Fundraising for a cause with Coffee!
Coffee for a cause! Fair trade coffee, funded Fin’s trip to Tanzania in 2026, volunteering in the Community.
Our youngest Fin, raised £5,500, in part thanks to coffee purchases, in order to go to Tanzania in 2026 - it was an amazing opportunity, working alongside local communities on important environmental and community project work.
Thanks so much with your help fundraising for Camp Tanzania - Fin is home from his life-changing expedition, and so grateful for your support.
We are carrying on, doing good coffee, and doing good for our communities. More info on our next fundraiser TBC - stay tuned, folks!!!
On another note - another very exciting note - I'd like to announce another little addition that we're hoping will remain a Pengwyn staple on the menu:
Some of you have asked for it, some of you have scoffed at the thought, and there's absolutely no doubt that decaf is to coffee what pineapple is to pizza. There's also no doubt that everyone loves a capybara. I mean EVERYONE loves a capybara, right?
And the best capybara? A happy capybara.
And here we are, introducing you to our new addition, all the way from the green, green Minas Gerais region of Brazil... the one, the only, the Happy Capybara decaf!
I'm really, really looking forward to having a play with this one, but initial taste tests have uncanny hints of Butterkist popcorn. To all the decaf dismissers... trust me, you'll want to stick with us on this one. A mug or two of your favourite Joe, mix it up with a movie night... and still get a good night's kip. Win win!
When Fin first started selling our coffee at Christmas fayres, the overall response was generally incredibly positive; there were one or two, however, who would pick up a bag and ask for the price and, when we responded that it was £7 a bag, put it straight back declaring they could buy a bag of coffee from Tesco for a fiver.
And that's true...
What makes this coffee stand out above the supermarket own-brand offerings and, in my honest opinion, makes that extra couple of quid more than worthwhile are as follows:
Most supermarket coffees will be sourced in great abundance, the emphasis will be on how cheap they can procure their product (which will leave many farmers on the edge of destitution). This, in turn, will have a huge effect on the quality of the beans that are offered, their journey, and how they are processed before they arrive on the shelves. The base product is of little concern, and neither is the end product - the main concern is the gross profits that can be made.
If you're reading this, you already know at least a tiny little bit about who we are, and what we're doing: we're trying to make great things happen, and we're working towards a story with a hugely positive outcome, both personally and much, much further afield. Whilst we know where this chapter is heading, the start of the story begins at the plants our beans are borne from.
The beans that we are using for this first chapter of the Pengwyn story have all been sourced Ethically. First of all from Communal Shamba, a social initiative established by a group of young Tanzanian farmers in the Mbozi district. And now we are sourcing our beans from Northern Tanzania, from the Mondul Mountain in the Arusha region. 100% arabica beans (carbonic maceration process, for those who'd like to know) that leave a feel good taste in your mouth, mind, and soul.
Mondul Estate was first established in 1931, and has since been acquired by the neighbouring Burka Estate in 2007. Permanent staff at the estates are rewarded with a salary at least 20% above the national minimum wage, as well as social security and Labour Union membership. There are also loan and advice schemes to help with education, health, and house construction. Besides all this, Burka Estate is also home to a board of dedicated conservationists on a mission to uphold the legacy of the estates, including the preservation of Burka Forest, which is home to a growing wealth of wildlife, including the last remaining baboon colony in the area..
Stamped on the sacks of the beans arriving at Pengwyn HQ is the motto "Goods for Goodness". This is what our story is all about: start good; end good; feel good!
I'm sure we could have sourced cheaper beans, and I'm sure we could have cut some corners - both with our investments and learning - at this end, but that isn't our path; we're striving for personal growth, and a positive change in our global community.
And if that isn't worth the equivalent of two Mars Bars on the price of a bag...