Shortlisted for Best Business Innovation of the Year

The reason for my nomination

Karen Mercer is co-founder with partner Gunter Hollenstein, of My Coffee Stop, an ethically pleasing, award winning coffee shop on Platform 1, Enfield Chase Station which serves Fresh, Fairtrade Coffee, within 30 seconds from the moment you order.

Key Achievements....

1/Creating a profitable but ethical business within one year. My Coffee Stop opened in February 2009, and Karen was instrumental in turning an empty space at the far end of a train station platform, into a flourishing little coffee shop with a big heart.

2/ Karen implemented a Book Swapping Service to benefit local charity, Chickenshed. This scheme helped create a solution to several problems caused by the recession....

Less funding was available to Chickenshed through sponsorships because of the downturn but Karen’s Book Swapping initiative provided a contribution, despite the difficult times.

Customers found it hard to afford fresh reading material, Karen’s scheme provided books for just pennies.

People couldn’t afford to move to bigger properties, so wanted to get rid of their books to maximise on space, Karen’s initiative put those books to excellent use.

3/ Karen ensured that a commitment to Fairtrade was made. Right from the beginning all the coffee was Fairtrade, over the past ten months their Fairtrade range has expanded considerably and now you can buy Fairtrade Teas, Hot Chocolate, Bannanas, Cocoa, Geo-Bars, Dove Bars, Mangos and a long list of other Fairtrade products including Cola, special gift packs and home-made cakes and muffins made with Fairtrade sugar and other Fairtrade ingredients, such as lemons, in fact Karen has ensured that My Coffee Shop stocks the widest range of Fairtrade products of any coffee shop, or independent shop in the Enfield area. They’re the only coffee shop on the Enfield Fairtrade Steering Group.

4/ Karen organises 'Book Swap @ My Coffee Stop' events where the ethical strands of the business are brought together with free Fairtrade tastings, book swapping and free samples from local businesses, such as shoulder rubs!

5/ Karen has implemented a special gift pack scheme where other local businesses are invited to collaborate and create gifts with an ethical ethos, such as the ‘Peace of Mind Pack’, containing Fairtrade Body Sugar Scrub, Yoga class voucher and Fairtrade Handmade Truffles.

6/ Karen ensures the My Coffee Stop Green credentials are high and introduced the ideas of offering customers used coffee granuals for exfoliating or composting, donating coffee cups to local art projects and a 20p off your hot drink incentive, every time you use a travel-mug.

7/My Coffee Stop is winner of the Innovation Category in the North and West London Business awards, 2009 sponsored by HSBC!

8/My Coffee Stop is winner of the Enterprise Enfield Green Business of the Year Award, 2009, sponsored by the RSA Trust.