Department Of Coffee and Social Affairs

What Department Of Coffee and Social Affairs does

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs is a London-based specialty coffee company operating across three integrated channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce, physical retail cafes, and B2B workplace coffee partnerships. Founded in 2010 on London's Leather Lane Market as one of the original pioneers of the London specialty coffee scene, the legal entity is DOCASAUK LTD, a private limited company registered in England. The company sources single estate coffees from over 200 farms across Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Colombia, and Guatemala, accumulated through 15 years of direct procurement relationships.

The product portfolio comprises seven named SKUs spanning single origin offerings (After Dark from Rwanda, The Curiosity of Colombia, From Jimma with Love from Ethiopia, Nyeri Sunset from Kenya), a decaffeinated Colombian option using the Sugarcane (E.A.) process, and a signature East End Blend combining Brazil, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea beans. All online orders are roasted fresh to specification at the Portslade roastery before dispatch via Royal Mail 48 Tracked, requiring a 2 working day roasting lead time plus 3-5 days delivery. The Shopify-powered storefront at departmentofcoffee.com hosts both one-time retail purchases (£11.50-£14.50 per 250g bag) and the Department Coffee Club subscription service (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly delivery starting at £12 per 250g shipment with up to 25% savings). A separate Coffee Subscriptions collection offers starting prices from £10.

Revenue is generated through four streams: D2C retail coffee bag sales, recurring subscriptions, cafe sales at the Carnaby Street location (3 Lowndes Court, London W1F 7HD) with espresso, filter brews, and light food, and B2B workplace coffee bar partnerships in which the company installs and manages internal coffee facilities at corporate offices. Customer segments span individual consumers, corporate workplace partners, and walk-in cafe visitors. The company has won Allegra's UK and Ireland's Best Coffee Chain award (2018) and recognition as leading coffee company in the UK (2019), and operates exclusively within mainland UK with no international shipping.

Name

Department Of Coffee and Social Affairs

Legal name

DOCASAUK LTD

Website

https://departmentofcoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs is a London-based specialty coffee roaster and retailer operating D2C e-commerce subscriptions, the Carnaby Street cafe, and B2B workplace coffee bar partnerships, sourcing single estate coffees from over 200 farms across six countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Single origin coffee
• Coffee subscription service
• Coffee cafe operations
• Workplace coffee bars

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of roasted coffee beans in 250g and 1kg bags. Single origin and blended coffees sold at price points from £11.50 to £14.50. Includes whole bean and ground options.
2. Coffee Subscription Service: Department Coffee Club subscription delivering fresh roasted beans on weekly, fortnightly, or monthly intervals. Starting at £12 per 250g shipment with savings up to 25%. Roasted to order and delivered as whole beans or ground to specification.
3. Cafe Retail Sales: Physical cafe operations serving espresso, filter brews, and light food. Currently operating Carnaby Street location in London. First shop opened in 2010 on Leather Lane Market.
4. Workplace Coffee Partnerships: B2B partnerships installing internal coffee bars at corporate workplaces. Company provides full coffee bar setup and management as workplace amenity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs is a specialty coffee roaster and retailer that sells freshly roasted single-origin and blended coffee beans directly to consumers through an online store and subscription service, operates physical cafe locations in London, and provides B2B workplace coffee bar partnerships for corporate offices. The company roasts all orders to order from single estate beans sourced from over 200 farms worldwide and delivers within the UK via Royal Mail.

