The strategic aim of The Parliamentary Review is to raise standards. In each edition, a host of outstanding organisations share their experiences and areas of best practice, all the while identifying key issues they face in the current political and economic environment. The Review features cabinet ministers, leading journalists and is sent to over 500,000 leading business executives and policymakers.  Success for businesses of any size does not always come easily, and this year’s edition of The Parliamentary Review is indispensable for anyone who seeks to make a name for themselves in industry. It highlights significant developments and concerns for business leaders up and down the country.  The co-chairman of The Parliamentary Review, Lord Pickles, has praised the upcoming Review as one of the most comprehensive yet. He commented that as Britain undergoes changes, it is “essential that politicians have a firm understanding of the challenges with which British organisations must contend” and that The Review once again provides a perfect platform for this.  Writing in The Review, The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove says “this year’s Parliamentary review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.”  The best practice article for Cafeology can be viewed here:  Parlimentary Review – Cafeology

It was 2008 when our Founder Bryan Unkles embarked on his first-ever origin trip to beautiful Costa Rica. The first producer he met ‘in the field’ was Roberto Mata, in Dota Valley in the Tarrazu region of the country. Bryan spent some time with Roberto learning about coffee cultivation, the processes the coffee goes through and just why exactly was Tarrazu coffee just so good.  Don Roberto Mata is the 4th generation of the Mata’s family in the coffee business. His farm located in Dota Valley, 1550 meters above sea level at the heart of the region of Tarrazu. Tarrazu is world known for producing the finest coffee in Central America where Roberto’s dad was a pioneer in launching innovative techniques to produce high-quality coffee.  Roberto has been involved in coffee all his life, learning through strong family ties with his father being a pioneer in the Tarrazu region. He launched many new initiatives to create varietals to assist in greater production.  The farm which Roberto’s father passed down was a total of four hectares. Unfortunately then the farm was not large enough to cover expenses so Roberto put plans in action to purchase more land creating a combined total of 25 hectares. The further investment came in the shape of their own Mill which opened 2 years ago. This allowed the group to provide a complete solution and total traceability boosting production up to between 100-150 Tonnes per annum.  Café Roberto Mata’s mission to produce joy and prosperity to everyone involved in the coffee chain in a sustainable way. Roberto describes their coffee flavours as “sweet, good balance, good acidity and with cocoa notes”. Roberto says about his relationships with Cafeology: “Bryan and I have a good relationship. We met over 10 years ago supplying Caféology. "The reason for such a long relationship is because Cafeology demands high quality with traceability, paying good prices and supporting our business practices, ensuring we produce and process our wonderful coffee to the very highest standards. "We share those benefits with the community, workers and family. It has been a win-win relationship, we are happy and looking at how Cafeology is growing, can only be a good thing as we continue to develop together.” Bryan says: "Cafeology has always prided itself on long-standing, sustainable relationships with all our stakeholders and this one is extremely precious to me. "We celebrated Cafeology’s 10th birthday together in Costa Rica and enjoyed hosting Roberto during a visit to Sheffield in 2015. "The coffee is exceptional and with Roberto at the helm, you know all the focus is on quality in a sustainable and caring way. Roberto is a true gentleman and our 100% Direct Trade agreement means we can work closely to assist the farm in the development of coffee whilst at the same time provide our clients with reassurance and fully traceability they require and deserve."

The beginning of 2019 kicked off with confirmation from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) that after many months of hard work, Cafeology had achieved ‘Premier Training Campus’ accreditation for its brand-new state of the art roasting, training and warehouse facility – Roastology. When the decision was taken in February 2018 to move and expand our Roastery, a major reason for undertaking this project was to create a space not only to roast exceptional coffees, but to open our doors to local and national customers who share our passion. These customers really want to improve the quality of coffee they brew within their operations and need our help to do this. Therefore, we set out to create the most advanced coffee training facility in Sheffield with all the equipment, physical space and atmosphere needed for our students to learn about coffee. Although Cafeology has a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area, it was important to ensure we were judging ourselves against the highest standards in the industry at this moment in time. For this we partnered with the SCA who are a non-profit, membership-based association representing coffee farmers to baristas and roasters across the global. The SCA acts as a unifying force within the specialty coffee industry and works to make coffee better by raising standards worldwide through a collaborative and progressive approach. Dedicated to building an industry that is fair, sustainable, and nurturing for all, drawing on years of insights and inspiration from the specialty coffee community, which was a perfect fit to the values of Cafeology. As the move to our new facility became a reality in the summer of 2018, we embarked on the challenging journey with the SCA to achieve their highest standards set for a training facility. This is referred to as their Premier Training Campus programme that outlines in detail what equipment, space and materials are needed to deliver the SCA’s exceptionally high standards and protocols. Accreditation is only achieved following a visit by a representative of the SCA to audit all the work done to create a calibrated teaching environment for our students. Our audit was conducted by Owen Thom who manages the programme in Europe and we were delighted to receive our certificate in February 2019. As the first recognised Premier Training Campus in the north of England, we plan to offer our customers a range of in-house modules and in-depth courses to suit their needs as well as access to independent Authorised SCA Trainers (AST’s) to teach aspects of the Coffee Skills Diploma. This is another exciting step for our business and demonstrates our commitment to helping our customers serve better coffee.

