Black Sheep Coffee

What Black Sheep Coffee does

Black Sheep Coffee is a London-headquartered specialty coffee chain founded in 2013, operating company-owned and franchised cafés across the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Its core product is specialty-grade coffee — most notably a specialty grade robusta bean marketed as the world's first of its kind — alongside 100% ceremonial grade matcha signature drinks, Norwegian waffles, and a developing line of functional beverages built around mushrooms, collagen, fiber, and adaptogens. The company sells packaged coffee (Robusta Revival, Blue Volcano, Love Berries, Rebel Decaf) through its own Shopify e-commerce storefront and a subscribe-and-save coffee subscription at $13.49 per 250g, alongside in-store retail sales and third-party delivery through Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining directly operated cafés, franchise development agreements (most recently covering at least 60 new London sites, nine Devon & Cornwall branches, regional UK cities, Dallas in the US, and Dubai in the GCC), e-commerce packaged goods, and a cross-platform loyalty mobile app. Revenue mechanics are spread across retail café transactions, packaged coffee subscriptions and one-time e-commerce sales, third-party delivery commissions, and franchise fees and royalties. The company is privately held, co-founded by Anders Christian Wilhelmsen, Eirik Holth, and Gabriel Shohet (who serve as co-CEOs), with Ben Fenton as COO, and reports no disclosed institutional ownership or external investors beyond a 2019 equity round of approximately $16.3M. Its competitive positioning is built on premium product innovation and a brand narrative aimed at younger, higher-spending consumers shifting away from mass-market UK coffee chains.

Name

Black Sheep Coffee

Website

https://leavetheherdbehind.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Black Sheep Coffee is a London-founded specialty coffee chain operating company-owned and franchised cafés across the UK, US, and Gulf Cooperation Council, selling specialty grade robusta, ceremonial grade matcha, and functional beverages through retail locations, e-commerce subscriptions, and delivery platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Chain

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars (THAFADAD), Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee chain
• Coffee bean subscriptions
• Coffee retail café
• Coffee franchise operations
• Direct trade coffee beans

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Shop Sales: Revenue generated from owned and operated coffee shop locations selling beverages and food items including specialty coffee, matcha drinks, and Norwegian waffles.
2. Coffee Bean Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from coffee bean deliveries in various formats (whole beans or ground), with flexible delivery scheduling and multiple product options.
3. E-commerce Coffee Bean Sales: One-time purchases of specialty coffee beans through the company's online store, with products like Robusta Revival, Blue Volcano, Love Berries, and Rebel Decaf.
4. Delivery Platform Commissions: Revenue from delivery orders through third-party platforms including Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat.
5. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Revenue from franchise partnerships including development agreements and ongoing franchise royalties from operators across the UK, US, and GCC regions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Sheep Coffee operates a specialty coffee retail chain serving Robusta-based espresso, signature drinks, and Norwegian waffles through owned and franchised cafés in the UK, US, and UAE. The company also sells whole/ground specialty coffee beans direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and subscription plans, and partners with delivery platforms for at-home orders.

Product overview

Black Sheep Coffee is a London-based specialty coffee chain operating across the UK, US, and Middle East regions. The company offers a unified product portfolio consisting of specialty coffee beverages and food items served at cafe locations, complemented by an e-commerce operation selling whole bean and ground coffee products through subscriptions and one-time purchases. The product range centers on specialty grade coffee beans (notably pioneering the world's first specialty grade robusta beans), signature drinks including 100% ceremonial grade matcha, and Norwegian waffles. The company also operates a mobile application for loyalty rewards and facilitates online ordering through third-party delivery platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialty Coffee Beans
• Coffee Subscription
• Specialty Café Beverages and Food
• Black Sheep Coffee Loyalty Mobile App
• Coffee Shop Franchise Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 315% sales increase in matcha-based beverages
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Franchise Partners (UK Central London)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 March 2026Signed development agreement with franchise partners for at least 10 stores in central London areas including City of London, Tower Hamlets and Hackney, forming part of the 60 new site expansion plan.
• Local Hospitality Operator (Devon & Cornwall)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 November 2025Franchise agreement with local hospitality operator to open at least nine new branches across Devon and Cornwall, including locations in Exeter and Plymouth.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling customers to order Black Sheep Coffee products through the Uber Eats platform across UK locations.
• DeliveroocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling customers to order Black Sheep Coffee products through the Deliveroo platform across UK locations.
• Just EatcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling customers to order Black Sheep Coffee products through the Just Eat platform across UK locations.
• Black Sheep Coffee CollabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry expert Darleen Scherer founded Black Sheep Coffee Collab, providing industry insights and expertise on trends including matcha consumption patterns and Gen Z preferences.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tim Hortons: Canadian coffee and donut QSR chain with growing UK presence via franchise. Comparable as a multi-country franchise-led coffee chain, though mass-market positioning rather than premium.
• Pret a Manger: UK premium café/sandwich chain with strong coffee program. Comparable in premium positioning and urban UK locations, though broader food-led menu; represents the same customer wallet share.
• Starbucks: Global coffee incumbent with strong UK presence. Comparable in product category and customer overlap, but operates at vastly larger scale with commodity positioning; sets the benchmark BSC must beat on premium experience.

Direct peers

• Blue Bottle Coffee: US premium specialty coffee chain with international presence. Comparable on specialty-grade positioning, café experience focus, and direct-to-consumer coffee bean sales; relevant peer for BSC's US expansion thesis.
• % Arabica: Japan-origin specialty coffee chain with locations in the Middle East (Dubai/UAE) and globally. Highly comparable on specialty grade positioning, minimalist café design, and premium price architecture that targets the same consumer segment.
• Caffè Nero: UK-founded Italian-style coffee chain with ~700 UK stores. Closely comparable in store format, premium positioning, and target demographic; competes for the same high-street and commuter locations as Black Sheep Coffee.
• Costa Coffee: UK's largest coffee chain with thousands of stores, owned by Coca-Cola. Directly comparable as a UK coffee shop chain, though historically mass-market; recent premium repositioning makes it the most direct head-to-head competitor to Black Sheep Coffee.
• Joe & The Juice: Premium Scandinavian-origin coffee and juice chain expanding across UK and Europe. Directly comparable on premium positioning, signature beverage menu including matcha, and Gen Z customer targeting.
• Workshop Coffee: London-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator. Closely comparable on London specialty coffee positioning, own-roasted bean sales, and premium consumer targeting; direct competitor in the UK capital.

Emerging players

• Third Wave Coffee: India-origin specialty coffee chain expanding across South Asia. Comparable as a regional premium coffee chain with franchise-led growth model and own coffee bean e-commerce; useful benchmark for emerging-market franchise economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/black_sheep_coffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Sheep Coffee