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LCF In Conversation: Inclusivity in Coffee - A Night of Honest Dialogue & Community Energy
In partnership with SEND Coffee
On Thursday 26 February 2026, we held our first ever LCF In Conversation: Inclusivity in Coffee event. An evening of thoughtful voices, honest conversations, and a room full of people passionate about building a more equitable future for specialty coffee.
Hosted in partnership with SEND Coffee, the session brought together experts, advocates, and community leaders to explore what true accessibility and inclusion in the coffee industry really looks like.
The energy was incredible - a full room, a warm atmosphere, and an open spirit of learning and participation from everyone who joined us!
A huge thank you to our brilliant panel
(left to right: Harry George - Founder of SEND Coffee, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood - Author and Founder of Colonna Coffee, Jodie Williams - Olympian and Founder of Listen Journal and Muriel Morgan Walckiers - Founder of Mahaba Cafe)
Each speaker brought powerful lived experience and practical insight, helping make our first ever LCF In Conversation event a truly meaningful and memorable discussion.
What we learned
1. Inclusion begins with belonging
Inclusivity isn’t just accessibility ramps or policies - it’s about people feeling comfortable and welcome the moment they walk through the door. From representation behind the bar, to hiring practices, to the atmosphere of a café, the panel reminded us that culture is built through the small, everyday decisions we make.
“Coffee is more than a drink. It's a culture. It's a community. And I think for a community to thrive, it's really important that everybody has the opportunity to belong.” - Giorgio Rigali, The London Coffee Festival
2. Listening is the most powerful tool we have
Whether supporting young people with SEND needs, creating space for women of colour, or making workplaces safer for vulnerable adults, the message was clear: ask people what they need - don’t assume.
Small adjustments like shorter shifts, quiet spaces, accessible equipment, or alternative interview designs can unlock opportunities that many would otherwise struggle to access.
“Often the best solution is just to ask the communities or the people that you are trying to speak to... I think often we don’t bother to ask the questions to the people that we’re actually trying to 'help' or 'save'.” - Jodie Williams
3. Inclusion must be systemic, not symbolic
One of the strongest themes of the night was the importance of embedding inclusion into business structures - budgets, hiring models, workplace culture, and leadership.
Token gestures don’t create long term change. Sustainable inclusion is built through:
- fair pay and progression
- thoughtful recruitment
- accessible equipment
- safe working practices
- and a recognition that specialty coffee still has work to do at every level from cafés to roasteries to the supply chain
“Token gestures don’t create long term change. Sustainable inclusion has to be embedded into the structure of a business - through fair pay, thoughtful recruitment, and safe working practices.” - Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
Moving forward together
Thank you again to SEND Coffee, our speakers, and every single person who joined us.
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