Our approach to sourcing

We believe that the greatest value is to be found by going deeper into our sourcing relationships rather than wider, which is why in most of the origins in which we source, we work exclusively with just one producer or group and always with a single importer.

Our ambition is to buy from these same producers every year. Although working in this way is more challenging and less fashionable than simply buying one-off microlots, we believe by taking a long term approach in which we prioritise building genuine relationships with producers and committing to their long term success, that we can provide their businesses with stability while seeing gradual improvements in the consistency and quality of our coffee over time.

It is by showing loyalty and returning each season to invest in these relationships that we feel as a small company we can have the greatest impact and demonstrate a sustainable way forward for our industry.

Transparent pricing

Ever since starting Blossom, our mission has been clear: we want people to fall in love with speciality coffee and encourage them to be part of a movement that helps to protect it for future generations.

As speciality coffee roasters, it is the choices we make when buying coffee that will have the biggest impact on the future prospects of our industry. We have always chosen to take a long-term, relational approach to sourcing and we’re proud to have been transparent about the prices we pay since our first year in business.

Why transparency?

We feel a responsibility to work in a way which ensures financial stability for the producers with whom we work, as it is only by increasing sustainability throughout the value chain that we believe speciality coffee production can be secured. We see transparency as absolutely central to this.

By publishing our data and openly communicating how much is being paid for our coffees, we hope to be part of a movement which normalises prioritising living incomes for producers and increases awareness for consumers, while in doing so distinguishing ourselves from those that use ‘transparency’ only as a marketing tool.

Our recent trip to Brazil

Last month I had the privilege of visiting Espirito Santo in Brazil to meet the Hoffman family whose coffee has featured in Blossom Espresso for the last two years and is a staple of our coffee offering at Blossom.

We were hosted by our import partners Osito for several days, exploring the region and getting a better understanding of the coffee market in the area. What struck me during the entire week was the incredible hospitality shown by the producers, exporters and co-op workers – all were keen to share knowledge and to help us all understand the highs and lows of producing speciality coffee.

Meeting the Hoffman family was of course the highlight of the trip for Josh and I, from spending time with entire family, to walking the farm with its incredible views, to eating fruit and cacao straight from the tree. The story of the jaguar that has been on the farm perhaps made the return trip to the house a little quicker, but it was an unforgettable experience.

The Pledge

In 2022, we became just the second UK coffee roaster to sign The Pledge.

The idea to create The Pledge was developed during the transparent trade colloquium in Hamburg in 2018. As a group of like minded professionals in the coffee supply chain, signatories of The Pledge feel that transparency should necessarily mean one thing: transparency of pricing in coffee negotiations.

“Companies that sign The Pledge agree to share a fixed set of variables when reporting on green coffee purchases. Together, we aim to create a common standard for transparency reporting that is applicable throughout the coffee world. By disclosing additional information like the name of the producer organisation, the lot size and the cup quality of the coffee, we add context to our transparency reports that makes them comparable and truly transparent.”

To sign The Pledge, a minimum of one coffee that we have bought must be considered transparent according to the agreed criteria. However, we are proud to have published data for 100% of coffees bought in 2021 and 2022