What L'Alchimiste does

L'Alchimiste is a privately held specialty coffee roastery founded in 2014 in Bordeaux, France, and operated as a SARL owned by three associates — founder Arthur Audibert, Yohan Caunegre (Q-Grader and Authorized SCA Trainer, joined 2015), and Virginie Maison (joined 2016). The company roasts specialty coffees in-house using drum roaster technology with per-origin temperature and development time profiling, sourcing via Direct Trade from roughly a dozen farms across Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Brazil, and El Salvador, and participates in the FRESH COFFEE CLEAN OCEAN sail-freight project (since 2024) for lower-emissions, faster inbound logistics.

The product portfolio centers on approximately ten single-origin coffees and blends (priced €8.00–€15.50 per 250g), supported by an extensive accessories catalog (Fellow, Comandante, Hario, Acaia, Timemore grinders, kettles, scales, filters, tampers, milk pitchers), Bordeaux-made ceramics (Florilège Massoubre), apparel, gift cards, and a coffee-ground body-care product. Educational offerings include five consumer workshops (Discovery €45, Latte Art €70, Espresso €90, Gentle Methods, Sensory Culture) and two SCA-certified certification tracks — Barista Skills and Brewing — at three levels each (€480 per level).

Revenue is generated across four streams: (1) retail coffee and equipment sales through three company-owned Bordeaux locations (Darwin roastery/coffee shop, Rue de la Vieille Tour, Pas-Saint-Georges) and a consumer e-commerce boutique at alchimiste-cafes.com; (2) B2B professional solutions (machine supply, recurring fresh-roasted coffee delivery, barista training) sold through a gated Espace Pro portal at pro.alchimiste-cafes.com to offices, SMEs, coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants; (3) SCA and consumer training/workshops delivered at the Bordeaux venues; and (4) a monthly coffee subscription at €25 for 500g. Customers include luxury hospitality (Le Pressoir d'Argent Gordon Ramsay at Intercontinental Bordeaux), classified Bordeaux wine estates (Château Pichon Baron, Domaine de Chevalier, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey), and select SMB/tech clients (Backmarket, Sturia, Cheops). The company has no external funding rounds and operates with a small team across production, barista, and associate functions.

Name

L'Alchimiste

Legal name

L'Alchimiste SARL

Website

https://alchimiste-cafes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

L'Alchimiste is a Bordeaux-based specialty coffee roastery (founded 2014) that roasts Direct Trade single-origin coffees in-house, sells them across three retail locations and an e-commerce boutique, and offers SCA-certified barista training and B2B coffee supply to offices, hospitality, and restaurants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery & Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Direct trade coffee
• SCA barista training
• B2B coffee solutions
• Specialty coffee retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee & Equipment Sales (B2C): Sale of freshly roasted specialty coffees (single origins and blends), coffee-making equipment (grinders, kettles, drippers, scales, presses, etc.), ceramics, accessories, apparel, and books through an e-commerce boutique and three Bordeaux coffee shop locations. One-time purchase model for physical goods. Prices range from €8 to €15.50 for coffees, up to €450 for premium grinders.
2. Professional Coffee Solutions (B2B): Supply of automatic coffee machines (for purchase or financial leasing) plus regular delivery of fresh-roasted coffee to offices, SMEs, coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants. Machine maintenance products (descaling tablets, cleaning tabs, filters) also sold. Free tasting sessions drive conversion.
3. Training & Workshops (Education): SCA-certified Barista Skills and Brewing courses at three levels each (beginner to professional), taught by Yohan Caunegre (Q-Grader, Authorized SCA Trainer). Five consumer workshops (Discovery, Latte Art, Espresso, Gentle Methods, Sensory Culture) at the Bordeaux spaces. Gift cards also sold.
4. Coffee Subscription: Monthly subscription delivering 500g or 1kg of two seasonal coffees, freshly roasted, in the customer's preferred grind (filter, espresso, whole bean). Fully adjustable frequency and quantities, modifiable at any time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

L'Alchimiste is a specialty coffee roastery that buys green coffee Direct Trade from origin farms in Colombia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Brazil, and El Salvador, roasts it on a drum roaster at its Bordeaux facility, and sells the resulting single-origin and blended coffees, brewing equipment, ceramics, apparel, and accessories through three Bordeaux coffee shop locations and a nationwide e-commerce boutique. It also operates a B2B division (Espace Pro) supplying offices, SMEs, coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants with coffee machines (purchase or lease), recurring fresh-roasted coffee delivery, and SCA-certified barista training.

