Coffee beans - your recommended retailer?

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Looking for an online small batch coffee roaster (small batch unless they have a high turnover of their roasted beans) to order coffee beans in smallish quantities from.  Any good reliable roaster-retailer you can recommend please? If they are fair trade/one for the plant/etc., all the better.

Usually buy in region of 500g (200/250g max per bag) every 4 weeks or so. Like to experiment with small producer’s coffees/small limited batches, and prefer single origins to blends generally.

As part of the process of buying, grinding, and drinking I like to be informed and educated about the coffees being sold (good descriptions, background of producers, recommend method, etc) and don’t mind a retailer selling one offs/time limited available batches as long as they has a good wide range to choose from normally in between times.

Thanks.

Post edited at 19:05
3
 shuffle 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

North Star do great coffee!

https://www.northstarroast.com/

 beh 13 Jan 2022
 Sealwife 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Had some very nice coffee from Glen Lyon roastery when visiting Aberfeldy a couple of years back.

https://www.glenlyoncoffee.co.uk/

Also this one

https://www.theorkneyroastery.com/

 Gary Latter 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

The Bean Shop in George Street, Perth

https://www.thebeanshop.co.uk

Excellent prompt mail order service, though we usually try to visit in person. Lovely friendly staff - always a delight to give them our business.

 Jordan-L 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I would recommend my local coffee shop,  Unorthodox Roasters. 

https://www.unorthodoxroasters.co.uk/

 elliot.baker 13 Jan 2022
In reply to shuffle:
 

> North Star do great coffee!

Second and third this from me! Definitely the best coffee I’ve had at home and they’re super ethical. 
 

This one is particularly good at the moment I think

Guatemala Finca La Bolsa Washed

edit: I’ve just read the OPs post in more detail - the company hits your nail on the head. Super small batch, work directly with farmers, actually knowing them personally I mean. Batches come and go then come back the next year. Each one comes with a card explaining the history of the farm and how the relationship was made, and how they grow it and about the community around there. Obviously also has tasting notes and guidance as well. 

Post edited at 19:46
In reply to Gary Latter:

I really like the people and the shop, but in terms of top-end specialty coffee they're definitely a notch behind the top dogs. Often drop by when I'm in Perth / visiting the parents.

Hasbean and Square Mile. In Glasgow, Papercup are doing some really interesting things.

Fairtrade is irrelevant in specialty coffee. Any specialty grower makes more than the baseline set by fairtrade.

 Ramblin dave 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I tend to alternate between Has Bean, Rave and Coaltown depending on who's got what in.

 neuromancer 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

As someone living in Leeds, the cafe is nice but north star coffee is a rip off. Same with square mile and all of the other Instagram coffee roasters. 

£50 for a kilo of beans Vs £25 single origin same beans from a well known roaster in Newcastle...

Post edited at 21:05
 midgen 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I get through a couple of kilograms a month typically. My go to for classic, medium roast is the American Diner blend from 47 degrees. Makes a lovely morning filter coffee. The Colombian is excellent too.

47degreescoffee.com 

For espresso I prefer fruity lighter roasts, and my go to for them is Neighbourhood Coffee, in Liverpool.

www.neighbourhoodcoffee.co.uk

 kolkrabe 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Another Glasgow suggestion - https://www.thegoodcoffeecartel.com/

Been using them for a while as they are close to a TCA bouldering wall. The coffee is always excellent folks in the roastery/cafe are always really nice. 

 

 beh 13 Jan 2022
In reply to neuromancer:

> As someone living in Leeds, the cafe is nice but north star coffee is a rip off. Same with square mile and all of the other Instagram coffee roasters. 

I've no particular loyalty to any one roaster but to suggest somewhere like square mile is merely an "Instagram" roaster is clearly nonsense.

> £50 for a kilo of beans Vs £25 single origin same beans from a well known roaster in Newcastle...

Perhaps you could provide a concrete example of this?

2
 rif 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Here's another suggestion:

https://invernesscoffeeroasting.co.uk/

Their mail order is very efficient and they have some good blends as well as single origin.

 mike123 13 Jan 2022
In reply to neuromancer: agreed , but all those flat caps , checked shirts and pretend prison tats must cost a fortune .old school roasters are generally much better Value than all the instawannbiez . Pollards in Sheffield bring a good example . I drank there house espresso by the gallon for years , proper gutsy Italian  espresso,   my dad would have said “ that ll  put hairs on your chest youth “ . I’m drinking our local rosters espresso blend out of my aero press at the moment but strangely find it far too sweet for an espresso shot .   , I’ll add a link in a bit . 
Edit :https://www.carvetiicoffee.co.uk/

Post edited at 22:21
 James Malloch 13 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

https://www.theclubhousecc.co.uk/
 

We drink a lot of this. A really nice small outfit in Skipton.

