Matthew Algie

What Matthew Algie does

Matthew Algie & Company Limited is a Glasgow-headquartered wholesale coffee roaster and integrated coffee service provider serving business customers across the UK and Ireland. Founded in 1864 as a tea blending business in Greenock and operating from the Lawmoor Road roastery since 1964, the company roasts coffee using precision Probat drum and Vittoria micro-lot roasters, with over 80% of its range certified under Fairtrade, Organic or Rainforest Alliance programmes. Following the 2024 unification of Tchibo Coffee Service under the Matthew Algie name, the Glasgow site serves as the operational centre of the combined business within the Tchibo group.

The company monetises across six interlocking revenue streams: wholesale coffee beans under four brands (Matthew Algie, Peak & Wild, Smokin' Bean, Piacetto); commercial machine sales (La Marzocco, Rancilio, WMF, Carimali, Bravilor Bonamat, Bunn, Eureka, Mazzer) with outright or 36/48-month interest-free instalment options; a nationwide engineering service for installation, maintenance and water filtration (in partnership with Brita); SCA-accredited barista training in Glasgow, London and Dublin priced at £240-£900; café supplies via the Espresso Warehouse brand (DaVinci Gourmet, Minor Figures, SUKI Tea, Chocolate Abyss); and a Smokin' Bean profit-share coffee-to-go model embedded in convenience and forecourt estates.

Customers span nine verticals (cafés, coffee to go, workplace, education, hotels, restaurants, healthcare & leisure, retail and contract catering), with named enterprise relationships including Marks & Spencer, Tesco Ireland, Morrisons, National Trust for Scotland, Handpicked Hotels, Tinderbox, Esquires, multiple UK universities, Nisa, Costcutter and Parfetts. Distribution is sales-led via a regional field sales team covering the UK and Ireland, augmented by dedicated phone lines per region, a TUCO framework partnership that makes the company the #1 supplier in all five education categories, and a focused content and seasonal marketing programme supporting customer-level demand generation.

Name

Matthew Algie

Legal name

Matthew Algie & Company Limited

Website

https://matthewalgie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Matthew Algie is a Glasgow-based wholesale coffee roaster and integrated coffee service provider serving UK and Ireland business customers with multi-brand coffee, commercial machines, engineer servicing and barista training across nine vertical segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale coffee distribution and commercial coffee services

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Wholesale coffee distribution
• Commercial coffee machines
• Barista training services
• Coffee equipment maintenance
• Cafe supplies distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Coffee: Core revenue stream from roasting and selling wholesale coffee beans under multiple brands (Matthew Algie, Peak & Wild, Smokin' Bean, Piacetto) to businesses across the UK and Ireland. Also includes private label coffee for high-volume customers like National Trust for Scotland and Morrisons.
2. Coffee Machines: Sale of commercial espresso machines, bean-to-cup machines, and coffee grinders from brands including La Marzocco, Rancilio, WMF, Carimali, Bravilor Bonamat, Bunn, Eureka, and Mazzer. Flexible payment options including outright purchase or interest-free instalments over 36 or 48 months.
3. Servicing & Maintenance: Technical support and maintenance services for coffee equipment through nationwide team of engineers. Includes installation, training, repairs, annual servicing, pressure vessel inspections, and water filtration solutions in partnership with Brita.
4. Barista Training: Coffee School training services in Glasgow, London, and Dublin. Courses range from free beginner training for customers to paid SCA-accredited courses at £240-900. Also includes e-learning platform with Introduction to Coffee (23 modules) and Brew Class.
5. Café Supplies: Espresso Warehouse provides syrups, teas, snacks, cups, and café essentials from brands including SUKI Tea, Chocolate Abyss, DaVinci Gourmet, and Minor Figures. Complementary supplies to core coffee business.
6. Smokin' Bean Coffee-to-Go: Profit-share model for coffee-to-go solutions in convenience stores and forecourts. No upfront machine cost; revenue generated from cup sales. Includes complete solution with equipment, coffee, branding, and maintenance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Matthew Algie roasts and supplies wholesale coffee (own brands Matthew Algie, Peak & Wild, Smokin' Bean, Piacetto plus private label for retailers) from its Glasgow roastery to UK and Ireland businesses. It also supplies and finances commercial espresso, bean-to-cup, filter and grinder machines, sells complementary café supplies via Espresso Warehouse, delivers SCA-accredited barista training through Coffee Schools in Glasgow, London and Dublin, and provides nationwide equipment servicing, maintenance, water filtration, and marketing/point-of-sale support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Peak & Wild: Most sustainable coffee brand, freshly roasted, supports John Muir Trust to protect UK's wild places. Rainforest Alliance certified and helps protect Scotland's rainforest with every cup.
• Smokin' Bean
• Piacetto
• Espresso Warehouse

