Reads Coffee

Reads Coffee has been roasting in North Dorset since 1999, working from Limekiln Farm near Sherborne. The business was founded by Giles Read, who returned from the West Coast coffee scene in the 1990s and worked as the first coffee specialist for Pret A Manger before setting up his own roastery.

Today Reads roasts on a 25kg Probat drum, taking a slower, more traditional approach than ultra-light antipodean styles to give espressos full body and lighter roasts controlled acidity. The range covers single estate Arabicas and espresso blends such as Sidelock and Firehouse, with named lots including the Peru Huadquina Cooperative from the Sacred Valley and a Sumatra Bourbon.

Decaf is offered through Swiss Water and sugarcane processes, alongside a coffee and chicory blend. Reads subscribes to the Rainforest Alliance, sources from small producers, and has grown almost entirely through word of mouth across more than two decades supplying businesses and home customers across the UK.