Product overview

L'Alchimiste is a specialty coffee roastery and coffee shop chain based in Bordeaux, France (founded 2014), operating as a single unified brand offering specialty roasted coffee, brewing equipment, ceramics, workshops, professional barista training, and B2B coffee solutions. The core offering centers on a portfolio of approximately 18 single-origin and blended coffees sourced directly from farms in Colombia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Brazil, and El Salvador, complemented by a broad equipment and accessories catalog (approximately 38+ small equipment items including grinders, kettles, scales, filters, tamper, and pitchers), ceramics from partner artisans, body care products made from coffee grounds, apparel, gift cards, and a monthly coffee subscription. Educational services include five workshops (discovery, pour-over methods, espresso, latte art, sensory culture) and two SCA-certified professional training programs (Barista Skills and Brewing, each in 3 levels). B2B services provide offices, SMEs, coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants with machine supply, coffee delivery, and barista training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialty Single-Origin Coffees A portfolio of single-origin specialty coffees sourced Direct Trade from farms in Colombia (Janeiro, Finca La Leona, Leona Microlot, Chevere Décaféiné), Ethiopia (Alaka nature, Alaka lavé), Rwanda (Taba), Kenya (Githembe AB), Brazil (Campestre), and El Salvador (Phoenix). Each carries producer biographies, terroir, altitude, processing method, and tasting notes. Packaged in 250g, 500g, and 1kg formats, priced €8.00–€15.50 per 250g.
• Blend (house blend) House blend of Arabica varieties, natural and washed process, with chocolate and hazelnut tasting notes. €8.00 per 250g; available in 250g, 500g, and 1kg formats.
• Coffret Découverte (Discovery Gift Set) A 4×250g gift set featuring Blend, Campestre, Phoenix, and Alaka nature for tasting and gift purposes.
• Coffee Subscription (Abonnements) Monthly subscription delivering two seasonal coffees freshly roasted, in 500g or 1kg sizes, with flexible grind options (filter, espresso, whole bean, piston, Moka pot). Priced from €25/month for 500g; frequency and quantities adjustable at any time.
• Gift Cards (€50 / €100 / €150 Carte cadeau café) Stored-value gift cards available at €50, €100, and €150 tiers for use on the alchimiste-cafes.com boutique.
• Specialty Coffee Books A pair of educational books on specialty coffee: 'How to make the best coffee at home' by James Hoffmann of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and 'Le café c'est pas sorcier' (comprehensive coffee knowledge) — sold through the boutique.
• Brewing Equipment (drippers, presses, grinders, kettles, scales) A curated catalog of specialty coffee brewing equipment including the Hario V60 Kit, Aeropress, Chemex 6-cup, Grosche moka pot, Timemore French press, Comandante C40 Nitro hand grinder, Fellow Ode Gen 2 electric grinder (64mm burrs), Hario/Fellow Stagg/Timemore Fish Smart Pro gooseneck kettles, Hario and Acaia precision scales, Hario ceramic drippers, Barista Hustle and Timemore tampers, Rhino milk pitchers (360ml/600ml), and reusable EBB cloth filters. Pricing ranges from €5.50 (Moccamaster filters) to €450 (Fellow Ode Gen 2).
• Drinkware & Ceramics Drinkware (Fellow Carter Move 340ml travel mug, Kinto glass carafes 300ml/600ml, branded Miir × L'Alchimiste 12oz mugs in three colors) and handmade ceramics by Bordeaux artisan Florilège Massoubre (Porcellana series: mugs, espresso cups, cappuccino cups, latte cups), plus a ceramic gift set (Coffret Céramique).
• Coffee-Based Body Care (MOKA Exfoliant) MOKA brand face and body exfoliant (Gommage visage et corps au café) made from spent coffee grounds, designed to eliminate dead cells, soften, nourish, and protect skin.
• Branded Apparel & Accessories L'Alchimiste-branded unisex organic combed-cotton apparel (10-year anniversary tee, black tee, white tee) and accessories (canvas tote bag, green musette shoulder bag).
• Espresso Machine Maintenance Products Jura and Delonghi espresso machine maintenance consumables: 3-phase cleaning tablets, milk system mini-tabs, Claris Smart and Claris Smart Pro 200L water filter cartridges, 2-phase descaling tablets, Delonghi water filter cartridges, and 500ml ecological descaler — supported for B2B customers and consumer espresso owners.
• Consumer Workshops (Découverte, Latte Art, Espresso, Gentle Methods, Sensory Culture) Five consumer workshops offered at the Darwin and Rue de la Vieille Tour spaces in Bordeaux: Atelier Découverte (2h30 from-tree-to-cup session, €45), Méthodes Douces (V60, piston, Aeropress, €70), Espresso (grinder calibration and recipes, €90), Latte Art (milk texturing/pouring, limited to 6, €70), and Culture Sensorielle (multisensory smell, color, and taste — including the 'Cosmic Latte' art collaboration, €50). Plus the Atelier Art & Café gift card.
• Formation Barista Skills — 3 niveaux (SCA-certified) SCA-certified Barista Skills training in three levels: Initiation (1 day), Intermediate (2 days), and Professional (3 days), covering espresso preparation, milk texturing, latte art, and coffee science. Each level costs €480. Instructor: Yohan Caunegre (Q-Grader, Authorized SCA Trainer).
• Formation Brewing — 3 niveaux (SCA-certified) SCA-certified Brewing training in three levels dedicated to pour-over and slow coffee methods, covering extraction variables, TDS measurement, and extraction curve analysis. Each level costs €480. Instructor: Yohan Caunegre (Q-Grader, Authorized SCA Trainer).
• Offre Professionnelle — Bureaux & PME (B2B coffee supply) Turnkey workplace coffee solution for offices and SMEs: automatic coffee machine supply (purchase or financial lease), regular delivery of freshly roasted specialty coffee on custom quantities and frequency, and barista training. Professional pricing via the gated pro.alchimiste-cafes.com portal; conversion supported by free tasting sessions and weekly Tuesday/Thursday delivery.
• Offre Professionnelle — Coffee Shops, Hôtels & Restaurants (B2B coffee supply) Professional specialty coffee supply for coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants, with personalized support, equipment selection guidance, and SCA-certified barista training. Named clients include Intercontinental Bordeaux (Le Pressoir d'Argent Gordon Ramsay), Château Pichon Baron, Domaine de Chevalier, and Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coffee transported by sail arrives twice as fast as conventional maritime transport, ensuring measurably fresher beans.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BelcocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Belco serves as L'Alchimiste's primary coffee sourcing partner, providing year-round accompaniment in sourcing specialty coffees from origin farms. Belco enables Direct Trade relationships and ensures the quality and traceability standards L'Alchimiste requires for its specialty coffee offerings.
• FRESH COFFEE CLEAN OCEAN (FCCO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024A collaborative initiative to transport specialty coffee by sailing vessel, dramatically reducing carbon emissions and transit time. L'Alchimiste joined FCCO in 2024, with its first 'voileux' (sail-transported) coffees handled in January 2025 by Jake, L'Alchimiste's roaster. The project cuts CO2, eliminates noise pollution, protects marine ecosystems, and delivers fresher coffee faster.
• Odyssey CoffeesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint charitable initiative with Odyssey Coffees to raise funds for installing a potable water system for the Monte Sagrado community in El Salvador (46 families, most working in coffee plantations). A fundraising catalog was published in 2024.
• BanexportminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Banexport guided the Janeiro farm (Francisco and family, Colombia) in developing their coffee production, advising on harvest techniques, fermentation methods, and drying processes. L'Alchimiste sources from this farm, whose development was supported by Banexport's expertise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: US third-wave coffee pioneer (now owned by Peet's/Lavazza) operating cafes, wholesale, and a Direct Trade program. Frequently cited as a benchmark for the roastery-cafe-B2B model that L'Alchimiste operates at a smaller French regional scale.
• Lavazza: Major Italian coffee company with a broad portfolio spanning espresso, capsule, and increasingly specialty offerings. Represents the broader coffee incumbent that L'Alchimiste competes against for B2B hospitality contracts, though Lavazza's specialty share is just one slice of a far larger mass-market business.

