Photo: Courtesy of RiSE
Coffee isn't just a beverage; it’s a lifeline, a daily ritual that turns the chaos of waking up into a somewhat manageable experience. For many of us, it’s become the most reliable remedy to soothe our screen-fried, sleep-addled, stressed-out brains. In fact, over 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day.It’s no surprise then, that there’s been a lot of buzz about RISE Coffee, a brand claiming to redefine the coffee game through monthly subscription boxes. It’s already received praise from BBC Good Food, Good Housekeeping and Women's Health. The premise is simple: Subscriptions start from £15 per month, and you receive one to four bags of top quality coffee from independent roasters across the UK straight to your doorstep. Just pick which blends you want, how you want them (whole bean, ground coarse, ground medium, etcetera), and how often you want them, then sit back and wait for the postman to deliver the goods.I decided to give it a shot, and signed up for two different blends. It all arrives a few days later, neat and tightly sealed in eco-friendly packaging with no plastic in sight (RISE prides itself on working to achieve carbon-neutral status).I tear open the bag of Need Beans and Hard Lines Coffee – two roasters from their sizeable list of suppliers. I have to admit, the bag from Need Beans smelled pretty damn good. After patiently waiting for the coffee to brew, I take a sip. The dark chocolate and bold cherry notes are a nice surprise, a big change from the acid-battery taste you get from the supermarket stuff you buy in a last minute panic.Second cup in, I try the Hard Lines Coffee blend. The bag boasted about it having a natural washed process, and it certainly translates into a smooth, sweet and well-rounded flavour. While the Need Beans blend felt like something a little experimental that I might pick up in a quite cool but quite overpriced cafe in Shoreditch, the Hard Lines blend is something my barely-awake taste buds would appreciate on an early morning.Another pleasing element to the RISE boxes is the company’s legitimate commitment to being a conscious brand. They’ve launched the Friendly Coffee Fund, an initiative that sends 1% of all sales back to coffee-growing communities. They’re also partnered up with Agri Evolve, a social enterprise based in Uganda, to support education programs among the coffee growing communities of the Rwenzori Mountains. In an era when corporate coffee brands are regularly in the news with regards to deforestation, it's reassuring to drink a genuinely ethical cup for once.So, if you're done with early morning sprints to the local supermarket because you’ve forgotten to stock up, then a monthly box of beans from RISE might be a rewarding solution. There’s no fancy jargon; just damn good coffee with a side of good conscience. Life's too short for bad coffee, right?Get £5 off your first order with code JOINRISE or 15% off your first 3 boxes with code FRIENDLYCOFFEE
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