Following the decision to exit 3rd party warehousing at the end of 2015, we have seen a significant change to our operations over the last two and a half years. This move has been a huge success with an increase in sales, personnel and of course service. We moved to a brand new 5000sq ft premises at Vantage Park in October 2015, which is situated half a mile from Meadowhall, J34 of M1, providing great transport links to the facility. During our time at 5 Vantage Park, we invested heavily in infrastructure as well as opening the Roastology division, a fully dedicated Roastery using all brand new equipment. Due to the success of both Cafeology and Roastology, we have taken the decision to move into larger premises. We have agreed in principle to relocate all roasting, distribution, training and service to a brand new facility located close to the current site. The new site is 11,000 sq ft and will be powered by solar energy making it energy rating A. Bryan Unkles, Managing Director said: "This is an exciting time as we progress our roasting operations and look to develop a full customer experience at the new site, highlighting all areas of coffee production, including roasting and training. "The new site will over double our capacity for logistics as we enter an exciting an exciting chapter in the business." The new facility will be opening in July and fully operational later in the summer.

What an adventure, what a time, how do I even begin to summarise...   I would like to start by thanking Cafeology for sending me on this wonderful trip and for organising all the flights and giving me the opportunity at Roastology. This is a trip I will never forget, I have made friends for life, tried some fantastic coffee, learned so much more than I could have ever thought and got to experience the the first stage of coffee production. It’s with the coffee production most of my thoughts are with currently. Seeing the farms, the workers, the difficulties faced everyday. Coffee production is on a decline and the demand for coffee increases each year. Global warming & climate change is having such a negative effect on the coffee production and is something we all need to take extremely seriously. As a world of coffee lovers, we need to strive to improve conditions and ensure the thing that binds us all together, our love of coffee can continue for ever. With organisations like the SCA we are working on huge amounts of research into global warming.    Another hard hitting fact is how the farmers and their staff are living. Many farm workers across the globe are living in poverty and it’s so important that with every sip of coffee you take, you think long and hard about where that coffee has come from. I think it is vital that you know and understand how and where the coffee you are drinking comes from. Ethical sourcing is paramount, understand that the hardest part of the coffee chain is the growing and processing, please make sure you do your bit to make sure the farmers receive a fair price, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy Fairtrade cert, as many farms don’t subscribe to the foundation but still receive an above market value price. KNOW YOUR COFFEE PEOPLE! You wouldn't really describe me as an emotional type of chap but as I sit on the airport floor, waiting to check in, looking through the photos I have taken reminding me of the amazing adventure I have been on has almost bought a tear to my eye, almost though, I’m still cool.    I can’t speak highly enough of my experiences, some people complained about the long bus trips, I took that time to talk to people in the industry. Some people didn’t like the early starts, the late nights but again, I wanted to cram as much as I possibly could into this once in a life time experience. I got to see an active volcano, I saw genuine Indonesian culture, we were treated to welcome parties by town mayors, I made friends, we laughed, we learned we tried coffee, I saw some parts of the world only a handful of ’tourists’ will ever see. The food has been incredible, granted I won’t be having rice again for breakfast on Monday morning but I have loved it. Experience, thats what I crave in my personal and professional life, experience is what I have had.    From leaving Sheffield to sitting on the airport floor in Bali, I have had a smile on my face.    Java, Bali, you will stay in my mind and my heart forever.    A quick thanks to the organisers Mr Saff & Colin Smith, great work both. Also thanks to my fellow SCA travellers, without you guys it could have been a very different story.    I guess the next question is how I can get Cafeology to agree to send me on my next Coffee Origin adventure, apparently there is an SCA trip to Ethiopia later in the year : ) I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as i have enjoyed writing it,    For the final time in Indonesia,    Steve. Out .

