Modern Standard Coffee

What Modern Standard Coffee does

Modern Standard Coffee is a UK-based specialty coffee company founded in March 2015 by Lynsey Harley in Glenrothes, Fife. The business sources green coffee through direct-trade relationships, roasts on multi-scale Diedrich equipment at a 15,000 sqft roastery, and distributes via three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce on Shopify (with Recharge-powered subscriptions), B2B wholesale to hospitality and corporate clients, and a UK equipment importation/service business covering Dalla Corte, Victoria Arduino, and Thermoplan machines through tiered maintenance contracts. Its product portfolio spans signature espresso blends (Momentum Espresso, Pride Espresso, Mellow Decaf), a rotating roster of single origins and limited microlots, complementary beverages (52% Hot Chocolate, Field Work Teas, Sweetbird syrups), and a retail equipment and merchandise line. The company also operates a flagship cafe in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, and a training/event studio on Clink Street, London, supported by an Edinburgh roastery shop and a Harlow service workshop.

The business model is multi-revenue-stream: unit-priced DTC coffee sales (from $9 per bag), recurring coffee subscriptions (rolling, prepaid 3/6/12-month, and gift formats), B2B wholesale coffee supply, hardware sales (espresso machines up to ~$16,366), and annual service contracts (Bronze/Silver/Gold), supplemented by training, consultancy, gift cards, and merchandise. Pricing is uniform pay-as-you-go on coffee SKUs across 200g-2kg sizes; equipment and service use tiered hardware and contract pricing. Customer segments are split between home-brewing consumers (DTC), hospitality businesses (wholesale + equipment + service), and corporate offices (workplace coffee programmes and gifting).

The company is B Corp certified, the first UK coffee roastery to commit to 1% For The Planet, and is female-founded and LGBT+ owned. Key enterprise customers include Visa HQ, Channel 4, Ole & Steen (25+ stores since 2017), Gail's Bakery (since 2018), and ETM Group (15 London locations). Awards include a Great Taste 3-star for Momentum Espresso, Great Taste 1-star for the 52% Hot Chocolate, and Independent Best Espresso and Best Hot Chocolate accolades. Modern Standard Coffee is privately held by founder Lynsey Harley, with no disclosed external funding rounds.

Name

Modern Standard Coffee

Legal name

Modern Standard Coffee

Website

https://modernstandardcoffee.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Modern Standard Coffee is a UK specialty coffee roastery that sources, roasts, and distributes direct-trade coffee blends and single origins through DTC e-commerce, B2B wholesale, equipment importation and maintenance, and physical cafes in Edinburgh and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Coffee equipment servicing
• Direct trade coffee
• Coffee subscription service

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenrothes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Online Coffee Sales: E-commerce sales of specialty coffee beans, hot chocolate, and tea through their Shopify-powered online store. Products sold in various sizes (200g, 500g, 1kg, 2kg). Coffee subscriptions (rolling, prepaid 3/6/12 months, gift) provide recurring revenue with weekly, fortnightly, or monthly delivery options.
2. Wholesale Coffee B2B: B2B wholesale coffee supply to hospitality businesses including cafes, restaurants, offices, hotels. Includes bespoke blend development, account support, and ongoing supply relationships with wholesale partners.
3. Equipment Supply & Maintenance: UK importer for Dalla Corte, Victoria Arduino, and Thermoplan coffee machines. Service and maintenance contracts (Bronze, Silver, Gold tiers) with varying SLAs, preventative maintenance visits, parts coverage, and PVI inspections.
4. Barista Training & Consultancy: On-site barista training programs, quality audits, and coffee expertise consulting for wholesale clients to improve their coffee offerings and barista skills.
5. Gift Cards & Merchandise: Digital gift cards (denominations £10, £25, £50, £100) and merchandise including KeepCups, enamel pins, mugs, tote bags, and thermal tumblers.
6. Specialty Hot Chocolate: Award-winning 52% Hot Chocolate made with Fino de Aroma beans sourced from Casa Luker in Colombia. 10p per bag donated to Empowering Dreams social impact project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Modern Standard Coffee is a Scotland-based specialty coffee roastery that sources green coffee directly from farms in Latin America, Africa and Indonesia, roasts it on Diedrich equipment in its Glenrothes facility, and sells the resulting coffee — plus a 52% hot chocolate, teas, syrups, and brewing equipment — to consumers via a Shopify storefront and a London coffee studio, and to hospitality operators through a wholesale field-sales channel, UK equipment import (Dalla Corte, Victoria Arduino, Thermoplan), and a three-tier engineering maintenance service.

