WHAT WE SAY.

Setting up our own kitchen is something we’d been thinking about for a long time. It’s not a small undertaking. Getting a kitchen up and running is complex, costly, and comes with a steep learning curve in terms of compliance and operations. It’s easy for things to spiral, but we always knew it was a step worth taking.

Food has become an increasingly important part of what we do, and we’ve always felt that we could do more and do it better. We’ve built our reputation on a relentless focus on quality when it comes to coffee, and we wanted to bring that same focus and attention to detail to our food offering. From the start, we wanted our food to reflect our brand: high quality, a bit quirky, and distinctly our own.

Setting up our own kitchen was about taking full control – control over quality, consistency, and creativity. It allows us to develop our own range, ensure every product meets the same standards as our coffee, and create food that feels like Copper + Straw.

Eight months in, we’re delighted with how it’s going. We’ve rolled out our own range of baked goods and toasted sandwiches, and it’s been fantastic to see how well they’ve been received in the shops. A real highlight came earlier this year when our banana bread made it to the finals of the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards. To get that kind of recognition so early on was a huge boost for the team and a real validation of what we’re trying to do.

Our approach to food is straightforward – keep things fresh, seasonal, and thoughtful. The menu changes regularly to reflect what’s available and what inspires us. We work with local producers wherever possible and prioritise sustainability in how we source and operate. Everything starts with quality ingredients, and we take care to make sure that shows in the final product.

We’re still scaling up and learning as we go, but it’s been a really exciting journey so far. There’s a lot more to come. New recipes, new products, and plenty of ideas we’re still refining. We’re incredibly proud of the small but mighty team in the kitchen who’ve made such a strong start and who bring real creativity and care to what they do every day.

This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next.