Cafeology

What Cafeology does

Cafeology is an independent, founder-owned specialty coffee company headquartered at a single 11,000 sq ft BREEAM-certified solar-powered roastery and warehouse in Sheffield, UK. Founded in 2003 by Bryan Unkles and Andy McClatchey, the business operates a dual-brand model: Cafeology for B2B wholesale and business solutions, and Roastology for the roasting division and at-home retail. Core activity is the sourcing, roasting, and wholesale distribution of ethically sourced specialty-grade green coffee to UK educational institutions (multiple Russell-group universities), hospitality and foodservice operators (Chatsworth House, Hillsborough Stadium, Royal Colleges of Music), independent retailers, and at-home consumers via an online store. Direct-trade relationships with producers in Costa Rica (since 2008), Colombia (CENCOIC from 2017, Racafé from 2022), and Brazil (Legendér) underpin its value proposition, with full farm-to-cup traceability and a zero-waste reusable-tub wholesale program launched in 2018.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: (1) wholesale coffee bean supply to enterprise accounts on recurring contracts, (2) one-time sale of coffee equipment and ancillaries to wholesale customers, (3) SCA-accredited professional barista training delivered from the on-site facility, and (4) D2C retail coffee via store.cafeology.com. The company pursues a sales-led GTM motion combining direct enterprise field sales, event-driven relationships (origin trips, World of Coffee), and supported by a multi-channel content and ESG-reporting presence. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set by quote per customer. Operations are supported by Diedrich commercial roasters, a rail-haul logistics chain via London Gateway, and a 60% electric delivery fleet; the company is targeting PAS 2060 carbon-neutral verification by end-2025. Certifications held include BSI ISO 9001:2015 and SALSA food safety. Recognition includes a 3-star Great Taste Award (Aviator Blend, 2018), Made in Sheffield Food & Drink winner (2024), and a South Yorkshire Apprenticeship diversity & inclusion award (2024).

The business is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, no parent company, and no M&A activity on record. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, with named leadership comprising co-founder/MD Bryan Unkles, Financial Director Toni Unkles, Head of Coffee Steve Hampshire, and a customer-service function. Geographic footprint is UK-only.

Name

Cafeology

Legal name

Cafeology Limited

Website

https://cafeology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cafeology is an independent, Sheffield-based sustainable coffee roaster and wholesaler founded in 2003, sourcing specialty-grade coffee directly from producers in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Brazil to supply UK universities, hospitality venues, and foodservice operators, plus at-home consumers via its online store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speciality Coffee Roasting & Distribution

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 (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale coffee beans
• Speciality coffee roasting
• Barista training services
• Zero waste coffee
• Direct trade coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Coffee Beans: Core revenue stream from supplying ethically sourced specialty grade coffee beans to businesses including wholesale beans for cafes, restaurants, and offices
2. Coffee Equipment & Ancillaries: Sale of coffee equipment and ancillary supplies to wholesale customers
3. Barista Training: SCA accredited barista training services from their purpose-built training facility
4. Retail Coffee: At-home retail coffees sold through online store

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Cafeology sources, roasts, and distributes ethically sourced speciality grade coffee beans to UK businesses, with a BREEAM Very Good certified solar-powered roastery in Sheffield. The company supplies wholesale coffee beans, coffee equipment, ancillaries, SCA accredited barista training, and tailored business solutions to educational institutions, hospitality operators, and retailers, alongside a direct-to-consumer online store for at-home retail coffees.

