There are lots of well-known craft brands in coffee, such as Blue Bottle, Stumptown, Intelligentsia. Before we all drink the “Craft Coffee” Hipster Kool-Aid, it’s worth looking into these companies to see if they’re really “craft”. That is why we made this infographic.
Craft Sense team did little expose on the big conglomerates behind some formerly-craft coffee brands. When Blue Bottle was sold to Nestle for $700M, we decided to look into other “craft” brands. It’s worth noting that both Stumptown and Intelligentsia is owned by Peet’s, which is owned by a private holdings company in Luxembourg called JAB Holdings. JAB Holdings owns Peet’s, Caribou, Keurig, and Panera Bread, none of which are exactly “craft”.
Infographic
We need to be careful who we buy coffee from. Ff you’re buying from Stumptown or Intelligentsia, you’re ultimately paying Peet’s and JAB Holdings. Even if Peet’s sourcing and practices may be improving, it reports to a company that may care less. JAB also owns a host of brands from Krispy Kreme to Bally luxury goods that do not have good practices or sell products that are harmful to people’s health.