Turns out making a very, very orange coffee bag was a good idea.

We’re stoked to share that NewGround has won Coffee Bag Design of the Year 2026 at the London Coffee Festival Awards.

This wasn’t just a redesign project for us. It was a statement about who we are.

Packaging With Conviction

For years, our bags were monochrome. Minimal and beautiful. But as NewGround evolved, we knew our visual identity needed to evolve with it too.

We wanted packaging that reflected the energy behind our specialty coffee business. The grit, momentum and determination that powers everything we do. Because “coffee with conviction” isn’t just a strapline, it’s how we operate.

So we looked outside the coffee category for inspiration.

Interestingly, a lot of it came from the world of sport, where bold oranges and reds represent movement, passion and community. That became the starting point for our new direction.

The result is a coffee bag designed to move.

Bright orange. Bold typography. A custom die-cut handle shaped from our roundel logo, inspired by the shape of a coffee bean and the idea of forward motion.

Packaging designed not just to sit on a shelf, but to be picked up, carried and interacted with.

Dangle it from one finger while pretending you’ve got your life together. Clip it to literally anything. Belt loop. Bike. Dog lead. Dog.

Because great coffee shouldn’t stay at home.

A Coffee Brand Built Around Second Chances

We spent eight years in monochrome. We’ve earned this orange.

You can probably spot the bags from space now, but the colour carries a tongue-in-cheek nod to the work we do inside prisons and alongside prisoners and prison-leavers across the UK.

NewGround exists to create work and training opportunities for people rebuilding their lives after prison. Every bag of coffee contributes towards creating second chances and fresh starts.

That mission has always sat at the centre of our brand. Now it sits at the centre of our packaging too.

Designed To Feel Alive

One of the details we introduced across the range is the “NEW” label system.

Each coffee features a different illustrated “NEW” changing style, personality and feel across the range.

Why?

Because we never want the brand to stand still.

New coffees. New producers. New ideas. New beginnings.

We get bored easily. Which, creatively speaking, is quite useful.

Sustainable Coffee Packaging Still Matters

Whilst the visual identity has become louder and more expressive, sustainable coffee packaging remains non-negotiable for us.

The bags are produced with Grounded Packaging using their recyclable Wastemade™ RE:MONO laminate — made from up to 70% post-consumer recycled LDPE.

Compared to virgin plastic, recycled LDPE carries a significantly lower carbon footprint whilst still delivering the high oxygen and moisture barrier needed to keep the coffee tasting great.

Importantly, using recycled materials also helps strengthen the wider circular economy by increasing demand for recycled content and supporting the development of better recycling infrastructure and systems.

Nice to know the bag is doing its bit whilst being very, very orange.

Built With Brilliant People

Massive kudos goes to Confederation Studio, who helped us create packaging that feels alive, a bit unexpected and very, very orange.

And finally, thank you to everyone who’s supported the rebrand so far — whether you’ve bought a bag, stocked our coffee, shared the redesign online or simply backed the mission.

Anyway. We’re very happy about it.

But more than anything, we’re excited about what comes next.

New coffees. New ideas. New beginnings.

We’re still just getting started.