Ueshima Coffee Company

Name

Ueshima Coffee Company

Legal name

UCC Europe Limited

Website

https://ueshimacoffeecompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Coffee Manufacturing (AFAFADAE), Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Coffee subscription service
• Japanese roasted coffee
• Ready-to-drink coffee
• Brewing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through their Shopify-powered website, offering coffee beans, ground coffee, capsules, coffee bags, and brewing equipment. Orders shipped within UK via Royal Mail, DPD, or FedEx with free delivery over £20.
2. Coffee Subscription Service: Recurring subscription revenue model offering 15% discount on all orders. Customers can customize frequency (weekly to monthly), format, and blend. Minimum order of 2x250g packs for ground/beans or 3 boxes of capsules.
3. Retail Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale supply to major UK grocery retailers including Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Booths, and Japan Centre for in-store retail sales.
4. Brewing Equipment and Merchandise: Sales of brewing equipment including Kinto V60 brewers, Bodum glassware, Hario grinders, filter papers, and accessories alongside coffee products.
5. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in £10, £50, and £100 denominations, valid for 12 months from activation or last transaction. Redeemable on website including subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ueshima Coffee Company sells Japanese-style precision-roasted coffee under the Ueshima brand in the UK, offering signature blends (Fuji Mountain, House Blend, Tokyo Roast, plus Decaf) in beans, ground, Nespresso-compatible aluminium capsules, and coffee bag formats. The company also sells ready-to-drink canned iced coffee and matcha lattes, brewing equipment and accessories, and digital gift cards, supported by a customisable coffee subscription service offering 15% off every order.

