What Worker Bee MCR does

Worker Bee MCR (legally JR Enterprises UK Limited, also trading as Worker Bee Tea & Coffee) is a privately held, founder-owned specialty tea and coffee company established in Manchester, United Kingdom, by Roger McBride. The business operates a dual-channel model serving both direct-to-consumer retail customers through its Shopify e-commerce storefront (workerbeemcr.co.uk) and business-to-business hospitality clients across the UK through a dedicated wholesale programme. Its product portfolio spans ethically sourced coffee (whole-bean espresso blends such as Beehive Mill, Ellanos Single Origin, and Ellanos 60/40, plus pre-portioned coffee bags), an extensive tea range in biodegradable pyramid bags (black, green, herbal, decaffeinated, and spiced varieties), hot chocolate, latte blends, 1883 brand syrups, gift collections, and branded accessories. All tea, coffee and chocolate carries Fair-Trade and Vegan certification, with some organic options.

The company's underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: a Shopify storefront, Seal Subscriptions for recurring order management (weekly to quarterly intervals, 15% discount), Judge.me for verified review collection, and a Worker Bee Beans points-based loyalty programme. There is no proprietary technology platform. What differentiates the offering is vertical integration on the B2B side, where Worker Bee supplies commercial coffee machines and grinders (78 SKUs from brands including Egro, La Spaziale, Rancilio, Victoria Arduino, Crem, Bravilor, and Fiorenzato) under purchase, rental, or lease terms (weekly lease from £7.82+VAT), complemented by in-house barista training and front-end plus annual machine servicing including pressure vessel certification.

Revenue mechanics span five streams: D2C retail sales (one-time and subscription), B2B wholesale beverage supply, commercial equipment sales/rentals/leases, servicing and repair (labour billed separately from parts), and barista training. Distribution combines owned e-commerce with international shipping (£20 flat), a UK wholesale account portal, and a Google Map directory of third-party retail stockists. The company has accumulated over £45,000 in charitable contributions since 2014 to Maggie's Cancer Care, Forever Manchester, The Christie Charity, and We Love Manchester, and operates a carbon-neutral roastery with a 100% electric delivery van — sustainability and community positioning are central to brand identity rather than incidental marketing.

Name

Worker Bee MCR

Legal name

JR Enterprises UK Limited

Website

https://workerbeemcr.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Worker Bee MCR is a Manchester-based, founder-owned specialty tea and coffee company selling 100% ethically sourced beverages and commercial coffee equipment to UK consumers and hospitality businesses via D2C e-commerce and B2B wholesale channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee & Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Commercial coffee machines
• Ethically sourced tea
• Coffee equipment servicing

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Beverage Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of coffee beans, ground coffee, tea (biodegradable pyramid bags), hot chocolate, blends (chai, matcha, turmeric latte), syrups, and accessories via the company's e-commerce storefront (workerbeemcr.co.uk). Products are offered as one-time purchases or via subscription with 15% recurring discount.
2. Wholesale Beverage Sales: B2B supply of ethically sourced tea, coffee, and hot chocolate to businesses across the UK. Sold in bulk to hotels, restaurants, cafes, and other hospitality venues through a dedicated wholesale platform and account management.
3. Commercial Coffee Equipment: Sale, rental, and leasing of commercial coffee machines (bean-to-cup, traditional espresso, filter, instant), grinders, boilers, and accessories. Machines are sourced from brands including Egro, Bravilor, La Spaziale, Rancilio, Victoria Arduino, Fiorenzato, and others. Rental/lease prices start from approximately £7.82+VAT per week.
4. Servicing and Repair: Maintenance and repair services for commercial coffee machines including front-end service (group head cleaning, seal replacement, calibration) and annual service (including pressure vessel certification per 1989 regulations). Labour is charged separately from parts.
5. Barista Training: Professional barista training services offered as part of the wholesale package to help businesses maximise their equipment investment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Worker Bee Tea & Coffee is a Manchester-based specialty tea and coffee roaster and retailer. Through its e-commerce store and subscription service it sells direct-to-consumer ethically sourced coffee beans, tea, hot chocolate, latte blends and syrups. Through a dedicated wholesale division it supplies commercial coffee machines (bean-to-cup, traditional espresso, grinders) for purchase, rent or lease, bulk beverages, barista training and machine servicing/repair to UK hospitality businesses.

