If you’re new to our coffee, you may have noticed that our dark roast coffees differ from those you’ll find from our high street chain competitors. They don’t have that almost-black, glossy look to them that you’d find in, say, a French roast. 

We believe that roasting coffee beans too darkly can ruin the delicate flavours that are naturally present in the beans. When coffee beans are over-roasted, they lose many of their delicate aromatics and flavours, and instead take on a more bitter, burnt taste.

We believe that for coffees with a more chocolatey flavour profile, it’s important to roast coffee beans to a medium-dark roast, which brings out the best of the beans’ natural flavours. This results in a coffee that is smooth, balanced, and flavourful.

Of course, there are some people who prefer their coffee roasted darkly, especially when enjoyed with milk. If you’re one of those people, we’re not here to tell you that you’re wrong. But we do believe that there’s a lot to be said for enjoying coffee that has been roasted to bring out its natural flavours.

Some people also believe that dark roasts are ‘stronger’. This is a bit of a marketing myth. In reality, a dark-roast coffee has more or less the same caffeine content as a lighter roast. Unfortunately, dark roast coffee has also become a way for mass-produced coffee to be homogenised in taste. This has conditioned many people to assume they enjoy bitter coffee because it’s become a normalised offering. This isn’t good for you or for the farmer.

Here some of the reasons why our darker roasts are not as dark as our competitors:

• Dark roasts are more bitter. When coffee beans are roasted darkly, the sugars in the beans caramelise, which creates a bitter taste. This is why dark roasts often have a harsh, burnt flavour.
• Dark roasts lose their aromatics. The aromatics in coffee beans are responsible for the coffee’s aroma and flavour. When coffee beans are roasted darkly, these aromatics are destroyed. This is why dark roasts often have a muted, flat flavour.
• Dark roasts are less acidic. Acidity is an important part of coffee’s flavour profile. It helps to balance out the bitterness and sweetness of the coffee. When coffee beans are roasted darkly, the acidity is reduced. This can make the coffee taste flat and boring.

Speaking of acidity, we have a wonderful selection of fruity and fruity-floral flavour profiles. We give these a light roast to bring out their zestiness — this would be lost in a dark roast. 

Bringing an artfulness to our roasting — thanks to our talented roasters, Jonny and Jo — enables us to honour the unique flavours of the coffee. The farmers we’re lucky enough to work with have worked hard to grow and process their speciality-grade coffees so we can bring them to you. This recognition makes them immensely proud of their work. We wouldn’t want to mask all the growing conditions and processing methods that have gone into creating those nuanced tasting notes by roasting them out. 

The best way to find the right roast for you is to experiment. Try different roasts and see what you like best. There’s nothing like a deliciously chocolatey House Coffee or Brazilian coffee with a splash of milk — but we also have a world of flavour to discover in our fruity coffees sourced from a rich variety of single origins.