Imbibe Coffee Roasters is a Dublin 8 roastery that started roasting in 2018 and gives away 4% of everything it earns before it makes a profit. The money goes to Women’s Aid, which it has supported since its first roast, to its staff on top of salary and bonus, to projects at origin and to local projects in Dublin 8. It also donates coffee every week to St James’s, Crumlin Children’s Hospital and The Coombe.

Imbibe has bought from the ASOPEP co-op in Planadas, Colombia, since it began roasting. Early on it saw how dangerous the children’s river crossings to school were, and it has since paid for four bridges at the co-op and sent funding for a fifth.

It is certified organic by The Organic Trust. Kaleidoscope, its first blend and the organic coffee most of the cafés it supplies use, combines ASOPEP’s El Puente with Peru Aprysa from a women’s organic committee. Beyond the co-ops it buys directly from producers including Pedro Moss of La Huella in Panama and Ashenafi Argaw of Ardent in Ethiopia.

The roast profile is light to medium, and there are no dark roasts. Monika, the Q Grader, cups each coffee and picks the three notes that go on the bag. Most wholesale coffee travels in reusable cans that come back to be cleaned and refilled, deliveries are made by electric vehicle, and the roaster has an afterburner to cut smoke and emissions. Imbibe often debuts new coffees in a monthly Coffee Club bundle.

Partner cafés

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Imbibe Coffee Roasters