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Supporting sustainable and Fairtrade roasteries with a tasty cuppa? We’ll drink to that
Remember a time when the only way to get a proper coffee fix was to head to your favourite local coffee shop or cafe? Now, thankfully, the world of high grade specialty coffee is no longer gate-kept and the best coffee brands are readily available to buy online, or even subscribe to, so you only need to boil the kettle and ensure your favourite mug is clean to enjoy delicious coffee at home.
Though the coffee industry has long had its problems, lacking transparency in supply chains; poor wages and treatment for farmers; and low-quality beans, along with numerous environmental issues, here, we've chosen and tested coffees from a range of independent coffee brands.
We included those who have direct relationships with coffee farmers, cutting out the many middle parties that often take the biggest cuts; as well as those who are paying fair wages (often higher than the Fairtrade standard); supporting replanting and eco projects; as well as those making positive changes in their packaging and shipping.
Whether you choose beans or ground, use a professional coffee machine, a V60, a chemex or an AeroPress, be sure to look after your beans by always storing them in a cool and dry place, and using them within few weeks, so they're at their best.
Equipment aside, when it comes to choosing the actual coffee, we know (much like the worlds of wine, chocolate, tea and spirits) coffee beans have their own flavour profiles, and knowing what to buy can be a minefield. For newbies, as a starting point, we recommend taking Rave Coffee's quiz or Origin Coffee's, to help you decipher what's best for you.
So, put the kettle on, and read on to find the best independent coffee brands around.
For the fullest unaltered flavour, we tested each coffee using a V60 pour-over coffee maker, using the freshest ground coffee. As coffee brewing guides suggest, we poured water over the paper filter first, to rid it of any unwanted flavours, put in two scoops (using the deep scoop that comes with the V60) and made a well, then waited at least 30-seconds after the kettle boiled to pour it over the coffee in a circular motion, and stirred. We considered aroma, body, sweetness, acidity and finish. Each was tasted black a number of times, using the cupping methods (using a teaspoon to sip), as well as drinking a cup both black and with semi-skimmed milk.
Emma Henderson is a writer and editor who specialises in covering food and drink, sustainability, and reducing single-use plastics. As the former editor of IndyBest, Emma has written myriad review features, from coffee advent calendars to orange wines and plenty in between, to help you find the best products to buy in each category.
Redemption is both a 13-strong chain of coffee shops across London, and a social enterprise that trains prison-leavers and those at risk of offending with valuable skills in the coffee industry. It does this in its own academies in HMP High Down and HMP Pentonville, providing people with all the new skills they need to be an excellent barista or roaster (the brand's coffee is roasted inside HMP The Mount in Hertfordshire, too) helping them to find work after they leave the prison. This can be in one of Redemption's own cafes, or within its network. So far, it's trained almost 500 people in the scheme.
Within its range of coffees, which also includes pods, the single origins filter coffees change every one to three months. We tested the Anibal Diaz – an excellent stand-out brew with big notes of raspberry, watermelon and dark chocolate, and with aromas of toffee and nuts. Although this particular coffee is now out of stock, Redemption says the Makuriya Wako coffee is a similar fruity coffee with notes of blackcurrant and pink grapefruit and some sweet sherbet-like notes.
From the blended range, we also rate the company’s classic espresso blend, ‘the block’, which is full-bodied, creamy and delicious without any milk. Essentially, anything from Redemption is impressive, and we love the brand's ethics and business approach.
As one of the stalwarts of the ethical coffee industry, Cafédirect began life way back in 1991 as a social enterprise, in response to the unregulated coffee industry, which meant farmers were losing money. It runs cooperatives in many coffee-producing countries and, importantly, it invests half of its profits into Producers Direct, its own non-profit that helps farmers improve not only their livelihoods but also the sustainability of their farming.
Coming from the Chiapas region in Mexico, which is often thought to be one of the best coffee-producing regions in the country, the organic mayan blend has an intense hazelnut aroma. Once brewed, in the cup it has a smooth, full-bodied aroma, with lots of sweet flavours, including honey and toffee, along with fruity and citrus notes giving it a decent acidity. It is Fairtraide and certified organic and all of the brand’s coffee is roasted in small batches at its London Fields roastery.
Since 2023, Yallah has stood out for shipping one of its coffees from Colombia by sail, using Cornish cargo company New Dawn Traders. As well as this, its cafe and kiosk in St Ives, and second site in Penryn, near Falmouth, doesn't have a trace of single-use plastics.