Product overview

Modern Standard Coffee is a specialty coffee roastery founded in 2015, operating as a vertically integrated coffee business that sources, roasts, and sells directly to consumers and businesses. The core product portfolio centers on whole bean and ground specialty coffees organized into espresso blends (Momentum Espresso, Pride Espresso, Mellow Decaf), single origins from major coffee-producing regions (Brazil Santa Lucia, Ethiopia Konga, Colombia Aromas del Sur, Indonesia Mbohang, Costa Rica Las Lajas, El Salvador William Dias), and limited lots. Complementary beverage products include 52% Hot Chocolate, Field Work Tea range, and Sweetbird syrups. The accessories and equipment line encompasses brewing tools (Clever Dripper, Chemex, Aeropress), coffee filters, grinders (Mahlkonig EK43, Nuova Simonelli Mythos One), espresso machines (Victoria Arduino Eagle One), and merchandise. The business operates multiple channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce with subscription options (powered by Recharge), a wholesale program for B2B partners including bespoke blends and barista training, and physical retail through an Edinburgh café and London Coffee Studio. A service and maintenance division supports commercial coffee equipment. The company is B Corp certified and committed to 1% for the Planet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Momentum Espresso Signature 250g or 1kg espresso blend combining 70% Brazil Santa Lucia with 30% Colombia El Porvenir; roasted in Glenrothes and designed for milk-based espresso; named Best Espresso by The Independent and a multiple Great Taste 3-star award winner.
• Mellow Decaf Sugarcane (EA) decaffeinated single-origin espresso from Colombia, Caturra varietal, presented as a 250g single-origin style decaf for milk-based espresso; relevant for pregnancy, caffeine-sensitive and evening drinkers.
• Pride Espresso 2026 Seasonal Pride Espresso blend released for Pride month; £1 from the sale of every bag is donated to Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline, with the company's Pride Employee Network supporting product relaunches each year.
• Santa Lucia (single origin) Brazilian single-origin coffee from the Santa Lucia estate in Sul de Minas, pulped natural process, for espresso and filter.
• Konga Co-operative (single origin) Ethiopian washed-process single-origin coffee sourced from the Konga Co-operative in the Yirgacheffe region, producing a bright, floral cup.
• Aromas del Sur (single origin) Colombian washed single-origin coffee from the Aromas del Sur producer group, designed for filter and espresso.
• Indonesia Mbohang (single origin) Indonesian single-origin coffee from the Mbohang region, processed using traditional wet-hulling for a heavy-bodied, low-acid cup.
• Costa Rica Las Lajas (single origin) Costa Rican single-origin coffee from the Las Lajas micromill in the Central Valley, processed via honey and natural methods for a sweeter, fruit-forward cup.
• El Salvador William Dias (single origin) Salvadoran single-origin coffee from producer William Dias on the Apaneca-Ilamatepec range; roasted in Glenrothes for espresso and filter.
• Rodrigo Oyuela Geisha (limited lot) Colombian single-origin Geisha micro-lot from producer Rodrigo Oyuela; released as a limited-lot offering on the rotating single-origin range.
• El Embrujo Microlot (limited lot) Limited-lot micro-lot single origin released as part of the Limited Lots collection in December 2025.
• 52% Hot Chocolate 52% cocoa drinking chocolate powder packaged in retail bags as a companion product to the coffee offer, intended for cafés, the Edinburgh store and DTC customers.
• Tea Range Curated tea range curated by in-house Tea Specialist Jennifer, offered as loose-leaf and bagged teas to retail customers and on wholesale menu to hospitality operators.
• Syrups Range of coffee-shop style flavour syrups offered to retail customers and hospitality operators for use in espresso, milk drinks and hot chocolate.
• Mix & Match 1kg Build-a-box bundle letting customers select four 250g bags of any coffee across blends and single origins to make a 1kg box at a reduced per-gram price.
• Coffee Subscriptions Recurring coffee delivery programme delivered on weekly, fortnightly or monthly cadences via Recharge Payments, allowing customers to subscribe to blends, single origins, decaf or rotating selections.
• Brewing Equipment Retail collection of home brewing equipment including the Clever Dripper, Chemex, Hario V60, AeroPress, French presses and associated accessories for home and small-office use.
• Coffee Filters Range of paper coffee filters and reusable metal filters sized for the brewing equipment sold by the company.
• Coffee Grinders Home and small-office coffee grinders — including hand grinders and electric grinders — sold to retail customers and as add-on equipment to wholesale accounts.
• Espresso Machines Domestic espresso machines offered to retail customers, complementing the company's commercial-grade Dalla Corte / Victoria Arduino / Thermoplan range supplied to wholesale customers.
• Coffee Gifts Curated gift sets combining freshly roasted coffee with brewing kit and accessories, sold as ready-to-give presents for individual purchasers.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards denominated from $10 to $200 redeemable across the full store range of coffee, equipment, tea, hot chocolate and merchandise.
• Merchandise Branded merchandise including mugs, keep-cups, tote bags and apparel sold to consumers and to wholesale customers as branded café supplies.
• Wholesale Coffee B2B wholesale coffee supply programme supplying freshly roasted coffee in commercial volumes to UK hospitality operators (cafés, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, offices), including a Coffee Selector wizard and free sample-on-request consultation.
• Wholesale Equipment Supply B2B supply of commercial espresso equipment from Dalla Corte, Victoria Arduino and Thermoplan, marketed and sold as a complement to the wholesale coffee programme for new and existing hospitality operators.
