Region

Coffee roasters in East Sussex

East Sussex has 11 independent coffee roasters, with Brighton the centre of gravity and meaningful operations in Hove, Lewes and Eastbourne. The county is unusual in two ways. It has the longest specialty roasting history outside London (Andronicas in Lewes since 1979) and it has more roasters operating with a defined ethical stance per capita than almost anywhere else in the UK. Among the eleven you will find a registered charity roaster, a family farm operation, and one of the longest established names in UK specialty.

Andronicas Coffee has been in the trade since 1979, rooted in Lewes with a roastery and espresso room and a London address on Great Eastern Street; the signature 1849 blend remains its anchor product. Skylark Coffee, in Brighton, is structurally unusual: a registered charity, the only entirely not for profit specialty coffee brand of its kind, paying specialty prices at twice the Fair Trade rate before donating an additional pound per kilo to conservation projects. Symva Coffee, in Hove, has the most direct origin connection of any UK specialty roaster on this list: the coffee it roasts comes primarily from the family's own 13.5 hectare farm, Hoyo Frio, in San Gil in the Colombian Andes, which has been in the family for over thirty years.

Brighton alone has enough roastery cafes to fill a weekend. The Lanes, North Laine and Kemptown are the densest. Lewes (Andronicas, Pharmacie), Hove (Symva, Small Batch) and Eastbourne (Nelson) extend the radius if you have time.

14 roasters Edited by Si Walker Checked on 8 September 2026

Coffee roasting in East Sussex, answered

From our own records, updated as the directory changes.

How many coffee roasters are there in East Sussex?

We list 14 active coffee roasters in East Sussex. Of those, 8 have a cafe you can visit, 14 sell direct from their own site and 10 run a subscription.

Which coffee roasters in East Sussex have a cafe you can visit?

Nelson Coffee Roasters, Pelicano Coffee Roasters, Pharmacie Coffee Roasters, Red Roaster, Small Batch Coffee, Symva Coffee, Taith Coffee and The Milk Shed have a cafe or shop you can visit in East Sussex. Nelson Coffee Roasters lists 15 Station Parade, Eastbourne BN21 1BE.

Which coffee roasters in East Sussex do decaf?

Of the 14 roasters we list in East Sussex, 11 offer a decaf: Blindman Coffee, Nelson Coffee Roasters, Pelicano Coffee Roasters, Pharmacie Coffee Roasters, Red Roaster, Skylark Coffee, Smugglers Drop and Symva Coffee, plus 3 others. Where we hold the method, The Milk Shed and Tigermoth Coffee Roasters use sugarcane EA. Blindman Coffee and Red Roaster use the Swiss Water process.

Which is the oldest coffee roaster in East Sussex?

Red Roaster, roasting since 2000. Smugglers Drop follows, since 2012. We hold a founding date for 8 of the 14 roasters here.

Which coffee roasters in East Sussex offer a subscription?

Bean Smitten, Nelson Coffee Roasters, Pharmacie Coffee Roasters, Red Roaster, Skylark Coffee, Small Batch Coffee, Smugglers Drop and Symva Coffee, plus 2 others run a coffee subscription. All 14 roasters in East Sussex sell direct from their own site.