Best fair trade coffee shops and cafes in Toronto
Focusing on flavourful beans with a conscious, the fair trade coffee movement is rooted in transparency, respect and equality. Fair trade coffee offers up all the flavour you would expect in your morning cup of joe, but it comes from a sustainable industry that has a low-impact on the environment. Here are some of the best fair trade coffee shops and cafés in Toronto.
Remarkable Bean Catering
2242 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4E 1G2This Leslieville establishment is a local favourite. Remarkable Bean’s menu has all the usual suspects, from cappuccino to Americano - everything you need for your morning caffeine hit you’ll find it here. They also offer three types of latte: classic, chai and matcha, plus a selection of pastries.
Merchants Of Green Coffee
2 Matilda St, Toronto, ON M4M 1L9Merchants of Green Coffee is so committed to making a social impact with its coffee, using only Cafe Solar beans. Cafe Solar is the only coffee currently being processed using 100 per cent renewable energy from solar panels. Merchants of Green Coffee offers roasting demonstrations and classes at the café, so make sure to check out the schedule on the official website. The dedication to efficient and environmentally friendly practices have earned the coffee shop a spot on this list.
The Green Grind Cafe
567 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 3W9The Green Grind is so dedicated to fair trade beans and being socially conscious that it comes up in every decision they make. Not only are all the coffee and tea products fair trade, but the café is LEED Certified too. The certification is a strict environmental process that ensures everything to do with the construction of the café is environmentally responsible. Plus, they donate 1 per cent of their sales to 1% of the Planet, an organization that raises money for charities focused on food sustainability and climate change.
The Mad Bean
519 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON M5N 1B1This midtown café is eccentric as well as socially conscious. The beans come from a local supplier: Velvet Sunrise, which only use Fair Trade certified coffee beans. Roasting close to home (in Stouffville) means The Mad Bean’s coffee is always fresh. Velvet Sunrise has created special blends just for The Mad Bean, including Steampunk Espresso (medium roast), Liquid Night (dark roast) and MadHouse (medium roast).
Moonbean Coffee Company
30 St Andrew St, Scarborough, ON M1M 3H2This micro-roaster has a café located in the heart of Kensington Market. All the beans are Fair Trade Certified, as well as organic and Rainforest Alliance certified. The beverage menu has a huge selection to choose from, and Moonbean also offers baked goods, with some gluten-free options.
Birds and Beans
2413 Lake Shore Blvd W, Etobicoke, ON M8V 1C5Just as the name suggests, Birds & Beans keeps our flying friends safe with bird-friendly beans. So not only is it fair trade, all the coffee is Certified Bird Friendly and organic too. The café, located in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore area, is right by the lake, and features repurposed benches from the historic Christ Church Mimico that were gifted to the café after the church’s tragic fire. Birds & Beans also serves homemade desserts like its famous chocolate chunk cookies.
Reunion Island
385 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2N1The amount of initiatives Reunion Island heads up is inspiring to any budding coffee merchant. The owners have shown a dedication to the coffee farming industry, with initiatives that help the local communities around the farms, as well as building more sustainable options for harvesting the beans. The menu has a large selection to choose from, and the café is very cozy.
Balzac's Coffee Roastery
55 Mill St, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4Every coffee drinker in Toronto has been to Balzac’s, if not for the quality roasts, then for the chic designs. No matter which location you call your second home, Balzac’s coffee is all Fair Trade. Balzac’s started as a coffee supplier in 1993, and made the switch to Fair Trade beans four years later. The family of cafés started popping up shortly after the switch, and now they provide sustainable, local and natural coffee to the masses.
Jimmy's Coffee Bar
107 Portland St, Toronto, ON M5V 2N3Jimmy’s Coffee is roasted by Classic Gourmet, which not only ensures its beans are Fair Trade, but also practices sustainability when roasting, finding a way to consume 77 per cent less CO2 emissions and natural gas. Classic Gourmet offers three blends at Jimmy’s, The Hendrix (dark roast), Dean Blend (medium roast) and Hoffa Blend (espresso). The staff at Jimmy’s Coffee is well versed in the practices of Classic Gourmet, so don’t be shy if you’re curious about learning the history behind your cup of coffee.
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