London · United Kingdom
Kiss the Hippo Coffee
Kiss the Hippo Coffee is one of 14 London roasters tracked on day9, in England.
Since 2018 · Can Eren
Overview
Kiss the Hippo was founded in 2018 by Can Eren in Richmond-upon-Thames, with a separate roastery built around a Loring Smart Roaster, and was certified by Swiss non-profit On A Mission as the world's first carbon-negative coffee company. The hippo name and red hippo motif are Eren's playful shorthand for the company's reverence for nature, and Kiss the Hippo has won the UK Barista Championships twice while expanding to nine London cafes including Mayfair, Fitzrovia, Shoreditch, Covent Garden, Soho and the City.
Known for
- Founded 2018 by Can Eren in Richmond-upon-Thames
- Certified the world's first carbon-negative coffee company by Swiss non-profit On A Mission
- Operates a Loring Smart Roaster — heat-recycling drum roaster significantly more energy-efficient than conventional machines
- Two-time UK Barista Championship winner
- Pays at least 50% above Fair Trade reference price and pursues organic certification on coffees
Why it matters
Sustainability claims in specialty coffee are usually marketing varnish; Kiss the Hippo built the company so that an external Swiss auditor could certify it as net-negative on carbon. Combine that with two UK Barista Championship wins and the Loring at the heart of the roastery and Kiss the Hippo is the credible answer to whether a London cafe chain can scale to nine sites without trading off cup quality or ecological seriousness.
Production
- head roaster
- Joshua Tarlo (Director of Coffee, former UK Barista Champion)
- roaster machine
- Loring Smart Roaster
- roastery location
- London (Richmond area)
- espresso equipment
- Custom Kees van der Westen with hippo motif (Richmond)
Café
50 George Street, Richmond, London TW9 1HJ
Recognitions
- World's first carbon-negative coffee company (On A Mission certification)
- UK Barista Championship winner (2x)