Others

• La Marzocco: Premium Italian espresso machine manufacturer whose equipment L'Alchimiste sells, services, and trains on. Ecosystem participant — a supplier and category-defining brand — rather than a competitor, but tightly coupled to the professional barista education value proposition L'Alchimiste offers.

Direct peers

• Café Pleyel: Paris specialty coffee roaster with cafe operations and B2B supply. Similar third-wave positioning with comparable single-origin sourcing and a similar premium French hospitality client mix to L'Alchimiste.
• Brûlerie Caron: Paris specialty roaster with cafe, training, and B2B operations. Similar integrated specialty model with comparable size and segment focus, competing with L'Alchimiste in the French premium hospitality and consumer specialty market.
• Mokxa Coffee: Lyon-based specialty coffee roaster operating cafes and a B2B supply business. Directly comparable multi-revenue-stream model in a major French city outside Paris, competing with L'Alchimiste for regional specialty consumers and hospitality accounts.
• L'Arbre à Café: Paris specialty roaster with cafes, training programs, and direct-trade single-origin sourcing. Operates an integrated model (roastery + cafe + education) almost identical to L'Alchimiste and competes for the same premium French hospitality and specialty consumer segments.
• Bellocq Coffee Roasters: Paris specialty roaster focused on single-origin lots and direct trade. Closely comparable roasting and wholesale model without the cafe footprint, but competing for the same specialty consumer and B2B accounts.
• Terres de Café: Paris-based specialty coffee roaster founded by Christophe Servell, operating multiple cafes and a B2B supply arm. Closest French analogue to L'Alchimiste's roastery + cafe + B2B model, with similar Direct Trade positioning and a comparable premium hospitality client list.
• Belleville Brûlerie: Paris specialty roaster in Belleville combining single-origin roasting with a flagship cafe and B2B supply. Comparable boutique-city specialty model with a similar Direct Trade ethos and a comparable cafe-led brand expression.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LAlchimiste-Torr%C3%A9acteur-1397274390517567
• Instagraminstagram.com/lalchimiste_torrefacteur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/l-alchimiste-torrefacteur

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 L'Alchimiste