Historically, subscriptions have been available in multiple forms, from milkmen and magazines to newspapers and more.
Coffee subscriptions offer people a convenient way to have items delivered directly to their doors on a weekly or monthly basis after making a one-time payment.
Thanks, in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, the popularity of specialty coffee subscriptions has soared. That said, some consumers may find themselves torn between loyalty to one roaster and the desire to try something new.
Offering multi-roaster coffee subscriptions, or taking part in one, is a highly effective way for you to reach a growing market of high-volume consumers.
To learn more about how multi-roaster coffee subscriptions can benefit your business, I spoke with Su Morgan, the founder of UK-based Dog & Hat Coffee.
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Sign up!Launching a multi-roaster coffee subscription service
Dog & Hat Coffee launched in 2017 and is considered one of the UK’s best multi-roaster coffee subscription services.
The subscription service ships between 2 and 4 bags of coffee to customers each month, with options ranging between filter, espresso, and omni-roast to suit each subscriber.
Omni-roast refers to coffee beans that have been roasted in a way that will work with any and every brewing method. Whether the consumer is using an Aeropress or having an espresso, an omni-roast caters to both methods.
Su admits the first few years of business were slow as she balanced being a working mother to two children with launching a new business. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, business began to boom.
“The pandemic transformed Dog & Hat from a small business into a thriving one,” she explains. “We were a little unsure about how we were going to get coffee from roasters out to customers’ homes, but honestly, we learned something every day during the pandemic. It helped our business tremendously.”
“It’s always a bigger journey than you thought it was going to be,” Su says. “There’s always something you can do to get your site and brand out to the wider world.”
“That said, when you get something right and the orders tumble in, it is a fantastic natural high!” Su admits. “But guaranteed, the next week, you’ll need to do something different to keep sales moving.”
Adding value through multi-roaster coffee subscriptions
Multi-roaster coffee subscriptions are particularly appealing to customers because it takes the indecision out of purchasing coffee.
A subscriber of Dog & Hat attests to this, stating they subscribe because it makes coffee selection “thoughtless”.
“Rather than spending hours online looking for fresh coffees and being overwhelmed by the selection, Dog & Hat sends me an amazing variety every month,” the subscriber says.
“Each coffee is from a reputable roaster, including some I have never heard of, as well as roasters from around the world that I would never have been able to get before,” the subscriber continues.
Dog & Hat’s coffee subscription services come in 2 to 4-bag options, with each bag coming from a different roaster.
Su explains each coffee subscription box also contains the brand’s custom-printed ‘Dialled In’ booklet, which provides customers with more information on each coffee.
“What sets Dog & Hat apart from other subscription providers is that we are certified by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA),” Su adds.
This means all the coffees in the box are tested using facts instead of personal preference. Furthermore, Dog & Hat are a living wage employer and a customer-first business.
“This means, we always put our staff and customers before ourselves,” Su explains. “Without them, there would be no Dog & Hat!”
Su adds that they also ship all coffees in the roasters’ original packaging. “It is important to use that we promote roasters and present their stories to our subscribers.
Su explains once a brand enters the multi-roaster subscription, they become “part of the family.”
“Some roasters share stands with us at events, and we have collaborated on many projects with other roasters,” Su says. “Essentially, we are one big community.”
Part of their role in that community is ensuring the coffee bags associated with the brand’s subscription service have little to no environmental impact.
Therefore, all bags used can be sent back to Dog & Hat for recycling.
“We order TerraCycle recycling boxes because they accept all empty coffee bags,” Su explains. Once full, the boxes are collected and TerraCycle facilitates the separation of materials and ensures each part if properly recycled.
“I truly felt that if we sent out this many bags, then we were responsible for offering a recycling programme,” Su adds.
Sustainable packaging solutions for multi-roaster coffee subscriptions
Multi-roaster coffee subscriptions, such as those offered by Dog & Hat and Batch Coffee are a highly effective way for you to showcase your product to your target market.
Furthermore, they can help you reach a wider audience and make use of alternative marketing strategies.
Through multi-roaster subscriptions, your coffee will be delivered through hundreds of letter boxes every month. This means your coffee packaging needs to leave a good impression on customers.
Custom-printed coffee subscription boxes can help increase customer engagement. Furthermore, when sustainable materials are used, can appeal to a growing number of eco-conscious consumers.
MTPak Coffee are experts at helping roasters transition from single-use plastic packaging to sustainable alternatives.
We can help you create the ideal packaging to stand out among multi-roaster coffee subscriptions.
We can design fully customised coffee bags or coffee boxes with digital printing and have been trusted to do so by many roasteries featured in Dog & Hat’s multi-roaster coffee subscriptions.
Our variety of coffee boxes is made using 100% recycled cardboard, while our sustainable coffee bags are made using kraft paper, rice paper, or multilayer LDPE packaging with an environmentally friendly PLA lining.
More so, both our sustainable coffee bags and coffee boxes can be fully customised to accurately reflect your brand, or inform customers of how to dispose of empty coffee packaging.
Customers can add custom-printed sleeves to our coffee mailer boxes and coffee bags, attach stickers, print QR codes, or insert labels and cards inside to enhance the experience for each and every customer.
Additionally, we offer our clients a quick turnaround time of 40-hours and 24-hour shipping time, thanks to our innovative digital printing technology.
We also offer low minimum order quantities (MOQs) to micro-roasters who are looking to remain agile while showcasing brand identity and a commitment to the environment.
