New partnership will bring locally roasted coffee to Birmingham’s Town Hall and Symphony Hall, with beans sourced from a community of smallholder farmers in Mexico.
B:Music, the Birmingham-based charity responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall, is partnering with independent Digbeth roastery Ithaka as part of its ongoing commitment to becoming more sustainable.
The new partnership will see Ithaka’s Las Cotorras coffee introduced across both venues in the coming weeks, bringing together locally roasted coffee, exceptional quality and a supply chain that supports sustainable farming and livelihoods.
Founded by World Barista Champion Dale Harris, Ithaka is a local roastery that opened in November 2025, with Alex Scott, who has worked in Birmingham’s vibrant coffee scene for more than ten years, supporting the business. With a focus on quality, provenance and responsible sourcing, Ithaka is building partnerships with an initial group of 25 businesses, with B:Music among the first to come on board.
The new coffee offer will feature whole bean for cafe service and bulk-brew coffee, with Las Cotorras selected for its quality and distinctive flavour profile. Grown in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, the single-origin coffee offers notes of chocolate, caramel sweetness and gentle red fruit, making it ideal for both espresso and milk-based drinks, as well as filter coffee.
The beans are sourced from the Las Cotorras community group, which brings together smallholder coffee farmers across the region. Many of these farmers work on family-owned plots and use traditional shade-grown farming methods that can offer environmental benefits while supporting rural and indigenous communities.
Ithaka works with coffee importer Caravela, whose PECA Grower Education Programme provides farmers with training, technical assistance and practical advice to improve coffee quality, productivity and profitability. This includes support with sustainable farming practices, processing techniques and the production of organic fertilisers, helping growers secure better prices for their coffee and build more sustainable livelihoods.
The Las Cotorras name takes its inspiration from the cotorras, a species of parakeet found in the Chiapas region. The area is home to the Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, a protected landscape encompassing some of Central America’s last cloud forests and an exceptional diversity of wildlife.
Nicole Evans, Director of Commercial Services at B:Music, said: “We’re always looking at ways we can B:Greener, and choosing suppliers who share our values is an important part of that. We’re really pleased to be partnering with Ithaka, a local roastery based in Digbeth, and to be introducing their coffee to audiences visiting Town Hall and Symphony Hall.
“Las Cotorras stood out to us for its quality, but also for the story behind it. Knowing that our coffee supports a community of farmers who are being helped to develop sustainable farming practices and improve their livelihoods makes this a particularly exciting partnership. We’re looking forward to welcoming audiences to enjoy the new coffee in the coming weeks.”
Dale Harris, Founder of Ithaka added, “B:Music is a fantastic partner for us, and we’re really pleased to be working with such an important part of Birmingham’s cultural scene. At Ithaka, we want to make exceptional coffee more accessible while being thoughtful about where it comes from and the people behind it. Las Cotorras is a brilliant example of that: a delicious coffee with a story rooted in a community of farmers who are working to improve quality and build more sustainable livelihoods. We’re excited to bring our coffee to Town Hall and Symphony Hall audiences and to show how great coffee and responsible sourcing can go hand in hand.”
The new coffee will be available at Town Hall and Symphony Hall in the coming weeks, offering audiences the opportunity to enjoy quality coffee with a positive story behind every cup.