Robert Timms
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Australian supermarket coffee brand.
Robert Timms can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Colombia and Kenya earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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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, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. 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 rightsSome of its coffee is grown in countries such as Colombia and Indonesia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- 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, partly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Robert Timms'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
From product labels; Robert Timms doesn't say where its coffee is grown. The rest is shown as where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrazilUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| EthiopiaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| HondurasUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PeruUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| GuatemalaUsual for the industry | 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.
Research notes Robert Timms coffee is roasted and blended in Concord, Sydney, from beans of two to five origins per blend, but the brand names origins only in product names such as Gold Colombia and Mocha Kenya, and does not say who grows its coffee or how farm conditions are checked. Owner FreshFood sells little Fairtrade coffee, has no labour certification for Robert Timms, and no modern slavery statement from it was found on the Australian register.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Fairtrade certified coffee makes up only a small part of owner FreshFood's coffee sales; Robert Timms blends are not sold as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- FreshFood Corporation - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · FreshFood owns Robert Timms, Bushells, Europa, Faggs, Picco; Australian-owned; Fairtrade only a fraction of coffee sales
- C-Store: The House of Robert Timms Coffee Bags · search the archive · 2022: variants Gold Colombia, Italian Espresso, Mocha Kenya, Decaf; roasted in Concord, Sydney
- Robert Timms Premium Espresso Granulated Coffee (Woolworths) · search the archive · Sold in Australian supermarkets
Published by Robert Timms or its owner
- Robert Timms - Our Process · search the archive · Blends combine beans from two to five origins; no origins or certifications named
- Robert Timms: our history · search the archive · FreshFood bought the business from Unilever in 1998; roasted in Concord, NSW; New Guinea Gold was a 1960s-era product
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Robert Timms ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/robert-timms, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded beans and roasters
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Robert Timms.