Coffee Factory

What Coffee Factory does

Coffee Factory is a family-run specialty coffee roastery founded in 2009 by Danny and Justine in Axminster, East Devon, on the Devon-Dorset border of the United Kingdom. The company roasts small-batch specialty coffee (minimum 82+ SCA points, 100% traceable to farm level) on two restored vintage Probat machines, "Dorothy" (a 1950s 22kg Probat UG) and "Penny" (a 1960 Probat LG12), supplemented with modern temperature probes and roast logging software. Its product catalog spans core blends (Black Bear, Big Red, Daily Brew), rotating single origins, seasonal Swiss/Mountain Water decaf, home compostable Nespresso-compatible pods, subscription plans (Roasters Club Classic, Discovery, Duo), curated gift boxes, artisanal chocolates, greeting cards, branded merchandise, and curated third-party equipment from Sage, Rancilio, Baratza, Wilfa, and others.

The business operates through a hybrid distribution model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce at thecoffeefactory.co.uk with a self-serve subscription builder, a separate B2B wholesale platform at trade.thecoffeefactory.co.uk supplying UK cafés, restaurants, and offices, a physical roastery-retail location in Axminster featuring a scoop bar and on-site café experience, and global equipment shipping. Customers range from individual UK home baristas and coffee enthusiasts to gift buyers and B2B trade clients; the company ships to thousands of households and hundreds of trade customers weekly.

Monetization combines recurring subscription revenue (Roasters Club plans starting at £9.95/month with flexible cadence and self-serve pause/skip/cancel), one-time product sales (coffee, pods, gift boxes, gift cards, merchandise, chocolates), equipment retail at ticket sizes ranging from $135 to $2,860, and B2B wholesale. Free UK delivery is offered on subscriptions and on coffee orders over £20-£25, supported by letterbox-friendly packaging. The business holds Great Taste Awards, Taste of the West Gold, and Food Drink Devon Awards recognition, holds a 4.7-star rating across 200+ verified reviews, and operates entirely on a self-funded, bootstrapped basis with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or institutional funding.

Name

Coffee Factory

Legal name

Coffee Factory

Website

https://thecoffeefactory.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coffee Factory is a family-run specialty coffee roastery founded in 2009 in Axminster, UK, operating on restored 1950s-1960s vintage Probat roasters. It serves UK households and trade customers through D2C subscriptions, one-time sales, compostable pods, equipment retail, and B2B wholesale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Coffee subscription service
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Home compostable pods
• Espresso equipment retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Axminster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffee Subscriptions (Roasters Club): Recurring subscription revenue from Roasters Club plans (Classic, Discovery, Duo) with weekly, fortnightly, or monthly delivery options. From £9.95/month. Includes free UK delivery and rewards points.
2. One-Time Coffee Product Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of coffee beans, blends, single origins, and decaf options. One-time purchase model with various sizes (250g, 1kg) and grind options.
3. Home Compostable Coffee Pods: Sale of Nespresso-compatible pods in various blends including Black Bear, Big Red, Daily Brew, and Seasonal Decaf. Available as one-time purchase or subscription.
4. Coffee Equipment Sales: Sale of coffee machines (Sage, Rancilio, OutIn), grinders (Baratza, Wilfa, Sage), and brewing accessories. Premium pricing for professional-grade home equipment.
5. Gift Products: Digital gift cards (from £10), gift subscriptions, and coffee gift boxes including the Explorer Taster Box (£45 USD for 6x125g bags).
6. Wholesale Trade: B2B wholesale supply to cafés, restaurants, and offices via trade platform. Flexible pricing, direct ordering, and account management for trade customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Coffee Factory is a Devon-based specialty coffee roastery that small-batch roasts 100% traceable, SCA-graded specialty coffee on two vintage Probat machines (Dorothy and Penny) and sells the roasted coffee directly to UK consumers via its e-commerce site, a flexible subscription program (Roasters Club), Nespresso-compatible home compostable pods, and wholesale trade accounts for cafés, restaurants, and offices. Its offering also includes curated home espresso equipment (machines, grinders, brewing accessories), gift boxes, gift cards, and a small merchandise range.

