The Best Coffee Roasters South West
Updated: 5 days ago
What comes to mind when you think about the South West? The vibrant culture, perhaps? Maybe it's the breathtaking landscapes that surround the urban sprawl? A big bridge and some hot springs? Whatever your thoughts, there's another scene that's been bubbling away under the surface for a while now: coffee! The South West is lucky to be home to some of the best coffee roasters in the UK, twenty two of which are now available to try in our convenient monthly coffee subscription! That's right - we've been working hard to piece together a dream team of local coffee roasters that represent the best of the South West. Read on to find out a bit more about them...
Colours Coffee | https://colourscoffee.com/
Colours Coffee is the recent creation of coffee maestro Ben Stokes. Ben mastered his craft under the tutelage of UK barista champion Maxwell Colonna (owner of legendary Bath coffee shop Colonna and Smalls), so he really knows his stuff! He’s been fully immersed in the world of coffee for the past 10 years and even took a trip out to Colombia to further enhance his knowledge by seeing some coffee farms for himself. Here’s a quote from the main man: “I'm so excited to put all of my passion and 10 years of knowledge, into something I can truly call my own, Colours Coffee. A roastery driven by the many exceptional coffees that are on offer to us as roasters, but also makes the world of speciality coffee more approachable, for all to enjoy.” Colours Coffee currently operate out of a space in the Flying Monk Brewery in Hullavington, near Chippenham. We’re stoked to be able to add them to our Bristol and Bath coffee subscription and look forward to featuring their beans one month soon!
Wogan Coffee | https://wogancoffee.com
Wogan Coffee are one of the OG Bristol coffee roasters (they've been in the business since 1970!) Their roastery is in St Jude's in the city centre and they also have a shop/brew bar where they offer barista training. Wogan source and import specialty coffees from sustainable and ethical farms worldwide. Proper Bristol coffee beans.
Radical Roasters Coffee | https://radicalroasters.bigcartel.com
Radical Roasters are fairly new to the coffee scene in Bristol… but they pack a punch! Having previously dedicated herself to helping others with their coffee ventures, founder Cat decided 2021 was the year to take a leap of faith and go it alone. She has an excellent grounding in the industry, with 10+ years of experience and 2x UK Barista Championship semi-final finishes under her belt. Operating out of a new premises in Easton, Radical Roasters make cracking Bristol coffee while also striving to give back to the local community. They offer free coffee workshops to marginalised folk and encourage anyone interested in learning more to get in touch!
Colonna Coffee | https://colonnacoffee.com
Ever visited Colonna and Smalls coffee shop in Bath? If not, you should! Winner of the ‘Best Coffee Shop in Europe’ award in 2016, this highly regarded establishment belongs to Maxwell and Lesley - the founders of the latest roaster to join our Bristol and Bath subscription: Colonna Coffee! Colonna and Smalls first opened its doors in 2009 with the aim of showcasing exceptional coffees from around the world. The shop prospered and become a hub for innovation and an ever increasing number of coffee enthusiasts. Building on this success - and with the aim of taking more control over the sourcing and flavour profiling of their coffees - Colonna went on to launch their own roastery in 2015. They’ve since curated a range of fantastic single-origin coffees. We’re proud to be working with them and look forward to sending you some of their delicious locally roasted coffee beans!
Norma Coffee Roasters | https://normacoffee.co.uk/
Norma is a small Devon coffee roaster run by Lauren and Joe from a converted barn on the edge of Dartmoor. Although the roastery is relatively new, the idea behind it had been developing for more than a decade. After years spent working for some of the UK’s best coffee roasters, the pair wanted to create something of their own, keeping things small, authentic and focused on doing one thing really well: coffee. After considering plenty of other ideas, they kept coming back to coffee, drawn to the variety of flavours, origins and stories that come with it.
Finding the right home for the roastery was important too. Rather than setting up on an industrial estate, they wanted somewhere that felt connected to coffee as an agricultural product. A conversation with a farmer friend led them to an old barn on his farm, right on the edge of Dartmoor. Norma now works with small and under-represented producers, looking for coffees with plenty of character. Their approach is deliberately small scale, with a focus on quality and using organic and regenerative practices where possible without compromising the coffee.
