Led by Chairman Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE and CEO Ashley Lopez, Department of Coffee and Social Affairs is now a U.K. market leading artisan coffee company
Since opening the first Department of Coffee and Social Affairs shop in East London’s Leather Lane in 2010, the independent artisan coffee company committed to social affairs and quality coffee has opened eight more shops in London with the tenth shop to open in SOHO’s Dean Street in April 2016. Under the leadership of 29-year-old CEO Ashley Lopez, Department of Coffee are set to open a further 40 coffee shops in London and across the U.K. continuing to raise the standard of coffee throughout the country and cementing its place as a leading independent artisan coffee retailer. For more information about Department of Coffee and Social Affairs please visit https://departmentofcoffee.com
One of the most successful and fast growing sectors in the UK economy in recent years, the UK coffee market is currently worth over £7.9 billion of which independent coffee shops hold a 30% market share. Department of Coffee’s CEO Ashley Lopez has cultivated a respected independent artisan coffee shop company that is leading the field by currently serving over a million cups of coffee a year and employing over 85 staff.
Artisan coffee companies such as Department of Coffee are thriving as UK consumers are becoming more aware of the quality of taste and are demanding a higher standard of coffee, which is rapidly becoming a fixture of consumers daily routine.
With the opening of the tenth coffee shop, Ashley Lopez comments, “We are very proud to announce the opening of our tenth coffee shop in London. We love having the ability to make a positive impact every day, connecting with a community of like-minded people through a shared passion for amazing coffee. We are undertaking an aggressive roll out strategy and it’s our ambition to bring Department of Coffee and Social Affairs to the whole of the U.K. ”
Ashley who joined the company as the HR director in 2011 and became CEO in 2015 said “I think there are lots of companies out there engaging in responsible business, which is great, but Department of Coffee goes well beyond that description. I know that we share our values with many, many of our customers and staff in making a tangible, positive social impact which for now focuses on London in the U.K and in parts of Africa.”
Ashley, Department of Coffee Chairman, Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE, and Matthew Gill, Department of Coffee Deputy Chairman have committed Department of Coffee to provide 300,000 free school breakfasts over the next three years to The Afri-CAN Charity Free School Breakfast Programme for kids between 1 and 6 in townships in South Africa. They have also created pop-up restaurants for London’s homeless, serving around 1,500 meals a year in Central London as well as launching a free barista training scheme for young Londoners looking to work in this fast growing industry.
Department of Coffee and Social Affairs opens its tenth store in April 2016 on Dean Street in Soho.
Department of Coffee and Social Affairs have partnerships with charities including the Central London Rough Sleepers Committee, Pump Aid, and Afri-CAN Charity.
