North Star opens coffee kiosk in Leeds

Leeds-based ethical coffee company North Star has opened the doors to its new takeaway coffee shop on Sovereign Street, serving quality drinks and sumptuous bakes that make a positive difference.

The new shop, which is ideally based to serve the thriving business community and passers-by, will serve specialty grade coffees supplied by North Star’s network of producing partners in Brazil, Rwanda, Colombia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Guatemala, Peru and El Salvador. The quality beans sourced by North Star are bought seasonally and roasted weekly in its Armley-based roastery to provide the freshest cup of coffee.

As well as coffee, North Star Kiosk is serving hot chocolate from Islands and Loose Leaf Tea from the Rare Tea Co. Leeds Dock-based Nova Bakehouse will provide freshly made sandwiches and baked goods including breakfast pastries, vegan cookies and gluten free salted caramel brownies.

North Star, which was the first roastery and supplier of specialty grade coffee in the city, was founded in 2013 by Alex and Holly Kragiopoulos from Leeds and takes an impact-led approach with the aim of building a coffee industry that works for everyone, from the producers growing and processing the coffee, to the baristas responsible for serving it - all whilst minimising their environmental impact too.

As part of this commitment, North Star, which received B Corp status in June and was the first coffee roaster in the UK to have 100 percent home compostable packaging, has designed its new shop to be as sustainable as possible. The countertops are made using recycled paper and cardboard and the flooring is from Recork, suppliers of functional cork flooring, and was chosen for its carbon absorbing and ecologically sound properties.

Holly said: “We’re so excited to open our new take-away shop and look forward to welcoming new and existing customers alike. It is ideally situated for office workers and passers-by to pick-up a quality cup of coffee, freshly made sandwich, or a scrummy bake knowing that their purchase has not only supported a local business but also ethical supply chains set up to deliver maximum impact to coffee producers across the world.

“As we approach our tenth year in business, our commitment to building a coffee industry that works for everyone is as unwavering and vital as it was when we opened our roastery in Leeds almost a decade ago. The support from the local community has always played a huge part in North Star’s success and opening our second shop in the city was a natural next step.”