Page 21 - APPD - Something's_Brewing_Jan_Feb23

www.beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk
Social Enterprise in
Hospitality
As a family business that’s been operating for over 40
years in top quality grade teas and coffees, Edgcumbes
is on a mission to deliver its range of products in a way repurposed into counters in the Café and Store, and
that creates a ripple of positive impact in the
community, with the environment at the forefront.
Located in leafy West Sussex, the Roastery is nestled in
amongst trees along a country lane – this sets the
scene to this independent family-run hidden gem. It’s
here where the award-winning EDGE branded coffee is
roasted-on-demand and the tea hand-blended.
Pioneering a coffee bean and tea refillery, Edgcumbes’
customers are encouraged to bring their own
containers along or they can choose from a higgledy-
piggledy yet charming collection of jars and tins that
have been donated by the public in the on-site Edge
Store. Containers are filled, and customers are
rewarded with discounts for doing so.
Packaging is a big deal, and the EDGE brand has a
focus on simplicity – bags are always recyclable and
encouraged to be returned for re-use. Labels are
printed simply using eco-friendly ink thermally printed
on uncoated paper – and the roaster is now exploring
sugarcane alternatives to further negate the impact of
the resources needed.
Edgcumbes’ Trade business is no different; the
company introduced refillable barrels (CoffeeKeep)
years ago, and strategically groups deliveries to
minimise carbon impact of the products reaching the
cafes, hotels and other businesses where the small
batch coffee and teas are destined to be enjoyed.
We mustn’t forget, coffee beans are also a precious
natural resource, and there is an issue with waste in
the industry – so roast planning is essential.
Edgcumbes has nurtured a closeknit warehouse
Vol.28 | January/February. 2023
team who work together to roast and pack in
tandem so that all Edge coffee is roasted on
demand; this works two-fold; the beans are always
fresh and waste is extremely minimal. Not only this,
the pallets the beans arrive on have been
homemade bags and cushions re-using the hessian
sacks can be found all around the roastery site.
The EDGE brand has also worked hard to develop
relationships with community initiatives that provide
workplace opportunities for individuals from a range
of backgrounds that can often find this challenging.
This includes partnerships with two learning
disability charities for training and development, as
well as working with the local prison on rehabilitating
prisoners to help reduce reoffending rates.
It’s this holistic approach to both social initiatives and
environmentally friendlier practices that Edgcumbes
is committed to nurturing and evolving consistently.
We want to make it easier for people to become
sustainable and social responsibility is in the
company’s DNA.
Alice comments, “As a child growing up in the ’60s,
my mother was a bit of an eco-warrior - although, in
those days, the term would have been “she’s a bit
peculiar!” She taught me that if our food was
untampered with and locally sourced, it was more
likely to be fresh and better for our bodies”.
Alice continued, “Our founder, Frank’s first blend
might have set the EDGE wheels in motion, but it’s
our commitment to sensible, sustainable practices
that has kept us on the right path for over 40 years.”