Hot drinks focus: Conscience coffee

The news at the start of this month that Starbucks cafés in the UK and Ireland will serve only Fairtrade coffee in its espresso-based beverages marks another watershed for the movement - and also raises the stakes for independent pubs higher than ever.

For many customers, it seems that the expectation that coffee - and increasingly tea - will be sourced responsibly ceased to be a point of difference and became an expectation some time ago.

Most of the major pub groups, in their managed operations at least, set out their stall accordingly. Greene King serves fairtrade coffee in more than 400 of its managed pubs, while Whitbread has set itself a goal to acquire all its Costa coffee - which is served in it pub restaurants as well as it pubs - from certified sustainable sources as soon as possible.

JD Wetherspoon informs customers on its menus and website that is sources 100 per cent Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. The high street pub groups has a Lavazza -branded coffee offer which has been an integral part of Wetherspoon's huge success in building it breakfast and coffee trade.

So what does its all mean? Here's a quick guide to help pubs negotiate the ethical minefield of a hot drinks menu:

Sustainable: There is no legal definition of sustainable farming, with the phrase often sometimes meaning different thing depending on which company is marketing it. Sustainable tea and coffee should be grown in a manner which protect the land, preserves resources such as waters and pays workers fairly.

Rainforest Alliance: The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal is a guarantee that coffee is grown on farms where forests are protected, rivers, soils and wildlife conserved; and workers are treated with respect, paid decent wages, properly equipped and given access to education and medical care. While is does not guarantee coffee farmers a set price, the organisation argues that long-term investment benefits coffee farming communities, and they benefit when the price is higher.

Fairtrade Certification guarantees produces a minimum price for their product. It is set at a level which ensures that Producer organisations receive a price which covers the cost of sustainable production for their product, and acts as a safety net for farmers at times when world markets fall below a sustainable level. However, when the market price is higher than the Fairtrade minimum, the Fairtrade Foundation says the buyer must pay the market price.

• Country Range Group has recently launched a tea from one of the world's first Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates, offering a premium blend Kenyan tea. Country Range premium blend tea, has a fresh flavour, is golden in colour and has come out best in class in blind tastings. To help pubs communicate the offer, the new tea is supported by attractive table talkers and other point of sale material. Country Range 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Tea is available in cases of 2x 1100 teabags as well as boxes of 250 wrapped individual string tag tea bags.