The Story
Founded in 2004 by Tom Sobey, Origin Coffee is one of Europe’s leading speciality coffee roasters.
Tom was no stranger to the coffee industry, working closely for his father’s coffee business while growing up, but a trip to Australia opened up a new perspective to a progressive coffee culture. That transformative experience shaped the vision for what would become a defining force in British specialty coffee.
The early years were built on gradual, thoughtful expansion. From 2008, Origin built strong, direct relationships with farmers and producers that still stand strong today, with seasonal collections—now known as feature coffees—remaining firm favourites with producers like the Mierisch family still producing phenomenal coffee.
Origin opened their first coffee shop, Harbour Head, in picturesque Porthleven in 2015, followed the same year by their flagship coffee shop in East London’s Shoreditch.
Now, with a team of coffee professionals, a world-class coffee programme, seven coffee shops, and an ever-evolving product range, Origin sits proudly as one of the longest standing speciality coffee roasters on UK shores.
The company’s achievements include receiving the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development and being named the Best Speciality Coffee Roaster in Europe at the prestigious European Coffee Symposium Awards.
Sourcing & Relationships
Direct Trade pinpoints the price, contract, and relationship that the roaster and producer directly agree and commit to, with both parties sharing mutual interest, supporting a long-term, sustainable business model that benefits all. Origin’s approach centers on transparency and fairness. They pay over the Fairtrade and C market price without fail, agreeing upon the price directly with the producer to understand and meet the needs of the farm and workers, supporting their development and future plans.
Led by previous World Cup Taster champion and Q-grader, Freda Yuan, Origin develops successful long-term partnerships, championing, supporting, and celebrating the terroir, the people, and the future of mindful speciality coffee.
Freda was the champion of UK Cup Tasters in 2017, 2018, and 2020 and gained third place in the World Cup Tasters 2017, and was headhunted by Origin Coffee Roasters to become the Head of Coffee for their coffee department.
Where direct relationships with the producers aren’t possible, they work with trusted exporters in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and East Africa who help source coffee from local producers, most of whom are small farmholders, with the consistent measure that the price remains above the C market and Fairtrade pricing points.
As part of their four-year plan, Origin Coffee remains committed to ethical sourcing by increasing direct Green Coffee purchases from farmers by 77%.
Roasting Philosophy
From one trusty Diedrich 12kg roaster, Origin evolved to two 30kg Loring Smart roasters and a third, smaller 15kg roaster, investing in their first Loring Smart roaster in 2010, which is still roasting.
The decision to choose Loring Smart roasters was easy: the eco-friendly, smokeless roasters use 80 percent less fuel than conventional roasters, helped by the fact there’s no afterburner needed to complete the roasting process.
Origin invests in great coffee by investing in the way they roast it, using Loring Smart Roast patented technology, which eliminates the need for an afterburner and can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.
While consistently roasting over a tonne of coffee a day, quality, efficiency, and reliability are crucial, paired with coffee roasting software Cropster, allowing the roastery team to track every element of the roasting process with full transparency and control.
Their team of roasters, Q Graders, and coffee professionals follow meticulous sensory measures throughout every stage of roasting to ensure the final cup is outstanding, with quality of knowledge and skill shared through each avenue of education provided, passed on from the farm to the final cup. The roasting philosophy emphasizes bringing out the inherent qualities of each coffee rather than imposing a house style, allowing the terroir and processing methods to shine through.
What to Try
Origin’s Feature coffee subscription demonstrates the very best in speciality coffee, showcasing different countries, methods & flavours. These seasonal offerings represent the pinnacle of their sourcing relationships and roasting expertise. Recent highlights include an exceptional coffee from producer Mónica Díaz Ruiz who runs the El Mirador farm in Colombia—an anaerobic natural fermented Pink Bourbon that combines the juicy acidity of this variety with the added depth of the processing method.
Casa Blend is a specialty coffee scoring 83 composed of beans grown by their coop members, helping coffee growers stay in the specialty coffee market, with a profile that’s very accessible—chocolate, sweet and nutty.
Their current offerings include coffees with toffee sweetness and notes of praline, displaying notes of candied orange, alongside coffees featuring rich dark chocolate, light red berries and delicate toffee.
Origin’s strength lies in their seasonal collections that rotate based on harvest cycles, ensuring maximum freshness and showcasing the diversity of coffee’s flavor potential. What sets Origin apart is its exceptional sourcing and roasting, with memorable coffees including natural-processed Chinese coffee that demonstrates their willingness to explore beyond traditional origins. Whether you’re drawn to bright, fruit-forward single origins or prefer approachable blends, Origin’s meticulous attention to sourcing and roasting ensures consistently exceptional cups that reflect their two decades of expertise.