Protecting the coffee & the people
We have held both certifications since day one, on every single bean. This is what they commit us to.
Independently certified, not self-declared.
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Soil Association
Since day one we've worked closely with the Soil Association, the UK's largest organic certification body, responsible for certifying over 70% of the growing organic market.
soilassociation.org ›
Fairtrade
Guaranteeing a minimum market price for coffee, Fairtrade offers our farmers a vital safety net against the volatile ups and downs of commodity trading, ensuring a fair price for all.
fairtrade.org.uk ›
B Corporation®
Certified since November 2021, meeting verified standards of social and environmental performance across the whole business, not just the coffee. Our B Impact Score is 110.5.
bcorporation.net ›Coffee is the most sprayed crop on the planet.
Commercially grown coffee is treated with harmful pesticides and solvents to maximise yields. Those chemicals don't stay on the plant. They get into the beans themselves, and seep into the soil and local flora.
Organic standards work hard to make sure absolutely no nasty chemicals, pesticides or solvents come into contact with our coffee. Even the fertilisers our growers use have to meet very high standards to be granted safe.
It matters well beyond the cup. Certification brings guaranteed better market prices that pass directly to farmers, and it rules out the intensive practices that drive deforestation.
More than a sticker.
Since 2013 we've been proud to sell Fairtrade coffee that is 100% traceable and sustainable. But what does that mark, which so many of us see on our groceries every day, really mean?
The coffee industry is often not a fair one. Farmers are blighted by climate change, expensive fertilisers and equipment, and volatile market prices. Fairtrade provides a safety net, and raises money for running water, schools and infrastructure in growing communities.
It also lets producers plan. In Honduras, the CAFICO cooperative are using Fairtrade to build for the future rather than live one harvest at a time.
Three things Fairtrade actually does.
Regulation where it's needed
Corruption and poverty are often major issues in coffee-growing areas. Fairtrade acts as a check against the worst, making sure every part of the coffee chain is carefully regulated.
Tools to grow, not just a price
Fairtrade helps train farmers to adapt to changing farming techniques and climate conditions, making sure producers are not only treated fairly but given the tools to develop.
Traceable to the bag
With Fairtrade's FLO IDs we can track every single bag of green coffee back to its source, and find out exactly where the premium we pay has gone and what it's being used for.
From the branch to the green bean.
Organic and Fairtrade are decisions made on the farm, long before anything reaches a roastery. This is what they look like in practice.
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On the branch
Cherries ripen unevenly, so they are picked selectively rather than stripped. It is slower, and it is the first decision that shows up in the cup.
On the farm
No synthetic pesticides or solvents, and certified natural fertilisers only. Organic standards govern what can go near the plant and the soil around it.
On the beds
Parchment coffee is dried on raised beds, turned by hand. How evenly it dries decides how well it keeps and how it tastes months later.
At the station
Every lot is traceable back to source through its Fairtrade FLO ID, which is how we know where the premium we pay has gone.
Water and sanitation for Tibeb School, Ethiopia.
Working with Project Waterfall and Splash, CRU Kafe committed to raising £30,000 to help bring safe, clean water, sanitation and hygiene to the Tibeb Ediget Primary School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Coffee-growing communities and cooperatives are often found in isolated, rural areas, a combination that makes access to clean, safe water considerably harder.
Using exceptional coffee to brew change.
Since 2019, when we released our first ever Limited Edition celebrating the Galapagos Islands, we've formed relationships with local charities and coffee growers across the world to create single origins that support projects on the ground. Those coffees have included Virunga Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, San Cristobal in the Galapagos, Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia.
Our charitable giving policy
Alongside the organic and Fairtrade premiums we pay on every single bean, we have supported charities since starting in 2013. The commitment is to use the expertise in the team to help them raise funds and reach more people.
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The certification behind the business, and what happens to the packaging after the coffee's gone.