Yallah is, of course, just as serious about its coffee as it is about its environmental impact. Each coffee we tried was impressive, with a range to suit different types of coffee aficionados. The house blend, sourced from Nicaragua, is a wonderfully rich and intensely chocolatey coffee with notes of sweet toffee and biscuits. While ‘trust’ has flavours of dark chocolate and almost caramel-like dates with a creaminess to it. ‘Explore’, meanwhile, is a very juicy coffee with red fruits and lots of acidity.
We love that the brand supports the non-for-profit, 1 per cent For The Planet, meaning it gives 1 per cent of its revenue to be distributed to causes around the world. It's always set itself apart in the packaging department, too, thanks to its signature paper bags (something of a rarity) but, unfortunately, its supplier went into administration and so it had to change. Instead, it uses recyclable plastic bags like most other brands, but it's still looking for a paper bag company with a fully transparent supply chain. As well as its sustainability efforts, it also partners with Cornwall Rural Community Charity to help train young adults with learning disabilities as baristas.
If you've not come across Kiss The Hippo, it's certainly one to add to your list. What started in 2018 as a single coffee shop in Richmond, south west London, has since bloomed into a mini-chain of eight coffee shops across the capital. The coffees are complex, distinct and excellent, ranging from the in-house blend to the Great Taste award-winning pods, and rare and acclaimed special editions.
In terms of sustainability, it is paving the way, after it became the first coffee company to be certified carbon negative in 2021. Working with non-profit On A Mission, the brand captures more carbon from the environment than it creates, through an extensive tree-planting project in Nepal, and the roastery has a Loring Smart Roaster, using 80 per cent less fuel than most coffee roasters. Plus, the brand pays around twice the usual Fairtrade price for coffee and gives back to coffee-growing communities, with initiatives such as saving thousands of acres of indigenous land in Peru from deforestation.
The house (George Street) blend is made up of 60 per cent Colombian and 40 per cent Peruvian beans, and is also certified organic. It has high fruits with hints of berries and a sweetness with butterscotch notes and a delicious mellow acidity, making it one of our favourites on test.
We also tried one of the rare ranges, which comes in a smaller 150g bag and inside a box (so you know it's special). The ‘labrador gesha’ uses beans from Costa Rica and is one of the most vibrant and delicate tasting coffees we've come across, with overwhelming fruity and floral notes, such as green melon, sharp raspberry and peach, with high acidity and a smooth finish. It does have a hefty price tag (£35 for the small bag) but real coffee obsessives will adore this as a gift.
This is a brand inspired by Melbourne's big coffee movement of the mid 2000s. Owner Rob Hodge took what he learned from his time in Australia and brought it back to the UK, where he set up his own roastery in Cirencester.
We love that each pack comes with its own tasting card, so you can note down your own thoughts, which is helpful when you come to re-order. Taking it a step further is the speedy online quiz, which suggests coffees based on what you like flavour- and roast-wise and how you brew your coffee – genius.
The brand's signature blend No.1 is a punchy but super-smooth coffee that's full-bodied and quite a dark roast in flavour and aroma. There are notes of chocolate and hazelnut and a little sweetness.
As well as its usual roasts, Rave has its own 'rare' range. From this, we tested the Colombia Danilo Pérez coffee (currently sold out) from Colombia's Huila region and grown by the Pérez family. Rave says it's a light roast but we think it tastes darker than other light roasts we've tested, as it has a much fuller and deeper flavour.
The brand supports 1 per cent For The Planet, Plastic Oceans and Project Waterfall (to name a few); pays significantly higher than Fairtrade prices and is a supporter of World Coffee Research, which works to protect farmers and support climate-resilience.
Formed in 2012, Pact Coffee was set up by Stephen Rapoport in his home kitchen, with the aim of improving the often problematic coffee industry. One of the major feats Pact has achieved is being the first UK coffee brand to use Cenicafé 1, a climate-resistant variety of Arabica beans that means farmers can continue their businesses.
As well as doing this, Pact has also worked hard to offer top-quality and ethically sourced coffee at pretty affordable prices. It's one of the best-priced coffees around, considering its quality, flavour and ethics.
The bourbon cream espresso is one of the brand's signature blends. Using Arabica beans from Brazil and Colombia, it's a dark roast and, as the name suggests, featuring intense biscuity and sugary notes associated with a bourbon, plus a rich and creamy finish. Made from 70 per cent recycled materials, the bags can also be recycled with plastic bags. Their carbon footprint is offset by SeaTrees, which plants sea vegetation to improve the ecosystem.
Founded in 2004, Origin has more than 20 coffee-experience years under its belt. It started in Cornwall (its roastery is just outside Porthleven) and now has coffee shops across Cornwall, London (including The British Library) and Edinburgh, plus a highly regarded coffee programme offering SCA barista and brewing or sensory courses.
