 Coleman Coffee Roasters. Photo by Fiona M Symington for London Food Essentials. One of the newest residents of Spa Terminus, Coleman Coffee Roasters is right at home among this renegade band of wholesale food producers. Started by self-taught roaster Jack Coleman, this mainly wholesaler has a simple philosophy – flavour, freshness and traceability. Every coffee is roasted using a 1950 Otto Swadlo V3 from its home in south-east London. On a Saturday, you can experience a seriously good brew at its cafe bar inside Little Bread Pedlar. This tiny bar has all the feel on an improvised pop-up - two men, beans, and a coffee machine, that contributes to the relaxed neighbourly vibe of this food collective in Bermondsey. While there pick up the Fazenda Santa Helena for medium to fully bodied roast with chocolate and caramel sweetness or the Finca La Perla for its citrus notes.
Established: 2011 Location: Retail: Unit 5, Dockley Estate, Dockley Road, London Subscription: No
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 Volcano Coffee Works seasonal blends. Image is courtesy of their website. For a very local coffee on the south side of the Thames, head to this wholesaler roaster in the light industry estate of West Dulwich. Dedicated to producing small batch gourmet roasts, Volcano is the creation of life-long friends, Kurt and Olaf, inspired by the coffee culture of New Zealand as well as London’s own burgeoning scene. Suppliers to cafes such as Providores and Petersham Nurseries, it offers its own seasonal roasts. Try their Spring Expresso described as sweet and zesty made from Colombia Villa Esperanza and Brazil Fazenda Ouro Verde Yellow or if you can Summer Expresso, with its notes of pink grapefruit and cedar. Their café next door to the coffee works makes for a relaxed Saturday experience but if a trip this far south side is not your thing, order yours online.
Opened:2010 Location: Unit F01, Parkhall Trading Estate, 40 Martell Rd, SE21 8EN Tel. 0208 670 8927 Subscription: You can receive Volcano’s seasonal blend in the post every two weeks (just enough for one or two coffees each day), or you can order online.  Caravan, Exmouth Market. Photo by Fiona M Symington for London Food Essentials. As one of London's famed Antipodean brat pack, Caravan has been making waves with its combined restaurant, bar and roastery since 2010. Started by four New Zealanders, Caravan lives up to its namesake with a well-traveled menu (think fusion), seasonal focus and a dining experience that is laid-back and relaxed. It's this combination of good food, chilled vibe, and great coffee that has made it such a popular stomping ground for Clerkenwell locals and devotees of Exmouth Market. Downstairs in the basement is the Caravan roastery. Beans are roasted daily for the café but also sold wholesale and to customers. Try their market blend, Caravan Expresso that combines coffee from Gisuma, Rwanda and Finca la Copalita, Mexico as well as one of its single origins such as Hope AA grown in southwest Tanzania. They recently opened a second store at Granary Square.
Opened: 2010 Location: 11-13 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QD, Tel 020 7833 8115; King’s Cross Granary Building 1 Granary Square (off Goods Way), N1C 4AA Tel 020 7101 7661 Subscription: Online store is opening soon  Monmouth Coffee, Convent Garden. Photo courtesy of Monmouth website. As one of the city's first generation of new coffee roasters, Monmouth has inspired Londoners since opening its doors in 1978. From a small cafe in Convent Garden (pictured), Monmouth roasted some of the world's best coffees using a small UNO and finally a 1930s Whitmee. Since then, this pioneer of an ethical roast has earned a loyal following. Come rain or shine, you can find its devotees patiently queued to get their daily fix at its original Monmouth Street store or opposite London's Borough market. The secret of its success? Staying true to its values - it works with single farms, estates and co-operatives to source the best coffee (while all the time investing in and understanding its providence ) and consistently delivering the best coffee in London. Try the Monmouth Expresso for a shot of toasted almonds or Fazenda Feijom for caramel sweetness and yellow cherry flavours. You can still sample their latest blends at Spa Terminus - home to its new roaster, before purchasing beans to take home.
Established: 1978 Locations: Convent Garden 27 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9EU; The Borough 2 Park Street, London SE1 9AB (opposite London Borough Market); Spa Terminus, Arch 3 Spa North (Between Dockley Road and Spa Road), SE16 4RP Subscription: Mail order is available  Photo by Fiona M Symington for London Food Essentials. Newcomer Workshop Coffee launched onto the London coffee scene in 2011 with a promise to source, roast and serve the best coffee possible. It has been true to its word with an award-winning café in Clerkenwell and a small hole in the wall coffee bar in Marylebone. This year saw the opening its own online dispensary. Coffee is roasted to order (beans only) with subscriptions available of 6-12 months. Try the Cult of Done with its acclaimed taste of mandarins and berry acidity or Gichathaini filter coffee with is flavours of sweetened rhubarb and strawberry from the Gikanda Co-op. Also available is coffee hardware for the coffee enthusiast, such as the Aeropress for filter brewing, for those that like their coffee on the smooth side.
Established: 2011 Locations: Clerkenwell, 27 Clerkenwell Road, EC1M 5RN, Tel: 0207 253 5754; Marylebone, 75 Wigmore Street, W1U 1QD, Tel: no phone Awards: Runner Up Best Independent Cafe Europe (Allegra Symposium), Best Vegetarian Breakfast (Observer Food Monthly), 'a great day-time cafe, becoming a major point of interest' (TimeOut), 'Best Independent Cafe' at the 2012 Cafe Society Awards. Subscription: Yes |
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February 2017
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