FIRST AFRICAN FARMER-OWNED COFFEE BRAND IN THE UK TO HIT SHELVES IN 90 COOP STORES ON 5TH OCTOBER

FIRST AFRICAN FARMER-OWNED COFFEE BRAND IN THE UK TO HIT SHELVES IN 90 COOP STORES ON 5TH OCTOBER

Blue Turaco’s 100% Specialty Ugandan Robusta will launch in to 90 stores on 5th October as part of the Coop’s incubator programme ‘The Apiary” which is designed to support and mentor innovative smaller suppliers. 
Whilst there is plenty of African-grown coffee on the UK’s retail shelves, Blue Turaco is the only coffee brand in retail that is owned by an African coffee farmer.
Founder, Wycliffe, picked coffee as a young boy. He used his wages to pay for his school fees and has seen first-hand how coffee can impact the lives of its farming; it provided his food, education and brought him to London where he now lives. He now grows coffee in Uganda, where he uses his farms to educate smallholders on better ways to grow high quality Robusta. 

“Our tagline is Powerful Coffee, Powerful impact” says Wycliffe, “but it is more than a strapline. Community impact is at the core of Blue Turaco. Our vision is to create a model where coffee truly pays in farming communities”

 

The coffee

Blue Turaco uses 100% Speciality Ugandan Robusta sourced directly from smallholder farmers in Uganda. Graded and roasted by UK award-winning baristas, Robusta has a deliciously strong, yet smooth and nutty flavour. It naturally contains double the caffeine as arabica coffee. 

“The coffee industry has largely focussed on specialty arabica, neglecting its cousin, Robusta, which as its name suggest, is a more hardy bean. Now, speciality coffee is waking up to the incredible flavours of well-grown Robusta with new roasting techniques being used to unlock the amazing flavours” says Wycliffe.

 

The impact

Buy working directly with, and buying direct from smallholder farmers, Blue Turaco pay farmers 30% more than traditional routes. And 20p from every pack sold pays for 2 school lunches in Ugandan village schools.
Blue Turaco Specialty Robusta will be available at Coop both as Whole Bean, perfect for bean-to-cup machines, and Ground, perfect for a French press or mocha from 5th October 2023. 

Find out where to buy here.

“We have been blown away by the passion and support from the Apriary team at Coop for start-up brands. We are proud to be part of a cohort of purpose-driven brands and excited to have this opportunity to bring Ugandan coffee to a nationwide UK market. Let’s go!” says Wycliffe.

Back to blog