Product overview

Worker Bee MCR is a Manchester-based specialty tea and coffee company offering ethically sourced beverages through both retail and wholesale channels. The core product portfolio includes: (1) Coffee products spanning whole bean espresso blends (Beehive Mill, Ellanos Single Origin, Ellanos 60/40) and convenient coffee bags; (2) Tea offerings featuring an extensive range of biodegradable pyramid bag teas including black teas (Decaffeinated, Earl Grey, Royal Mill, Everyday Breakfast), green teas (Yunnan, Moroccan Mint), and herbal infusions (Fruit Burst, Lemon & Ginger, Rooibos Chamomile Lavender, Masala Chai); (3) Latte blends (Chai, Turmeric, Matcha) in 500g format; (4) Flavor syrups (1883 Vanilla, Caramel, Hazelnut); (5) Accessories including branded cups and gift boxes. The company operates a subscription service (15% savings) and Worker Bee Beans loyalty program. For commercial customers, the wholesale division provides professional coffee machines and grinders (bean-to-cup, traditional espresso, boilers, filters) from brands like Egro, La Spaziale, Rancilio, Victoria Arduino, plus servicing, repair, and barista training services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beehive Mill Espresso Beans 500g Bold 50/50 Arabica/Robusta espresso blend from Brazil, Central America and India, sold as 500g whole beans with cocoa, spice and roasted nut notes; available retail and via subscription.
• Beehive Mill Arabica/Robusta Coffee Bags (40 x 8g) Pre-portioned coffee bags containing a 50/50 Arabica/Robusta blend from Brazil, Colombia, Central America and India; designed for mess-free single-cup brewing.
• Ellanos Single Origin Crema 100% Arabica Espresso Beans 1kg Single origin 100% Arabica washed-processed coffee from Ethiopia's Limu region, with velvety chocolate notes, soft floral highlights and gentle berry brightness, sold as 1kg whole beans.
• Ellanos 60/40 Blend Espresso Beans 1kg 60% Arabica / 40% Robusta blend from Brazil, Ethiopia (Limu & Arsi) and India, with milk chocolate, hazelnut and subtle fruit notes; strength rating 4/5.
• Premium Biodegradable Tea Collection Range of ethically sourced teas in fully biodegradable plant-based pyramid bags, including black teas (Decaffeinated Ceylon Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey, Royal Mill, Everyday Breakfast Assam/Kenyan blend), green teas (Yunnan, Moroccan Mint) and caffeine-free infusions (Fruit Burst, Lemon & Ginger, Rooibos Chamomile Lavender, Masala Chai).
• Chai Latte Blend 500g
• Turmeric Latte Blend 500g
• Matcha Latte Blend 500g
• 1883 Syrups (Vanilla, Caramel, Hazelnut) 1L Premium 1-litre 1883 flavour syrups in Vanilla, Caramel and Hazelnut variants for adding sweetness and flavour to coffee, tea and iced drinks.
• Worker Bee 6oz Cup and Saucer Set
• Gift Boxes and Gift Cards
• Commercial Coffee Machines and Grinders
• Subscription Delivery Service Recurring delivery subscription for retail customers offering 15% off all beverages with flexible intervals (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly) and skip, pause or cancel any time.
• Barista Training Professional barista training for wholesale hospitality customers to help them maximise results from their coffee equipment investment.
• Coffee Machine Servicing and Repair Maintenance and repair services for commercial coffee machines including front-end service (group head cleaning, seal replacement, calibration) and annual service covering pressure testing, descaling and pressure vessel certification per 1989 regulations; labour charged separately from parts, with connections to trusted repair specialists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £45,000 donated to local charities (Maggie's Cancer Care, Forever Manchester, The Christie, We Love Manchester) since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forever ManchestercoreOthers · 1 January 2014Charitable partner receiving regular donations from Worker Bee Tea & Coffee. Since 2014, the company has contributed to community causes through this partnership, with total contributions exceeding £45,000 across all charity partners combined.
• Maggie's Cancer CarecoreOthers · 1 January 2014Charitable partner providing cancer care support services. Worker Bee Tea & Coffee donates from every cup of tea sold. The company has contributed over £45,000 combined to charity partners since 2014, with Maggie's being a primary beneficiary alongside Forever Manchester.
• The Christie CharityminorOthers · 1 January 2014One of the charitable beneficiaries of Worker Bee's community giving programme. The Christie is a specialist cancer centre in Manchester. Donations from product sales support the charity's work.
• We Love ManchesterminorOthers · 1 January 2014Charitable partner receiving donations as part of Worker Bee's community giving initiative. Supports local Manchester community projects and causes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/workerbeemcr

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Worker Bee MCR