Johnsons Coffee

What Johnsons Coffee does

Johnsons Coffee is a family-owned coffee roaster and coffee services provider headquartered in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, tracing its origins to 1893 and operating under the legal entity Johnson Brothers (Belfast) Limited. The company roasts 100% Arabica coffee using traditional hand-roasting methods on a 120kg Probat roaster, producing a portfolio that includes the flagship Bellagio Espresso blend alongside Kenya, Java, and Continental Fairtrade blends, complemented by an organic Mr Jones tea range and a Simply Syrups flavouring line. Revenue is generated through a multi-channel model: B2B supply of coffee, equipment, barista training, and maintenance to food service and hospitality operators (anchored by contracts with The Mount Charles Group since 2001 and DFDS Seaways from 2013), direct-to-consumer e-commerce and recurring coffee subscriptions from £9.99 per delivery, retail distribution through Watson's 220+ outlets in Hong Kong and Macau, and bespoke blending with branded packaging for own-label customers. The professional services arm bundles equipment supply, installation, maintenance, barista training, and point-of-sale materials into integrated contracts that create operational switching costs, while the consumer arm adds a subscription layer over the same roasting capability. Geographic reach spans the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France (cross-channel ferries), and Hong Kong/Macau, positioning Johnsons as Northern Ireland's leading coffee roaster by the company's own description, with fourth-generation family management and the next generation now working in the business.

Name

Johnsons Coffee

Legal name

Johnson Brothers (Belfast) Limited

Website

https://johnsonscoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Johnsons Coffee is a family-owned Northern Ireland coffee roaster, founded 1893, supplying 100% Arabica beans, equipment, barista training, and subscriptions to food service, hospitality, retail, and D2C customers across the UK, Ireland, and Hong Kong.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Coffee roasting services
• Specialty coffee beans
• Barista training courses
• Coffee equipment supply
• Food service coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisburn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Sale of roasted coffee beans, ground coffee, and tea products through B2B contracts and e-commerce. Includes flagship blends like Bellagio Espresso, Java Blend, Kenya Blend, Continental Fairtrade, and Mr Jones tea range.
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring delivery of personalised coffee subscriptions to consumers at £9.99 per delivery, available weekly, fortnightly or monthly
3. Professional Services: Equipment supply, installation, maintenance support, barista training, and point of sale materials for food service customers
4. Syrups and Sundries: Flavour syrups (Simply range), equipment accessories, and consumable sundries for coffee shops

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Johnsons Coffee roasts and supplies 100% Arabica coffee blends (Bellagio Espresso, Kenya Blend, Java Blend, Continental Fairtrade), tea and syrups to food service, hospitality and retail customers. It complements product sales with professional services covering equipment supply, installation, maintenance, bespoke blending and barista training, plus a direct-to-consumer coffee subscription service through its own e-commerce site.

Product overview

Johnsons Coffee is a family-owned coffee roasting company with over 125 years of history, operating as a single unified brand offering coffee products, professional services, and barista training. The core product portfolio centers on their award-winning Bellagio Espresso blend and extends to other coffee blends (Kenya Blend, Java Blend, Continental Fairtrade), an organic Mr Jones Tea Range, and Simply Syrups flavouring range. The company complements its product sales with professional services including equipment supply, maintenance support, and bespoke blending, plus barista training programmes. Coffee subscriptions provide regular delivery of their products directly to consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cuppa Joes: Branded Espresso Bar operated on board DFDS Seaways ships between Dover-Dunkirk and Dover-Calais routes.