Product overview

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs is a specialty coffee company operating as a unified offering comprising retail coffee products, subscription services, and physical cafe locations. The core product portfolio includes seven named coffee products: five single origin offerings (After Dark from Rwanda, The Curiosity of Colombia, From Jimma with Love from Ethiopia, Nyeri Sunset from Kenya, and Decaf from Colombia) and one signature blend (East End Blend from Brazil, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea). The company also offers two subscription services—the Department Coffee Club and general Coffee Subscriptions—that deliver fresh-roasted beans to homes and offices. Additionally, the company operates physical cafes (currently including Carnaby Street location) and provides workplace partnership services for corporate coffee bars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• East End Blend Signature house blend combining beans from Brazil, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea, featuring Arusha, Blue Mountain, Typica, Catuai, Mundo Novo, and SL28 varietals. Tasting notes of milk chocolate, dried berries, and fruit & nut. Suitable for espresso-based drinks. Priced at £11.50 per 250g.
• Decaf Colombian decaffeinated coffee using the Sugarcane (E.A.) Method. Sourced from Huila and Tolima regions with Castillo, Catura, and Colombia varietals. Tasting notes of dark chocolate and citrus. Priced at £12.50 per 250g.
• The Curiosity of Colombia Washed Colombian single origin coffee from Peñas Blancas washing station in Pitalito, Huila. Caturra variety grown at 1700-1900 MASL. Tasting notes of winter spice, cherry, raisin, and caramel. Priced at £14.50 per 250g.
• After Dark Single origin Rwandan coffee sourced from Rwanda Trading Company (RTC). Natural processed Red Bourbon variety from Kigali region grown at 1400-1900 MASL. Tasting notes of plum, cherry, milk chocolate, and almond. Priced at £14.50 per 250g.
• From Jimma with Love Ethiopian single origin coffee from Haider Aba Mecha's 552-hectare farm in Limu Kossa, Jimma Zone. 7410, 74140, and 7440 varieties at 1865-2090 MASL. Traditionally processed with notes of white grape, walnut, and stone fruit.
• Nyeri Sunset Kenyan single origin coffee from Sasini Estate AB in Kiambu region. Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28, and SL34 varietals at 1830 MASL. Fully washed and sun-dried with tasting notes of blackcurrant, blueberry, and fudge.
• Department Coffee Club Coffee subscription service delivering rotating fresh coffees selected by master roasters. Starting at £12 per shipment for 250g. Roasted to order and delivered as whole beans or ground to specification. Save up to 25% on home delivery. Available with weekly, fortnightly, or monthly delivery cadence.
• Coffee Subscriptions Home delivery subscription service for roasted coffee beans. Fresh coffee roasted to order and ground to specification, delivered weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. Save up to 20% on home delivery with starting prices from £10.
• Cafe Services Physical cafe locations in London serving espresso, filter brews, and light food to walk-in customers. Currently operating Carnaby Street location. Original shop opened on Leather Lane Market in 2010.
• Workplace Coffee Partnerships B2B service setting up and managing internal coffee bars at corporate workplaces, bringing the authentic coffee shop experience to offices. Contact: [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25% savings on subscription orders compared to one-time purchase
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the online store. Provides the technical infrastructure for product listings, checkout, order management, customer accounts, and payment processing.
• Royal MailcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping partner for all UK deliveries. Orders dispatched via Royal Mail 48 Tracked service requiring signature upon receipt. Used for both standard orders and subscription deliveries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: London specialty coffee roaster focused on single-origin and seasonal coffees, supplying wholesale and direct customers. Comparable in product positioning (specialty single-origin), UK geography, and B2B/wholesale route to market.
• Monmouth Coffee: London-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with shops in Borough Market and other locations. Comparable in combining single-origin roasting with physical cafe retail and a UK specialty positioning.
• Notes Coffee: London-based specialty coffee roaster and retailer with multiple cafes and a strong wholesale and subscription business. Comparable in UK specialty positioning, multi-cafe retail, and B2B/hospitality supply.
• Workshop Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with flagship cafes, an e-commerce platform, and a subscription offering. Comparable in specialty single-origin positioning, UK cafe footprint, and direct-to-consumer retail.
• Caravan Coffee Roasters: London specialty coffee roaster with multiple cafes and a wholesale arm serving restaurants and offices. Comparable in combining roastery, cafe operations, and B2B supply within the UK specialty segment.
• Pact Coffee: London-based specialty coffee roaster and subscription service selling fresh-roasted beans D2C with workplace coffee. Directly comparable business model spanning subscription, retail, and B2B channels, and overlapping customer base of UK coffee enthusiasts.
• Grind: London-based coffee company combining a coffee subscription service with a chain of physical cafes and an in-house roastery. Closely comparable hybrid model of D2C subscriptions, retail cafes, and roasting operations in the UK.
• Origin Coffee Roasters: Cornwall-based specialty coffee roaster with cafes, wholesale supply, and a focus on direct trade single-origin sourcing. Comparable in single-origin sourcing narrative, UK geography, and combined wholesale/retail/cafe model.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Large specialty coffee operator with roasteries, cafes, and D2C subscriptions across the US, Japan, and Korea. Comparable in specialty single-origin positioning and cafe-plus-subscription model, though operating at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Starbucks Reserve: Specialty sub-brand of the global Starbucks chain focused on small-lot single-origin coffees and premium roastery experiences. Comparable as a specialty-positioned coffee brand with cafe retail and expanded single-origin offerings, though backed by a much larger corporate parent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-coffee-and-social-affairs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Department Of Coffee and Social Affairs