Our Story
JUST GREAT COFFEE
The idea for Barista & Co came about when James was sitting with his girlfriend, Louise sipping super sweet Caffe da coffee at a street coffee seller in Hanoi. With a push from Louise, within 2 weeks of his return, James had founded Barista & Co Coffee. His belief was that great coffee didn't need to be complicated. As a coffee lover (or you could say geek) with a background in wine and consumer goods, James thought the coffee he loved should be made accessible so more people could enjoy a higher standard of coffee at home. He wanted to do specialty coffee what the new world producers had done to win over the last 20 years. Make things clear to customers and keep it simple, there was no place for coffee snobs, just friendly advice and exceptional coffee.
ETHICS MATTER
Louise officially joined Barista & Co in 2014 but has been a driving force in the business from the day it was founded. Louise came from a retail buying and sourcing background developing her career in UK retailers such as Selfridges and Waitrose. She has always had a passion for ethical business and ensuring transparency in the supply chain and made her the perfect partner to join James in the business.
In her own words, she is a coffee lover, not a coffee geek. She represents most coffee drinkers and constantly challenges the business to deliver products and produce that is clear to customers, easy to use, affordable, and deliver exceptional coffee. This has to be done while putting ethics at the heart of the business.
COLOMBIAN FARMS
We work with an indigenous community of small family farms that sit in Northern Colombia on the edge of the tropical rainforest at an altitude of between 1200 and 1800 meters. They are seventh-generation coffee growers who have experience growing high-grade specialty coffee that is lower in acidity than that found further south. As a community, they are led by the first female community leader, Aurora. She has been a driving force in attracting young people back into coffee growing and creating equality in the community. Not only this but she has been at the forefront of pioneering production techniques and training that have produced excellent coffees and developed 3 Q Graders (specialist tasters) from within the community. Their exceptional organic coffee is grown in a very remote setting with mules still being the main form of transport to the towns and villages. We are very lucky to enjoy their coffee and help to develop their community.
WE BUY FORWARD
When you take up a Barista & Co Regulars subscription this allows us to forward plan and make a financial guarantee to our farmers so they can invest in their land to bring about long-term change for their family and community.
WE TREAT EVERYONE THE SAME
Our belief is that our customers, farmers, and factories are of equal importance and we welcome all with a commitment to always work in partnership to deliver exceptional coffee with respect and empathy.
WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED
As a small team and young company, we understand that there is much more we can do. In 2021 we started the process to become a certified B Corp business and we hope that by the end of 2022 we have achieved this.
OUR MISSION
We exist to create great coffee and good times for our customers and communities while working honestly, ethically, and sustainably with our farmers and factories.
1% for the Planet was founded to prevent greenwashing, certify reputable giving, and provide accountability.
We are proud to donate 1% of our revenue to charitable causes so you know every time you buy from Barista & Co we are giving back.