UK tourist attractions pledge to banish single-use coffee cups, Californian coffee roaster breaks Cup of Excellence record, Compose Coffee reaches digital milestone with K-pop boost, Knoops’ crowdfunding campaign hits the ground running, UK coffee subscription start-up gets funding boost and Ziggi’s taps customers for honorary exec role
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A reusable cup at Blenheim Palace, Oxford | Photo credit: re-universe
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UK’s Blenheim Palace and Eden Project pledge to eradicate over 600,000 single-use coffee cups
UK tourist attractions Blenheim Palace and the Eden Project have joined forces to eradicate over 600,000 single-use coffee cups from their sites each year. Following re-usable cup trials with green-tech company re-universe last year, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and domed botanical garden have committed to a longer-term, larger-scale reuse programme.
The initiative sees visitors pay a £2 ($2.66) deposit for a reusable cup, which is refunded when the cup is returned. Oxfordshire-based re-universe links deposits with individual cups and tracks the journey from sale to return and wash and will provide Blenheim Palace and the Eden Project with access to real-time data to monitor and optimise their sustainability efforts.
California’s Angelino’s Coffee makes record $445/lb purchase at Ethiopia Cup of Excellence
US coffee roaster and retailer Angelino’s Coffee has broken the record for the highest ever price paid at a Cup of Excellence (CoE) auction in its 25-year history. The LA-based brand purchased 198lbs of a natural-process coffee grown by Basha Bekele Botusha in Ethiopia’s East Sidama Bensa woreda for $445/lb. The Ethiopian CoE winner beat the previous record of $400.50/lb for a sundried natural Sidama coffee from Ethiopia purchased by China’s LNK Coffee Trading DMCC in 2022.
K-Pop collaboration lifts Compose Coffee app membership to 15 million
South Korean coffee chain Compose Coffee has reached 15 million app subscribers, a milestone the value-focused operator has attributed to its Brand Ambassador partnership with K-pop star and BTS band member Kim Taehyung, also known as ‘V’. The Jollibee Foods Corp-owned chain launched its app in 2021 and had acquired 10 million users when it formally announced its deal with V in December 2023. The coffee chain gained more than two million new app users in the first two weeks of his partnership before reaching 15 million members on 12 September 2024.
Knoops raises over £1m in first day of Crowdcube campaign
UK-based premium drinking chocolate and coffee chain Knoops has raised over £1m ($1.3m) in the first day of its Crowdcube crowdfunding campaign – the fastest fundraise of any F&B company on the platform this year. The 21-store operator initially allocated £1m of its planned total £5m ($6.6m) investment round to crowdfunding but will now allow the campaign to run further.
At the time of publication, Knoops’ Crowdcube total stood at £1.2m ($1.6m), with a pre-money valuation of £29.1m ($38.6m). Knoops will make its international debut with a franchised outlet in Dubai, the UAE, in October 2024.
UK coffee subscription Beans Coffee Club receives new funding boost
Beans Coffee Club has secured a £100,000 ($133,150) expansion loan from start-up investment firm The FSE Group to expand its sales and marketing reach. The specialty coffee subscription offers more than 120 packaged coffees from 20 UK roasters, including Lost Sheep Coffee, Perky Blenders, Small Batch Coffee Roasters and Volcano Coffee via its delivery service. According to The FSE Group, Beans Coffee Club will use the loan to hire a new marketing executive and commission a marketing agency to enhance brand visibility, build its roaster platform and grow its customer base.
Ziggi’s Coffee seeking Honorary Chief Coffee Officer
Colorado-based drive-thru coffee chain Ziggi’s Coffee is offering customers the opportunity to become its first ‘Honorary Chief Coffee Officer’. Candidates have been asked to submit a 60-second video answering ‘What makes you qualified to be Ziggi’s Chief Coffee Officer?. The competition winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, free Ziggi’s coffee for a year and a trip to visit the coffee chain’s Washington-based roasting partner, Dillanos Coffee Roasters. The winner will be announced on National Coffee Day on 29 September 2024.