This December, Old Spike Roastery will be opening its first site outside of Peckham with London’s first carbon and plastic neutral specialty coffee shop. Old Spike is the first social enterprise in the UK championing real social and environmental change through specialty coffee.
It will be opening in Piccadilly Circus on Sherwood Street followed closely by further central London sites across the next 6 months.
The site on Sherwood St will see the brand partner with The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields, where they will offer customers the opportunity to deliver real impact to people who are homeless through a loyalty-based donation scheme. Each purchase of coffee will generate points via a custom-built app which will allow users to support people sleeping rough with donations.
Working directly with The Connection, the rewards-based scheme will provide funds for the charity, whose services cover everything from laundry provision in their drop-in centre for people sleeping on the streets to one-on-one sessions with a mental health therapist.
Old Spike Roastery founder, Richard Robinson commented, “These launches will see Old Spike branch out of our home in Peckham and make an impact in other parts of London, through further employment opportunities and donations to local homeless charities in each community where we open.”
Pam Orchard, CEO of The Connection, said, “The Connection is delighted to be partnering with Old Spike Roastery to support people in their journey from the streets to a meaningful future and home of their own.
'Central London, in particular, Westminster, where The Connection’s services are based, has the highest number of people sleeping rough in the country so this initiative is desperately needed. Customers of Old Spike can now enjoy a great cup of coffee, at the same time as helping some of the most vulnerable people in the community to move forward with their lives.”
In addition to its work with people who are homeless, Old Spike will be continuing the partnership with Eden Reforestation Project and commit to planting a tree with every bag of coffee sold which, in the last 12 months, has already planted over 40,000 trees. This focus on the environment will extend in store with each site being both carbon and plastic neutral.
Each site will serve their renowned speciality coffee alongside baked goods from their partnership with South East London baked goods specialist, Faran Customs.
Reusable coffee silos will be available to encourage refills and customers can help themselves to coffee to take home via an on-site dispensary. Interiors will be minimalist, featuring natural materials with gold and brass finishes. Bespoke furniture will provide customers with seating - both inside and out - to sit and enjoy their coffees.
