Well-loved Lincolnshire coffee brand, Stokes Coffee, and Lincolnshire-based equine rescue charity, Bransby Horses, have teamed up to create a bespoke coffee blend. As the popularity of The Feedroom café at the charity site grows and coffee is the drink of choice for many visitors, the two organisations decided to create their own coffee together, for the first time.
The collaboratively created coffee, which has been named ‘Free Rein Roast’, has been in development this summer and is being launched in September. The blend is intended to capture the aroma and experience of being in the Lincolnshire countryside and, when consumed at Bransby Horses, will further enhance their experience at the site. The roast has a distinctive nutty flavour with chocolate notes. Visitors will also be able to buy this special blend to enjoy at home and for the first time for a charity blend, is being stocked in all of Stokes Coffee shops with 50p from the sale of each bag, going back to Bransby Horses.
During the summer, Bransby Horses staff took part in testing a number of coffee bean combinations. Testing culminated in an evening tasting of three leading blends, which took place for the charity’s staff, at Stokes’ roastery at The Lawn on Thursday 29th August. Staff made their selection and this morning, the Executive Director of Engagement and Income Generation, Sally Crawford, gave her stamp of approval on the choice. Farm Manager, Rachel Jenkinson and Rehoming Manager, Rosanna Elliott-Hart, also joined the final tasting this morning, to support the launch of the charity’s first coffee blend.
Sally Crawford, Executive Director of Engagement and Income Generation from Bransby Horses said:
“The expertise of the Stokes team, blended with the taste buds of our own team have resulted in this great coffee creation. The Feedroom café at our site in Bransby is lovely place for visitors to dwell and enjoy the surroundings. Where else can you enjoy a cup of coffee with donkeys braying in the background? The fact that this has been our inspiration is something very special. I really hope that our visitors love this new coffee and buy a bag or two to enjoy at home. Thank you to the team at Stokes Coffee for helping us develop this blend, I am sure it will be a hit with coffee-lovers.”
The coffee is available to buy from the three Stokes Coffee shops and in The Feedroom and Gift Shop at Bransby Horses, from the 9th September. 50p from the sale of every 227g bag will go back to the charity and will help them continue their vital work rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming hundreds of equines, from across the UK, who have had a difficult and in many cases, traumatic start in life.
Bransby Horses is dedicated to rescuing and improving the lives of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules across the UK. With public support, the charity is working harder than ever to continue making positive differences to equines whenever they can. Founded in 1968 by Mr Peter Hunt, Bransby Horses is now one of the UK’s largest equine welfare charities, currently caring for almost 1,000 animals (more than 400 on site and more than 500 in foster homes).
