The people behind bru
Just two East Londoners with a slightly obsessive approach to travel mugs.
How bru Began
bru started with a simple frustration. We wanted to be environmentally friendly but every travel mug we owned let us down somehow. Plastic that tainted taste, lids that leaked in a bag, cups that felt cheap in our hands. We knew they could be better, so we set out to build the travel mug we actually wanted to use. After a few years of trial and error, the result was a ceramic lined interior for coffee to taste like coffee and nothing else, vacuum insulation that holds heat or cold for hours, and a lid we obsessed over until it closed properly and never leaked. Everything bru makes comes from that same starting point. If it's not good enough for us to use every day, it does not go out the door.
Meet Yasmina
I’m the one who can’t stop thinking about waste, both at home and at work. I’ve always had a thing for sorting and organising, and studying Environmental Sciences at Brighton University is probably where those things came together.
I care deeply about nature, animals and ethics. I love good, wholesome food and sustainable living, and also music, dancing and anything a bit arty. You’ll usually find me outdoors, walking our dog and toddler or using up my last bit of energy in our wildlife garden.
Always trying to lean towards better choices, putting my money where my mouth is, and carrying that through into how we run bru.
Where it started
Backed by 3,380 people before it existed
bru Travel began on Kickstarter in 2021. We set a modest goal of £5,500, just enough to make the first production run. By the end of the campaign, 3,380 backers had pledged a total of £87,767, funding bru to nearly sixteen times its target. That early support told us we were not the only ones frustrated with travel mugs that leaked, tasted bad, or felt cheap. Every bru since has been built to live up to what those first backers believed in.
Meet ashley
Practical, detail-focused, and usually the first to point out when something's a bit off. He likes things to work properly, last a long time, and not need fixing every five minutes.
He’s determined, but also balanced and grounded. The kind of person who will happily obsess over the details most people never notice.
Not one to sit still, if he’s not working, he’s usually training at our local CrossFit gym, doing gymnastics with his mates or running. His one weakness is his sweet tooth.
The king of efficiency, at work and at home. He's the engine behind bru.
We both appreciate things that function well, feel good in your hands, and look nice. Especially things which are a little different from the norm. Somewhere between the two of us, things tend to come out just right.
Sustainability
ONE BRU, HUNDREDS OF CUPS DIVERTED fROM LANDFILL
One bru replaces hundreds of disposable cups over its years of use. We design for durability, ship in minimal packaging, and test every part properly. The full story is on our sustainability page.
Brands We Have Worked With
BUILT FOR EVERY DAY
Every bru cup is designed in the UK and tested for every day performance. 10,000 open/close lid cycles, heat retention measured with laboratory thermometers, and a two year warranty. We don't just build it and hope for the best, we test for it.