Winter Warmers, Coffee Legends & a Protein-Packed Surprise

As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, November is the month for cosy mornings, slow starts, and (of course) great coffee. This month’s RISE Coffee Box is one of our favourites yet; packed with delicious wintery flavours, legendary roasters, sustainable partnerships, and a tasty high-protein freebie to kickstart your mornings.

Each box is curated by us,  RISE founders Alice and Ben, who blind taste hundreds of coffees before choosing the perfect pairings. Together, we've put together a collection that celebrates discovery, flavour, and the best ethical coffee we could find.

☕ Climpson & Sons – The Estate, Ethiopia

This one’s a real treat. Climpson & Sons are true pioneers of the UK speciality coffee scene, celebrating 20 years of roasting brilliance from their base in East London’s Broadway Market. They’ve shaped how we talk about coffee in the UK, leading the charge for sustainability, transparency, and great tasting coffee. 

About the Coffee:

“The Estate” is a stunning Ethiopian coffee sourced from the Fero Washing Station in Sidamo, where over 700 smallholder farmers hand-pick and process their cherries with care. Expect smooth milk chocolate, zesty orange, and a buttery toffee finish the perfect cup for crisp winter mornings.

• Roast: Medium – Medium Dark

• Process: Washed

• Tasting notes: Milk Chocolate, Orange, Toffee

• Altitude: 1,800–2,000 masl

A coffee that’s both comforting and full of character, perfect as an espresso or cafetière brew but also works well as a punchy filter. 

🌍 Routes Coffee – Zawadi PB, Kenya

Oxford-based Routes Coffee started with one van, a love of coffee, and a dream to do things right. They’ve since grown into one of the UK’s most respected indie roasters, serving at festivals like Glastonbury while keeping their focus on sustainability and transparency.

About the Coffee:

Their Kenya Zawadi PB is sourced from the Rumukia and Kabare Cooperative Societies. Zawadi means “gift” in Swahili and this cup certainly delivers: chocolate, raisin, and blackberry notes meet vibrant Kenyan acidity and a clean, juicy sweetness.

• Roast: Medium

• Process: Washed

• Tasting notes: Chocolate, Raisin, Blackberry

• Altitude: 1,400–1,600 masl

Made using carefully selected peaberries, this coffee is bright, balanced, and bursting with flavour.

🌿 Decaf Picks of the Month

Because great coffee doesn’t always need caffeine, this month’s decaf duo is here to impress even the most devoted espresso drinkers.

Climpson & Sons – Colombia, La Plata

Sourced from smallholder farmers in La Plata, Huila, this coffee uses the natural sugarcane E.A. decaffeination process which is a sustainable method that preserves all that delicious flavour. Expect dark chocolate, orange, and caramel with a smooth, rounded finish. The perfect wintery evening brew. 

• Roast: Medium – Medium Dark

• Process: Washed

• Altitude: 1,200–2,000 masl

• Decaffeination Process: Sugarcane E.A.

Routes Coffee – Brazil, Cerrado

From Brazil’s first coffee region with a protected Denomination of Origin, this Swiss Water Process decaf offers rich cocoa, syrup, and caramel flavours. Consistent, smooth, and sweet, it’s a perfect all-day brew.

• Roast: Medium Dark

• Process: Washed

• Altitude: 1,500–2,100 masl

• Decaffeination Process: Swiss Water

Fun fact: Decaf now makes up 20% of the world’s coffee consumption — and when it tastes this good, it’s no surprise!

💧 Good Coffee Needs Good Water – RISE x Our Taap

Great coffee starts long before the first sip and one of the most overlooked ingredients is water. Since your brew is 98% water, the quality of that water can make or break the flavour.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with Our Taap, a smart home water system that connects directly to your mains supply to deliver triple-filtered, UV-purified water that’s perfectly balanced and packed with minerals. It helps coffee taste brighter, sweeter, and cleaner. 

Our Taap customers can currently enjoy:

• 2 months free + free installation

• Unlimited filtered, purified water

• Effortless subscription service with full maintenance

• 30-day money-back taste guarantee

Cleaner water = better coffee. Simple.

Redeem offer here: ourtaap.com/risecoffee

🍫 This Month’s Freebie: ELEAT Chocolate Cereal

This month, we’ve teamed up with ELEAT to bring you the ultimate morning treat — a chocolate cereal that’s high in protein, low in sugar, and tastes amazing.

Each serving packs:

• 19g protein

• 1g sugar

• Chocolatey, crunchy goodness

The perfect pairing for your morning brew. Balanced breakfast? Sorted.

❤️ Every Box Counts – Supporting the Friendly Coffee Fund

Every RISE box gives back through our Friendly Coffee Fund, which donates 1% of sales to education and sustainability projects in coffee-growing communities.

This month, we spoke to Mumbere Kelvin, Head Teacher at Kathasenda Primary School in Uganda, where funds from our community support children’s education. He shared:

“The most fulfilling part of my role is seeing the transformative impact education has on children’s lives — it provides not just materials, but hope, dignity, and opportunity.”

🎙️ RISE on Jazz FM

We’re thrilled to have featured on Jazz FM’s Jazz Shapers this month with Elliot Moss, talking about our journey — from starting RISE in our flat during lockdown to leaving our corporate jobs, balancing new parenthood and ADHD, and building a B Corp that makes a difference.

If you missed it, you can tune in again via: hellorayo.co.uk/podcasts/jazz-shapers or click here

✨ Wrapping Up November

November’s RISE Coffee Box is a celebration of discovery, flavour, and purpose. From Climpson & Sons’ chocolate-orange Ethiopian to Routes Coffee’s juicy Kenyan Zawadi, every sip tells a story. Throw in some decaf favourites, cleaner brewing water, and an ELEAT protein cereal and you’ve got everything you need to power into winter.

Here’s to slowing down, savouring great coffee, and making every cup count.