emissions but also help us achieve our ambitious goal of being certified as carbon negative by 2025
To ensure our operations meet the highest environmental standards, we hold ISO 14001 environmental accreditation, a globally recognized standard for environmental management systems. This accreditation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to minimizing environmental impact and continually improving our sustainability efforts.
TREE_LLION PROJECT
At the roastery, we are proud to support the Tree_llion Project led by Daterra Estate, one of our key coffee partners in Brazil.
As a carbon-negative coffee farm, Daterra is committed to environmental sustainability and aims to plant 20 million trees by 2030 to further increase carbon sequestration and combat climate change.
By partnering directly with Daterra, we contribute to this ambitious project, helping to restore forests and enhance biodiversity.
CARBON NEGATIVE COFFEE
Our involvement with the Tree_llion Project allows us to have a direct impact on the environment. Through our donations and collaboration, we support the planting and maintenance of hundreds of thousands of Brazilian native trees across Daterra’s farm and surrounding areas. This initiative not only promotes reforestation and agroforestry but also protects watersheds, controls erosion, and supports urban tree planting, contributing to healthier ecosystems.
We believe in the power of collaboration and transparency. By working closely with Daterra, we ensure that our support aligns with their sustainable practices and community-driven approach. All planting activities are carefully managed and monitored, respecting local ecosystems and following national and local regulations. Our shared goal is to create a positive, lasting impact on the environment while fostering a transparent and sustainable supply chain from farm to cup.
CREATING BIO ELECTRICITY
We work with Bryn Group, a local company, to convert all our roastery by-products into renewable energy. This includes the coffee chaff—the husks from the beans which are shed during the roasting process—as well as the hessian sacks used for coffee bean transport.
Through this initiative, these by-products, which would otherwise contribute to landfill waste, are instead transformed into a clean, green energy source.
This not only helps reduce our environmental footprint but also supports local circular economy practices, turning waste into valuable energy resources.
SUPPORTING ECOLOGICAL PROJECTS
The Forest of Mist
We support multiple reforestation efforts including the World Land Trust’s ‘Plant a Tree’ and ‘Buy an Acre’ programs, which focus on protecting and restoring vital ecosystems.
We were involved in World Land Trusts ‘Forest of Mist’ appeal to raise £1.5million to expand and protect the threated cloud forests of the Guanacas Reserve, helping to secure a future for this remarkable habitat and the species that call it home.
Buying Acres of Rainforest
We are deeply committed to preserving natural habitats and biodiversity, which is why we have partnered with the World Land Trust to purchase and protect acres of rainforest.
This initiative is part of our broader commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. By acquiring and conserving sections of rainforest, we help safeguard these critical ecosystems from deforestation and degradation.
This not only preserves the habitat for countless species of flora and fauna but also contributes to the global effort to combat climate change by maintaining carbon sinks that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
CONTACT US
Phone: 0800 092 8992
Email: hello@bridgecoffeeroasters.co.uk
Roastery Address: 1 Alder Avenue, Ystrad Mynarch, Cardiff, CF15 7TF
London Showspace: Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 7DA.