UK Coffee Week

Categories:: Food & Beverage
Tags:: Beverage Food
Where:: United Kingdom
Date change rule:: Week starting with the 2nd Monday of October
Holiday emoji:: ☕

UK Coffee Week runs from Monday, October 12 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, dedicating seven days to celebrating coffee while supporting a vital cause. This annual event brings together coffee shops, roasters, and consumers to raise funds for Project Waterfall, which delivers clean water to coffee-growing communities. Join the movement by visiting participating cafés, donating, or spreading awareness.

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Expected UK Coffee Week Deals

UK Coffee Week is primarily a fundraising initiative for Project Waterfall, rather than a week of commercial deals. Many participating coffee shops, restaurants, and roasters will run special promotions where a portion of sales from specific coffee drinks or bags will be donated to the cause. Look for limited-edition charity blends, donation-matching programs, and ’round up your bill’ options at places like Costa Coffee, Starbucks UK, and independent cafés. Brands like Union Hand-Roasted Coffee and Square Mile Coffee Roasters often create special offerings. We will update this page with confirmed fundraising activities and participating venues as October 12 approaches, encouraging direct donations via the Project Waterfall website.

Platform Guide for UK Coffee Week

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #UKCoffeeWeek. Share photos of your favorite coffee moments, participating cafés, and how you’re supporting Project Waterfall.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #UKCoffeeWeek. Share stories about the impact of clean water in coffee communities and encourage friends to donate.

X/Twitter

Mention @NatlToday and use #UKCoffeeWeek. Follow @Project_Waterfall for real-time updates on fundraising progress and impact stories throughout the week.

UK Coffee Week Hero

Chris Brown

Chris Brown is the founder and CEO of Allegra Group, a leading research and consulting firm in the global coffee industry. Recognizing the challenges faced by coffee-growing regions, he founded the Allegra Foundation and subsequently launched Project Waterfall, the charity behind UK Coffee Week, to address the critical need for clean water in these communities.

History of UK Coffee Week

Some of the first accounts of coffee beans being ground and mixed with animal fat came from the Galla tribe in Ethiopia before 1000 A.D. Arab traders brought back the plant to Yemen, cultivating them in plantations. They boiled the beans in water to create a drink called ‘qahwa,’ which meant ‘that which prevents sleep.’ The Turks brought coffee to Constantinople in 1453, and by the 16th century, its enticing aroma had spread to the rest of Northern Africa, Persia, and the Middle East.

Italian traders brought coffee to Venice in 1600. Pope Clement VII Hi even baptized it and declared it a Christian drink! Its popularity spread across North America in 1607 with the arrival of Captain John Smith, one of the founders of the Virginia colony. The first coffee houses started sprouting up in Italy, England, and France in the mid to late 1600s. Not to be outdone, the Dutch smuggled a coffee plant out of the Arab port of Mocha in 1690 and became the first to commercialize coffee cultivation in Ceylon and Java. Brazil’s coffee industry started in 1727 when the wife of the governor of Guiana gave Lt. Colonel Francisco de Melo Palheta a bouquet with hidden cuttings of coffee plants.
In the 20th century, coffee progress continued. In the U.S., Hills Bros. started packing coffee in tins. Decaffeinated coffee brand Sanka was introduced in 1903. Today, many countries in Central America and Africa depend on coffee bean farming as a primary source of income. More than one hundred million people in developing countries work to produce one of the world’s favorite drinks.

UK Coffee Week timeline

1475

The World’s First Coffee Shop

Kiva Han opens in Constantinople, along with many other shops that become hotspots for lively discussions and debates

1668

Lloyd’s Of London

Edward Llyod opens a coffee house in England frequented by merchants and maritime insurance agents that eventually becomes a well-known insurance company.

1822

The First Espresso Machine

Frenchman Louis Bernard Rabaut develops a brewing machine that uses steam to force hot water through coffee grounds.

1906

Instant Coffee For All

English chemist George Constant Washington invents the first mass-produced coffee while living in Guatemala.

How Businesses Can Celebrate UK Coffee Week

Local businesses, especially coffee shops and restaurants, can actively participate in UK Coffee Week by registering as official partners. They can host special events, offer unique coffee blends with proceeds benefiting Project Waterfall, or implement a ’round up your bill’ option for customers to donate. Promoting the cause through in-store signage and social media helps raise awareness and encourage donations, demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility within the coffee industry.

UK Coffee Week FAQs

When is UK Coffee Week?

UK Coffee Week 2026 runs from Monday, October 12 to Sunday, October 18, encouraging coffee lovers across the country to support a vital cause.

How much money has UK Coffee Week raised?

Since its inception in 2011, UK Coffee Week has raised over £800,000 for Project Waterfall, funding 13 projects and changing more than 45,000 lives in coffee-growing communities.

How many coffee shops participate in UK Coffee Week?

Hundreds of coffee shops, restaurants, and roasters across the United Kingdom participate in UK Coffee Week, uniting the industry for a common charitable goal.

What is Project Waterfall?

Project Waterfall is a charity dedicated to bringing clean water, sanitation, and education to coffee-growing communities. It is the core beneficiary of all funds raised during UK Coffee Week.

UK Coffee Week Activities

Tip your barista generously
It’s also a time to show appreciation for the ones in your local coffee shop who make your coffee. Let’s not forget that cute coffee foam art.
Buy coffee from participating stores
Visit a participating local coffee shop in person or online. They’ll likely be donating a portion of the sales to the cause.
Pay for someone’s coffee
While in line at your favorite coffee shop, spring for someone else’s cup. Pay it forward, coffee-style.

5 Times You Should Be Cautious With Coffee

Only one cup a day if pregnant
Anything you ingest while pregnant may affect the fetus and a developing baby will be very sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
Bad coffee can be toxic
Even one overripe or ruined bean can cause coffee to go bad and impurities from a bad batch can cause headache, sickness, or a general unsettled feeling.
Skip it if you’re prone to heartburn
It’s highly acidic and can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
Filtered coffee for high cholestoral
Two ingredients in coffee beans that appear to raise L.D.L. cholesterol levels are cafestol and kahweol: filtering the coffee traps most of the bad cholesterol.
Too much can trigger a gout attack
A big dose of caffeine may cause a gout attack in people who suffer from it.

Why We Love UK Coffee Week

It helps you appreciate cultures
There are as many varieties of coffee, almost as many as there are places in the world. You can taste Brazil, Colombia, or Ethiopia in a cup. It’s fascinating to learn where your coffee comes from and how it was processed.
It smells amazing
Nothing else can help jumpstart your day or get you over a mid-afternoon slump quite like the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Better yet, the aroma of roasting coffee beans.
It’s a conversation-starter
Coffee and conversation are a perfect pair. Meeting friends for coffee, and going on casual coffee dates are great ways to appreciate the day.