GRIND

How ethical is Grind?

Grind is a specialty coffee brand which has achieved The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Coffee Ratings Table. With a score of 75 out of 100, Grind demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices, achieving good ratings across the majority of criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide and earning recognition as an Ethical Innovator.

Grind has not yet received The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation, an editorial endorsement awarded to brands which achieve a high ethical score across our multi-criteria assessment. Receiving this endorsement would further strengthen the brand’s standing as a recognised ethical choice for consumers in the coffee sector.

What does Grind do?

Grind was founded in 2011 in Shoreditch, London, and operates as an independent British coffee company with cafes and restaurants across London and a London roastery. The brand produces specialty-grade coffee as home-compostable pods, whole bean, ground, and ready-to-drink formats. Grind’s coffee pods are the UK’s first certified home-compostable pods, made from PHA — a biopolymer produced through microbacterial fermentation — that decomposes within 26 weeks. All packaging is free from single-use plastic. Grind sources its coffee from sustainable farms at above-market prices and operates the Better Coffee Foundation, which recovers ocean-bound plastic with every product sold.

Why does Grind perform well ethically?

Grind achieves good ratings across the majority of criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide. The brand receives good ratings for environmental reporting, fossil fuels, and packaging — the latter reflecting its certified home-compostable pod technology and plastic-free packaging range. Grind receives good ratings for animal welfare, armaments, irresponsible marketing, and political donations, and has no documented public record criticisms. The brand has achieved recognition as an Ethical Innovator, reflecting its development of the UK’s first certified home-compostable coffee pod as a genuine alternative to plastic and aluminium single-use pods.

What could improve Grind’s ethical positioning?

Grind receives a poor rating for Fairtrade. The brand sources its coffee at prices it describes as above Fairtrade rates from sustainable farms, but does not hold formal Fairtrade certification. Pursuing Fairtrade certification would provide independent third-party assurance of these sourcing practices and close the gap in formal verification.

Grind also receives a poor rating for organic ingredients. While the brand’s pods are made from organic materials and its sourcing ethos emphasises sustainability, its coffee products do not carry formal organic certification. Pursuing organic certification for relevant product lines would strengthen this aspect of an already strong ethical profile.

Obtaining The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation would provide editorial recognition of Grind’s ethical standards and make it easier for consumers to identify the brand as an editorially endorsed choice in the coffee sector.

Grind stands as one of the more ethically considered options in the coffee sector, with a packaging innovation and sourcing ethos that set it apart from many competitors. Consumers can explore how it compares to other brands on our Ethical Coffee Ratings Table and learn more about how we rate brands on ethical criteria.