Alpro has created a £200,000 fund to offer financial aid to independent coffee shops facing hardship from the coronavirus lockdown.
Supported by UK Coffee Week (which is due to run this autumn), the ‘In It Together’ Fund will make grants available to business owners to manage cashflow, rental payments and staff costs.
The donation follows a £125,000 investment in free stock for coffee shops and a social media campaign to support baristas by Alpro last month.
The plant-based brand has called on other foodservice suppliers to pledge their support and add to the fund. Shops looking for financial support can find more information at in-together.org.
“Local coffee shops are the heart and soul of so many high streets, but the reality is that without additional support during the current UK lockdown, many of these smaller outlets could face closure,” said David Jiscoot, marketing director at Alpro UK & Ireland.
“That’s why we want to do all that we can to help businesses to navigate this crisis, but we can’t do it on our own,” he added.
“We need all sectors of the coffee industry to band together to make sure we can help as many businesses as possible, so I’d like to invite everyone to get involved and pledge their support.”
The fund would offer a lifeline to independent coffee shops, added Jeffrey Young, founder of UK Coffee Week. “No donation is too small - please give what you can so we can all help our independents to get through this.”
No comments yet