 Helen R 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I have a subscription with Ozone Coffee. Sustainably sourced, small growers and a different coffee every week. Very much recommended. Free shipping for subscriptions, which are flexible for amounts, frequency and beans/grind size)

ozonecoffee.co.uk

(Usually I can't make recommendations for the UK, but for coffee I can... Ozone operate in just two countries.. New Zealand and the UK. NZ service is excellent, and I've also bought coffee for my family in the UK from the UK website)

 GHawksworth 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

For the ethical side, check out Manumit coffee roasters from Cardiff! I really like their coffee too but my dad finds it a bit tart to be an everyday affair.

They employ slavery survivors and help them get back on their feet. Really good stuff.

 Si dH 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Crosby Coffee do everything you asked and more importantly their coffee is brilliant.

https://www.crosbycoffee.co.uk/

I started using them as they are local to me, but I think they deliver further afield. You can do a 500g subscription which comes as two 250g bags.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Many thanks to everyone for the replies, appreciated. 

 JoshOvki 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I didn't realise how many roasters there were in the UK!

Currently I am getting mine from a mixture of https://pobladocoffi.co.uk/ which is my mates brother up in North Wales, the coffee is really good. And https://frontlinecoffee.co.uk/ who are ex firefighters and donate to charities.

 DamonRoberts 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Another hat in the ring, I've been using Django Coffee - https://www.djangocoffeeco.com/ - I get their random subscription, had some excellent ones and some not to my taste, but can't fault their credentials or service either. 

 patsaunders 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

KicKback Coffee in Macclesfield a small batch roaster, great coffee https://kickbackcoffee.co.uk

 JoshOvki 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Can you do us all a favour, get coffee from all of these places and report back which is the best? You might be wired for the next year or so but I think the research is important 

 CurlyStevo 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Hasbean for coffee and What-cha for tea.

 guffers_hump 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

https://wogancoffee.com/about-us/

These guys are good based in Bristol. Also a bag of coffee is slightly cheaper. 250g around £6 and around £16 for a 1K.

Lots of different beans also. As long as it isn't a blend I'm pretty sure it says where exactly its from.

There most expensive coffee at 250g is £6.50!

Post edited at 10:01
1
 David Barlow 14 Jan 2022

https://unionroasted.com/ Ethically sources, small batches.

 neuromancer 14 Jan 2022
In reply to beh:

Found the James Hoffman idoliser!

Square mile single origin Ethiopian is £17 for 350g.

Pumphreys single origin Ethiopian is £24 for a kilo. 

1
 digby 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Aldi! Alcafe espresso beans. Lovely. Cheap!

 Garethza 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

If you are looking for something a bit different, Artisan Roast do a whiskey barrel aged coffee called the 'Whisky Thief' in limited batches/quantities.. its absolutely lovely and the smell is divine! Not on their website at the moment but worth signing up to their newsletter to get the updates of when it will be available.. 

https://artisanroast.co.uk/collections/coffee

 elliot.baker 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Garethza:

I had some of this the other day and was 100% certain it was alcoholic 😅.

 alimckay 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I'd recommend Rinaldo's near Kendal. 

https://rinscoffee.com/ 

 Ben_Climber 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I get mine on subscription from Redbank in the lakes.

https://redbankcoffee.com/

I have also got coffee from kickback who have also been mentioned above

https://kickbackcoffee.co.uk/

 smbnji 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Plug for my local and seriously good roasters

https://roundhillroastery.com/collections/coffee

In reply to JoshOvki:

🤣
Not sure I can cope with all the caffeine; I usually have a 2 cups/day limit.

Thanks again to everyone; lots of recommendations to check out.

 mondite 14 Jan 2022
In reply to elliot.baker:

> I had some of this the other day and was 100% certain it was alcoholic 😅.

Quarterhouse did some for a sirencraft brewery event.  Did have the downside it smelled like I was having an irish coffee at 9am.

 TheHorroffice 14 Jan 2022
In reply to mondite:

Butterworths in Suffolk and Red Bank near Grasmere are both really nice 

 Tony Buckley 14 Jan 2022
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I use Wogan coffee.  Not just because they're relatively close, but because they're the best I've found.  Highly recommended.

https://wogancoffee.com/

T.


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