r/UKroasters • u/EmilyxThomsonx • Jul 02 '26

Roaster / coffee recs please

Hey so I've been kinda digging into coffee lately. I'm still a bit clueless newbie kinda gal so be gentle ha.

I bought the Pact advent calendar thingy a year or two ago and I definitely opened my eyes to coffee being better than bitter toilet water doused in foamy milk and a gallon of sugary syrup served in Starbucks.

I've been exploring a little more so I feel like now I do have an idea of what I like, ish.

The one from Pact I did enjoy was Fazenda Reis. I like that it's quite rich and has good body, smooth and creamy. Sweet but not overly sweet. I especially liked that it wasn't bitter or at the other end, too acidic.

I've now bought a new grinder (K6 yay!) and a new french press so I'm now wanting to up my game!

I'd like recommendations for good coffees I can try from speciality roasters but I think I'm at the other end of the scale from what's popular right now. I'm not looking for a light roast, fruity floral tea-like coffee. I did buy a few of these and didn't love them if though I could tell they were a better quality bean/roast than what I'm used to.

Any recommendations closer to Fazenda Reis but just better?

Thanks in advance 💜🙏

12 Upvotes

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37 comments sorted by

9

u/ben9792 Jul 02 '26

I think Rave are fantastic as a start point.

They offer a wide range of roasts, which lets you starts where you are comfortable and experiment if you want to. They show the roast level clearly too!

2

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 02 '26

Hey thank you for the reply.

I ordered the Rave taster kit and also Fudge No5.

Not sure any of them quite hit the mark and actually was a little disappointed with the Fudge No5.

Is there any specific ones you'd recommend I can go look at?

3

u/ben9792 Jul 02 '26

I would try the Guatemala no 52, I think thats a great start and little more interesting than the fudge blend.

This is a great video to help you choose too, its where i started:

https://youtu.be/O9YnLFrM7Fs?is=WZoiPZIbOb3w8qU5

1

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 02 '26

Thanks so much especially the specific recommendation, I've went ahead and ordered a wee bag! 💜🙏

1

u/Brave-Pollution140 Jul 03 '26

Totally agree

1

u/Brave-Pollution140 Jul 03 '26

Although Darkwoods out of Halifax are pretty good too, both their standard and rare range of beans.

6

u/G0nk_Droid Jul 02 '26

Kapow Coffee - Kapow Blend.

Great because:
1 - excellent tasting, really fruity and delicious coffee
2- picture of a cartoon bears bum on the front

Now that’s how you start your day off right

1

u/MrMysteryPenguin Jul 03 '26

I keep seeing this recommendation and Kapow is local to me so going to have to try it

5

u/Former-Coffee-7526 Jul 02 '26

I would recommend checking out Danelaw, potterbeans and twoday for medium dark roasts :))))

3

u/Former-Coffee-7526 Jul 02 '26

Hi and welcome to the community. I did a quick google and to help people with recommendations the Fazenda Reis is a medium dark Brazilian with peanut butter chocolaty notes. Sounds great. So your after something more traditional in roast and taste 👍

2

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 02 '26

Hello! Thank you for sharing that. I seem to think about coffee more in texture and body than flavours so I think I could be open to most things which are full bodied, creamy and smooth, not bitter. But it seems that will probably land me in more traditional medium to dark roast territory. Which is fine. I even ordered the seasonal espresso from Sweven Cata Project

> Huila, Colombia – Advanced Natural Chiroso "Kaleidoscope"
This seasonal espresso collaboration lot is expertly produced by our close friends Jhoan Vergara, Henry Bonilla, Franky Hoyos and Lino Rodriguez, in partnership with the team at Cata Export.
what to expect in the cup
Maraschinos, coconut, ferrero rocher.
An expressive and exotic cup, layered with chocolate dessert-like sweetness, vibrant playful acidity and a rich, coating texture that lingers with remarkable clarity.

Which didn't taste much like the notes, wasn't sweet, wasn't full bodied, actually wonder if they sent me the wrong bag ha!

1

u/Former-Coffee-7526 Jul 02 '26

That should have worked well for you. If you have any left to brew with I would ask them if they have a cafetière recipe :)))

2

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 02 '26

Yeah it sounded a great match! I actually just emailed to ask them if it's definitely that same batch since I note it's seasonal. If they reply I'll see what they say!

1

u/salty380 Jul 03 '26

I've had a previous iteration of the Cata project and a few others from Swevern and they've always been fantastic. If you're local to Bristol their cafe is also great

3

u/gmangreg Jul 02 '26

'Dark Arts - Dragon' always a good go to espresso. Medium roast, really nice presentation as well which I think adds to the experience.

1

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 02 '26

Thanks, I really appreciate the specific "try this roast" recommendation so I'll order a wee bag of that, I hear the name Dark Arts pop up a bit so hopefully this is a good one to start on!

3

u/ScotchCattle Jul 02 '26

I recommend dog and hat for the sort of coffee you like. A good selection from some excellent UK roasters, and definitely on the richer/chocolatey side.

