The frenetic pace of the fight against the pandemic in hospitals, police stations, and fire stations, among other institutions, has resulted in long days for first responders caring for citizens.

In order to send a message of support and encouragement to continue their work, the Colombian company Jaramillo Café—direct distributors in the United Kingdom—decided to donate 55 kg of Colombian coffee, which serve approximately 5,500 cups, to three institutions. St. Thomas' Hospital in London—one of the main hospitals attending to the emergency, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson was a patient—received 3,000 cups; Norwich Hospital received 2,000 cups for its 8,000 employees; and Lancaster Gate Police Station received 500 cups.

Mauricio Jaramillo, Sales Director for Jaramillo Café’s UK branch, explains how the initiative came about. “Along with ProColombia’s invaluable support, we wanted to do our part for all these people risking their lives for others by providing them with a cup of coffee to warm their spirit and encourage them during these difficult times.” Jaramillo Café has been in this market for five years and distributes its product to cafés and independent coffee shops.

Jaramillo Café has grown coffee since 1877, thanks to the five generations who have led the company based in the Colombian Coffee Triangle. According to the UNESCO World Heritage List, the coffee region is the heart of Colombia, made up of 6 agricultural landscapes, 18 urban centers, and 47 municipalities in the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío.

ProColombia’s president Flavia Santoro stated, “We applaud this Colombian company’s show of solidarity with a key partner, the United Kingdom. Here at ProColombia, we supported this donation, together with our embassy in the UK, as part of of the COnectados strategy. We hope that these cups of coffee will give a boost of energy and encouragement to these heroes so that they can carry out their daily tasks to the best of their abilities.”

Santoro continued, “Colombia is the world's leading producer of smooth and specialty coffees, which stand out for their single-origin, planting technique, and premium qualities. The Colombian variety is 100% Arabica, with greater acidity and smoothness, better infusion, intense aroma, and lower concentration of caffeine, which make it a healthier option. Colombian coffee varieties include organic, single-origin, instant, freeze-dried, roasted, and ground coffee.”

Given the success of the first coffee donation, a second phase is underway, in which the Colombian business community in London—a group created two years ago under ProColombia’s leadership and made up of approximately 100 Colombian professionals—has led a fundraising effort to donate 7,000 cups of coffee (about 70 kg).

“It is very exciting to see people’s faces light up when they receive it. We will continue distributing coffee, as it is a social responsibility and gesture of empathy for these workers, and for the country as a whole,” adds Jaramillo.

In just six days, the crowdfunding platform raised 100% of the goal; donations are expected to take place in the coming days. The institutions prioritized to receive these donations are the hospitals of Nightingale, St. George's, and King's College  in London, as well as major London Metropolitan Police Stations.

The United Kingdom is among the top 10 countries that purchase Colombian coffee. According to Colombia’s Department of Statistics (DANE) figures analyzed by ProColombia, in 2019 the UK ranked ninth, with US $48.4 million—14.6 million net kg of coffee. In the first few months of 2020, Colombia exported US $9.9 million in coffee to the United Kingdom. 

Last year, Europe was the second largest coffee-importing continent, after America, with imports equaling US $678.7 million—an increase of 3.4% compared to 2018. In net volume, 222 million kilograms of coffee were registered. Colombia exported a total of US $2.272 billion in 2019—reaching 73 destinations where sales surpassed US $10,000—equaling 750.8 million kg of coffee in net volume.