Raising the Bar Together: How We at Dark Woods Coffee Champion Fairness, Sustainability & Ethical Business
As we celebrate Good Business Week 2026, we’re proud to stand alongside organisations across the UK who are committed to responsible business. This year’s theme, Raising the Bar Together, resonates deeply with us, because our journey has always been about doing right by people, the planet, and the wider coffee community.
Fairness: At the Heart of How We Work
Fairness isn’t just a principle for us; it’s the foundation of the relationships that make our coffee possible.
We’ve built longstanding partnerships with around eighteen producer cooperatives and family-run farms worldwide, and 99% of our coffee is purchased through forward contracts. This gives our partners the stability and trust they need to invest confidently in their farms, their communities, and their futures.
We were honoured to receive the Better Business Award at the 2024 Great Taste Golden Forks. This recognition meant so much because it celebrated not just the quality of our coffee, but our values-driven approach, one that prioritises fairness, community impact, and environmental responsibility.
Through direct trade and long-term sourcing relationships, we’re able to pay quality premiums to farmers and commit to ethical, transparent sourcing at every stage of the supply chain.
Sustainability: More Than a Goal - It's Our Way of Working
We’ve always believed that sustainability should be lived, not claimed. It shapes every decision we make:
All our company vehicles are hybrid or fully electric, reducing transport emissions across our operations.
Our packaging is now homecompostable, and our wholesale customers have embraced our reusable, returnable containers, helping cut singleuse waste week after week.
Together with our landlord, we’ve installed 600 highoutput solar PV panels on the mill roof, significantly reducing our reliance on nonrenewable energy.
We’ve invested in a lower-emissions, highcapacity roaster, improving efficiency and reducing energy use.
On site, we compost kitchen waste, chaff, shredded paper, and coffee bags using a hot composter, turning waste into resources that help our gardens thrive.
In 2024, our sustainability efforts were recognised through our B Corp recertification score of 147.4, placing us among the leading B Corps globally and reflecting the progress we’ve made toward high environmental and social standards.
Ethical Practice: Responsibility at Every Level
Ethical practice guides how we treat our team, our partners, our community, and the world around us.
We’re proud to meet all ten components of the Good Business Charter, including paying the Real Living Wage, prioritising employee wellbeing, ethical sourcing, and protecting the environment through renewable energy, compostable packaging, and responsible tax practices.
Each year, we donate 2% of our turnover to community projects both locally and across the coffee-growing communities we work with. This helps fund development initiatives at origin and supports grassroots organisations closer to home.
We also publish an annual transparency report, because we believe responsible business should be open business. Our aim is to provide clarity on our sourcing, environmental performance, and social impact and to help others in hospitality take steps toward more sustainable operations.
Why Good Business Week Matters to Us
Good Business Week is a chance to celebrate progress, acknowledge responsibility, and encourage more organisations to join the movement toward better business. For us, it’s also a moment to reflect on the community that makes Dark Woods possible, from farmers and exporters to cafés, customers, and our brilliant team.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we know there’s always more to do. Together, we can keep raising the bar for fairness, sustainability, and ethical practice one cup at a time.
🌍 Learn more about Good Business Week 2026
