BM Caterers has added its first organic coffee option to its Perkee range, Santo coffee, in addition to that sourced from the Soppexcca coffee cooperative in Nicaragua.
Santo coffee is grown in the Camocim Estate in Espirito Santo, Brazil, where it has certified by the government, and has also received certification from USDA and the Demeter biodynamic federation.
The coffee is pulped naturally, meaning the bean is dried with the skin removed but the pulp left intact, which is believed to give the coffee a sweeter taste, allowing the flavours of hazelnut, vanilla and milk chocolate to shine through once it’s been roasted.
According to a study by the Royal Geographical Society, replacing fertilisers with organic waste typically reduces the carbon footprint of coffee by 12 per cent, also saving farmers from unnecessary fertiliser costs and river pollution from its excessive use. Yet only 0.03 per cent of coffee grown in Brazil, the world's largest producer, is organic.
Yet only 0.03 per cent of coffee grown in Brazil, the world's largest producer, is organic.
Northampton-based Bella Barista will source, roast, pack and distribute the coffee on BM's behalf, a new supplier for the group identified and engaged by Helix Coffee Advisors.
It’s important that we support the growth of sustainable farming by leading the change from the consumer side so farmers see the benefit in switching to more organic farming practices
To highlight the new organic coffee on offer and get customer feedback, BM is hosting coffee pop ups across the business.
Miguel Camara, head of coffee & tea at BM, says: “We’re looking at every aspect of our service to see where we can be more sustainable, which led to us forging ahead with our agenda to source organic coffee.
“We’re already seeing Santo prove very popular with our customers and expect demand to increase even further once we’ve ‘introduced’ it to everyone through our pop-ups.”
