What Kimbo Uk does

Kimbo UK Ltd is a privately held, UK-incorporated (London-based) coffee distribution subsidiary wholly owned by Italian roaster Kimbo SpA, which was founded by the Rubino brothers in Naples in 1963. Kimbo UK was established in 2010 to serve the UK market with authentic Neapolitan coffee blends, operating two complementary go-to-market motions: a B2B sales-led channel supplying cafes, restaurants, hotels, bars, offices, and pubs with coffee products, point-of-sale equipment, signage, and serveware, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel via its Shopify-powered kimbo.co.uk storefront and the separate kimboathome.co.uk consumer site. Underlying technology is inherited from the parent's traditional Italian espresso roasting craft, including a three-phase drying/roasting/cooling process at 160-250°C for 8-12 minutes and vacuum-packed preservation developed in the 1960s to distribute Neapolitan coffee widely.

The product portfolio spans whole bean blends (Extra Cream, Prestige, Superior Blend, Top Flavour, Crema Suprema, Aroma Bio Organic & Fairtrade, Decaffeinated), retail and catering ground coffee, Nespresso-compatible aluminium capsules, compostable paper pods for retail and catering, complementary POS merchandise under the La Tazza D'Oro sub-brand, and ancillary items (Fairtrade hot chocolate, Birchall's teas, barista cleaning products). The company also operates the Kimbo Coffee Academy in London NW — a BSA and City & Guilds approved training centre delivering courses from a £75 brewing foundation session up to the £500 three-day VRQ Level 2 certification, plus free Kimbo Day training for commercial customers and bespoke corporate sessions.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time transactions: wholesale coffee and equipment sales to commercial accounts, DTC e-commerce product sales, paid barista training courses (£75–£500 per attendee), and gift card sales in £75–£500 denominations. The firm employs 1-10 people, is UK-only in geographic scope, has no disclosed funding rounds, and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary without private equity or venture capital involvement.

Name

Kimbo Uk

Legal name

Kimbo UK Ltd

Website

https://kimbo.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kimbo UK Ltd is a London-based, wholly-owned UK subsidiary of Italian roaster Kimbo SpA, importing and distributing authentic Neapolitan coffee to UK cafes, restaurants, hotels, and consumers via wholesale, Shopify-powered e-commerce, and a BSA/City & Guilds approved barista training academy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Coffee Distribution

NAICS

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

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

Keywords

• Italian coffee distribution
• Espresso blends
• Barista training
• Coffee capsules pods
• Specialty coffee supply

Headquarters

HQ city

London

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, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Retail and wholesale sales of Italian coffee products including whole beans, ground coffee, capsules, pods, and sachets. Products sold through e-commerce and to commercial establishments.
2. Barista Training Courses: Professional barista training courses offered at various skill levels including BSA certification, VRQ Level 2, basic skills, advanced skills, coffee brewing, latte art, and introduction to coffee world. Also includes bespoke training services.
3. Point of Sale Equipment: Sales of branded crockery, glassware, signage, serveware, display items, and take-away cups for commercial coffee establishments.
4. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations from £75 to £500.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kimbo UK Ltd imports and distributes the Italian Kimbo coffee brand across the United Kingdom, selling whole bean, ground coffee, Nespresso-compatible aluminium capsules, and compostable paper pods to both consumers (via the Kimbo at Home e-commerce store) and commercial establishments (cafes, restaurants, hotels, bars, offices, and pubs). The company also operates the Kimbo Coffee Academy in London, providing barista training courses including BSA and City & Guilds VRQ Level 2 qualifications, alongside branded point-of-sale crockery, glassware, signage, and serveware.

Product overview

Kimbo UK Ltd is a UK-based importer and distributor of Italian coffee products established in 2010, offering a comprehensive portfolio of coffee solutions. The core product line consists of whole bean and ground coffee blends (Extra Cream, Prestige, Superior Blend, Top Flavour, Crema Suprema, Aroma Bio, Decaffeinated) and Espresso Napoli, Intenso, Aroma Gold 100% Arabica, and Antica/Export varieties. The company offers Nespresso-compatible aluminium capsules (Napoli, Barista Ristretto, 100% Arabica, Decaf) and compostable paper pods (Espresso Napoletano, Espresso Barista 100% Arabica, Decaf) for retail and catering use. Point of Sale (POS) products include Kimbo-branded crockery, glassware, signage, serveware, and take-away cups. Complementary products include Hot Chocolate Powder (Fairtrade, vegan), Birchall's award-winning teas, and Barista Kit & Cleaning Products. The company provides barista training services through the Kimbo Coffee Academy including Advanced Skills, Basic Skills, BSA Level 1, Coffee Brewing Course, Introduction to Coffee World, Latte Art, and VRQ Level 2 (City & Guilds certified) courses, plus bespoke training and free Kimbo Day sessions for business customers. La Tazza D'Oro serves as a sub-brand for premium crockery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Tazza D'Oro: A sub-brand offering espresso cups, saucers and cappuccino cups.

Products and services

• Extra Cream Beans

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Beverage Standards Association (BSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKimbo UK is a BSA approved Training Centre offering BSA qualifications in barista skills. The BSA developed these courses as part of their objective to improve standards in the industry and gain formal recognition for those who wish to improve their skills.
• City & GuildscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKimbo UK is a City & Guilds approved Training Centre offering the internationally recognised VRQ Level 2 qualification in barista skills. The qualification is delivered through their approved training syllabus.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationThe e-commerce platform powering the Kimbo UK online store, enabling online sales of products and training courses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pact Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster selling direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and B2B to offices — directly comparable business model (small UK team, DTC + B2B coffee sales, training support) with Kimbo UK.
• Union Hand-Roasted Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster offering wholesale supply to cafes and offices plus online retail and barista training — strong peer overlap with Kimbo UK's combined product + training model.
• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: London-based specialty coffee roaster supplying cafes and wholesale customers across the UK — comparable small-batch UK roaster with overlapping B2B customer base.
• Rave Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with B2B wholesale, e-commerce retail, and barista training — comparable small-scale UK operator with similar GTM mix to Kimbo UK.
• illy UK: Premium Italian coffee company with UK distribution across foodservice, retail, and e-commerce — competes with Kimbo UK for the same Italian-authentic coffee positioning and B2B accounts.
• Lavazza UK: Italian coffee brand with UK operations supplying wholesale and retail channels including capsules and beans — directly comparable to Kimbo UK as an Italian-heritage B2B/B2C coffee distributor with similar product portfolio and customer base.
• Segafredo Zanetti UK: Italian espresso coffee brand supplying UK cafes, restaurants, and bars with beans, pods, and equipment — direct competitor to Kimbo UK in the B2B Italian espresso segment.

Others

• Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) UK: Global coffee education body offering accredited barista training and certifications — relevant adjacent comparison because Kimbo UK's BSA/City & Guilds programmes compete for the same barista training demand that SCA addresses.

Broad incumbents

• Nespresso UK: Global capsule coffee leader with established UK retail and B2B presence — competes directly with Kimbo UK's Nespresso-compatible capsule line and broader coffee offering.
• Caffè Nero UK: Major UK coffee chain with Italian heritage sourcing coffee at scale — broader incumbent that overlaps with Kimbo UK's authentic Italian coffee positioning, though competing at the retail outlet rather than B2B supply level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kimbointheuk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/kimbointheuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kimboespresso
• Instagraminstagram.com/kimbo.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kimbo-uk

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kimbo Uk