History

• Bridgehead emerges as a grassroots movement in support of Nicaraguan farmers
• Bridgehead becomes the first company in Canada to offer fairly traded coffee
• Bridgehead extends its products from handpicked coffee to handicrafts
• Bridgehead returns to its coffee roots
• Bridgehead opens its flagship coffeehouse in Ottawa
• Bridgehead expands...
• Bridgehead Chronology

Future

• Introduction
• What lies ahead?

Bridgehead emerges as a grassroots movement in support
of Nicaraguan farmers

Two United Church ministers and two social activists concerned for the prospects of small-scale coffee farmers in Nicaragua formed Bridgehead Trading in 1981. These farmers were contending with formidable odds: the pressure to trade through 'coyotes' or intermediaries (often local traders or moneylenders who exploited growers); a civil war; and the restrictions of a U.S. trade embargo.

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Bridgehead becomes the first company in Canada
to offer consumers fairly traded coffee

Bridgehead imported, roasted, and distributed coffee purchased directly from small-scale farmers according to fair trade principles. A devoted group of volunteers sold Bridgehead coffee from Toronto church basements and interest spread rapidly. With headquarters in Toronto, Bridgehead 'fairly traded' coffee was well received by consumers, and within three years the business outgrew its informal structure and voluntary management.

In 1984 Oxfam-Canada acquired the business and formally incorporated Bridgehead as a federal, for-profit company. Oxfam-Canada, an international development agency, sought to bring more fairly traded products to market and to share the stories of the small-scale artisans and farmers who made the products.

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Bridgehead extends its product line from handpicked coffee to handicrafts

While fairly traded coffee remained Bridgehead's most important product, including sales to wholesale markets, a decision to diversify the product line was made. Fairly traded handicrafts were purchased from over 100 small-scale groups of artisans and farmers in over 50 countries. Bridgehead became a predominantly retail player, distributing a mail order catalogue in Canada and the U.S., and operating retail stores in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Annual sales grew to $6 million and Bridgehead boasted a mailing list of 200,000 active names.

But diversifying product lines proved to be more troubling than expected. As sales revenues grew, profits dwindled then turned to losses. Bridgehead was left with too much inventory and too little working capital.

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Bridgehead returns to its coffee roots

In May 1998 Bridgehead underwent restructuring, culminating in new ownership by Shared Interest, a cooperative lending society based in the U.K. that specializes in financing the fair trade sector. Shared Interest (U.K.) purchased the assets through a newly formed company, Bridgehead (1998) Inc.

Shared Interest sought to turn Bridgehead around but soon determined that without focusing its product offering and attracting new investment to support it, Bridgehead could not survive. They determined that the best option was for Bridgehead to return to its coffee roots. Coffee was Bridgehead's first product, and it accounted for more than a third of Bridgehead's sales in 1999. In November 1999 Shared Interest dissolved Bridgehead (1998) Inc. and permitted management to return Bridgehead to its roots as a fairly traded coffee and tea company.

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Bridgehead opens its flagship coffeehouse in Ottawa

In April 2000, the rights to Bridgehead (1998) Inc. were sold to Bridgehead (2000) Inc., a company formed by two members of Bridgehead's management team. On June 17, 2000 Bridgehead opened its flagship coffeehouse in Ottawa, Canada and renewed retail and wholesale sales of coffee and tea.

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Bridgehead expands...

Bridgehead expands its Ottawa-based cluster of coffeehouses and services its customers across Canada with its ecommerce website and call centre. Each year Bridgehead opens new coffeehouse locations to serve you better. Click here to see a current listing of locations Customers from across the country order our coffee, tea, and cocoa throughout the year by visiting the Order Online section of this website or by calling us at 1.800.565.8563.

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A Bridgehead Chronology

1981 Bridgehead Trading is founded in a Toronto United Church.

1984 Bridgehead Trading is incorporated as Bridgehead Inc.

1985 Bridgehead Inc. is sold to Oxfam-Canada.

1986 Some 12,900 pounds of green beans are imported directly from Encafe, the Nicaraguan coffee marketing board and is processed in Canada by Bridgehead for the first time.

1987 Bridgehead produces its first catalogue, distributing 90,000 copies across Canada. New partnerships are formed with artisans and craftspeople to complement those affiliations with farming groups and coffee growers.

1989 Bridgehead attends the first conference of the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT) and becomes a founding member.

1990 Bridgehead's first retail store is opened in downtown Toronto.

1992 Bridgehead produces a spring catalogue for the first time.

1994 In association with Oxfam-America, Bridgehead serves US customers through its mail order catalogue.

1995 Bridgehead introduces products from small producers in Africa, First Nations communities and North American inner cities.

1996 Bridgehead's Ottawa-based store is moved to Sussex Drive and a new store is opened in Kitsilano, Vancouver. Bridgehead joins the Fair Trade Federation and forms an alliance with the Canadian Auto Workers Union Social Justice Fund.

1997 Bridgehead enters into a partnership with Equal Exchange. Equal Exchange supplies green beans imported directly from grower cooperatives and roasts coffee for Bridgehead, permitting Bridgehaed to focus on distribution.

1998 Bridgehead enters a restructuring process, culminating in new ownership by Shared Interest, a cooperative lending society based in the UK that specializes in financing to the fair trade sector.

2000 In a final phase of restructuring, Bridgehead closes its retail stores in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver in order to return the company to its fairly traded coffee and tea roots. Shared Interest transfers ownership of Bridgehead to the company's management team. On June 17, 2000 Bridgehead opens its flagship retail coffeehouse at 362 Richmond Road in Ottawa, Canada, and offers retail and wholesale sales of premium coffees and teas.

2001 Bridgehead opens a second coffeehouse at 108 Third Avenue in the Glebe, Ottawa.

2002 Bridgehead opens a third coffeehouse at 366 Bank Street, Ottawa and a kitchen and warehouse facility to provide freshly made baked goods, soups, salads, and sandwich fillings daily to our coffeehouses.

2004 Bridgehead opens its fourth coffeehouse at 1277 Wellington Street, Ottawa in August.

2005 Bridgehead opens its fifth coffeehouse at 282 Elgin Street, in July.

2006 Bridgehead opens its sixth and seventh coffeehouses at 109 Bank Street and 131 Beechwood Avenue respectively.

2007 Bridgehead opens its eighth coffeehouse at 224 Dalhousie Street in March.

2007 Bridgehead opens its eighth coffeehouse at 224 Dalhousie Street in March and ninth coffeehouse at 1172 Bank Street in September.

2008 Bridgehead moves its 108 Third Avenue location to 750 Bank Street (@ 2nd Avenue) in December.

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Future

Introduction

We strive to be a positive demonstration of social and environmental sustainability for the Canadian coffee industry and beyond. We envision a cluster of Bridgehead coffeehouses in cities across Canada that offers the highest quality fair trade and organic coffees from small-scale farmers. We work toward this vision knowing that the quality of our products must be excellent and our customer service warm and engaged.

Bridgehead will continue to be a socially responsible business that delivers high quality products and service by ensuring that:

• Our coffees and teas are fairly traded
• Our coffees are shade-grown and organic; our loose and packaged teas are organic
• Our coffees are roasted to order, ensuring freshness and prompt delivery
• We emphasize grower independence and dignity by guaranteeing a fair price for farmers
• We follow transparent, accountable and ethical business practices
• We review our business practices on a regular basis in order to increase the positive impact of social and economic benefits for farmers, customers, and partners

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