Revolver Co‑operative, the UK-based worker- and farmer-owned co-operative, has been ranked number one for coffee and tea in the latest Ethical Consumer guides.
The achievement highlights the co-op’s distinctive position in the beverage industry and builds on its achievement of being named the highest scoring B-corp in the sector.
While many brands focus on either coffee or tea, Revolver offers ethically sourced ranges across both products.
“When we started, we had just two coffees,” said managing director Paul Birch. “Since then, we have developed about 45 products, have five different teas and are currently sitting on a combined 18 tons of Malawi tea and coffee waiting to be packaged.”
Revolver is a multi-stakeholder co-op, owned by around 500 consumers; UK retail societies including Heart of England and OurCoop (formerly Central and Midcounties); a producer co-op with around 25,000 farmer members in Costa Rica, Honduras and Malawi; and a staff-owned worker co-op.
Related: Paul Birch talks about the work of Revolver Co-op
Ethical Consumer’s coffee guide evaluates 30 brands, considering factors such as carbon footprint, shade- versus sun-grown beans, packaging, and ethical claims like Fairtrade, “grown by women,” or Bird Friendly certifications. Revolver achieved a score of 91/100.
The tea guide assesses 31 brands, looking at workers’ rights, organic certification, Fairtrade practices, and environmental considerations such as plastic in tea bags. Revolver achieved an even higher tea score of 95/100, setting them apart from both mainstream and smaller ethical brands.
“Being ranked number one in both coffee and tea is a truly unique honour,” said Birch. “It reflects our mission to build ethical, transparent supply chains that prioritise people and planet, and shows that high-quality, ethically produced beverages can succeed in multiple categories.”
Other co-operatives ranking highly in the guides included Equal Exchange (87) and Suma (81). Ethical Consumer is itself a co-op, established in 1989 to provide independent research, ratings, and tools to help consumers make ethical, environmental, and socially responsible purchasing decisions.