Product overview

Ueshima Coffee Company offers a focused Japanese coffee portfolio spanning three core blended coffee formats (beans, ground, capsules, and coffee bags), a decaf range, single-origin specialty coffees, ready-to-drink iced coffees and matcha lattes, and a subscription service delivering 15% off recurring orders. The offering is anchored by three signature blends — Fuji Mountain (darkest roast), House Blend (medium/signature), and Tokyo Roast (lightest roast) — all Rainforest Alliance Certified. The portfolio extends into brewing equipment and accessories (V60 brewers, glassware, filter papers, grinders) sold as individual items or bundled as starter and master packages, plus gift cards and e-gift cards. The company operates exclusively online in the UK market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fuji Mountain Coffee Beans Darkest roast signature blend inspired by Mount Fuji with cocoa, roasted nuts, and brown sugar notes; precision-roasted arabica beans, Rainforest Alliance Certified.
• House Blend Coffee Beans Signature medium roast blend with caramel, granola, and dark chocolate notes; precision-roasted arabica, Rainforest Alliance Certified.
• Tokyo Roast Coffee Beans Lightest roast blend inspired by Japan's bustling metropolis, with citrus and milk chocolate flavours; Great Taste Award 2022 winner, Rainforest Alliance Certified.
• Decaf Coffee Beans Decaffeinated arabica coffee beans responsibly sourced from Fairtrade-certified farms; rich and balanced with lower acidity, characteristic of traditional Japanese roasting.
• Ground Coffee (Fuji Mountain, House Blend, Tokyo Roast, Decaf) Expertly ground Japanese-style coffee in Fuji Mountain, House Blend, Tokyo Roast, and Decaf varieties; all Rainforest Alliance Certified, sold in 200g packs.
• Aluminium Nespresso Compatible Capsules Nespresso-compatible aluminium coffee capsules in three blends (Ristretto Fuji Mountain, Lungo Tokyo Roast, Espresso House Blend); Rainforest Alliance Certified and recyclable.
• Coffee Bags Single-serve coffee bag format brewed like tea bags; industrially compostable and ultra-convenient, available in Fuji Mountain, House Blend, and Tokyo Roast, brewing in 3-5 minutes.
• Iced Coffee (Black) Ready-to-drink canned black iced coffee; the brand's founder invented canned coffee in Japan in the 1960s and the company holds a Guinness World Record for longest-selling RTD canned coffee.
• Iced Matcha Latte Ready-to-drink canned iced matcha latte with white chocolate notes; 250ml can, 86 calories, light and sweet, available in single can or 12-pack.
• Coffee Subscription Customisable coffee subscription service offering 15% off every order across beans, ground, capsules, and coffee bags, with flexible delivery frequency (weekly to monthly) and skip, pause, or cancel anytime.
• Gift Card / E-Gift Card Digital gift cards available in £10, £50, and £100 denominations, valid for 12 months from activation or last transaction, redeemable on the website for any products including subscriptions.
• Kinto V60 2cup Brewer - Black Porcelain pour-over dripper designed in Japan with octagonal shape for clean lines; microwave and dishwasher safe, sold individually for home brewing.
• KINTO Nori Tumbler - Black Japanese-style tumbler made from Amakusa porcelain stone and natural mountain soil, available in 200ml or 350ml sizes with high-temperature firing for durability and stain resistance.
• Bodum PAVINA Double-wall Glass (8oz and 12oz - 2 pack) Hand-blown borosilicate glass tumblers with innovative double-wall design that keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold; dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe.
• V60 Filter Paper 2cup - 60 pack Set of 60 filter papers designed for the Kinto V60 2cup brewer; no chemical adhesive is used for the seam.
• Starter Bundle V60 starter bundle containing Kinto Ceramic OCT V60 2cup Brewer, V60 Filter Paper 2cup 60-pack, and one 250g ground coffee blend of choice, priced at £27.00 (regularly £30.50).
• Coffee Master Bundle Advanced V60 brewing bundle containing Hario Bloom Skerton Plus Ceramic Coffee Grinder, Kinto Glass OCT Jug (300ml), and one 250g coffee bean blend of choice, priced at £77.50.
• Single Origin Coffee Beans Limited edition single-origin specialty coffees sourced from Guatemala and Sumatra, hand-selected for unique flavour profiles, low acidity, and rich aroma.
• Taster Bundles Bundles allowing customers to sample all three signature blends (Tokyo Roast, House Blend, Fuji Mountain) in either ground coffee or whole bean format.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15% subscription savings on every order
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pact Coffee: Pact Coffee is a UK specialty coffee roaster and DTC subscription competitor — same direct-to-consumer subscription model, similar premium positioning, and competing for the same UK coffee enthusiast shopper.
• Whittard of Chelsea: Whittard is a UK heritage specialty coffee and tea retailer selling through its own e-commerce site and physical stores, with comparable multi-format product range (beans, ground, capsules, RTD) and a similar gift/bundling-led merchandising approach.
• Caravan Coffee Roasters: Caravan is a London-based specialty roaster with a flagship café/restaurant, brew equipment retail, and DTC subscription — directly comparable to Ueshima's blended DTC + physical retail + equipment bundle model.
• Origin Coffee: Origin Coffee is a UK-based specialty roaster competing in the same premium and single-origin coffee segment, with overlapping wholesale and DTC channels and direct overlap on Rainforest Alliance/sustainability credentials.

Broad incumbents

• Taylors of Harrogate: Taylors is a major UK heritage coffee brand with broad supermarket distribution across Tesco, Sainsbury's and others — a direct competitor on the same UK grocery shelves and a comparable legacy/heritage coffee positioning.
• Nespresso: Nespresso is the dominant single-serve capsule incumbent and a direct competitor to Ueshima's Nespresso-compatible aluminium capsule line, with vastly larger marketing budgets and brand recognition in the UK.
• Illy Caffè: Illy is an Italian premium coffee incumbent with overlapping UK grocery presence and a comparable premium-positioned, sustainably-sourced brand narrative targeting similar UK grocery shoppers.
• Lavazza: Lavazza is a major Italian premium coffee incumbent with deep UK grocery distribution across Tesco, Sainsbury's and others — directly competing for the same UK premium supermarket shelf space and shopper consideration.

Emerging players

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle is a premium DTC specialty coffee roaster (now Nestlé-owned) competing in the same premium at-home coffee segment, with comparable focus on origin storytelling, brew guides, and selective retail/cafe presence.
• Trade Coffee: Trade is a US-based coffee subscription marketplace with similar customisable subscription mechanics (roaster, format, frequency) and comparable premium positioning targeting the at-home coffee enthusiast shopper.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ueshimacoffeecompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ueshima-coffee-company

Compliance4 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 Ueshima Coffee Company