Short update from the CEO
While the quarter has presented its share of challenges, from fluctuating commodity markets to softer hotel occupancy and wider geopolitical uncertainty, we have seen encouraging signs of recovery and resilience. Coffee markets are beginning to stabilize after several difficult years, and throughout this period CRU has continued to strengthen its position. We have enjoyed strong growth in the US and are particularly pleased to see a growing number of prestigious hotels around the world selecting CRU as their coffee partner. These wins are a testament to the strength of our proposition and give us great confidence as we look ahead to the remainder of the year.
Q2 at CRU
It's been a brilliant quarter for our team with plenty of growth, and our momentum in the 4 and 5 star hotel space has been the highlight of it all.
More and more luxury and independent properties are coming on board, and it's hugely rewarding to see our coffee finding its way into some of the finest hotels across the world. We once again saw this in action at the Independent Hotel Show in Amsterdam back in April, two days of pouring coffee and meeting with both current hotel partners and plenty of future partners as well. The feedback as always was extremely positive, and another big step forward in getting our name known across the European market.
Amsterdam was just the start, mind you. The passports got a good workout this quarter with additional trips out to Los Angeles, New York, Belgium and Oslo, once again spreading the word of organic and FairTrade coffee and onboarding new partners along the way. If there's one thing it all reminded us of, it's how much this industry values quality for their guests, and why small details like in room coffee can make a huge difference to the overall guest experience. We're raring to go for the rest of the year and can’t wait to see where it takes us.
An industry update
After a nervy start to the year, things are looking up. Brazil took a hit from frost early on and for a while some analysts were calling it a potential "death blow" to the crop. Thankfully, that turned out to be an overreaction. The damage was real but contained, and the 2026/27 harvest is now shaping up well above last year.
Ethiopia is quietly having a good year too. Rainfall has been reliable, flowering looked healthy in April, and cherry development has been more uniform than growers have seen in a while. Vietnam is a similar story: following a record export year in 2025, harvest volumes are expected to come in 5–10% higher again, though flooding continues to cause headaches around drying and transport.
All told, the mood across the industry is noticeably better than it was this time last year, which most people in the trade are happy to put behind them!
Hotel partner in focus
We're proud to raise a cup to the team at Royal Lancaster London after their excellent achievement in the recent Tripadvisor 2026 Travellers Choice Awards, explained below in their recent press release.
Royal Lancaster London is celebrating a remarkable year of achievement after being named the No.1 Hotel in the UK, No. 2 Hotel in Europe and No.4 Hotel in the World in Tripadvisor®, 2026 Travellers' Choice Awards: Best of the Best Hotels.
The prestigious accolade places Royal Lancaster London, amongst the world's finest hotels, recognised through millions of traveller reviews and ratings. Overlooking Hyde Park, the independently owned luxury hotel secured the highest ranking of any UK hotel and was also named the second-best hotel in Europe.
At the heart of Royal Lancaster London's success is a culture centred on its people and a 'we always care' ethos. Earlier this year, the hotel was recognised as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, further cementing its reputation as an employer that prioritises colleague wellbeing, career development and a people-first culture.
Sally Beck, General Manager of Royal Lancaster London, comments: "We are incredibly proud to have been named the No.1 Hotel in the UK and No.4 Hotel in the World by Tripadvisor. Awards such as these are especially meaningful because they are driven by genuine guest feedback and experiences. We believe that a happy team makes happy guests, and this ethos goes through our entire Landmark Collection, in London and in Thailand. We have created a hotel where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to thrive. Being recognised by both Tripadvisor and The Sunday Times in the same year is a wonderful endorsement of that philosophy.."
For Royal Lancaster London, the combination of world-class guest recognition, a thriving workplace culture and the strength of a growing international collection marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, one built on a simple belief: when colleagues feel inspired, guests feel it too.
"Awards such as these are especially meaningful because they are driven by genuine guest feedback and experiences." - Sally Beck, General Manager, Royal Lancaster London
New partner spotlight
The Hollywood Grande
Townhouse Hotel Manchester
Rust BnB, Amsterdam
The Hollywood Volume
Hotel Indigo York
The Galmont, Galway
Bristol Grand by Sunday
Chambers New York
DoubleTree by Hilton Dartford
The Spencer, Dublin
DoubleTree By Hilton Glasgow Central