What Caber Coffee does

Caber Coffee Ltd. is a privately held, family-run wholesale coffee supplier founded in 1988 by Dughall and Maureen Leask and headquartered at 614 Holburn Street, Aberdeen, Scotland. The company distributes commercial coffee machines, freshly roasted own-label and third-party coffee beans, ingredients, and ancillary beverages to business customers across Scotland, and it operates the Caber Coffee School for barista training and the in-house Caber Coffee engineering team for machine servicing. Its product surface spans bean-to-cup, espresso, freshbrew, instant, filter/bulk, capsule, and water systems from multiple OEMs (EGRO, Bravilor, SanRemo, Jura, Promac, Rancilio, Marco, Coffetek, Zip, Lavazza), complemented by Grumpy Mule B Corp specialty coffees and the proprietary Caber Grab & Go Unit.

Revenue is generated through four streams: hardware sales of machines and grinders; recurring supply of coffee beans, ingredients, capsules and consumables (including the ETHYCO Fairtrade range and Lavazza's Scottish distribution); managed-services-style machine maintenance (including PSSR inspections, repairs, and warranty support); and professional services barista training at the Aberdeen school and on customer premises. Pricing is predominantly quote-based for equipment and consumables, with only barista training transparently listed at £80+VAT per head.

The go-to-market is consultative enterprise field sales across Scotland (Aberdeen, Angus, Dundee, Moray, Tayside, Highlands and Islands), supported by on-site demonstrations, tasting sessions, and partnerships with Lavazza (Scotland distributor), Grumpy Mule (B Corp specialty partner), SanRemo (training-facility technology), eteaket (speciality teas) and Zuma (chocolate/syrup ancillaries). The customer base spans artisan cafes, restaurants, hotels, visitor attractions, offices of all sizes, educational institutions, and select enterprise accounts (Serco Northlink Ferries, Balmoral Castle).

Name

Caber Coffee

Legal name

Caber Coffee Ltd.

Website

https://cabercoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Caber Coffee is a family-run Aberdeen-based wholesale coffee supplier founded in 1988, distributing commercial coffee machines, freshly roasted own-label and partner coffee beans, ingredients, and barista training to hospitality, office, and enterprise customers across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Coffee Supply

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee & Tea Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAH)

Keywords

• Wholesale coffee supply
• Commercial coffee machines
• Barista training services
• Specialty coffee beans
• Office coffee solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Coffee Machines & Equipment Sales: Sale and supply of commercial coffee machines including bean-to-cup, espresso, freshbrew, instant, filter/bulk, and grinders. Machines sourced from brands including EGRO, Bravilor, SanRemo, Jura, Promac, Rancilio, Marco, Coffetek, and Zip. Delivery, installation, and commissioning by factory-trained engineers included.
2. Coffee Beans, Ingredients & Consumables: Supply of own-label roasted coffee beans (Espresso Fino, Spill The Beans, Premium Fairtrade, Decaf Fairtrade, Forza Espresso, Msaada Espresso, South American Blend), Lavazza branded coffees and capsules, Grumpy Mule specialty coffees, ground sachet coffees (ETHYCO, Rainforest Fairtrade), bulk ground coffees, teas, chocolate drinks, flavoured syrups, and disposable cups/stirrers.
3. Machine Servicing & Maintenance: Comprehensive servicing including PSSR (Pressure Systems Safety Regulations) inspections, routine maintenance, repairs, and warranty support. Caber uses in-house engineers and manufacturer-trained local engineers with industry-leading response times. Out-of-hours on-call engineer support available.
4. Barista Training: Expert barista training conducted at the Caber Coffee School in Aberdeen. Training covers espresso making, milk texturing, drink building, and machine cleaning. Training prices start from £80+VAT per head for wholebean coffee customers. The Caber Coffee School also supports the SQA SCQF SVQ Level 5 Barista Skills course for schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Caber Coffee is a wholesale B2B distributor supplying commercial coffee machines (bean-to-cup, espresso, freshbrew, instant, and filter), own-label and third-party coffee beans, capsules, tea, chocolate, syrups, cups and ancillary beverage ingredients, along with barista training, machine servicing and maintenance to businesses across Scotland. They also distribute Lavazza and Grumpy Mule branded coffees and capsules, and roast their own-label blends on a Probat drum roaster.

