Our Head Roaster & Operations Manager Zoe reflects on our recent morning spent planting fruit trees as part of our Fruitscape Project:
A couple of weeks ago, on a pleasantly mild and dry day, we stepped away from the roastery, batch coffee in one hand and fresh pastries from a nearby bakery in the other. We pulled on our boots and waterproofs, and headed up to Gamblesmire Lane to plant trees.
At first glance, that might seem like it has very little to do with coffee or the day-to-day of a roastery. In truth, for us, it has everything to do with it.
Through our coffee sales, we donate 2% of revenue to charitable, environmental, and community causes. And while specialty coffee is often known for strong opinions, whether that’s defending a carefully curated setup, a preferred brewing method, or riding the ebb and flow of experimental trends, at its core, the industry is rooted in something deeper: sustainability and traceability, in all their many layers.
We’re fortunate to live and work in the Lake District, where those values don’t have to stop at sourcing coffee responsibly. They can extend into the landscape around us. Being part of this environment means more than simply appreciating its beauty, it’s about contributing to it, however modestly we can, and supporting its continued growth in biodiversity for both nature and the community that calls it home. And for that reason, it feels worth doing.
Our partnership with Ellergreen has carried us into 2026, marked by a simple but meaningful milestone: planting the last of the 170 apple, plum, cherry, damson and pear trees we funded in 2025. The Ellergreen Estate, based nearby in Burneside, is a privately managed landscape with a long-term vision that balances environmental stewardship with community benefit.
Working with the realities of Cumbria’s cool, wet, and often windy climate, we’ve chosen hardy varieties; apples, pears, plums, damsons and cherries, suited to thrive here. And while they’ll one day provide fruit, their impact goes far beyond that.
Orchards are recognised as priority habitats, supporting invertebrates, birds, and fungi. Our cluster of 30 trees, rooted in the lower valley of Gamblesmire Lane, is already beginning to play its part, intercepting rainfall, slowing runoff, and helping to keep soil in place. Over time, they’ll enrich that soil too, storing carbon in their wood and gradually building it into the ground beneath them.
The Fruitscape is in the early stages of something bigger: a community orchard. In time, it will offer free, fresh fruit to anyone passing through, while also becoming a place to meet, pause, and connect. Set along a well-used walking, cycling, and running route, it’s designed to be both a natural and social space.
Projects like this are appearing across the country, often described as “engines of community building”, spaces that foster connection, shared ownership, and a deeper relationship with the places we live.
For us, it’s a simple extension of what we already believe: that small, thoughtful, and continuous actions, whether in coffee or in the landscape around us, can add up to something meaningful over time.