Products and services

• Matthew Algie Wholesale Coffee Sustainably sourced, freshly roasted wholesale coffee under the Matthew Algie brand, sold to UK and Ireland businesses including cafés, hotels, workplaces and contract caterers.
• Peak & Wild Coffee Most sustainable coffee brand from Matthew Algie, freshly roasted and certified, supporting the John Muir Trust to protect UK wild places including the Lake District and Scotland's rainforests.
• Smokin' Bean Coffee Bold, contemporary coffee range for the coffee-to-go market, deployed through a profit-share model that lets retailers serve takeaway coffee with no upfront machine cost.
• Piacetto Coffee Italian-style dark roast coffee crafted for baristas who value authenticity, delivering a rich and balanced café-style experience in every cup.
• Commercial Coffee Machines Best-in-class commercial espresso, bean-to-cup, filter and beverage machines from leading brands, supplied with free delivery, installation, training, and flexible payment options to UK and Ireland businesses.
• Espresso Warehouse Café Supplies Range of syrups, premium teas, drinking chocolate, barista oat milk, snacks and café essentials to complement a coffee business, supplied to Matthew Algie wholesale customers.
• Coffee School Barista Training SCA-accredited barista training delivered in Glasgow, London and Dublin, ranging from free beginners' courses for Matthew Algie customers to paid advanced certifications, plus a 23-module online e-learning platform.
• Coffee Equipment Servicing & Maintenance Nationwide engineer-led installation, servicing, maintenance, repair, annual inspections and training for commercial coffee equipment, including Brita water filtration solutions to protect machine performance.
• Private Label Coffee Custom private-label coffee roasted in Glasgow for retail and hospitality partners who want to sell coffee under their own brand, served customers include the National Trust for Scotland and Morrisons.
• Smokin' Bean Coffee-to-Go Solution Turnkey coffee-to-go solution for convenience stores and forecourts, bundling Smokin' Bean coffee, equipment, branding and maintenance under a profit-share model with no upfront investment.
• Water Filtration Solutions Bespoke Brita water filtration solutions provided with Matthew Algie coffee machine installations, sized to protect equipment and protect coffee quality at commercial sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of coffees carry independent certifications such as Fairtrade, Organic, or Rainforest Alliance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of StrathclydecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Collaborative robot barista project at University of Strathclyde involving the university's catering team, Robotics & Autonomous Systems Research Group, and Matthew Algie as local coffee partner.
• John Muir TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeak & Wild brand partners with John Muir Trust to support restoration and protection of wild places across the UK. The Trust cares for over 30,000 hectares of land including Skye, Helvellyn, Knoydart, Quinag, and the Ben Nevis range. Peak & Wild supports nature restoration in Thirlmere, Lake District.
• Social BitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership bringing Social Bite cafés to university campuses, supporting the movement to end homelessness while showcasing institutional values.
• TUCOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial TUCO partner and #1 supplier in all five categories for the education sector, providing preferred coffee solutions for universities, colleges, and schools.
• DaVinci GourmetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSyrup and sauce supplier for Espresso Warehouse café supplies range, providing flavours like Brown Sugar, Toasted Mallow, and Pumpkin Spice.
• Minor FiguresminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBarista oat milk supplier, the barista's choice for perfectly balanced oat milk in café drinks.
• SUKI TeaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium tea supplier for Espresso Warehouse café supplies, complementing the coffee range.
• Chocolate AbyssminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrinking chocolate supplier for café supplies, providing premium chocolate products.
• CalMac FerriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced in June 2025 to provide coffee solutions for CalMac Ferries operations.
• CAC Sostenible Valle UbirikiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with coffee cooperative in Peru to support the Next Generation project, providing specialist training for young adults from coffee-growing communities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lavazza Professional: Lavazza Professional is the Italian multinational's out-of-home coffee business, offering roasted coffee, machines, and service to B2B foodservice and office channels globally. A larger incumbent with broader category portfolio and global scale competing for the same enterprise and OOH accounts.
• Nestlé Professional (Nescafé & Nespresso): Nestlé Professional supplies soluble coffee (Nescafé) and capsule systems (Nespresso) to workplaces, hospitality, and foodservice globally. A broad incumbent with overlapping reach into the same UK & Ireland B2B coffee and machine segments.
• Costa Coffee (Professional / Whitbread): Costa Coffee operates one of the UK's largest café and roastery networks and supplies coffee solutions to retail and foodservice. Comparable UK coffee roasting scale and enterprise/wholesale reach make it a relevant broad incumbent peer.

Direct peers

• Bewley's Tea & Coffee UK: Bewley's supplies tea and coffee to foodservice and hospitality customers across the UK and Ireland with a heritage brand similar to Matthew Algie's 160-year story. Comparable heritage, geography, and product mix (tea and coffee) make it a relevant regional direct peer.
• Lincoln & York: Lincoln & York is a UK contract coffee roaster serving private-label, foodservice, and vending customers with roasted coffee and blends. Comparable B2B roasting model, private-label capability, and UK foodservice customer base mirror Matthew Algie's wholesale business.
• UCC Coffee UK & Ireland: UCC Coffee UK & Ireland is a B2B coffee roaster and solutions provider serving hospitality, foodservice, and retail across the UK and Ireland with coffee, machines, and training. It is the closest direct competitor to Matthew Algie in UK & Ireland wholesale coffee, machine supply, and barista training.
• Boncafé (UK): Boncafé is a UK-based coffee roaster and barista training provider serving hotels, restaurants, cafés, and offices with bean-to-cup and espresso solutions. Highly comparable B2B coffee + equipment + training offering in the UK.
• Percol Coffee Roasters: Percol is a UK-based specialty coffee roaster selling wholesale coffee, machines, and barista training to cafés, offices, and hospitality. Overlapping product mix (beans + machines + training) and UK wholesale focus make it a comparable direct peer.

Regional players

• Extract Coffee Roasters: Extract Coffee Roasters is a UK specialty roaster serving wholesale and B2B customers with coffee and training. Comparable artisanal UK roasting model with overlap in café and foodservice wholesale segments, though at smaller scale.
• 200 Degrees Coffee Roasters: 200 Degrees Coffee Roasters is a UK specialty coffee roaster with both retail cafés and wholesale supply to businesses. Comparable UK roasting capability and brand portfolio, though with a smaller B2B wholesale footprint than Matthew Algie.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/weknowcoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matthew-algie
• Instagraminstagram.com/matthewalgiecoffee
• Xx.com/Matthew_Algie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Matthew Algie