To mark the partnership, Garage Coffee has created a special coffee blend just for the University of Kent. The exclusive blend, named ‘Ambition’, was selected by the university’s catering team in a coffee cupping session.
The blend features beans from Brazil and Colombia, and Garage Coffee says it has ‘tasting notes of dark chocolate, pecans, and vanilla’. The Brazilian beans come from the O’Coffee estate in Alta Mogiana which is committed to ethical practices and community development, earning a Level A certification from the Rainforest Alliance.
A spokesperson said: “This exciting partnership brings award-winning, locally roasted coffee to the university, supporting a popular independent business from Kent.”
The catering team initially offered the Ambition blend at Dolche Vita, Gulbenkian Café, and Sibson Café outlets, with plans to offer it across all University of Kent cafes, restaurants, bars, and through internal catering services.
It says that student customers will continue to ‘enjoy great perks’ with the new Garage Coffee partnership, such as 10% off the price if you bring in your reusable coffee cup or travel mug, and get a tenth drink free with every nine hot drinks ordered with a loyalty card.
Alongside the Ambition blend, Garage Coffee will introduce guest single-origin filter coffees from time to time throughout the year.
To prepare for the introduction of the new coffee the catering team came together for a coffee training session with Garage Coffee to sharpen their skills and learn some new tricks. Baristas from Dolche Vita, Sibson Café, and the Gulbenkian Café spent the day with the coffee pros from Garage Coffee.
Garage Coffee is a member of Produced in Kent, an organisation dedicated to promoting local food, drink, and craft businesses. By choosing Garage Coffee, the university says it is helping to sustain the local economy and reduce environmental impact.