Cafeology has been recognised at the 2015 Animal Hero Awards for its contribution to the protection of a Central American rainforest. The 2015 RSPCA Animal Hero Awards was held last night in London and hosted by actress Amanda Holden. Over 2,000 businesses, organisations and individuals were nominated for the awards and Cafeology made it to the final three shortlisted in the Oustanding Business of the Year category. Finalists were decided by a panel of judges including RSPCA Chief Veterinary Officer James Yeates, Countryfile presenter Michaela Strachan and Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan. The category recognises a business that has made animal welfare an important consideration for its business practices. We were nominated for our Bird Friendly coffee initiative; a project for which we also received a Guardian Sustainable Business award in April this year. We were delighted to win and have our award presented to us by Arlene Phillips CBE. Bryan Unkles, our founder and director, said: “We are humbled to have been nominated and then gone on to win in our category, but the ceremony was about much more than that; we shared an amazing evening with a diverse mix of people who all had values and ethics in common and animal welfare at heart. It was touching to hear such heartwarming stories from the other inspiring nominees. “Yes we’re a business, but the environment has been at the forefront of our practices since we started the company in 2003. With this project we wanted to help protect migratory birds after hearing about how destructive some coffee farming can be to their natural habitats.” We set out to raise awareness of the need for more sustainable, shade-grown coffee in 2014 when we launched our premium fully traceable, environmentally friendly Bird Friendly coffee for the UK market. The coffee is cultivated by the Guaya’b Co-operative in Guatemala under the shade of tropical canopies and is farmed in a way that protects the rainforest, encourages migratory birds to flourish and improves growers’ livelihoods. This single estate Arabica coffee is certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre in Washington DC and is also the first coffee to be endorsed by the RSPB, the UK’s largest conservation charity; a donation from the sale of every tin goes directly to the organisation. The success of Bird Friendly certified coffee is measurable. Research by the SMBC in Peru shows that while a sunny plantation harbours just 61 species of birds, this number jumps to 243 when coffee is cultivated under a canopy of ten tree species or more. We have maintained strong ethical and environmental principles since the business started. In 2015 Bryan visited the Guaya’b Co-operative to see first-hand how its practices help to preserve tropical forests and provide a healthy habitat for birds and other wildlife. He learnt that the farmers must be re-certified every three years in order to retain their Bird Friendly status. Meanwhile, the premium prices they obtain for their product is invaluable in supporting their families and boosting local economies.

Coffee company Cafeology is celebrating after winning a top prize at the Guardian Sustainable Business awards last night. The ceremony, which took place at award-winning eco venue The Crystal, saw Cafeology pick up the Innovation award in the Natural Capital category. It recognises Cafeology’s premium Guatemalan Bird Friendly shade-grown coffee – a product launched to the UK market at the end of 2014. The coffee project is an innovative initiative that encourages consumer understanding of how coffee can be damaging to the environment. This 100 per cent Arabica coffee is grown under conditions set out and certified by the Smithsonian Institution’s Migratory Bird Centre in Washington, which includes rules about tree height and diversity, canopy cover and soil quality. It is also the first coffee for sale in the UK to be endorsed by the country’s biggest conservation charity, the RSPB. Bryan Unkles, Cafeology’s founder and director, said: “As an independent coffee company receiving this award means the world to us. "We have worked incredibly hard to source this fantastic quality and bring it to the catering and retail markets, including a trip to Guatemala to meet the producers and learn about how the coffee is grown. “We need to help create a demand for shade-grown coffee and spread the word about the negative effects coffee farming can have on the planet.” Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind oil. Much of it is sun-grown, which results in the coffee maturing more quickly but at the expense of habitat and biodiversity.r families and boosting local economies.

It is with great surprise and tremendous pride that we announce that we have been awarded Top SME at tonights Sheffield Star Business awards. The evening was attended by over 500 of the regions top business people hosted by Kevin Connelly and with guest speaker The former chancellor,  Rt Hon Norman Lamont. We were advised in late August that we had been shortlisted for the award of Top SME alongside Resolve IT and MB advertising and Marketing and as the night unfolded we became increasingly nervous pending the result however truly did not expect to win. It was a feeling of over whelming pride to hear that we had been selected and we would like to take this oppotunity to thank all our staff, customers, suppliers and producers as without these very valauble and loyal connections we would not be here today!