It is proudly one of the UK's longest-standing specialty coffee roasters and has been a formative brand for others to base themselves on. Origin also uses a highly energy-efficient Loring Smart Roaster, but what we really like is how transparent the brand is. On each coffee listing, it includes the price paid to the producer and compares that to market price.
The Los Altos coffee, from the Mierisch family in Nicaragua (who Origin has worked with for 12 years), is a full-bodied coffee with creamy chocolate and caramel notes. It's also one of Origin’s most affordable coffees.
Also look out for ‘Ocado’ to come back into stock, as we loved this delicate and complex brew made with beans from the Ethiopian region of Sidama, which is known for its bright acidity in coffee.
One of Origin's other USPs is breaking down preconceptions of where coffee comes from, which it shows with its limited edition coffees from unusual places including Thailand, Taiwan and China, giving it one of the most exciting coffee ranges we've seen.
Our top marks for the best coffee packaging goes to Process. When we first saw it, we really thought it was an old school VHS tape, though realising it was on the shelf of a cafe, we knew it couldn't be. The brand has a real sense of fun and really stands out from the rest of the coffee crowd with its packaging, but it still takes its coffee seriously. It is just as committed to its sourcing and brewing – on the back of the box is a brewing recipe for how best to enjoy the coffee, while everything about the Belfast-based brand shows how coffee-obsessed it is.
We tested the Rafisa coffee, which comes from smallholder coffee farmers in western Ethiopia. It's quite big and bold, with acidic fruity flavours of grapefruit that's balanced with a hint of vanilla and finishes with a real creaminess to it.
There's usually a handful of different coffees available online but, often, when they're gone, they're gone, as everything is created in small batches and the brand works with a rotating cycle of roasters. Keep an eye out for the return of its hyped instant coffee, too.
After rising to fame with its pale pink London coffee shops, Grind has broadened its offering to far more than just an Instagram-friendly takeaway cup of joe. With its East London roastery in Bermondsey, its specialty coffee can be bought online in many forms, from home-compostable pods to whole beans, and from special edition tins to its own swanky coffee machine collab with Sage.
We tested its house blend, using beans from Brazil and Colombia, which comes in a refill pouch, so you don't have to buy the tins each time you need to top up. Grind says the house blend has been specifically designed to make the perfect flat white, which we can attest to from our experience of Grind's takeaways.
Voyager is based on the edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, where all the coffee is hand-roasted. This is another brand using sail boats to ship some of its coffee beans – the Luz Helena Colombian coffee has travelled across the Atlantic via cargo sail ship, landing in Falmouth, Cornwall. It is another full bodied coffee with plenty of depth and acidic fruit notes with a hint of creamy chocolate, too.
We also like the seasonal blend, ‘road trip’, which won a Great Taste award and has been created using beans from three South American countries, including the award-winning Daterra Estate in Brazil, La Albania in Colombia and the Peruvian Café Femenino Foundation cooperative. The coffee has a real dark chocolate flavour to it, with hints of pear and a juicy, fruit-filled aftertaste with decent acidity.
Each bag is made from plant-based materials, to make a plastic-alternative, meaning it has a much smaller carbon footprint and can either be composted at home (if you have a hot composter) or can be returned to Voyager to be composted.
Hailing from Scotland’s Isle of Skye, Birch owner Niall Munro has created his own little slice of Melbourne's speciality coffee offering, which was inspired by his time living in the Australian coffee capital.
In 2020, Munro opened the first Birch cafe in Skye’s main town, Portree, and soon followed this up with a smaller cafe and a roastery in 2021. Last year, another cafe was opened in Inverness, too.
Championing the growers, each coffee sourced is traceable and the beans are roasted by hand in small batches and shipped the following day.
We tested the el silencio and loved the chocolatey hazelnut aroma of the ground coffee coming from the open bag. Once brewed, it's even better, with a high acidity that packs a big fruity punch. There are notes of juicy blackberry and tropical fruits such as mango, finishing with a little sweetness and a rounded hint of dark fruits. With its super-sleek and simple Nordic-inspired packaging, we love everything about this brand.
After many, many cups of coffee, and so many impressive brands doing great things, it was a tough call to make, but we think Redemption Roasters is our top independent coffee brand. Not only does it make excellent-quality coffee, it also uses its coffee shops as a social enterprise, working to help prison-leavers back into meaningful work, and protect those at risk.
Not far behind was Yallah, as we love its variety in great-tasting coffees as well as its efforts to ship coffee by sail and its social enterprise side. We also loved Kiss The Hippo's special editions.
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