London has more independent coffee roasters than any other part of the UK, 65 in this directory, running from Angelucci Coffee, roasting in Soho since 1929, to a dense modern wave that took shape from the late 2000s.
London's coffee roasting history goes back further than most people expect. Angelucci Coffee has been trading in Soho since 1929, making it one of the oldest coffee businesses still operating in the UK. Drury Tea & Coffee followed in 1936, and HR Higgins opened in 1942, offering single-origin coffees and subscriptions today. Markus Coffee, founded in 1957, remains a working cafe roaster with a single-origin focus.
Then there is Monmouth Coffee, founded in 1978 in Covent Garden. Monmouth is the name most often cited when people trace the roots of serious coffee in London. It roasts its own beans, runs cafes, and offers subscriptions and decaf. It has been doing so for nearly five decades, and its influence on what came after is hard to overstate.
The decade from 2001 to 2012 saw the roasters that shaped London's contemporary specialty scene arrive in quick succession.
Workshop Coffee runs cafes and subscriptions with a decaf range as well. Assembly Coffee (2015) is B Corp certified and offers subscriptions and decaf. Old Spike Roastery (2015) offers single-origin coffees, a cafe, subscriptions, and decaf. Redemption Roasters (2016) follows a similar model: single-origin, cafe, subscriptions, and decaf. Kiss the Hippo Coffee (2018) is certified organic, roasts single-origin coffees, and offers subscriptions and decaf.
Eight London roasters hold B Corp certification, meaning they have met verified standards across environmental and social performance. They are:
Kiss the Hippo Coffee and Mont58 Coffee are also certified organic. If certification matters to you as a buying criterion, these are the roasters to look at first.
If you are new to London's coffee roasters, a few natural entry points:
For something with a long track record, Monmouth Coffee and HR Higgins are as established as it gets. For the modern single-origin focus, Square Mile Coffee and Kiss the Hippo Coffee are worth exploring. For a subscription that comes through the post, Pact Coffee, Assembly Coffee, and Volcano Coffee Works are among the options built around that model. If you want to visit a roastery cafe, Caravan Coffee Roasters, Notes Roastery, and Climpson & Sons all have spaces in the city.
The full list is in the London roasters directory.
Some of the most established names are Monmouth Coffee (roasting since 1978), Square Mile Coffee (2008), Union Hand-Roasted (2001), Climpson & Sons (2002), and Caravan Coffee Roasters (2010). Older still are Angelucci Coffee (1929), Drury Tea & Coffee (1936), HR Higgins (1942), and Markus Coffee (1957).
Monmouth Coffee, founded in 1978, is widely regarded as the origin point for serious coffee in London. The modern specialty wave built from the late 2000s, with Square Mile Coffee (2008), Caravan (2010), Notes Roastery (2010), and Climpson & Sons (2002) among the roasters who shaped it.
Most do. Drury Tea & Coffee, HR Higgins, Monmouth Coffee, Union Hand-Roasted, Climpson & Sons, Square Mile Coffee, Caravan Coffee Roasters, Notes Roastery, Grind, Pact Coffee, Mission Coffee Works, Assembly Coffee, Old Spike Roastery, Redemption Roasters, Kiss the Hippo Coffee, Volcano Coffee Works, and Mont58 Coffee all offer subscription options.
Several London roasters have cafes attached to or near their roasteries, including Angelucci Coffee, Markus Coffee, Monmouth Coffee, Climpson & Sons, Caravan Coffee Roasters, Notes Roastery, Grind, Mission Coffee Works, Workshop Coffee, Old Spike Roastery, Redemption Roasters, and Mont58 Coffee.
Union Hand-Roasted, Climpson & Sons, Caravan Coffee Roasters, Grind, Pact Coffee, Assembly Coffee, Volcano Coffee Works, and Mont58 Coffee are all B Corp certified.