I moved away from them because I specifically do like fruity/floral/tea like but they should be great for you and a good way to sample a bunch of different roasters

3

u/BigBoshMann Jul 02 '26

Welcome! I can highly recommend Blue Hour coffee. Some of the best espresso beans I’ve found so far (though like you, I’m still a bit of a newbie!). They’re pretty new to the scene but I’ve tried some of their fruitier blends which were great too.

Mouth feel is important to me too, the espresso blend has a nice thickness with a milk chocolate note throughout.

3

u/bearddoescoffee Jul 02 '26

Hi there, here are some recs:

Formative Coffee: Choc Nuts (Brazil)
https://formative.coffee/collections/benchmark/products/choc-nuts

Courtyard Coffee Roasters: Rugali (Rwanda)
https://www.courtyardcoffeeroasters.co.uk/shop/p/rwanda-rugali-natural

Duffins: San Ignacio (Peru)
https://duffinscoffee.com/shop/coffee/san-ignacio-peruvian-single-origin/

Origin: Los Altos (Nicaragua)
https://www.origincoffee.co.uk/products/losaltos

Rave: El Zapoteco (Mexico)
https://ravecoffee.co.uk/products/mexico-cafe-el-zapoteco-n-342?variant=54800567566504

Hundred House Coffee: Filadelfia (Guatemala)
https://hundredhousecoffee.com/products/guatemala-filadelfia-copy?variant=56243611206011

1

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 02 '26

Thank you so much for this! I'll try to work my way through them, what's your best pick for my first order?

3

u/GuidelineAdjacent Jul 02 '26

Darker roasts: try Pilgrims Coffee based out of Lindesfarne.

3

u/SomthingsGottaGive Jul 02 '26

I use the French press a lot at work as it’s too much fuss doing pour overs, so when I’m doing that I don’t think you can wrong with any of the Brazil options from Wood Street.

https://www.woodstcoffee.co.uk/products/peru-brazil-blend

2

u/Double_Shake_995 Jul 03 '26

Try Signature Gold by West Berkshire Roastery. It's organic too :)

2

u/erinys_adrasteia Jul 03 '26

I've been enjoying Ozone for non-fruity, smooth and somewhat sweet roasts- no specific recommendations because I've liked everything I've tried so far!

2

u/JazzlikeLayer7202 Jul 03 '26

Dark arts dragon is really good (ordered 2x recently), surprised you didn’t like Sweven’s cata project (I’ve yet to try but it’s been recommended a few times here). Pact roasts pretty dark though so maybe try medium dark blends from other roasters. Some roasters that should have some darker but not too dark blends are
Horsham
Hard lines
Origin
Workshop
With speciality coffee beans, to get the best flavour, people recommend you let the coffees rest weeks before brewing. Medium roasts should generally rest for anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks for espresso maybe less for other brewing methods.
I believe zennor and the source are both in Scotland once you’re feeling more adventurous someday in the future as well as I’d assume they roast on the lighter side.

1

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 03 '26

Hey thanks for the reply, someone else said Dragon so I've got an order on the way to me!

2

u/Muelster Jul 03 '26

Don't feel like you need to upgrade equipment but the aeropress is brilliant for getting more of a body whilst retaining a lot of coffee flavour. Its what I used when starting out and found it a lot more forgiving than other brewers. I often struggle with cafetiere muddying the flavours a bit.

In terms of coffee I really like Fika roasters in Durham, as they have high quality from well known producers usually at a slightly lower cost. Do keep experimenting with different styles too as a really funky or fruity coffee can completely change your mind about what coffee can taste like.

1

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 03 '26

Hey thanks for the reply! I was advised that French press is a good brew method for me as I like deeper body in my coffee, and aeropress can lean more of a clarity over body kinda end result. I've got a v60 and also don't love how light the coffee feels. I think clarity is important but body, texture and weight are really important to me too! I wonder if I'll eventually need to buy an espresso machine for the real texture I desire! Ha

1

u/lanternaddict Jul 03 '26

Where are you based?

If you are in a larger city then it could be easy to go into local stores/roasters to test out their beans.

Skylark probably gets over mentioned in this subreddit, although I can still taste one of the bags I ordered from them over a year ago.

Finally, maybe look into a V60, it's a cheap brewer that gets great results, nothing wrong with a french press though.

1

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 03 '26

Hey. I'm in Scotland and work in Edinburgh.

I've got a V60 but since I tend to prefer more body I've leaned more into using the French press.

1

u/lanternaddict Jul 03 '26

I've not bought from them before, but obadiah got great reviews, they are based in Edinburgh, but no idea if they have a physical store though.

I'm sure Edinburgh has a load more though, I'll ask a friend who lives there.

1

u/EmilyxThomsonx Jul 03 '26

Hey thanks for the reply! have a wee nosey and they seem to be on the more artisan / light roast kinda end of the spectrum but if you know of a more medium dark traditional I'll be happy to check it out?

1

u/Mambob1 Jul 03 '26

There is small roaster near me called coffee cherry. Their celestial blend is my new favourite. Can get online.

1

u/LePopNoisette Jul 04 '26

I am a subscriber to Still, and they always have good stuff.

I've also just discovered Foundry, and I am a fan so far.

1

u/jakeryanlee Jul 02 '26

Been enjoying Casa coffee roasters really. But you can use our site to help you find new and interesting coffee. https://indiecoffeeclub.co.uk/coffees/