HEJ Coffee (pronounced 'hey', the Swedish word for hello) was conceived by founders Jeremy and Mathew after Jeremy visited Sweden and was struck by the role coffee plays in daily social life there, particularly the fika tradition of communal coffee breaks.
HEJ Coffee (pronounced 'hey', the Swedish word for hello) was conceived by founders Jeremy and Mathew after Jeremy visited Sweden and was struck by the role coffee plays in daily social life there, particularly the fika tradition of communal coffee breaks. The business started in Bermondsey and is now based in Elephant & Castle, London, where it roasts specialty coffee and operates cafés including a site at ExCeL London.
Sustainability is central to how the business operates rather than just how it presents itself. Retail bags are carbon-negative certified, wholesale coffee is delivered across London via an electric vehicle fleet in reusable containers rather than disposable packaging, and the business tracks its environmental savings cumulatively.
Since the programme began in 2019 through to the end of 2024, they report over 231,000 bags redirected from the waste stream and 88 tonnes of carbon removed from the atmosphere. HEJ also runs a Coffee for Causes initiative, with specific coffees tied to causes including environmental conservation, disability rights, and LGBTQIA+ homelessness.
