Since opening Bar Bio, Simone Coccolo has been working to raise awareness of sustainability issues among his customers, including by choosing Lavazza Alteco coffee. Here is what he told us.
Quality, goodness and respect for the planet: this is the philosophy of Bar Bio, run by Simone Coccolo in San Giovanni Natisone, in the province of Udine. Since May 2017, Simone has been working to spread sustainability issues throughout his corner of Friuli, serving his customers organic food and drinks and joining the LifeGate Café project, the select network of venues that promotes quality of life with respect for the environment. We interviewed him to find out more about his establishment.
What drives your choice of organic products in your bar? What is the philosophy of the venue?
Our philosophy is to offer a good-quality product that is not harmful to your health. In our area, until now, no one had thought of dedicating a venue entirely to natural and sustainable food, and so, since it is a topic close to our hearts, we decided to do it ourselves.
What does being sustainable mean to you?
It means having a lower negative impact on the environment. To achieve this, we choose suppliers that adopt natural, organic production methods, without chemicals. When it comes to animal-derived products, such as milk, we prefer farmers who follow a specific ethical code and care about animal welfare. We also pay attention to the objects we use: for example, plates and cutlery for aperitifs are all made from bioplastic. And we use a renewable energy supplier, we buy detergents made from plant-based derivatives, and we always sort our waste for recycling. We also try to waste as little as possible and don't throw away anything that can be reused, often at the suggestion of our customers themselves. Some of them, for example, ask us for coffee grounds to fertilise their vegetable gardens, and we are more than happy to give them!
How does Alteco fit into the philosophy of your venue? How and why did you choose it?
I have always thought that Lavazza was a great Italian company that makes a good product: I have always considered Lavazza a good coffee. When I discovered the Alteco organic range, I thought it was perfect for my bar. It fits in perfectly with the philosophy of my venue, and on more than one occasion it has surprised my customers, who did not expect to find even coffee among the organic offerings. Everyone finds it very good.
Do you think your sustainability choices have a positive impact on other people?
I hope that some people try to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle at home too, perhaps thinking that if even bars are starting to care about the future of the planet, it really is time for everyone to adopt more environmentally friendly behaviour and to look after our health, reflecting carefully on what we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. It really only takes a few simple gestures.
For Simone Coccolo, respect for the planet also comes through choosing organic products, such as Lavazza Alteco coffee. And the numbers back him up: 19 per cent of Italians regularly buy and consume organic products, as shown by the latest Sustainable Lifestyle Observatory produced by LifeGate in collaboration with Eumetra MR. That is why, with his venue, he decided to join the LifeGate Café project and serve Lavazza Alteco, a great-tasting coffee sourced 100% from organic farming and UTZ certified.