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During Fairtrade Fortnight 2010, Bewley’s announced a 65% increase in Fairtrade certified coffee purchases from the Soppexcca Farmers Co-operative of Jinotega in Nicaragua. The development ensures a further $1 million contract for Soppexcca in addition to an existing $1.5 million three year deal announced by Bewley’s in 2008. It forms part of Bewley’s long standing policy of direct partnership with coffee growers. Soppexcca particularly supports the involvement of women in society and the economy.

Minister for Overseas Development, Peter Power T.D unveils ‘The Big Swap Wall’ at Bewley’s Grafton Street Café

The development ensures a further $1 million contract for Soppexcca in addition to an existing $1.5 million three year deal announced by Bewley’s in 2008.  The move forms part of Bewley’s long standing policy of direct partnership with coffee growers.

Soppexcca particularly supports the involvement of women in society and the economy.  With this new deal, Irish coffee lovers will now enjoy over 7 million cups of fairtrade certified coffee sourced from Soppexcca in addition to Bewley’s other ethical supply arrangements in Nicaragua and Central America.

Marking Fairtrade Fortnight (22nd February – 7th March),  the Minister and Ambassador also unveiled, and added their signatures to ‘The Big Swap Wall’ at Bewley’s Grafton Street Café, where customers are invited to sign their support for fairtrade.

Baristas Martino Perlini and Aigi Lints pledge their commitment to Fairtrade by signing 'The Big Swap Wall' at Bewley’s Grafton Street Café

For each signature received on the wall,  Bewley’s will donate €1 euro directly to the purchase of new coffee milling equipment by Soppexcca.  Members of the public can also sign the wall on Bewley’s facebook page.

Bewley’s pioneered the introduction of Fairtrade certified coffee to Ireland in 1996 and is today by far the largest supplier of Fairtrade coffees supplying many of Ireland’s leading foodservice and retail operators with their requirements.

For more information on Bewley’s ethical initiatives, click here.

Bewley’s Grafton St Café is greening Grafton Street by switching to green energy and gas, and introducing a number of environmental initiatives. Bewley’s, the market leading importer, roaster and supplier of fresh ground coffees and teas in Ireland, is switching to Ireland’s leading independent energy firm Energia for green electricity and gas in a new deal.

Pictured announcing the deal are Jim Corbett, Managing Director, Bewleys and Tom Gillen, Chief Operating Officer, Viridian Power and Energy.

The moves form part of Bewley’s award-winning commitment to environmental sustainability. In December 2008 the company became Ireland’s first fully certified carbon neutral coffee company.

Energia has 220MW of renewable electricity capacity contracted within its energy portfolio, the majority of which is operational with a further 400MW of wind farm projects currently in development across Ireland.

Commenting on the deal, Jim Corbett of Bewley’s said:  “As part of our long standing sustainability initiatives we have been working hard to actively reduce our carbon footprint.  This has included both the reduction of our direct carbon emissions as well as our achievement of “Carbon Neutral” status, which is independently certified by the CarbonNeutral Company.”

“The café’s switch to 100% green power follows the implementation of a comprehensive energy management policy for the building. This plan included the completion of a staff energy awareness programme, and a significant reduction in night-time energy usage; switching off most equipment at night time, and placing essential equipment on timers to reduce usage.”

“The café also implemented a waste management programme with a major focus placed on waste segregation and recycling in all areas.”

Gary Ryan of Energia comments: “We’re delighted that Bewley’s Grafton St. Café is switching to Energia for their green electricity and gas needs. This contract shows the benefits that we can provide to Irish businesses with competitively priced energy packages and power from renewable resources, all of which significantly benefits the environment.”

Bewley’s is already the first and only coffee roaster in Ireland to attain the ISO 14001 environmental management standard – independently certified by the NSAI.   The company was also the first to import fairtrade-certified coffees into Ireland twelve years ago and is the largest supplier of fairtrade coffees to the Irish market.

Energia has a 25% market share of the business electricity market on an all–island basis with over 50,000 customers. The company also supplies 20% of all gas consumed in Ireland by the country’s business gas users.

The company is a leading all-island player in the provision of renewable power.  Energia also supplies conventionally generated electricity from two major gas fired generating stations in Dublin

Model Karen Fitzpatrick launches Bewley's new Fresh Coffee Starter Pack

“Research undertaken by Bewley’s has told us that people want the real taste of fresh coffee at home but they don’t quite know how to make it, what equipment is needed, how to store it or where to buy it. Coffee drinkers would not order instant coffee in a café so we want to give them the great taste of fresh coffee at home,” comments Mark Saunders of Bewley’s.

“We’ve specially created our new Fresh Coffee Starter Pack to provide a really easy way of making fresh coffee at home.  People may be surprised to learn that making fresh coffee is just as easy as making a cup of tea.”

Our new Fresh Coffee Starter Pack comes with a bag of freshly ground Bewley’s Café Blend coffee and an easy to use coffee maker (cafetiere), with a measuring scoop, a reseal clip and an easy preparation guide.  The starter pack introduces home coffee drinkers to the delicious taste of fresh ground coffee and it shows just how easy it is to make the perfect cup of real coffee at home, with no fuss.   Also included in the pack, Bewley’s book of coffee is a full colour pocket book with loads of information on everything you’d like to know about coffee, and complements our newly launched website which features a step-by-step video demonstration on preparing fresh coffee at home.

Bewley’s Mark Saunders comments:  “Fresh ground coffee is a 100% natural product made from coffee beans that are carefully roasted, ground and bagged.  It is far less processed, tastes much better and is typically cheaper than instant coffee.”

“As Ireland’s leading fresh coffee company, Bewley’s is dedicated to making the great taste of real coffee available to everybody.  The new Fresh Coffee Starter Pack has the simple equipment and step-by-step advice needed to enjoy the great tasting experience of a fresh coffee at home.”

Bewley’s Fresh Coffee Starter Pack has a recommended retail price of €7.99 and is available from leading supermarkets nationwide, Bewley’s Grafton Street Café or online.

Celebrity restaurateur Nick Munier has chosen Bewley’s as the coffee supplier to his new restaurant Pichet, following a recent visit to our Roastery.

His visit to Bewley’s Roastery was featured on episode two of Nick’s Bistro, TV3’s new reality TV series. The shows follow Nick Munier, from Hell’s Kitchen, and Stephen Gibson, former head chef of Dublin’s Michelin Star restaurant L’Ecrivain, as they set up their new Dublin restaurant.

Nick visited our Roastery in his search for the perfect coffee to serve to customers at his new restaurant. As Ireland’s leading coffee company, Bewley’s was the obvious choice for Nick, especially given that over 70% of the restaurant’s sales will come from coffee alone.

At Bewley’s, Nick and Stephen met with our expert team of roasters, baristas, and sales and marketing executives. They received training in the art of coffee cupping and sampled Bewley’s extensive selection of filter blends, single origin coffees and espresso blends. They were both very impressed with the award-winning quality of Bewley’s coffee and reassured by our company’s expertise in providing the complete hot beverage solution for a contemporary restaurant.

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You will find Pichet Restaurant at 14-15 Trinity Street, Dublin 2 or http://www.pichetrestaurant.com/