Coffee beans from Mount Everest make their way to Shildon

Shildon has become the only place in the UK to sell and roast coffee beans grown on the foothills of Mount Everest—thanks to local coffee roasters Happy Barista.

This venture, by co-owners Tom Bolland, 28, and Dana Boudare, 32, brings a world-first coffee experience to County Durham.

Tom and Dana in their coffee pod (Image: TOM BOLLAND) The beans, made in Solukhumbu, Nepal, are part of a sustainable initiative developed by The Glacier Trust, headed by Mark Holmes, 41, from Bedale.

Due to climate change, Nepalese farmers have struggled with failing traditional crops, but coffee farming has proven to thrive in the region’s conditions.

A farmer in Nepal (Image: MARK HOLMES) By working directly with farmers, cutting out middlemen, and ensuring ethical sourcing, Happy Barista has secured an exclusive supply of these high-quality beans, graded 83/100—making them officially classified as speciality coffee.

Tom, who grew up in Darlington but now lives in Shildon, thought it important to bring this special coffee to the region.

Tom said: “This is the closest coffee grown to Everest, and it’s never been roasted or sold in the UK before.

“The journey to bring it here was a challenge, but when we tasted the samples, we knew we had something special.”

Mark, from The Glacier Trust, and Tom, from Happy Barista, sampling some beans he brought over from Nepal early last year (Image: MARK HOLMES) Happy Barista, which operates a coffee trailer at markets and events, also supplies wholesale beans to cafes, hotels, and online customers.

Tom and Dana, both passionate about coffee since meeting in Australia, were driven to improve the UK’s coffee standards.

Tom continued: “It has been a real honour to work with TGT to bring this coffee to the UK. We’ve felt the big responsibility in making sure we don’t mess up the roast.

Farmers in Nepal (Image: MARK HOLMES) “There’s been an enormous amount of work put into making this happen, by many hundreds of people, so it’s important for us to make sure we do all that work justice.”

Their collaboration with The Glacier Trust ensures that proceeds go directly back into Nepalese farming communities.

Bina, a farmer in Nepal (Image: MARK HOLMES) Mark Holmes, who became Executive Director of The Glacier Trust in January 2024, described the partnership as an exciting step forward.

Mark said: “Bringing this coffee to the UK has been an honour. Hundreds of people have worked tirelessly to make this happen, and we feel a huge responsibility to do justice to that effort.”

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Bag of the specialist coffee from the foothills of Mount Everest (Image: TOM BOLLAND) The trust are also working with farmers in Nepal who were devastated by the landslides and has since set up a fundraiser to help the community get back on their feet.

For coffee lovers and ethical consumers, this exclusive Everest-grown coffee is now available—only in Shildon.