Why the UK Coffee Roasting scene is so good
Nov 04, 2025
Why the UK Coffee Roasting scene is so good
The UK Coffee Roasting scene may feel like it’s been around forever, but it’s only in the last 25 years that it’s really made a mark on the industry. With gap years and international travel for young adults becoming more popular in the 1990s, people from Europe and Australia visited the UK in droves and soon began to miss the quality of coffee from back home, whilst equally Brits who went abroad were blown away by the great tasting coffees and cafe culture of Australia, South America and beyond.
These travels led to a lot of inspiration, with people soon wishing to recreate the tastes experienced abroad and share them with their local community. In the early 2000’s, there were only a handful of specialty coffee roasters operating in the UK (including Small Batch Coffee Roasters) and now there are over 500! But what exactly makes the UK market so good and stand out amongst our global counterparts?
Skilled Roasters
The UK now boasts well over 500 coffee roasters, focusing on small batch, specialty coffee with a focus on quality and flavour. For those who don’t have capacity to roast but are equally inspired, there are also more speciality coffee shops than ever before, with over 14,000 speciality coffee shops estimated to be open in the UK between 2024-2025, making it one of the fastest growing industries. All of these cafes practise the same values as the roasters - serving only high grade, great tasting quality that makes each cup an experience.
The South East has been the long-standing hub for coffee roasters, being so close to the main ports and London where the region faces demands to industrialise quicker, especially with large fluctuations of young adults looking for finer and ethically sourced coffees. This is changing however, as Northern England is slowly gaining traction for niche roasters that rival established brands whilst looking to have fun and develop the industry further.
The UK benefits from having so many roasters not just because they offer the opportunity to drink cafe quality coffee at home, but also by supporting the trend of young adults choosing to stay in and hone their home barista skills instead of going out!
Strong supply chain
As well as major ports, the UK’s long-standing trade relationships ensure a steady supply of beans from major coffee-producing nations like Brazil, Ethiopia, and Colombia. Speciality roasters also have closer ties with producers and importers, getting better access to smaller farms and crops as well as innovative techniques that 1) improve the environmental impact of farming, and 2) create even more unique flavours you would rarely find on the market.
High grade taste
Most UK roasters and cafes use speciality grade coffee, which highlights the unique flavors and stories of the beans' origins and promotes ethical sourcing and sustainable practices. Coupled with the points in ‘Strong supply chain’, the choice to use better quality coffee can be more expensive, but it gives customers a better experience and transforms a simple brew into a daily ritual.
These direct relationships with producers help ensure fair pay for farmers, the use of sustainable agricultural methods, and reduced reliance on middlemen. By choosing high grade coffees, you and roasters help support better livelihoods and a more transparent, ethical supply chain for farmers across the globe.
Consumer demand
The growing demand for coffee in the UK is firmly focused on high-quality coffee, which drives roasters to focus on innovation, taste and new origins - Small Batch included! One of the reasons we created our Showcase range was to bring unique microlots to a wider audience, to give customers a taste exploration and break the mould on your daily coffee routine.
Ready to dive in? Explore our best-sellers and Discovery Kits here and start your coffee journey today.
