Sourcing and Impact

Sustainability starts with how coffee is sourced. At Chimney Fire Coffee, it’s not something added on later - it’s a direct result of how we buy coffee. That approach comes from years of working inside coffee supply chains - understanding where they work, and where they don’t. Because the biggest issue in coffee isn’t a lack of good intentions. It’s how far removed most buying is from the people producing it.
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How we buy coffee

We source coffee as directly as possible.

That means working with producers we know, agreeing prices upfront before the coffee is shipped, and committing to relationships over multiple years - not just one harvest at a time.

Today, over 90% of our coffee is sourced this way.

By reducing the number of layers in the supply chain, more of the final value stays with the people producing the coffee.

Since moving to this model, the share of the landed coffee cost going back to producers has increased from around 65% to closer to 90%.

For a closer look at how rising coffee prices affect the supply chain - and who actually benefits - you can read more here.

Giving Back

We focus our impact on a small number of long-term partnerships - where we can contribute consistently over time.

Re-Cycle - Bikes to Africa

We support Re-Cycle, a charity that refurbishes bikes and sends them to rural communities across Africa.

These bikes improve access to education, healthcare, and work.

Each year, our roasting helps fund over 100 bikes for rural communities across Africa through Re-Cycle.

As we grow, so does our impact - roughly every 500kg we roast helps fund another bike.

Crio Carmo - Investing at Origin

Through Crio Carmo, we support community projects in Brazil linked to coffee production - including building and improving schools.

This keeps part of our impact directly connected to the people at the start of the supply chain.

For every kilo of coffee we purchase from our producer partner, Carmo Coffees in Brazil, we reinvest $0.10 back into their community.

Other Impact

How we source coffee matters most - but it’s not the only thing.

We also look at how we run the business day to day:

Paying all UK staff at least the Real Living Wage
Building a diverse and inclusive team
Using compostable packaging
Running a largely paperless fulfilment operation

These are practical decisions rather than headline claims - but they add up.

Certified B Corp

In October 2025, we proudly re-certified as a B Corp with a score of 114 - placing us among the highest-scoring coffee roasters in the UK.

Becoming (and staying) a B Corp means meeting some of the world’s toughest standards for social and environmental impact. It’s all about using business as a force for good - for people, communities, and the planet.

We’ve published a detailed impact report covering our sourcing, pricing, and wider operations.

→ View our latest Impact Report

It gives a more in-depth look at how the business works in practice.