Our Impact
Social responsibility
As well as serving food that tastes good, we’re proud to run a business that does good – for communities locally and overseas, for our customers, and for our people.
Eating for better health
Our healthy-eating programme, Vitality Kitchen, promotes the many benefits of a fresh, nutritious diet to individuals and organisations. Through an evolving series of initiatives, we help our customers and their teams learn more about healthy eating at work, including:
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how it can support productivity by improving concentration and raising energy levels
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how the right foods can help deal with stress
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how eating together enhances communication and wellbeing
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how supporting employees’ health can reduce absenteeism, increase morale, enhance a company’s reputation, and help retain the best people.
There’s a lot of controversy and confusion about what exactly is the perfect diet for health benefits. Our in-house nutritionist, Charlotte Newman, guides us through the nutritional maze. Her practical approach helps our customers enjoy great-tasting food with genuine health benefits.
“We take pride in being the first co-operative of female coffee workers providing year-round employment opportunities alongside high-quality coffee.”
Fatima Ismael, General Manager, Soppexcca co-operative, Nicaragua
Coffee from a Fairtrade co-operative
Our Fairtrade coffee, Perkee Soppexcca, is farmed by a co-operative in Nicaragua, where almost 40% of the members are women, and profits go into education, farm diversification and health centres. BM team members raised over $10,000 (around £7,500) to establish a bakery to support women members of the coffee co-operative who harvest the beans. This initiative allows the women to generate a sustainable income for themselves and their families and ensures financial stability throughout the year, beyond the coffee harvest season. So the success of the enterprise makes a big difference to local lives. And its success has been considerable, not least because Perkee Soppexcca is a great-tasting coffee – dark and intense, yet smooth, with hints of chocolate and caramel.
Time off for good causes
Everyone at BM can take one paid day off a year, to volunteer for a charity of their choice. We call it Freedom Friday, because we’re all free to volunteer for any good cause that’s important to us, and because most of us manage our time by adding the day to a weekend. Public-sector organisations in England and Wales with over 250 employees now have Volunteering Time Off paid for by the government. But, as a private business, we’re happy to cover the cost, as it’s far outweighed by the benefits both to our team members and the organisations they support.
Cacao farmer from the Soppexcca co-operative
Creating a great place to work
For 10 years in a row, we’ve been accredited on the Best Companies list – which we’re extremely proud of, especially as the accreditation is based on a survey of our team members. Topics include wellbeing, pay and benefits, personal growth, team support, and the company’s leadership. So scoring highly shows we’re doing all the right things to create a place where people want to work. We’ve also achieved the highest Glassdoor score in our industry: 4.6 out of a possible 5, again awarded through feedback from our teams.
All this, of course, is hugely important to us, as a business where success depends almost entirely on the capabilities and commitment of talented people. The need to keep everyone happy and motivated is behind every decision we make.
Opening up opportunities
Working with employment-support charity, Unity Works, we offer placements to people with a learning disability, often leading to full-time permanent positions. Many of those we help in this way have great potential for a career in our industry, but wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to gain the skills and qualifications they need to realise that potential. By giving them training and experience, we open up the world of work to them – and gain some valuable team members.
Helping tackle both food waste and hunger
The Felix Project diverts perfectly edible food, which would otherwise be thrown away, to food banks, social kitchens, charities, schools and day centres – from where it goes to people who would otherwise go hungry. We donate surplus food to the project, and our team members volunteer with them, collecting the food from donor businesses, sorting it to meet different needs, and delivering it to the organisations that put it to good use.
Explore more: news and blogs on our impact in sustainability, social responsibility, and ED&I
Jess’s Nicaraguan coffee adventure
At the heart of every cup of Perkee coffee lies the passion and dedication of our friends and partners at
BM’s dirty dozen take on Tough Mudder
BM’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ are putting themselves through the Henley Tough Mudder this Saturday to raise funds for forces children. Led by our
Supporting forces children
Did you know that April is the official month of the military child? It’s a time of year when we
£10,000 raised for military children’s charity Little Troopers
We were delighted to invite suppliers to a ticketed ‘meet and greet’ at one of our London locations where guests