Product overview

Caber Coffee is a wholesale coffee supplier and equipment distributor based in Aberdeen, Scotland, established in 1988. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio comprising own-label specialty coffee blends (Espresso Fino, Forza Espresso, Premium Fairtrade Espresso, Decaf Fairtrade Espresso, Spill The Beans, South American Blend, Msaada Espresso), Fairtrade/Rainforest Alliance ground sachet coffees (Ethyco Fairtrade, Rainforest Fairtrade), bulk ground coffees (El Salvador Ground, Forza Ground), third-party branded coffees (Grumpy Mule Kick Ass, High & Mighty, Top Notch Organic; Lavazza Gold Selection, La Reserva de Tierra, DEK Decaff, Blue Capsules), commercial coffee machines (Bean to Cup machines including Jura X10/Giga X3/Giga X8/W8/X4, EGRO NEXT/MoDe, Bravilor Sego/Esprecious, Coffetek Vitro X1, DrCoffee F16/Coffee Center/T200MP/Coffee Zone; Espresso machines including Sanremo Cafe Racer/Zoe/D8/F18SB, Rancilio Classe 5, Promac Compact/P161; Freshbrew machines Bravilor Freshground/Freshmore; Instant Coffee machines Bravilor Bolero 11/12/43/XL Turbo; Filter and Bulk Coffee machines Marco Qwikbrew/Quikbrew-Maxibrew/Shuttle, Bravilor B/B-HW/Mondo/Matic/TH), Lavazza Blue capsule machines, the proprietary Caber Grab & Go Unit, and Zip HydroTap water systems. The company also provides complementary services including barista training at the Caber Coffee School, machine servicing by factory-trained engineers, free Bitesize Barista Tips video series, barista tools, and advisory consultations. Additional beverage offerings include teas (eteaket, Twinings, Clipper), chocolate drinks, flavoured syrups (Simply Syrups, Sweetbird), cups and stirrers, and soluble ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ethyco: Caber Coffee's exclusive Fairtrade ingredient brand that donates 2% of all ingredient sales back to Social Enterprise projects in local areas. The range includes Fairtrade certified coffee sachets and compostable paper cups.

Products and services

• Caber Own-Label Coffee Beans Freshly roasted own-label coffee blends (whole bean and ground) covering espresso, filter, and decaffeinated variants with Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance options. Sourced traceable to co-operatives and individual farmers. Sold in cases of 12 x 250g and larger wholesale packs to commercial customers.
• ETHYCO Fairtrade Ground Sachet Coffee Fairtrade certified ground sachet coffee range in the ETHYCO brand (including Ethyco Fairtrade and Rainforest Fairtrade), with compostable paper cups and sachets. Two percent of ingredient sales are donated to UK social enterprise projects including suspended coffee and Pay it Forward schemes.
• Grumpy Mule Specialty Coffee Grumpy Mule's specialty coffee blends distributed in Scotland through Caber Coffee, including Kick Ass, High & Mighty, and Top Notch Organic. Fairtrade and B Corp certified, available in 500g and 1kg bags.
• Lavazza Coffee and Capsules Lavazza branded coffee (Gold Selection Espresso Beans, La Reserva de Tierra Selection, DEK Decaff Beans, Canal Grande RFA Filter, La Reserva de Tierra Brasile) plus Lavazza Blue capsule system (Blue Galleria, Blue Decaf) and Lavazza Blue capsule machines distributed to Scottish businesses.
• Commercial Coffee Machines Range of commercial coffee machines including bean-to-cup (Jura X10, Giga X3, Giga X8, W8, X4; EGRO NEXT, MoDe, ONE; Bravilor Sego, Esprecious; Coffetek Vitro X1; DrCoffee F16, Coffee Center, T200MP, Coffee Zone), espresso (Sanremo Cafe Racer, Zoe, D8, F18SB; Rancilio Classe 5; Promac Compact ME, P161 Tall Cup), freshbrew (Bravilor Freshground, Freshmore), instant (Bravilor Bolero 11, 12, 43, XL Turbo), and filter/bulk (Marco Qwikbrew, Quikbrew/Maxibrew Twin, Shuttle; Bravilor B and B-HW Series, Mondo, Matic, TH). Delivered, installed, and commissioned by factory-trained engineers.
• Caber Grab & Go Unit A self-contained, purpose-built grab-and-go coffee kiosk designed in-house by Caber Coffee around an EGRO Next bean-to-cup machine, with custom doors and side panels, dual grinders for regular and decaf, hot chocolate powder module, optional self-service card reader, and customer logo branding.
• Tea and Hot Chocolate Ingredients Bulk and speciality tea range including eteaket whole leaf teas (Ethical Tea Partnership sourced), Clipper, Twinings, and herbal infusions; chocolate drinks in sauces, powders, sprinkles and sachets (including Zuma White Hot Chocolate); flavoured syrups (Simply Syrups, Sweetbird); disposable cups, stirrers, and soluble coffee ingredients.
• Barista Training Expert barista tuition delivered at the Caber Coffee School in Aberdeen and at customer premises within one hour drive of Aberdeen. Two-hour sessions for up to four staff covering espresso making, milk texturing, drink building, and machine care/cleaning. Pricing starts from £80+VAT per head. Also supports the SQA SCQF SVQ Level 5 Barista Skills course for schools.
• Machine Servicing and Maintenance Ongoing machine servicing, repairs, PSSR pressure-system safety inspections, preventative maintenance, warranty support, and out-of-hours on-call engineering. Delivered by in-house factory-trained engineers and local manufacturer-trained engineers with industry-leading response times.