Today, Norma is a Devon coffee roaster with a clear idea of what it wants to be: great coffee, produced thoughtfully and without losing the personality behind it.
Extract Coffee Roasters | https://extractcoffee.co.uk
Extract Coffee Roasters started life in a chicken shed way back in 2007. They’ve come a long way since! They’re now one of the most well renowned roasters in the UK and have won numerous accolades including Best All-Round Speciality Roaster at the UK Coffee Awards 2022. Operating out of St. Werburgh’s, Extract’s mission is simple: to make coffee better. Better for customers, better for communities, better for coffee growers and better for the environment. We can't wait for you to try this excellent Bristol coffee roaster.
Boona Boona Coffee Roasters | https://boonaboona.co.uk
Boona Boona have grown from producing coffee in a garden shed to becoming one of the best, independent small batch Bristol coffee roasters. Founder Jon's goal is to get more people to enjoy great coffee while contributing something positive to society. He's succeeding: we love Boona Boona and their partnership with Avon Needs Trees is helping plant trees and re-wild local land.
Round Hill Roastery | https://roundhillroastery.com
Based just outside Bath, Round Hill Roastery focus on producing bright and vibrant coffee. They started their journey close to the Kelston Round Hill and continue to take inspiration from the lush, grassy knoll that adorns the Bath skyline. When roasting coffee, Round Hill aim to highlight seasonality, the taste of the farm, the crop and the environment it was grown in. This approach has led them to produce a host of excellent flavours - one to look forward to!
Triple Co Roast | https://www.triplecoroast.com
Triple Co Roast is the brainchild of local Bristol boy Jo Thompson. Founded in 2015, the mission was simple: to roast high quality coffee beans bought green via direct trade with farmers. By sticking to these principles, Triple Co Roast have flourished into one of the best ethical coffee roasters in the South West. Top quality coffee produced without cutting corners. We can't wait for you to try this fantastic Bristol coffee roaster.
In a male-dominated coffee supply chain, the role of women is often overlooked and undervalued. Fi and Casey thought this needed to change, so they founded Girls Who Grind Coffee in 2017: an all-female speciality coffee roastery based just outside Bath. Inspired by a passion for coffee and a desire to challenge inequality in the industry, they aim to celebrate and empower women by sourcing beans from pioneering female producers and sharing their stories. Their approach reflects a belief that the people behind our coffee deserve recognition, from the producers growing it to the women helping shape the industry. We love their mission and can’t wait for you to try their delicious locally roasted coffee beans.
Loud Mouth Coffee | https://www.loudmouthcoffee.com
Loud Mouth Coffee came to fruition in 2018 after founder Ellen, who also started Frome’s River House cafe, realised many coffee lovers were after a more straightforward shopping and drinking experience. Instead of confusing customers with pretentious gibberish and complex technical jargon, they prefer to focus on taste (proper gobby coffee without the nobby nonsense!) Working from their roastery in Frome, Loud Mouth offer a range of delicious coffees and supply shops, cafes and companies across the South West. They also aim to use their platform to make a positive impact on society (e.g. by donating proceeds to counselling and talking charities). All round good eggs!
Odd Kin Coffee | https://www.oddkincoffee.com
Odd Kin are one of the new kids on the block. Operating out of Hengrove in South Bristol, this small team of coffee aficionados started their roasting journey in 2020. Since then, they've gone on to curate a range of some of the best Bristol coffee beans around. Odd Kin further enhance their credentials by always striving to produce ethical roasts (e.g. by only working with green importers who pay farmers a fair wage). A Bristol Coffee Roaster on the up!
Clifton Coffee Roasters | https://cliftoncoffee.co.uk
Clifton Coffee Company came into fruition in 2001, with James and Ed spending their early years servicing espresso machines in independent businesses around Bristol. They soon realised their talents could be utilised in other ways, so they turned their attention to wholesaling, barista training and to roasting their own beans in 2013. Clifton Coffee haven't looked back since; they're now one of the top Bristol coffee roasters with a wide selection of excellent beans.
