Mission to make the perfect ethical coffee

He wants to know how it feels to gather coffee beans at altitude, so his customers can enjoy their cappuccinos with a clear conscience.

Mr Unkles, the managing director and co-founder of Sheffield-based fairtrade drinks company Cafeology, is making sure workers are being treated fairly at every stage of the production process.

He’s often accompanied by Francisco Herrera, who is in charge of the producer group that keeps Cafeology in business.

Parts of Colombia have been scarred by years of violent unrest, often involving drug cartels.

“We wanted to make sure that everything we sold was helping people who are not in as privileged a position as we are,’’ said Mr Unkles. “It’s great to be able to work closely with a community, and develop initiatives with the producers.

“The most important thing for me was to see the work and the quality control, which is amazing in Colombia

“The easy option is to just bring the coffee in, but in order to understand it you have to go out there and see it. There are risks in doing this, but there are risks in every walk of life.”

As the next stage in the expansion of his business empire, Mr Unkles plans to introduce three blends of his roast and ground coffee into national stores and independent retailers this year.

“The fact that we have got direct supply agreements in place allows us to tell the consumer exactly where the coffee is grown.’’ he said. “The full traceability on our packaging enhances the ethics behind Cafeology. It is one of our points of difference with other major coffee brands. We are a proud British company and this will be communicated on the packaging.”

The company, which has a turnover of just under £2m, was founded in 2003 by Yorkshire business men Mr Unkles and Andy McClatchey.

As he plots expansion, Mr Unkles is conscious of the challenges facing workers in Colombia every day.

Mr Unkles has flown to Colombia to forge strong ties with pickers, producers and shipping agents. “It’s important that we make the effort to see the guys over there and vice versa,’’ he said.

“It’s hard work. All our Colombian coffee is picked by hand. An average cup of coffee has 42 beans in it.

“The conditions can be quite challenging. We use Arabica coffee which is grown at altitude on quite steep hillsides.”

He was introduced to Mr Herrera, who is based in Apia, in 2009 by Matthew Mills, a speciality trader based in Bogota.

Mr Unkles said: “We made contact with Francisco when we went out to get a sole supplier agreement. We looked at different producer groups and I was very impressed with what I saw at Apia. Francisco is the head of the co-operative, so he’s looking after about 262 small scale farms, which are democratically controlled. The passion that Francisco has in his product has spread through all the different farms in the region.”

Cafeology also works with producers in Costa Rica, where the pickers arrive with their families from across central America for the holiday season. The pickers’ pay is normally dependent on how much their baskets weigh at the end of the working day. Cafeology pays a ‘social premium’ for its coffee beans, which goes towards initiatives such as road building, schools and health care. Cafeology, which is still owned by its founders, remains a lean organisation. It has just seven direct employees, although the firm will add to its ranks soon when it appoints an administrator.

Mr Unkles said: “We work with a number of different organisations throughout Yorkshire including hotels, restaurants, educational establishments, offices, and catering companies – in fact most places that offer quality coffee away from the home. We recently became a partner of the Sheffield Theatres’ trust who are wanting to work with local suppliers.”

The company also recently launched Teaology, which is sourcing tea directly from Kenya.

Mr Unkles has reported “great initial interest” for Teaology’s products from clients working on Britain’s railways and a major leisure operator. Mr Unkles plans to return to Colombia later this year, to meet the men and women who work on the steep slopes to satisfy our craving for coffee.