BRITA's Grounds of Innovation winners revealed
The 2024 Grounds of Innovation Awards winners have been unveiled, celebrating coffee shops that don't just serve coffee but also create vibrant, buzzing hubs for their communities.
With the help of an esteemed panel of judges, BRITA scoured the UK for the most forward-thinking, trend-setting coffee spots for the second year. The results are in and the top 10 most innovative coffee shops in the UK have been revealed as:
- Mother Espresso, Liverpool: A speciality coffee spot using locally sourced ingredients to fuel its food menu with a community-focused vibe.
- Redemption Roasters, London: A roastery and café reducing reoffending in the UK through coffee via training to ensure long-term employment within the coffee industry.
- Hart's Bakery, Bristol: An artisan bakery working out of a large Victorian railway arch at Temple Meads station in Bristol.
- Batch Baby, London: A coffee shop celebrating global roasteries with events to match.
- Carnival Coffee Roasters, London: A neighbourhood coffee shop and roastery.
- Steep Street Coffee House, Folkestone: A literary coffee shop inspired by the famous book cafés of Paris.
- Viv's Coffee, London: A purpose-driven shop supporting female-owned roasteries.
- Cabinet Rooms, Winchester: A family-run cafê-bar with a range of inclusive events.
- Kin Coffee, Kent: A sustainable roastery and coffee spot.
- Ola Coffee Co, Reading: Great coffee with no single-use products
Being the only award of its kind in the sector, BRITA Professional assembled a panel of coffee industry titans to narrow down the shortlist into the top 10 ranking:
- Alex Bell, editor, Café Life
- Alex Dalton, founder, Rascal Coffee
- Howey Gill, head of coffee, Grind
- Ben Lewis, award-winning barista and latte artist
Mother Espresso, which took the top spot, was praised for its ingenuity in repurposing excess products to make items for its menu, such as using coffee leaves to brew their kombucha. The team also believe they have created the world's first fruited pastry cold brew, further showcasing their commitment to innovation.
Wayne Lew of Mother Espresso comments: "Winning this competition is absolutely amazing! Being recognised for our work, especially by a panel of industry experts makes this victory even more special. It's pretty cool and surreal to receive this recognition. Totally unexpected! Our goal has always been to create a welcoming, community-friendly space that offers a unique and creative experience."
As recognition for their creativity and innovation, Mother Espresso will receive a latte art masterclass from Ben Lewis, a bundle from sustainable coffee brand Grind and an exclusive coffee-tasting experience by Guatemalan roastery Rascal Coffee.
The top three ranked cafés – Mother Espresso, Redemption Roasters and Hart's Bakery – will each win a PURITY CiQ filter from BRITA – the world's first data-driven intelligent filtration system designed to deliver consistently great-tasting coffee.
You may also be interested in…
