9 Coffee Roasters we tried and you should too
Coffee (noun): “a hot drink made from the roasted and ground seeds of a tropical shrub” or as we all lovingly know it as: the lifeblood of day-to-day productivity. Legend has it that PLATF9RM was founded on a dream but it was in fact built on a steady, unwavering stream of freshly brewed coffee.
You may already be well aware, but Brighton is home to a lot of exceptional coffee. Sussex, alone, has some top-tier roasters stretching out as far as the eye can see. In an effort to explore some of the local scene’s many offerings to change up what we have in our kitchens for members and visitors, we were able to sample some of the finest!
1. REDROASTER
Starting with what currently fuels our souls in the PLATF9RM kitchens: Redroaster. As a pending B-Corp and independent roastery, Redroaster is rated in the top 20 sustainable businesses in the UK. Their Brighton roastery is the UK’s oldest certified organic roastery where some of the very best coffee beans are hand-roasted daily. You can give their coffee a go at their Kemptown location, notorious for its bottomless brunch, or you can check out their new digs at the Brighton Dome.
2. The Milk Shed
3. SKYLARK
As a registered charity, Skylark is the only 100% non-profit, 100% transparent speciality coffee brand in the world, and their roastery is right in the heart of Brighton! They source superb coffee thanks to savvy buying, roasting and relationships, then they give away all their profits to charities working on the margins. It just might be the only coffee with a fully transparent non-profit model out there. You can try it for yourself and support their charitable efforts at Triple Point Coffee and the Florence Road Market.
4. Backyard Coffee
Backyard Coffee is a family-run and independent coffee roastery based in Ditchling, equipped with the only 20kg hybrid roaster that regenerates its own heat source. Backyard is focused on its relationships with the farmers, producers and importers that help them roast award-winning coffee in the most economical and environmentally friendly way. Try their coffee at FIKA, Moe’s Coffee Bar and Etch (to name a few).
5, Small Batch Coffee
6. Black Rain Coffee Co.
From the people behind Bond St Coffee as it is now comes Black Rain, a specialty Brighton coffee roaster who supply conscientiously chosen, unique seasonaland single-origin coffees. Try “some of the best pour-over filter coffee in town” along with their homemade vegan cakes at their cafe on Lewes Road, or at the famous Bond St Coffee shop.
7. PHARMACIE Coffee Roasters
Inspired by the coffee scene in Portland, Oregon, Pharmacie was concieved; a fiercely independent micro-roastery based in Lewes supplying finely roasted coffee and equipment, with an emphasis on customer service. You can taste what they’re all about at their Coffee Bar in Lewes and you can also find them at Puck in Seven Dials.
8. Horsham Coffee Roaster
Horsham Coffee is a household name as they were among the pioneers of the Sussex-based speciality coffee. With a team of just 5 people, they say their goal is to source the best, ethically traded coffees in the world and they pride themselves on developing a highly methodical approach to roasting with the highest possible focus on quality control. You can find their coffee locally at The Botanist and Bond St. Coffee.
9. Liquid Spirit Coffee Roasters
Based in East Sussex, Liquid Spirit are a collection of coffee professionals who say they roast, cup and deliver high-quality beans with the biggest smile ever. Their coffee is 100% traceable and their trusted farmers always aim to achieve better, more sustainable methods to provide the finest specialty coffees. You can buy their beans on their website and in Infinity Foods.
Phew! So much great coffee to try, so little time. And what was the conclusion of our coffee tasting, you ask..? We’ll have them all! Well, if anything, we’d just like to continue to spotlight the many great local coffee roasters by offering different blends and brews on the shelves of Tower Point to help Make Work (just that little bit more) Wonderful.