Bristol Twenty Tea & Coffee Co. | https://bristol-twenty.co.uk
Bristol Twenty made the leap to roasting their own coffee in 2014. Since then, they've grown into one of the star Bristol coffee roasters. With over 60 years of collective industry experience, they know their stuff. Expect high quality, well thought-out coffee with sustainability at the heart of the sourcing to roasting process.
Unica Coffee | https://unicacoffee.uk
Unica are one of the new generation of Bristol coffee roasters. Having developed their love and understanding of coffee over the past decade, 2021 was the year they finally took the plunge and started their roasting journey. Unica’s goal is to provide unique speciality coffee without taking themselves too seriously. Roasting out of their base in Zero Green, Southville, they’re committed to making great coffee without compromising on sustainability. We recently tried some of their beans and were seriously impressed!
Foundation Coffee Roasters | https://www.foundationroasters.co.uk/
Based in St Ives, Cornwall, Foundation Coffee Roasters are a South West specialty coffee roaster with a strong connection to the ocean, the outdoors and their local community. Their aim is to make high quality specialty coffee accessible while building long term relationships throughout the coffee supply chain. They focus on transparent sourcing and, where possible, work directly with suppliers and pay above Fairtrade prices, helping more of the value reach farmers and their communities.
Sustainability is also central to how Foundation operate: their coffee bags are home compostable, coffee chaff is reused as mulch by local growing spaces, and local orders are delivered using electric vehicles and established routes. Above all, foundation want specialty coffee to feel welcoming rather than intimidating, encouraging people to enjoy great coffee however, wherever and whenever they like. We love their fresh look and hope you enjoy their delicious coffee!
Lost Horizon Coffee | https://losthorizoncoffee.com
Lost Horizon Coffee is the perfect example of a local Bristol coffee roaster. Founder Kit started this micro-batch, specialty roastery whilst working as an engineer many moons ago. Since then, he's developed some fantastic, eco-friendly coffee that's certain to get your tastebuds tingling. Sustainability is hugely important to Lost Horizon, so much so that all coffee is carbon offset TWICE. Where possible, Kit even delivers his products to customers on his push bike. Local hero or what.
Dino's Coffee | https://www.dinos.coffee
The latest Bristol coffee roaster to join our Bristol coffee subscription is Dino's! Having started as a hobby, Dino’s has always been about sharing the coffee that excites owners Alex and Lawrence with their community. By having a limited offering, three coffees at three price points, they can take a far more focussed and considered approach to buying. With the help of friends at Radical Roasters and Raw Material, they've recently set up a lovely space in Easton within which to roast. Both Alex and Laurence have different backgrounds in marketing and coffee which combine to make their fantastic new roastery. We can't wait to send you some of their excellent Bristol coffee beans.
Full Court Press Coffee | https://www.fcp.coffee
Bristol coffee roaster Full Court Press were one of the first speciality coffee shops in town (check out our review here!) Their name refers to a basketball tactic: an uncompromising, all out approach that reflects their commitment to their values. FCP's focus has always been on exceptional quality, honesty and accessibility, and they aim to serve a constantly changing, varied menu in an approachable way. While they've been in the business for ~10 years in total, they started roasting their own Bristol coffee beans in 2020. They've since developed a varied offering of fantastic single origin, speciality coffee that's constantly changing - we can't wait to send some of their beans out to subscribers!
