The Makers: Coffee roaster, Dan Webber
Dan Webber founded Surrey based coffee roastery Chimney Fire in 2017. Since then the business has been bringing their customers sustainably sourced coffee that gives back to the growers. We spoke to Dan to find out more about his ethical approach to business and to find out what really goes into making the perfect cup of coffee.
How did you get into the world of coffee?
My journey into coffee started in 2011. I was fortunate to get a job in coffee and cocoa traceability which allowed me to live and work in Ghana for two years with frequent travel to coffee growing regions. After seeing how much work goes into producing a high-quality cup of coffee and the many challenges that farmers face, I founded Chimney Fire Coffee.
your a b corp business. what made you want to get your certification and how did you find the process?
So we got our certification in August 2022 and I wanted to do it for three reasons. Firstly I knew going B Corp would provide us with a framework for positive change. It gave us a base that we could build on, allowing us to make continued improvements across all areas of the business.
Secondly was credibility. The B Corp certification added a stamp of approval to what we already do - particularly the work around supply chain & the environmental improvements we’ve made in our roastery. It’s a growing movement so a lot more people are aware of what B Corp stands for and are looking to partner with organisations that are part of the movement.
And Finally it was about growing our community. The process of certification gave us plenty of opportunities to connect with and learn from businesses of various sizes across various industries, but who all share a similar ethos.
In terms of the process, I remember a lot of assessments, covering everything from community and environment to governance and customers - followed by several evaluation rounds. It felt like a significant time investment at the beginning, however once we started the process it was not only doable but it also reinforced that this is a credible certification that we wanted to put behind our name.
tell us about your approach to sustainability?
I always wanted the business to be built with sustainability at its core. For us it’s about building a transparent supply chain - fostering strong relationships and trading directly with coffee producers and growers to ensure as much value as possible goes back to the right people.
To put it in context, in the UK we drink almost 100 million cups of coffee every single day, so it’s a lot. As such, we have to be even more mindful about where our coffee comes from, how it’s produced, and the amount of waste we generate from consumption.
Chimney Fire’s mission is to create a socially and environmentally responsible coffee from farm to cup. Whenever we begin any development process we always ask the same two questions: “Is this necessary for an everyday product?” and, “How is this an improvement on what we already offer?”
AND How have you embedded your ethos into the business?
A lot of it comes down to our transparent supply chain. Coffee producers face so many challenges - fluctuating coffee prices, low market rates, increasing production costs and of course, climate change, which affects crop yields and quality. One way to address these problems is to buy coffee directly from producers, agreeing prices directly and building a long-term partnership so we can really understand their needs and challenges.
We currently partner with the El Cipres farm in El Salvador. I first met farm owner Tomas while visiting the 7 hectare farm in 2019 and we’ve been buying beans from them ever since.
Buying coffee in this way means we’re able to give more money back to the people actually growing the produce; it’s a long term commitment, which provides us and the grower with a sustainable source of income; and having a direct relationship means we can better understand how to help out their surrounding community. For example, with our Brazilian producer, for every kilo purchased we donate 10 cents to the Crio Carmo project, an initiative which teaches English and sports to young people in the area.
so tell us, what makes a good cup of coffee?
The big question! I could talk for ever about it but in short, it’s the people involved in the production. Coffee passes through several hands before the final cup and every step impacts the final taste. It starts with the farmers whose care and attention help produce the best quality green unroasted coffee beans. Then it’s our job as the roaster to bring the best out of the bean and honour the farmers hard work. And finally you have the baristas whose job it is to make lovely tasty brew. If all three stages are done correctly then you have a great cup of coffee!
What is your Favourite food to pair with your coffee?
Personally, I like a few squares of dark chocolate with my coffee. Traditional coffee can be bitter so sugar foods are typically preferred, however coffee should be naturally sweet if done right so dark chocolate provides a perfectly balanced pairing. It’s also relatively healthy for you!
and whats next for the coffee world? What innovations do you see on the horizon?
In terms of innovation, people are increasingly looking to make or serve good quality coffee consistently. With this in mind there’s a lot of work being done to make brewing equipment more convenient, taking away some of the variables that you might find in the brewing process.
Ultimately, I think we’re now seeing the industry mature. It’s more about doing good quality coffee well and perhaps less about creating unusual flavoured coffees like we have seen over the past few years. In my opinion, this is a great thing because it should mean more coffee bought in a responsible way, and therefore hopefully more money going back to the people who grow it.
