The success of Perkee, our Fairtrade coffee, has continued growing in the past year – in all sorts of ways. We’ve now sold over two million Perkee coffees, and serve it in 94% of our sites. Last summer, it made us the first caterer to win two stars in the Great Taste Awards. And we were shortlisted for an Edie Sustainability Leaders Award for Social Sustainability and Community Impact, and won the Sustainable Restaurant Association Award for our ongoing support for global farming.
Over and above the Fairtrade price, the Fairtrade Premium is an additional sum of money (built in to the price of every cup of Perkee coffee) which goes into a communal fund for the Soppexcca cooperative to invest in improving the quality of their lives. The Fairtrade premium is what sets Perkee Fairtrade coffee apart from every other coffee. In the past two years Soppexcca has invested their premium (over £22,000) in a coffee renewal programme, community school and cooperative infrastructure. That’s why we say “Perkee coffee turns frowns upside down!”.
We also launched Perkee Decaf, using an organic method of caffeine extraction, which involves two natural ingredients: carbon dioxide and water. So now customers can enjoy the same rich taste, responsibly sourced, without the caffeine.
Meeting one of our Fairtrade farmers
Juneith, a farmer from the Soppexcca cooperative who grows Perkee coffee beans in Nicaragua, came to visit one of our Perkee cafés during Fairtrade fortnight.
She is also the cooperative’s treasurer, and gave a presentation featuring Soppexcca’s life-changing Fairtrade projects. Through a translator, Juneith thanked all the customers who buy Perkee – and she didn’t leave without making us all a delicious coffee.
