Coffee roasters in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire has 10 independent coffee roasters operating across the county, anchored by Hemel Hempstead (Smith's, since 1936), the Hitchin / Letchworth corridor (Campervan), and Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield (London Calling, Sustain). Watford and Harpenden round out the geography. The county is well placed for both London supply and direct online sales: most operations here run wholesale alongside retail and several have built strong reputations beyond the immediate area.

Smith's Coffee has been roasting since 1936, making it one of the oldest coffee businesses in the UK; it began as a small local roaster in Mill Hill and is now run by Colin Smith, the third generation owner, from Hemel Hempstead. Colin is a founding member of what became the Specialty Coffee Association and continues as an SCA Ambassador and Trainer. Campervan Coffee Co was established in 2015 from a converted barn roughly 30 minutes from London, by the founder of Hermitage Road in Hitchin, named by The Independent as one of the UK's top 50 coffee shops. Nairobi Coffee's flagship Resource coffee holds triple certification from Fair Trade, the Rainforest Alliance and the Soil Association on a single product, which is unusual to find together.

Hertfordshire roasters tend toward wholesale and online sales rather than retail cafes, with notable exceptions in Hatfield (Sustain Coffee at York House on Salisbury Square) and Hitchin / Welwyn corridor. Several supply London venues alongside their county base.