Blue Bottle Coffee
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Californian specialty roaster selling whole bean and instant coffee.
Blue Bottle Coffee publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list, and we couldn't confirm where it gets most of its coffee.
Also worth knowing
Most coffee is grown in countries such as Brazil and Vietnam, where pay is usually below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden supply chain. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where coffee is usually grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Blue Bottle Coffee's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its coffee is grown
We couldn't confirm where Blue Bottle Coffee gets most of its coffee, so this shows where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 35% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 20% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ethiopia | 7% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Uganda | 5% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: coffee is on the US Department of Labor child or forced labour list for over a dozen countries, and farm-gate prices often fall below a living income.
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Since 2020 Blue Bottle has had its coffee farms checked by the non-profit Enveritas against social, environmental and economic standards, including child and forced labour; in 2023, 90% of purchases earned Enveritas's Responsibly Sourced mark and 9% more met the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code. This is a verification programme, not a certification label. It pays quality premiums and funds farmworker projects but publishes no origin shares, farm list, prices or living income target. Nestlé sold it to Centurium Capital in 2026, so Nestlé's modern slavery statements no longer cover it.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Not listed | Former owner Nestlé UK's 2026 modern slavery statement does not name Blue Bottle, which Nestlé sold to Centurium Capital in 2026. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil is listed for child and forced labour, and coffee from several other origins for child labour. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Blue Bottle relies on Enveritas verification rather than Fairtrade certification. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour; several other origins for child labour.
- Nestlé sells Blue Bottle Coffee to Centurium Capital (Food Dive, 2026) · search the archive · Sale of cafés and packaged business to Centurium agreed; Nestlé keeps Blue Bottle Nespresso pod rights.
- Nestlé half-year results 2026 (press release) · search the archive · During the first half of 2026 Nestlé divested Blue Bottle Coffee to Centurium Capital.
- Nestlé Confirms Sale of Portion of Blue Bottle Coffee Business (Food Processing, 2026) · search the archive · Nestlé confirmed the sale in April 2026; about 140 cafés worldwide.
- Blue Bottle Home Blend Espresso Whole-Bean Coffee (Amazon Australia) · search the archive · Blue Bottle beans sold online with delivery in Australia; no Australian cafés.
Published by Blue Bottle Coffee or its owner
- Responsible Coffee Sourcing at Blue Bottle · search the archive · Enveritas checks since 2020; 90% Responsibly Sourced in 2023, 9% more meeting the reference code; quality premiums; farmworker projects.
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Blue Bottle Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/blue-bottle-coffee, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Blue Bottle Coffee.