The weather might've been a wash-out, but rain hasn't stopped play at Cafeology HQ. Our summer has been packed with conferences, a celebrity chef and, of course, coffee! Following on from a brilliant May bank holiday at Sheffield Food Festival and Sheffield Hallam University’s recent open day we rolled up at the Skills for Chefs industry conference, also located in the Steel City. Our stand at the conference enabled us to spend time meeting hospitality professionals and serving them our award-winning Bird Friendly coffee. We were also pleased to sponsor the event’s first ever barista competition. The evening saw a fantastic address from chef Cyrus Todiwala, who spoke about the importance of sustainability across all aspects of the industry. Cafeology then provided the coffee to round off chef Todiwala’s fantastic conference dinner in the evening. Staying in the locale, next up was the Cliffhanger outdoor sports festival. Coffee was much-needed in the rain but spirits were high and the event was a great success – and a great chance to show off our new Piaggio mobile cafe vehicle. The penultimate stop on our summer tour was London for the annual The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) conference – once again with our Piaggio in tow. The Piaggios have been a real hit with our customers, with some asking to hire them and others wanting to purchase their own. The vans’ versatility was once again showcased at our final event of July last weekend – the Warwickshire Pony Club event. It’s been a fantastic few weeks meeting customers old and new – we look forward to seeing you again very soon.

The whole Cafeology team turned out to meet our friend - charity cyclist Richard Beeching - who is raising money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. We invited Sheffield coffee-lovers to raise a cup to charity cyclist Richard Beeching and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crews who saved his life. Richard Beeching, a long-time friend of Cafeology, is in the middle of a marathon cycle ride to raise awareness and funds for the air ambulance. He was in Sheffield today to meet locals and our staff as we have sponsored him and pledged 25p to the charity for every medium and large coffee sold today. Richard, 44, is undertaking he challenge after the YAA saved his life last year; on Saturday 11th October 2014 he took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge with a group of friends. On the descent from the final peak he had a massive anaphylactic attack, brought on by a newly developed allergy to anti-inflammatory drugs. Richard said: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was called, arrived swiftly, were nothing short of brilliant and got me out of a right pickle. Then I discovered they need £12,000 a day in charitable donations to operate.” To help raise vital funds Richard is cycling from his home in Peckham, London, to the first peak he and his friends summited that fateful day, Pen-Y-Ghent, to highlight the life-saving work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to people from Yorkshire and beyond. From front gate to summit, Richard aims to complete the challenge in just over three days. The YAA relies solely on the generosity of the public to help save lives across the region. They need to raise £12,000 per day to keep this life saving service going. To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/beechyaa/. You can also follow Richard’s journey live using his map tracker: http://maps.opentracking.co.uk/beeching15.cfm

On 29th May Sheffield Theatres staged their annual fundraising event around their production of Pride & Prejudice. Cafeology was pleased to support on the night as part of our longstanding and ongoing partnership with Sheffield Theatres. On 29th May Sheffield Theatres staged their annual fundraising event around their production of Pride & Prejudice. Cafeology was pleased to support on the night as part of our longstanding and ongoing partnership with Sheffield Theatres. The Theatres welcomed more than 120 guests to dine on their Studio stage, enjoy a varied programme of exclusive and exciting entertainment and bid on their now legendary auction for unique theatrical experiences. The Theatres set the ambitious target of raising £30,000 on the night and were staggered and humbled to in fact raise more than £50,000! Cafeology’s support for Sheffield Theatres assists their Learning Department as they establish new links with community groups and strengthen partnerships with local schools, as well as ensuring the Crucible and Studio Theatre can continue to stage exciting and diverse productions to delight and inspire audiences.

Our ops manager Toni has been working away calculating our carbon footprint in order for us to tackle this and become carbon neutral. We are pleased to announce that we have achieved it! Cafeology is now certified Carbon Neutral by Carbon Footprint Ltd – the UK government’s company of choice for balancing their carbon footprint. Our carbon footprint will be offset by buying trees, which will be planted in schools, parks and community projects across Yorkshire and the Humber. We will shortly be able to provide full traceability about the location of our trees – photos to follow! This aligns with the sustainable business practice we have developed.