What to look for in your coffee roasters

September 9, 2024

You know that serving great speciality coffee will keep your customers coming back but navigating the coffee roasters in your area is almost a full-time job. We’re going to break down what you should be looking for in your coffee roasters and how to pick the best supplier for your business.

What is a coffee roaster?

We’re the specialists who take the raw green coffee beans and roast them until they are ready for grindings. Roasting coffee is partly science of knowing how the beans will react to the roasting process and partly an art form to get a consistent flavour every time.

Traditionally, roast coffee is split into dark, medium or light to give you an idea of the strength of flavour, it’s bitterness and tasting notes. It’s not only the roasting process that impacts the beans you buy; where the beans are grown and changes in the climate and soil quality also affect how the bean reacts when it’s roasted.

Learning how a bean will react takes time and experimentation. Therefore, selecting the right coffee roasters for your business is important and you want to trust that you’ll get the same consistency each time.

Independent coffee roasters versus large suppliers

Firstly, you want to decide if you’re going to use independent coffee roasters or a larger wholesale roaster. This can help narrow down your search for a coffee roaster.

The larger wholesale suppliers will sell roasted beans but will not necessarily roast them in-house. They can come from multiple sources and you cannot always guarantee the supply chain of your coffee.

The larger suppliers are able to offer big discounts on large orders. Their business model is set up to supply huge quantities to drive down the price. They will often have a longer supply chain as they will probably deal with agents rather than directly with the farmers.

We also know that this doesn’t mean you get the cheapest deal, even when you’re buying in bulk. The coffee price index can be turbulent due to the impact of climate change. As these larger suppliers have a more complex supply chain, the costs can be subject to wider changes in the market.

Larger wholesalers are good for big chains, especially where provenance of the bean is not a selling point for the business or customer.

Independent coffee roasters have more control over the process. They often roast in small batches, keeping waste and resources down. Here at Souter Bros, we have a close relationship with the farms who supply our beans. This means we have a short supply chain, can be sure of ethical coffee bean growth and have a closer understanding of how the climate is impacting the bean for each season.

Check the minimum order

If you’re buying wholesale beans from a coffee roaster, then you are likely to need a minimum wholesale order to give you a reduction on the retail price. This is important for your business as it means you can make a decent profit to help grow the business.

You want to balance minimum order quantities with how much you will use before the quality of the roasted beans reduces. If you’re unsure how much you’ll need, talk to your coffee roasters as they should be able to help you get the right quantity.

Know the provenance

We’ve already said that it can be hard to know the provenance of the beans when it comes to the bigger coffee roasters. If your customers value good coffee then they will also want to know that it comes from an ethical source.

As we work directly with the farms who supply our beans, we know that they have ethical working practices and are sustainable. They care for the land that they farm and consider the wider environment. We even go out to visit them so we can better understand the great work they are doing to create a better coffee supply.

Understand the flavour profile

Every coffee roaster will have their preferred roasting methods. They will know how each variable will influence the end flavour. The taste of coffee can often be seen as a personal preference but professionally roasted beans are the key to making every cup taste great no matter how your customer prefers to drink it.

Before you commit to a contract (more on this below), taste test the roast coffee to make sure it’s right for your business and your customers.

Check the contract

One of the pitfalls for buying wholesale is getting tied into a lengthy contract with little wriggle room if you’re unhappy at all. Many coffee roasters will also want you to lease their machines (or commit to their coffee in return for a lease deal) and this can come with hidden costs.

At Souter Bros, we don’t tie you into leasing hardware from us. In fact, we’re happy to recommend espresso machines and where to lease or buy. We simply supply the roast coffee you need, when you need it. We think it’s fairer this way and we’ll always make sure you understand our terms and conditions.

Location and delivery

Does where your roaster is based make any difference? Yes and no. If you like to have a close relationship with your coffee roaster then having a personal delivery service might make a difference. But if you’re shopping around based on taste, then a roaster who supplies UK-wide could be a better option.

We deliver across the UK and all of our wholesale clients get the same care and attention no matter where they are based. We’re based in London so can give a more personal delivery across most London postcodes but we also ship to independent cafes beyond the M25. We cover the whole of the UK and take the time to get to know our customers, giving you the best of both worlds.

Ultimately, you want to work with a coffee roaster who will support your business as it grows.

Coffee for your business needs

Finally, you need to make sure your coffee roaster can deliver the coffee for your needs. If you prefer whole beans, most roasters offer this and can advise on the best grind for your machine. However, if you need V60, French Press or espresso pods, make sure these are available in the wholesale amounts you need.