Ritual Coffee Roasters was founded in 2019 by Courtney Conroy and Callum Lister. After starting out by rescuing a 1980s Cast Iron Drum Roaster from a scrapyard and refurbishing her over the course of 9 months, the team have done brilliantly well and now supply beans to some of the top coffee spots in the South West. In fact, just 18 months after their launch they moved into a 4,500 square foot roastery on the Lansdown Industrial Estate in Cheltenham, which is also home to a fantastic brew bar and kitchen (go check it out if you’re ever in the area - we have and were mightily impressed!) Ritual are clearly a great success story, so what’s their secret? Well, they’re guided by a few key principles, including: forming sustainable, long term relationships with their producers by paying them a fair price for their beans, possessing an unwavering dedication the craft of roasting coffee, and only working with likeminded partners that are driven by exceptional customer experience. We’re delighted to be able to feature Ritual Roasters in our South West coffee subscription.
Meet the Roaster: Q&A with Joel from Ritual Roasters Coffee →
Roastworks is an independent south west coffee roaster based in Willand, Devon, where Will and Caro have built a business around doing things properly. They work closely with small-scale producers, paying fairly and building long-term relationships that put quality, traceability and sustainability at the heart of their sourcing. Their roastery sits in the Devon countryside, where they hand roast, pack and dispatch coffee for homes, cafés, farm shops and retailers across the UK. At the centre are their much-loved German-built roasting machines, including a Probat dating back to 1971, which is still going strong today. There’s a practical, hands-on approach to keeping them running that feels very much part of the Roastworks character. For Roastworks, good coffee starts long before it reaches the roaster. They care about knowing where their coffee comes from and who grows it, working with producers and suppliers they can build genuine relationships with. The result is coffee with a clear sense of place and purpose, roasted with care in the heart of Devon.
Meet the Roaster: Q&A with Doug from Roastworks →
Brazier Coffee Roasters | https://www.braziercoffeeroasters.co.uk/
Somerset coffee roaster Brazier was first conceptualised ~10 years ago in Australia, where cofounder Claire grew up. Sitting in the dusty outback drinking a delicious coffee, Claire and partner Tom talked about the lack of anything similar in their corner of South West England. The conversation grew legs and they soon decided to do something about it, bouncing ideas off some of the best roasters in Aus and eventually buying their own Giesen roaster. Brazier have since evolved into an exceptional South West coffee roaster and operate out of a roastery/cafe space at the Fox’s Tonedale Mill site in Wellington. They’re passionate about being part of a supply chain that improves the lives of everybody involved and ensure fair pay for farmers and above living wage salaries for their UK staff. Good eggs, great coffee!
Fire & Flow Coffee was founded by childhood friends Callum and Phil, alongside Phil's wife Char, who took the bold leap of turning their shared love of speciality coffee into a roastery. Callum brought years of experience in the coffee industry, including competing in the UK Barista Championships, while Phil and Char swapped careers in tech and marketing to help bring the business to life. Today, Fire & Flow focuses on carefully sourced speciality coffee, roasted in small batches to bring out the best in each bean. The team is passionate about making great coffee more accessible, sharing their knowledge through barista training and helping customers get more from their daily brew. Just as importantly, they're committed to recognising the hard work of the farmers who grow their coffee. We're delighted to feature Fire & Flow in our South West coffee subscription and hope you enjoy discovering their coffee!
Meet the Roaster: Q&A with Callum from Fire & Flow →
So there you have it: twenty two of the best coffee roasters in the South West, all available in one place. We're going to be adding a few new roasters in the coming months so keep your eyes peeled on our socials.
PSST! New here? This might help...
- How does the subscription work? Each month, we send subscribers a bag of coffee beans (250g/500g/1kg) roasted by different South West coffee roasters. We rotate between the best coffee roasters in Gloucester, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall... you get the idea... to make sure you're always getting top quality beans from a top quality outfit
- What makes you different to any other coffee subscription? We're unique in that we're the only local coffee subscription. We help coffee drinkers shop local and discover beans from different roasters near them. Forget Holby, Emmerdale and Walford - these beans were roasted by real people in real places near you
- Why did you start it? We wanted to create a unique coffee club that showcases local roasters and gives coffee drinkers a convenient platform to discover delicious coffee beans roasted near them. Find out more here
- I'm a coffee roaster in the South West - how do I get involved? We're always on the lookout for new local coffee roasters to help expand our subscription. Contact us here and we'll get back to you asap!
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