REVIEW: Blue Coffee Box – Great Coffee, Ethically and Sustainably Produced
If you are a coffee lover, it is now extremely difficult in most areas of the UK to find good quality coffee beans or ground coffee. Most supermarkets are full of jars of instant coffee and coffee pod options that create a mountain of plastic waste, with a limited number of ground coffee options. So, coffee lovers, what are your options? May we suggest Blue Coffee Box?
We trialled Blue Coffee Box and were so impressed. Great coffee, but so many other quality factors were ticked too.
Let’s be clear, no two coffee lovers are the same and so we said; ‘surprise us!’ If you choose a subscription, you can pick light, medium or dark roast – or the be surprised option. You can have whole beans or choose a grind to suit your preferred coffee making option: cafetieres, cold brews, filter drippers, pour overs, Aeropress, espresso machines or stovetop Moka pots. And then you can have normal or decaffeinated – in any of the options you choose. And ALL the beans the company uses are above 80 on the SCA (Speciality Coffee Association.) Not options you are likely to find in your local supermarket. In fact, I didn’t even know you could have so many different options of style, especially if your preference is decaf!
As I said, great coffee that you’ll love from the minute you open the box and the aroma fills your kitchen.
But I was impressed before I even opened the box. Two packets of coffee were carefully packed in the box shown below and popped through the letter box. No additional packing. Just a recyclable box. Can you see it says on the box ‘contains no plastic?’ It also says underneath: “EcoBox made from 100% recycled and recyclable corrugate paper FSC certified and printed with eco-friendly inks.” You can even biodegrade the box in 3 months if you shred, soak and mix into compost.
But when I checked the coffee packets, which both have a zip-lock seal and valve to keep the ground coffee fresh, I thought perhaps they had got it wrong. But no, even those are not plastic and will break down within 3 months.
Apparently, Blue Coffee Box was the first coffee subscription service in the UK to be formally accredited as 100% plastic-free, from packaging to postal materials.
All very impressive.
But sustainability isn’t just about the environment. It is about people, too. And Blue Coffee Box didn’t disappoint there either. Their coffee is ethically purchased using the Direct Trade method which means farmers earn, on average, 30% more than Fairtrade prices.
And you can find out more about the farmers who grow your coffee, and the UK-based coffee roasters, from the little info cards that come with the pack. Fabulous!
What can I say? Fantastic coffee, ethically and sustainably produced and delivered. Well done Blue Coffee Box.
Oh, and don’t forget, apart from the energy boost, proper coffee does provide many other health benefits providing you drink it in moderation!