Product overview

The Coffee Factory is a family-run specialty coffee roastery founded in 2009, offering a comprehensive coffee ecosystem centered on freshly roasted-to-order specialty coffee. Their core product portfolio comprises signature coffee blends (Black Bear, Big Red, Daily Brew), seasonal single origins, and specialty decaf options, all roasted in small batches on vintage Probat roasters in Devon. The business operates through multiple channels: direct-to-consumer online shop with flexible subscriptions (Roasters Club Classic, Duo, Discovery, and custom Subscription Builder starting from £9.95/month), Nespresso-compatible home compostable pods, wholesale trade accounts for B2B customers, and physical roastery visits. Equipment offerings include Sage and Rancilio espresso machines, Baratza and Wilfa grinders, and various brewing accessories. Supplementary products include coffee gift boxes, digital gift cards, artisanal chocolates, branded merchandise, and greeting cards. A loyalty rewards program and customer review system support customer retention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Roasters Club: Coffee subscription service delivering freshly roasted specialty coffee monthly with options for Classic, Discovery, and Duo plans.
• Coffee Explorer

Products and services

• Black Bear Coffee Blend Award-winning medium-dark roast signature blend featuring malt chocolate, cherry, and roasted hazelnut notes. Made from Brazilian and Central American Bourbon varietals, processed as pulped natural and washed, scoring above 80% on the SCA cupping table and 2-star Great Taste Award winner. Versatile across espresso, filter, and French press; sold in 250g and 1kg sizes with multiple grind options.
• Big Red Coffee Blend A seasonal medium-light roast blend combining rotating African coffees (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda) with a Brazilian pulped natural base. Notes of apricot, lime, sweet spice, and tangerine. The African component rotates seasonally while the Brazilian base provides body and sweetness.
• Daily Brew Coffee Blend Medium roast everyday blend of Brazilian and Colombian high-altitude beans (1,100–2,000 masl) with Caturra, Typica, Bourbon, and Mundo Novo varietals. Tasting notes include caramel, rich cocoa, plum, and raisin. Balanced and approachable for daily drinking.
• Seasonal Decaf Coffee A rotating seasonal decaf using Swiss Water or Mountain Water chemical-free decaffeination. Medium to medium-dark roast with typical notes of dark chocolate, stone fruit, and brown sugar. Specialty grade, sourced from various origins.
• Single Origin Coffees Rotating selection of single-origin specialty coffees from named farms and regions worldwide (Mexico Cristal, Ethiopia Taferi Kela, Kenya Kamundu, Brazil Vinhal Estate, El Salvador Santa Ana, Uganda Buzira, etc.), all 82+ SCA points and 100% traceable from farm to cup with detailed origin information.
• Roasters Club Coffee Subscription Flexible coffee subscription delivering freshly roasted specialty coffee on weekly, fortnightly, or monthly schedules. Includes Classic (single monthly coffee), Duo (two coffees: one Classic, one Discovery), and Discovery (trial/exploratory) plans. Features free UK delivery, recyclable packaging, customizable grind and bag size, and full flexibility to pause, skip, or cancel. Starting from £9.95/month.
• Coffee Explorer Taster Box Curated gift selection of six 125g bags featuring popular blends and current single origins, all scoring at least 82 SCA points. Roasted to medium to medium-dark profile with sweet and fruity notes. Available in whole bean, espresso, stovetop, filter/AeroPress, or French press grind options. Priced at £45.
• Coffee Factory Digital Gift Card Electronic gift voucher available in £10, £25, £50, £100, and £200 denominations. Recipient receives a voucher code via email redeemable on thecoffeefactory.co.uk. Valid for 12 months from purchase; cannot be used on recurring subscriptions.
• Home Compostable Coffee Pods 100% home compostable Nespresso-compatible coffee pods filled with freshly roasted specialty coffee, in Black Bear, Big Red, Daily Brew, and Seasonal Decaf varieties. Great Taste Award winners. No plastic, no landfill; orders before 9am ship same day.
