At Elephant, we’ve always believed in being transparent with our community. Whether it’s the origin of our coffee beans or the decisions behind our prices, we want you to understand the “why” behind everything we do. Today, we’re sharing why you’ll see a slight increase in the price of your favourite coffees from February 1st, 2025. We hope this post helps explain our reasoning and shows our commitment to fairness and quality.
Supporting Our Team
Without our incredible team, there’s no Elephant. From baristas pulling perfect espresso shots to our kitchen crew making bagels and pizzas, they are the heart and soul of what we do.
This year, we’re raising wages significantly, well above the government’s legal minimum, to ensure our team can keep up with the rising cost of living. Doing so adds almost £50,000 to our annual wage bill.
We’re proud to support our team with decent wages, but it’s a challenging financial commitment, especially alongside other rising costs. Without these increases, we’d struggle to keep the amazing people who make Elephant what it is.
The Rising Cost of Coffee Beans
Coffee isn’t just an ingredient for us; it’s the foundation of everything we do. Over the past year, green coffee costs have jumped by 20-30% due to global challenges like:
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Climate impacts: Droughts in Brazil, heavy rains in Colombia, and other extreme weather events have reduced coffee harvests.
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Shipping costs: Fuel price hikes and supply chain disruptions have sent transport costs soaring.
We’ve done our best to absorb as much of this as possible, but we’re committed to sourcing ethically traded, sustainable coffee, which comes at a premium.
Ingredients and Food Costs
We’re all feeling the pinch at the supermarket, and unfortunately, the same is true for us. From mozzarella for our pizzas to the milk in your lattes, ingredient prices continue to climb:
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Our mozzarella cost has increased by £12,000 in the past year.
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Milk alone has added an additional £8,000 to our yearly costs.
While we buy many ingredients in bulk, wholesale pricing doesn’t always mean cheaper – it’s often about the convenience of delivery rather than savings. This makes it even more challenging to manage rising costs.
Energy Costs Are Soaring
Keeping the ovens hot, the lights on, and the coffee machines humming has never been more expensive. In 2025, we’re expecting our energy bills to rise by 30%, adding another significant cost we have to shoulder.
While we’ve implemented energy-saving measures wherever possible, the nature of what we do – fresh bakes, all-day coffee service, and pizza evenings – means we can’t cut back much further.
The Bigger Picture
When we crunched the numbers for 2025, we faced what can only be described as a perfect storm of rising costs. From wages and coffee beans to milk and energy, every corner of our business has been affected. While we’re absorbing as much of these increases as we can, we can’t do it all without making adjustments elsewhere.
Starting February 1st, you’ll see a slight increase in our coffee prices. This decision wasn’t made lightly, but it’s the only way we can continue to:
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Pay our team fairly.
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Maintain the quality you expect.
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Keep Elephant thriving for years to come.
We know price increases are never welcome news, but we hope you see our commitment to transparency and fairness. If you have any questions or concerns, we’d love to chat. Please feel free to email us or stop by for a conversation – just don’t be mean to our baristas! It’s not their fault.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding. We wouldn’t be here without you, and we’re determined to keep serving you the best coffee, food, and vibes possible.
Big love,
Elephant
