According to Boughtons Coffeehouse magazine "more and more coffee lovers are demanding
drinks that are sustainable from bean to cup" and The Bank Coffeehouse is doing exactly that.
By using only recyclable materials where possible, managing waste and ensuring coffee bean
farmers are being paid a fair price, the authentic coffee shop which continuously develops
in the heart of Alrewas is minimising their impact on the planet as well as improving the
social and economic well-being of coffee-farming communities. So, as you take a comfy seat,
enjoy the peaceful acoustic tunes and sip on their specialty coffee, you can feel at ease in
knowing this coffee shop is doing its very best to be as sustainable as possible.
Judging the contents by its packaging
Although big brands such as Costa and Starbucks have been somewhat indecisive around the
idea of paper straws, exchanging plastic straws and cups for paper substitutions is really
the minimum coffeeshops can do to help the planet. Having mastered the use of recyclable
products from day one, you may notice The Bank Coffeehouse going the extra mile when
selecting their packaging. All drinks are sold in recyclable glass bottles, with many
customers delighted to pour their refreshingly cold coke from a-now-unique cola glass bottle
and even happier to be helping the environment. On top of this, the local coffee shop avoids
plastic milk cartons at all costs, and instead takes the old-fashioned option of having all
their milk delivered first thing in the morning in glass bottles. Isn't that a blast from the
past! Even better, if you have a reusable coffee flask, they are more than happy to pour your
coffee straight into there and you're good to go.
By all beans
The Bank Coffeehouse have their specialty coffee beans delivered all the way from Dark Woods
in Yorkshire, ensuring customers are getting the very best tasting coffee as well as being
completely sustainable. Whilst making sure their customers love their award-winning coffee,
knowing the coffee-farmers who produced it are being paid a fair amount is also vital to them
as a business. Their coffee suppliers trade directly with the farmers and are spending more
on their beans in order to produce high quality coffee. According to Caffeine magazine, by
buying directly from the famers, "the coffee is bought for a price three to ten times higher
than that of the commodity market". The benefits of this are that the coffee roaster knows
exactly where their beans are coming from and the farmers are getting their fair share of
profit. And because The Bank Coffeehouse has a strong relationship with their roaster, they
too know exactly where their beans are coming from, just ask! Oh, and guess what kind of
packaging they use to store their beans…
Managing waste
You may not realise it but food waste also has a big impact on the environment and
businesses who put measures in place to reduce this, make a real difference. The Bank
Coffeehouse is careful in predicting the right amount of food products needed on a weekly
basis to ensure as little as possible is going to waste, in fact very little is ever left
behind! As well as being strategic in how much food they order in, the food left on your
plate when you finish goes straight into a separate food waste bin that is quickly consumed
by some very hungry chickens at home at the end of the day. You may wonder why they get to
be so lucky… well, if you've ever ordered The Bank's popular avocado and egg on toast then
maybe you'll feel a little grateful to them too!
The Bank Coffeehouse is only a small independent coffee shop but is making a big
contribution to the planet and it's proving to be beneficial to business too. As they
continue to develop, they look for new ways to be sustainable and reduce their carbon
footprint whilst always putting their customers first… as if we needed any more reason to
love them.
by Alice Reilly