The best beans of the season just got better

Peet’s is proud to work with our non-profit partner, La Cocina, this holiday season and support its mission. For every pound sold of Peet’s Holiday Blend 2021 we’ll donate $1*.

Peet's 2021 Holiday Blend

Drawn from the best crops of spring, summer, and fall—‘tis the seasons’ celebration in a cup. For 2021, Guatemalan chocolate, silky Kenyan blackcurrant, Ethiopian candied peel, and a syrupy, spicy Sumatra finish. We take the utmost care in crafting this, our most celebratory cup. It’s an ardently awaited tradition, as is our commitment of giving back to our community. It’s a time-honored belief that dates back to Alfred Peet, who thought that when coffee gives back, it could change communities and the world.

"Coffee can be a powerful means of doing good." 

-Jim Reynolds, Peet's Roastmaster Emeritus

As organizations, both Peet’s and La Cocina share a commitment to women’s advancement. Both organizations support the training, education, and support of women—Peet’s, through its ongoing commitment to support women coffee producers and farmers at origin, and La Cocina, through its focus on incubating low-income BIPOC and immigrant food entrepreneurs.

About La Cocina

Since 2005, La Cocina has focused on small business incubation, with a vision to increase inclusivity in the food industry and offer equitable opportunity for living-wage work and asset generation. La Cocina runs a food incubator, a program that provides training, resources, mentorship, and commercial kitchen space to aspiring food entrepreneurs that traditionally might not have access to capital or resources. Since launch, they have incubated 130 businesses and graduated 60 to complete financial solvency. 40 entrepreneurs are participating in the current incubator program.

"Thanks to La Cocina, I’m no longer living paycheck-to-paycheck. I’ve created jobs for other people who are just starting out. I’ve built a business I can pass on to my daughters. And, of course, I’m bringing the flavors of my beloved Acámbaro to San Francisco—the city where La Cocina changed my life forever.”

- Guadalupe Guerrero, Chef and Owner of El Pípila, La Cocina graduate

The La Cocina Emergency Relief Fund

The impacts of COVID-19 hit the restaurant industry hard. At the end of March 2020, 70% of La Cocina born businesses had lost 100% of their sales. This left many food businesses that lacked a financial safety net at risk of closure. La Cocina started an Emergency Relief Fund to provide short-term financial assistance to active and eligible participants of La Cocina for personal, family, living, and business expenses. Peet’s 2020 Holiday Blend donation program contributed to this fund, which raised a total of $970,000, which were dispersed to La Cocina participants and active graduates in the following ways:

• Supported businesses in developing their own Covid Health & Safety Plans to keep them safe and operable.
• Paired 23 brick-and-mortar graduates with pro-bono attorneys to negotiate rent abatement.
• Waived kitchen rent starting February 2020 and forgave all kitchen debt to model our demands.
• Launched a relief fund, disbursing $970K to entrepreneurs, providing the only aid many received for home rent and basic needs.
• Supported the navigation of employee assistance and EDD, PPP, CARES, and grants (500+ applications submitted) and provided hands-on TA to ensure success.
• Created new sales channels -- food and gift box sales have generated $1MM+ for 60 businesses and food security partnerships have generated over $3MM for 22 businesses.
• Worked to get accurate info to all businesses -- i.e., hosting custom forums about vaccine safety and the Restaurant Act.

100% of active La Cocina businesses have remained in operation throughout COVID.

More Ways to Participate

Visit the La Cocina Marketplace, the nation’s first women-led food hall. Home to seven La Cocina businesses, the 7,000-foot food hall is a community space that provides fresh, affordable, wholesome food. Every vendor offers a $5 meal daily to support accessibility. The bar in the marketplace, La Paloma, features and highlights talented women in the beverages industry. Or check out the La Cocina Pop-up Shop at Ghirardelli Square.

Share Joy

This year’s Holiday Blend is a joy to the world—in more than just flavor. We encourage you to try some, and we’re thrilled to offer the opportunity to do some good while you do.

 

*For every pound of Holiday Blend or Decaf Holiday Blend sold in stores and online through December 31, 2021, Peet's will donate $1.00 to La Cocina, up to $40,000 from our Holiday Donations Program.