Premium cafe and restaurant group, Benugo's is set to launch a new coffee menu that allows customers to see the carbon footprint of the most impactful hot drinks so they can make an informed choice, with all emissions offset into certified projects as part of a wider carbon reduction program.
From the raw ingredients and their transport right up to the milks we add, the grinding itself and even the takeaway cup, they have all been measured and offset through verified carbon avoidance, reduction and removal projects.
But offsetting isn’t the whole solution. We’ve made real efforts to decarbonise our supply chain, and by taking a step to educate our customers, we’re going one step further than carbon neutrality too.
Launching tomorrow, 1 December, an illustrated coffee menu will let customers see the carbon footprint associated with their choice of hot drink, including flat white, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and hot chocolate, allowing them to swap for a less impactful cup should they wish to.
Shane Kavanagh, Commercial Director, commented, ‘We’ve been working on this project for some time, and ClimatePartner have been incredibly helpful in allowing us to calculate the cradle to grave carbon cost of individual drinks across our coffee range.
'We hope that being totally transparent with our customers on this carbon cost will help them make an informed choice to reduce the carbon emissions associated with each cup of Benugo coffee.
‘We have an ongoing carbon reduction program which we will keep challenging and developing. We have chosen to offset all of the carbon emissions associated with our coffee menu into high quality certified projects which also support local communities in coffee growing areas.
'It’s not the complete answer but is a critical and important step in our wider sustainability journey, and we will continue to challenge and progress what we do.’
Chris Pocock, Sustainability Consultant at ClimatePartner, added, ‘We’re truly proud to work with Benugo. The core of their business is hot drink sales, which is simultaneously the most impactful to global warming for them; they are taking responsibility for this via a comprehensive carbon footprint assessment and by investing in high quality offset projects.
'But what makes us even more proud is their approach to carbon reductions. Benugo have recognised that the most impactful way to reduce their carbon footprint is by influencing and educating consumers to choose low carbon products, and they’ve produced a menu which will give this impactful ‘nudge’ right as consumers make their buying decision.
'It’s the first of its kind in the UK and we can’t wait to see the impact it has on consumers and the market.
The new 100% carbon neutral coffee menu will highlight the carbon footprint in kg CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases across all Benugo cafes, restaurants and grab & go sites. Benugo’s espresso blend is brewed with beans that are 100% Rainforest Alliance certified.
Customers will be invited to scan a QR code for further information on the footprint measurement, the reduction measures being taken, and the offset projects being supported.
The Benugo brand stretches from award-winning high street stores to cafes and restaurants within some of the world’s best-loved public spaces and high-volume visitor attractions such as the V&A, The Royal Parks, The British Museum, BFI Southbank, Edinburgh and Stirling Castles and John Lewis stores throughout the UK.