Product overview

Cafeology operates as a dual-brand sustainable coffee company comprising Cafeology (wholesale and business solutions) and Roastology (roasting division and retail). The core offering is ethically sourced speciality grade coffee beans, complemented by coffee equipment, ancillaries, and barista training services. The product portfolio includes signature blends such as Cooling Towers, Aviator Blend (Great Taste Award winner), Bird Friendly Coffee, and Legendér Especiale, available in wholesale, zero waste (reusable tub), and retail formats. The company also offers tailored business solutions for operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wholesale Coffee Beans Ethically sourced speciality grade coffee beans supplied wholesale to UK businesses, available in reusable food-grade plastic tubs (zero waste option) or recyclable monoplastic LDPE bags. Core product for cafes, restaurants, offices, and institutional buyers.
• Zero Waste Wholesale Coffee Wholesale coffee delivered in reusable food-grade plastic tubs since 2018, with collection and sterilisation for repeated use. Designed for high-volume sites seeking to eliminate single-use packaging waste.
• Coffee Equipment and Ancillaries Coffee equipment and ancillary supplies offered alongside coffee supply for wholesale business customers, forming part of Cafeology's integrated business solutions offering.
• Retail Coffee (At Home) Range of 'at home' retail coffees sold through the Cafeology online store (store.cafeology.com) for individual consumers seeking speciality grade coffee for home brewing.
• Business Solutions Individually tailored business solutions for coffee operators including coffee supply, equipment, ancillaries, and support services. Designed for businesses whose needs are not served by off-the-shelf wholesale packages.
• Barista Training Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) accredited barista training services delivered from Cafeology's purpose-built training facility at the Sheffield roastery, supporting wholesale customers in maintaining coffee quality standards.
• Cooling Towers Blend 100% Arabica, medium roasted signature blend directly sourced from Colombia and Costa Rica. Part of the speciality coffee range, used by wholesale customers and available to retail consumers.
• Aviator Blend Speciality blend combining Washed Arabica from Honduras and Indonesia with Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Awarded 3 Stars at the 2018 Great Taste Awards, one of only 192 products across all categories to achieve this distinction from 12,000 entries.
• Bird Friendly Coffee Premium fully traceable, environmentally friendly coffee certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre and endorsed by the RSPB. Supports the Bird Friendly Coffee initiative protecting Central American rainforest and migratory birds.
• Legendér Especiale Special selection of green coffees blended at source from Legendér Specialty Coffee in Brazil. Cafeology is the only UK supplier, with the partnership established in 2017 after meeting owner Demilson Batista Jr. at the World of Coffee festival in Amsterdam.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon emissions reduced by 50% through rail freight from London's Gateway port
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Honey ShedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Peter O'Callaghan at The Honey Shed who looks after approximately 50 hives in Sheffield and Peak District. Two beehives installed on Cafeology premises in July 2023. The Honey Shed monitors hives remotely via app and provides hands-on beekeeping experiences for Teamology.
• Racafé Cooperative & Exporter (Colombia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with Racafé, a major green coffee trader in Colombia, established after head of coffee Steve Hampshire visited in 2022. Cafeology pays premium to support farmers through CRECER sustainability programme. 143,850kg of coffee secured as of November 2024. CRECER programme funds composting projects and sustainable practices.
• CENCOIC Co-operative (Colombia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Direct trade agreement with indigenous cooperative in Cauca region of Colombia since 2017. Cooperative comprised of indigenous communities producing Arabica coffee. Cafeology directors and head of coffee have visited during origin trips. Coffee used in Cooling Towers blend.
• Legendér Specialty Coffee (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Met owner Demilson Batista Jr. at 2017 World of Coffee festival in Amsterdam. Exclusive UK supplier of Legendér Especiale, a special selection of green coffees blended at source. Demilson buys directly from farmers above market price.
• M&M Pura Vida / Roberto Mata (Costa Rica)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Direct trade partnership since 2008 with Costa Rican producer Roberto Mata in Tarrazú region. Cafeology commits to buying approximately one-fifth of Roberto's annual crop, providing financial security. The 25-hectare farm at 1550m elevation produces specialty Arabica coffee. Cafeology manages shipping directly, achieving 50% emissions reduction via rail freight.
• Coricafé (Costa Rica)minorOthersIndependent coffee exporter licensing export and shipping of Roberto Mata's coffee to UK. Handles customs and logistics for Costa Rica shipments.
• K&H Ellis (Jute Recyclers)minorOthersJute recycling company that repurposes Cafeology's hessian coffee sacks into products such as carpet underlay. Over 3.5 tonnes (>5000 sacks) recycled to date.
• Newell & Wright (Haulage)minorOthersNeighbouring Sheffield haulage company used for container transport from rail freight depot, resulting in less than half a mile road haulage from rail to roastery door.
• Guaya'b Co-operative (Guatemala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously sourced Bird Friendly certified coffee from this cooperative in Guatemala. Coffee cultivated under shade of tropical canopies protecting rainforest and migratory birds. First coffee endorsed by RSPB with donations from each sale.
• Covoya, D R Wakefield, Inter AmericanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMicrolot coffee brokers used to source smaller lots of specialty coffee that cannot be purchased in standard 20-tonne containers due to limited yield.
• Autism Plus / National Food & Drink TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop custom apprenticeship training programme for Cafeology apprentice Jack Coates, enabling him to work towards Level 2 Diploma in food and drink operations applied to coffee production.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Union Hand-Roasted Coffee: UK-based specialty coffee roaster offering wholesale coffee, equipment, and barista training to foodservice and B2B customers. Closest direct peer to Cafeology given overlapping wholesale-led, sustainability-focused model and similar customer verticals (cafés, hospitality, offices).
• Origin Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with direct trade sourcing and a strong wholesale business supplying cafés, restaurants, and hospitality. Comparable to Cafeology across product (specialty green-to-roasted coffee), direct trade model, and B2B GTM motion.
• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: London-based specialty roaster with established direct trade producer relationships and a wholesale business serving UK cafés and restaurants. Overlaps with Cafeology in specialty grade, ethical sourcing narrative, and wholesale focus.
• Hasbean Coffee: Staffordshire-based specialty roaster offering wholesale and direct-to-consumer specialty coffee with strong direct trade credentials. Comparable to Cafeology in single-origin and micro-lot emphasis, ethical sourcing, and UK B2B + D2C mix.
• Rave Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster combining wholesale and D2C channels with sustainability positioning. Comparable to Cafeology across roasted product offering, online retail, and sustainability-led brand narrative.
• North Star Coffee Roasters: Leeds-based specialty roaster serving wholesale customers in the North of England with direct trade and ethical sourcing focus. Direct regional overlap with Cafeology in geography and customer verticals.
• Extract Coffee Roasters: Bristol-based specialty roaster with B2B wholesale and barista training operations. Comparable across roasting capability, training services, and wholesale focus; competes with Cafeology for UK specialty accounts.

Emerging players

• Dark Arts Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with a strong brand-led D2C presence and growing wholesale arm. Compares to Cafeology on specialty roasting and brand storytelling, though Cafeology is more wholesale-led while Dark Arts skews D2C.

Broad incumbents

• Lavazza Professional (Espresso Solutions / Carte Noire): Global coffee major with broad UK out-of-home coffee business serving offices, hospitality, and foodservice at scale. Represents a broad incumbent competitor for institutional accounts (universities, hospitality) that Cafeology targets, though positioned at commodity-to-mid-tier rather than specialty.
• UCC Coffee UK & Ireland: Large UK coffee supplier offering roasted coffee, equipment, training, and managed services to foodservice and B2B accounts. Comparable to Cafeology across full-stack coffee solutions (beans, equipment, training) but at significantly larger scale and broader tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cafeology
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CafeologyTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cafeology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cafeology-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/cafeologyltd
• Pinterestuk.pinterest.com/cafeology

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Cafeology