The roasters writing the coffee scene in London: who they are, where they source from and where to drink it.
The roasters writing the coffee scene in London. who they are, where they source from, and where to drink the result.
Anette Moldvaer and James Hoffmann's Square Mile coffee roastery near Wenlock Basin in north London, founded 2008, the city's most-cited specialty roaster and the bean behind Kaffeine.
Tip: No public cafe; the beans go to subscribers and the city's top espresso bars (Workshop, Prufrock, Kaffeine).
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, Costa Rica
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
James Dilworth's Workshop Coffee, founded 2011 in Clerkenwell and now roasting in Bermondsey, runs cafes across central London and supplies serious filter bars across the city.
Tip: The Wigmore Street cafe has the deepest counter selection. Marylebone Lane and Holborn sit nearby for office-lunch coffee runs.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, Kenya
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Anita Le Roy's pioneer London coffee roaster, founded 1978 on Monmouth Street in Covent Garden, runs two retail-and-cafe sites and is the city's longest-running specialty roaster.
Tip: The Covent Garden original on 27 Monmouth Street has the standing counter; Borough has more outdoor seats.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Daniel Climpson's roaster on Broadway Market in Hackney London, founded 2002, runs a Saturday-market cafe at 67 Broadway and a roastery on Helmsley Place.
Tip: The Saturday market is the canonical visit. Climpson's Arch on Helmsley Place is a Friday-Saturday-only railway-arch bar.
Sources from: Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, El Salvador
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Michael Allpress's New Zealand-founded specialty roaster, opened in London on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch in 2010, runs cafes across east London and an in-house roastery.
Tip: The Redchurch Street original sits next to Brat. Their Dalston site has the bigger laptop seating area.
Sources from: Brazil, Honduras, Ethiopia, Colombia
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Tom Sobey's Cornwall-founded Origin Coffee, roasting in Helston since 2004, opened the Charlotte Road London cafe in 2015 and runs a third-wave filter bar with serious beans.
Tip: The retail wholesale relationship runs to many of Soho and Clerkenwell's morning coffee bars. Look for the seasonal Ethiopian filter offers.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, Costa Rica
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Kurt Stewart's Stockwell-based London coffee roaster, founded 2010, runs a serious B-corp-certified specialty roastery in south London and supplies cafes across the capital.
Tip: No public cafe; subscribe online or buy beans through stockists. The Mons Sandwiches deli on Stockwell Road is the nearest cafe pouring their beans.
Sources from: Brazil, Ethiopia, Honduras, Peru
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Stephen Leighton's Has Bean Coffee, founded 2002 in Staffordshire and a foundational supplier to the early London specialty scene, runs a subscription roastery and weekly beans.
Tip: Has Bean's beans feature at Tap, Prufrock and other London cafes. Subscribe through their site for weekly single-origin filter beans.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Peak food season in London is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. London rewards trust.