There are roasters and then there are great roasters. Of course, I think all of our roasters are great but not everyone has had such a massive impact on the British specialty coffee scene as Origin Coffee from Cornwall. Founded by my dear friend Tom Sobey in 2004 and celebrating its twenty year anniversary this year, Origin Coffee has been at the peak of specialty coffee for years, producing an incredible number of UK Barista Champions, UK Cup Taster Champions, UK Coffee in Good Spirits Champions and winning a host of awards that are surely the envy of the entire British coffee scene.
Though there is no doubt that Tom always aimed to build a leading business, he has run the company like a tight ship and entirely financed without outside investors. While other brands are trying to open as many cafés as possible, Origin took its sweet time before expanding beyond its core regions in Cornwall and London. Nowadays, it also operates cafés and training centers in Bristol and Edinburgh. Most of its business, however, is from wholesale accounts, many of which are also outside of the UK.
I have been a huge fan of Origin ever since the first time that we worked together many years ago and Tom’s heartwarming support for The Coffeevine has been a real source of pride for me. Every time I am in London, I try to swing by one of Origin’s cafés and last time I attended the London Coffee Festival, I was fortunate to run into Tom and his Director of Coffee Fredda Yuan. It was there that we sealed the deal that would see Origin return to The Coffeevine after a long absence of nearly five years.
What sets Origin apart is its exceptional sourcing and roasting. I remember drinking my first-ever natural-processed Chinese coffee at its Southwark café many years ago and being blown away. The service at its coffee shops is always impeccable and Tom regularly reaches out to me whenever he thinks there is a business opportunity for me. I really don’t know anyone else like this in the coffee industry.
To pay homage to this great roaster, we are featuring it in our 10-year anniversary June 2024 box with a really exceptional coffee from producer Mónica Díaz Ruiz who runs the El Mirador farm in Colombia. During the cupping session where we picked the winning coffees for our box, this coffee really stood out with its vibrant and sweet cup profile. It’s an anaerobic natural fermented Pink Bourbon that combines the juicy acidity of this variety with the added depth of the processing method. This a really yummy coffee that will be a joy to brew!
To receive this excellent coffee, order our one of our European roasters selections from our shop or the Total Package.
Pre-orders close on 15.06.2024 / Ships globally on 20.06.2024