• Coffee Machines Curated selection of home espresso and bean-to-cup machines from Sage (Barista Touch Impress, Barista Express Impress, Oracle Touch, Bambino, Barista Pro, Dual Boiler, Dynamic Duo), Rancilio (Silvia V6), and OutIn (Nano Portable Espresso). Range from entry-level to premium with varying features for home baristas.
• Coffee Grinders Selection of burr grinders for espresso and filter including Baratza (Encore ESP, Forté BG, Vario W+), Wilfa (Svart, Svart Aroma Precision), and Sage (Dose Control Pro, Smart Grinder Pro). Range from entry-level to professional-grade flat/conical burr grinders with precision adjustment settings, priced from $135 to $886.
• Brewing Accessories Curated selection of coffee brewing equipment and accessories including Hario V60 Papers, AeroPress (Original and To Go), AeroPress micro-filters, Clever Coffee Dripper with 100 filters, Moka Pot (Pezzetti), Kinto products (Ripple Mug, To Go Tumbler, Travel Tumbler, CERAMIC LAB Mug, SCS Stacking Mug), La Cafetiere Barcelona Cafetiere, Filtropa Filter Papers, and Capsule Cold Brew Carafe.
• Wholesale Coffee Program Trade wholesale platform supplying cafés, restaurants, and offices across the UK with flexible pricing, direct ordering, and trade accounts. Served via the dedicated trade.thecoffeefactory.co.uk platform, supplying hundreds of trade customers weekly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coffee dispatched within 7 days of roasting, typically within 48 hours
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pact Coffee: UK-based specialty coffee subscription and DTC roaster. Directly comparable on subscription model (Classic, Discovery plans), single-origin/blend portfolio, B2B office supply, and small-batch roasting — though operating at greater scale with external venture funding.
• Hasbean Coffee: Long-established UK specialty roaster based in Staffordshire, offering single-origin coffees, subscription service, and wholesale supply. Comparable on artisan positioning, farm-direct sourcing, and small-batch roasting ethos targeting home baristas.
• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: Multi-award-winning London-based specialty roaster supplying wholesale to London cafés and DTC home customers. Comparable on specialty-grade quality, B2B trade supply, and award-winning brand recognition within the UK specialty coffee community.
• Origin Coffee: Cornwall-based specialty roaster with DTC subscriptions, B2B wholesale to UK cafés and restaurants, and roasting schools. Directly comparable on UK regional artisan roaster positioning, subscription/wholesale model, and trade platform structure.
• Union Hand-Roasted Coffee: UK specialty roaster with ethical sourcing focus, offering subscription, DTC, and B2B wholesale. Comparable on specialty-grade positioning, fair-trade/traceability narrative, multi-channel distribution, and artisan roasting ethos.
• Rave Coffee: Welsh specialty coffee roaster offering single-origin, blends, equipment, and subscriptions. Comparable on small-batch artisan roasting, DTC subscription model, and adjacent equipment/accessory resale.
• Grind: London-based specialty coffee company combining DTC subscription with physical café bars. Comparable on subscription-led business model targeting UK home and office drinkers, though operating a hybrid café-plus-DTC model at greater scale.
• Colonna Coffee: Bath-based specialty micro-roaster focused on single-origin coffees with strong direct-trade relationships and subscription offerings. Comparable on small-batch artisan ethos, single-origin focus, and direct farm sourcing narrative.
• WatchHouse: UK specialty coffee operator blending DTC retail with a network of physical cafés and a subscription service. Comparable on specialty-grade positioning and multi-channel UK distribution, though larger café footprint and brand profile.

Broad incumbents

• Nespresso: Global single-serve coffee pod incumbent and the dominant player in the Nespresso-compatible pod segment. Directly relevant as the category leader whose plastic/aluminium pod format Coffee Factory's home compostable pods explicitly compete against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/coffeefactory6473
• Facebookfacebook.com/CoffeeFactoryDevon
• Instagraminstagram.com/coffee_factory
• TikToktiktok.com/@coffee.factory_uk
• Xx.com/Coffee_Factory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coffee-factory

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Coffee Factory