• Service & Maintenance Contracts Three-tier (Bronze, Silver, Gold) preventative and reactive equipment maintenance and engineering contracts covering Dalla Corte, Victoria Arduino and Thermoplan equipment installed at hospitality customers.
• Modern Standard Edinburgh Café Specialty coffee café, kitchen and retail store at 102 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, serving the in-house roasted coffee, hot chocolate, tea and prepared food in a sit-in format.
• Modern Standard London Coffee Studio London-based coffee studio at 8 Mackintosh Lane hosting barista training, public cuppings, tastings and events aimed at consumers, hospitality clients and wholesale partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9/5 customer rating based on 326 reviews
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TerracyclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Terracycle to recycle coffee packaging. Customers can send used coffee bags to the roastery for proper recycling, diverting waste from landfills.
• 1% For The PlanetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst UK coffee roastery to commit to 1% For The Planet, donating 1% of annual turnover to environmental causes. Founded to prevent greenwashing and certify reputable giving.
• Trees for CitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual tree planting partnership. Each year, team spends 2 days planting trees through Trees for Cities initiative to offset carbon footprint.
• John Muir TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs part of 1% For The Planet commitment, company plants trees in Scotland's national forest through John Muir Trust partnership.
• Bumblebee Conservation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehind roastery in Glenrothes, maintains 5 bee hives with 5,000 bees and a wildflower meadow. Produces 50kg+ honey annually donated to local food bank.
• Marine Conservation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual beach clean partnership at Elie beach in Fife. Teams complete 100m stretch clean, collecting over 25kg of rubbish annually.
• Seres (Guatemala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Seres in Guatemala, an organization committed to empowering the next generation of sustainable leaders through entrepreneurship development.
• The Ecology CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDaily donation of over 100L of nutrient-dense coffee chaff (roasting byproduct) to The Ecology Centre for composting and enriching local community garden soil.
• SwitchboardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQIA+ helpline supported through Pride Espresso sales. £1 donated from every bag of Pride Espresso sold. Pride merchandise profits also donated.
• Buy Women BuiltminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Buy Women Built to highlight and support female founders and actively encourage buying from female-founded businesses.
• Casa LukercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-run Colombian business supplying Fino de Aroma cocoa beans for 52% Hot Chocolate. Direct sourcing relationship for highest quality dairy-free cocoa.
• Empowering DreamsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial impact project in Necocli, Huila and Casanare. 10p per bag of 52% Hot Chocolate donated to support entrepreneurs and communities. Over £3,000 raised.
• Dalla CortecoreTechnology or IntegrationUK importer for Dalla Corte coffee machines. Hand-built machines from Milan, offered to wholesale clients as part of complete coffee solution.
• Victoria ArduinocoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Victoria Arduino for specialty coffee machines. Products include Eagle One, Eagle One Prima, and Black Eagle. Part of wholesale equipment offering.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: London-based specialty coffee roaster known for premium quality and wholesale supply to London's specialty cafe scene. Direct competitor for wholesale hospitality accounts and specialty single origin releases.
• Hasbean Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with strong single-origin catalog and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Comparable on specialty sourcing and online retail model.
• Caravan Coffee Roasters: London-based specialty roaster with restaurants/cafes and a wholesale program. Direct competitor in the UK specialty cafe + wholesale space.
• Extract Coffee Roasters: Bristol-based specialty roaster focused on wholesale supply to hospitality businesses. Comparable on B2B wholesale focus and quality-led positioning.
• Origin Coffee: Cornwall-based specialty roaster with direct trade sourcing, wholesale program, and a small cafe estate. Highly comparable vertically integrated model targeting similar hospitality and D2C customers.
• Workshop Coffee: London specialty roaster combining wholesale supply with multiple cafe locations and training. Comparable on roastery + cafe + wholesale structure and target enterprise/hospitality customers.
• Pact Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster selling direct-to-consumer subscriptions and B2B wholesale coffee. Highly comparable business model with overlapping target customers and similar e-commerce + office coffee focus.
• Notes Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with wholesale and subscription offerings. Comparable on direct-to-consumer specialty coffee and B2B wholesale model.

Emerging players

• WatchHouse: UK specialty coffee operator with a growing cafe estate and own roastery. Comparable in combining roasting, cafes, and wholesale but operating at a larger retail scale.
• Dark Arts Coffee: UK specialty roaster with a cult consumer brand and wholesale program. Comparable as a younger specialty roaster chasing similar D2C and wholesale customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MSCroasters
• YouTubeyoutube.com/mscroasters
• Facebookfacebook.com/MSCroasters
• Instagraminstagram.com/mscroasters

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Modern Standard Coffee