Between the Lines: Social Impact Coffee
Brewing a better business model – one cup at a time
For most people, coffee is a daily ritual. For Adrian Evans, it became a catalyst for change.
The founder of Social Impact Coffee wasn’t looking to start a drinks brand. He was looking to solve a problem: 73% of adults with autism in the UK don’t have full-time paid employment and a third of them will attempt to take their own life.
“This made me question what I could do to make a difference,” Adrian says. “We were seeing incredible work being done by grassroots organisations tackling social and environmental issues, but they were constantly struggling for funding. We wanted to create a bridge. A delicious, everyday product that could generate consistent, reliable funding for these vital initiatives.”
The result was Social Impact Coffee: a brand that uses caffeine as a conduit for change. Set up as a regulated Community Interest Company, it gives 65% of profits directly to community causes, while retaining 35% to sustain and scale the business. It’s not a charity. It’s not your average ethical startup. It’s somewhere in between.
“We’re a coffee brand with a soul,” Adrian says. “We exist to fund important causes while empowering consumers to make a difference every day.”
The product is the platform
The genius of Social Impact Coffee isn’t in doing something wildly new, but doing something obvious with unusually sharp clarity. Everyone drinks coffee and most people care, in theory, about doing good. Social Impact Coffee meets them in the middle: daily habit meets systemic impact.
It’s a model designed to cut through what Adrian calls “choice paralysis”, which is the overwhelm of doing something good in a sea of vague purpose. “Our approach is to keep things simple, transparent and impactful,” he explains. “We’re not asking consumers to solve all the world’s problems. We’re offering them an easy, everyday way to contribute to a specific cause they care about.”
What’s more is that the causes aren’t window dressing. They’re selected based on need, alignment, and clarity of impact. This isn’t a “percentage of proceeds” PR exercise, as the funding model is hardwired into the business itself.
In-between business
From the outside, it’s tempting to put Social Impact Coffee in a box. Is it a DTC brand, a social enterprise, a purpose-driven FMCG startup? Well, in true Zillennial Zeitgeist fashion, we’re going to say this brand lives in the in-between.
It’s not a charity, but it funds charities. It’s not just a product, but it’s very much a product. It exists somewhere between retail and reform, serving as part ritual, part redistribution.
“We’re intentionally blurring those lines because we believe business can be a powerful force for good,” Adrian says. “We’re a business partner to charities. We provide consistent support and promote their work to new audiences.”
That “blurriness” is where the power lies. It allows Social Impact Coffee to speak both to corporate partners and grassroots communities, without diluting its message or overcomplicating its offering.
Design that earns trust
Of course, when you’re selling coffee in a crowded market and trying to convince people their flat white can drive structural change, trust matters. That’s where design comes in.
Social Impact Coffee’s brand identity, created by London studio Without, pairs bold clarity with soft optimism. It’s friendly but grown-up and clearly points to activism without shouting. You won’t find earnest earth tones or sad sans-serif lectures. Instead, you get something that feels fresh, honest and competent, like the kind of brand you actually want to have in your kitchen.
“Design is everything,” Adrian says. “It’s the first thing people see. It communicates quality, authenticity and our values. We use storytelling through design to connect with people emotionally and remind them their purchase has a real-world impact.”
It’s so satisfying when packaging doesn’t just look good, but does good too. For Social Impact Coffee, it acts as a kind of billboard for the causes it supports, translating hard-to-explain impact into something you can actually understand while waiting for the kettle to boil.
Success, but make it sustainable
So what does success look like for a company like this? Not just revenue, not just reach, but a mix of tangible impact and community trust.
“It’s about hitting funding milestones, yes,” Adrian says, “but also building a strong, loyal community who are passionate about our mission.”
That community now includes both customers and the organisations they support through a two-sided model that creates accountability in both directions. Customers want clarity, charities want commitment, and the business sits at the centre, holding both with care.
While Adrian admits there have been “countless moments of doubt” (building any startup is hard; building a social one is harder), it’s the stories from partners and the dedication of customers that keep him going. “Ultimately, it’s the reminder that every cup of coffee is contributing to positive change that fuels our determination.”
More than just beans
At its core, Social Impact Coffee is about proving that purpose can be practical – and even profitable – without being extractive or exhausting. “We might explore other products,” Adrian says, “but coffee will always be at the core. It’s about showing how something as everyday as a cup of coffee can drive real, measurable good.”
They’ve recently launched a Cascara tonic, made from the fruit of the coffee cherry, as a way of supporting farmers at origin and reducing waste. It’s nose-to-tail coffee, and another example of how they see every part of the supply chain as an opportunity for improvement.
“We’re always looking for ways to amplify our impact and build a more just and sustainable coffee industry,” Adrian says.
The case for caffeine-fuelled capitalism
Social Impact Coffee isn’t trying to disrupt the industry. It’s trying to reroute its logic. Profit and purpose don’t have to be at odds, and business can be a tool for redistribution. This brand is living proof that, sometimes, the most effective ideas are the ones that seem obvious in hindsight.
In a world full of businesses shouting about impact, this one has the receipts. It’s not a lifestyle statement or a guilt trip – it’s a better way to do something we’re already doing.
Are you a business or brand with that same in-betweener energy?
Between the Lines is all about spotlighting companies that don’t quite fit the mould – the ones blending categories, bridging worlds, or rethinking the rules entirely. If that sounds like you (or someone you know), I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a message or leave a comment. I’m always looking for thoughtful, purpose-led brands to profile in future editions.