Products and services

• Bellagio Espresso Dark roasted, barista-standard espresso bean made from 100% Pure Arabica; full-flavoured, aromatic coffee for professional and home use. Award-winning flagship blend.
• Bellagio Espresso Decaffeinated Dark roasted decaffeinated version of the Bellagio espresso blend, delivering the same full-flavoured aromatic profile without caffeine.
• Kenya Blend Light-medium roast, lightly acidic coffee without bitterness, featuring blackcurrant undertone; Great Taste 2-Star Award 2013.
• Java Blend Hand-roasted Sumatra Java Blend; dark, full-bodied coffee with heavy nose and rich profile.
• Continental Fairtrade Fairtrade-certified dark roast coffee with strong foundation and intense flavours, ideal for after-dinner espresso.
• Mr Jones Tea Range Boutique organic tea collection (Black Beauty, Rooibos, Mint, Rose, Green, Earl Grey, Camomile, Jasmine and others) with individually wrapped tea bags.
• Simply Syrups Range Line of 15 flavoured syrups (Vanilla, Caramel, Hazelnut, Almond, Chocolate, Cinnamon and others) in 1 litre bottles for coffee shop use.
• Coffee Subscriptions Direct-to-consumer recurring coffee delivery service with weekly, fortnightly or monthly cadence from £9.99 per delivery; customers can personalise their blend selection.
• Barista Training Professional barista training courses covering basics, technique refinement and latte art; offers individual bookings and group sessions for coffee shop staff.
• Professional Services End-to-end coffee solution for businesses: roasted coffee beans, espresso and bean-to-cup equipment supply/installation/maintenance, barista training, point-of-sale materials and bespoke blending with customer-branded packaging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £210,000 raised for Action Cancer's breast screening services over three years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Mount Charles GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIreland's leading food service and business support solutions company. Johnsons Coffee has supplied The Mount Charles Group since 2001 and secured a major new retail contract in 2015 with over £200K investment in coffee brewing technology. Contract covers outlets at airports, shopping centres, and high street locations across Ireland and Great Britain.
• DFDS SeawayscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner3-year contract to supply all ships on Dover-Dunkirk and Dover-Calais cross-channel routes. Introduced new branded 'Cuppa Joes' Espresso Bars, with DFDS Seaways as exclusive official brand partner in the region.
• Watson Supermarket ChainminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst international customer order from Watson's 220+ outlets in Hong Kong and Macau. Watson operates in 12 Asian and European markets with over 5,200 stores total.
• Action CancercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership for Paint The Town Pink campaign. Johnsons Coffee provides coffee for fundraising events and has helped raise over £210,000 for breast cancer screening services, enabling 2,600 free screening sessions.
• SOS Bus NIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing support providing coffee for SOS Bus volunteers. Company recognised by The Princess Royal for support. SOS Bus has interacted with over 126,000 people on Belfast streets.
• David Pattison (Plantations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with horticulturalist David Pattison to cultivate locally grown coffee plants at the Lisburn facility, replicating equatorial growing conditions for educational and novelty purposes.
• Mount Charles CateringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for events like Miles for Smiles charity climb raising over £14,000 for Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Has Bean Coffee: UK-based specialty coffee roaster with strong online/D2C subscription presence and foodservice supply. Directly comparable in product mix (specialty single-origin and blends), B2B/B2C dual model, and emphasis on quality awards.
• Percol Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with retail grocery listings, subscription service, and foodservice supply. Comparable in operating across B2B and retail channels with branded packaged coffee.
• Java Republic: Ireland-based specialty coffee roaster supplying cafes, restaurants, and offices across Ireland and the UK. Highly comparable as a regional Irish coffee roaster competing in the same geographic B2B market.
• Origin Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster supplying restaurants, hotels, and offices with award-winning beans plus barista training. Closely matches Johnsons' wholesale-plus-training model and competition for premium hospitality accounts.
• Matthew Algie: One of the UK's largest independent coffee roasters and wholesale suppliers serving hospitality customers across the British Isles. Direct competitor for B2B food service contracts at similar scale and scope.
• Bailies Coffee: Northern Ireland-based coffee roaster competing directly in the same local market with a similar B2B hospitality focus. Closest geographic peer and direct competitor for NI contracts.
• Rave Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with strong subscription and D2C offering plus wholesale supply. Comparable in subscription pricing tier, specialty positioning, and multi-channel go-to-market.
• Union Hand-Roasted Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster offering wholesale supply, training, and equipment services to the hospitality sector. Directly comparable in hand-roasting positioning, B2B focus, and integrated service offering.

Broad incumbents

• Bewley's Coffee: Established Irish coffee and tea brand with broad retail and foodservice distribution across Ireland and the UK. Comparable in product mix (coffee/teas) and as a regional incumbent competing for the same hospitality accounts.
• Lavazza Professional: Global coffee company with a dedicated UK/Ireland B2B foodservice division offering beans, machines, and training. Sets the benchmark for B2B competitive intensity in the contract catering and hospitality channels Johnsons targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/johnsonscoffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/JohnsonsCoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/johnsonscoffeeni

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Johnsons Coffee