UNITED KINGDOM 26th August 2010

The Allegra Foundation is aiming to promote the success of the British coffee sector and give back to a worthy cause with the launch the annual UK Coffee Week, now postponed until Spring 2011.

During UK Coffee Week, the Foundation says, consumers will be asked to pay a voluntary 5p (€0.06) levy on each cup of coffee or food purchase bought at a large range of participating coffee businesses. 

100% of the donations will go to fund Project Waterfall, an initiative to provide clean drinking water and education to underprivileged communities in African coffee producing countries. Approximately 7,000 people in the Chini Ward of the Mbulu District in Tanzania will be the first to benefit from the money raised, according to the Foundation.

Aimed at raising the profile of the UK coffee and food services sector, UK Coffee Week will involve leading coffee chains such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Caffè Nero, highly regarded Independent coffee shops like Flat White, Monmouth Coffee and Kaffeine, and industry suppliers including Lavazza, Solo Cup and Square Mile Coffee Roasters.

The decision to postpone the event until Spring 2011 was made to allow some of the industry participants more time to become fully involved, according to the Foundation.

More details about UK Coffee Week can be downloaded here.