Quantifiable outcome

• £200,000 invested in expanding Aberdeen HQ, increasing warehouse space by 50%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Balmoral Castle (Royal Household)flagshipOthers · 1 January 2024Caber Coffee secured a landmark project to supply coffee to Balmoral Castle, the Highland home of the Royal Family. Announced July 2024, this represents a prestigious high-profile customer relationship for the company.
• SanRemocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016SanRemo is an Italian espresso machine manufacturer. Caber Coffee uses the latest SanRemo UK espresso machines and grinders in their Caber Coffee School training facility. The Zoe tall cup machine is highlighted as a key product in Caber's range. SanRemo and Caber collaborate on training and equipment demonstration, with SanRemo machines forming the backbone of Caber's training programmes.
• Mission MotorsportminorOthers · 1 January 2012Mission Motorsport is a charitable organisation set up in 2012 to help find hope and futures for people leaving the forces through sickness or injury. Caber Coffee has been a supporter since the outset, selling a special Mission Motorsport branded coffee blend with proceeds donated to the charity. Over £2,000 has been raised through these sales. The charity was featured on a Sky1 programme 'Race of Remembrance'.
• LavazzacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCaber Coffee is a Lavazza Coffee & Machines Supplier for Scotland. Lavazza, of Turin, Italy, is one of the biggest names in coffee. Caber Coffee was approached by Lavazza to support their business development in Scotland, gaining exclusive rights to distribute Lavazza coffee, capsules, and machines in the region. The partnership provides Caber customers access to Lavazza's famous Italian espresso range including Gold Selection, Tierra, and DEK decaffeinated coffees, as well as the Lavazza Blue capsule system and machines.
• Grumpy MulecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrumpy Mule is a B Corp, Social Enterprise coffee roaster based in Meltham, Yorkshire. Through their partnership with Caber Coffee, businesses across Scotland can enjoy Grumpy Mule's specialty coffee backed by Caber's local expertise, barista training, equipment support, and responsive customer service. Grumpy Mule's Fairtrade certified coffees are sourced from trusted producer partners and roasted to showcase unique character and consistency. The partnership enables Caber to offer B Corp certified ethical coffee options.
• Community Food Initiatives North East (CFINE)minorOthersCFINE is a UK-based social enterprise that supports over 5,000 disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals and families each year. Caber Coffee's ETHYCO range donates a percentage of ingredient sales to social enterprise projects including CFINE. The partnership supports CFINE's food poverty work, contributing to vehicle costs for transporting hundreds of tonnes of food annually.
• Thistle CouriersminorOthersThistle Couriers partnered with Caber Coffee during flood relief efforts following Storm Frank, with Ewan Ferguson and the team quickly adding their weight to a social media campaign spearheaded by Caber Coffee MD Findlay Leask. Nine vans were filled with donated items including coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and sundries, and delivered to affected communities on Deeside.
• eteaketminorOtherseteaket are speciality whole leaf tea experts who are members of the Ethical Tea Partnership since 2015. Caber Coffee distributes eteaket's range of teas including 100 leaf tea bags, 1kg and 250g loose leaf products. eteaket ethically sources their teas and operates a Cuppas for Causes scheme supporting local charities.
• Grumpy Mule (Certification Partner)coreOthersGrumpy Mule is certified B Corp and Fairtrade as standard. Their coffees are sourced from trusted producer partners. Their Top Notch Organic blend is certified organic and Fairtrade. This certification partnership enables Caber Coffee to offer verified ethical and organic coffee options to Scottish businesses.
• Zuma DrinksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZuma Drinks supplies chocolate sauces, powders, and the Zuma Gold Dust (cocoa with edible gold dust) featured in Caber Coffee's seasonal drinks offerings. Caber distributes Zuma products as part of their ancillary drinks range.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lavazza Professional: Italian global coffee giant with a UK professional/HoReCa division. Comparable as both a global incumbent in commercial coffee and a key supplier/partner to Caber via their exclusive Scottish distribution arrangement.
• Nestlé Professional (Nescafé & Nespresso Pro): Global beverage giant supplying soluble coffee, capsule systems and bean-to-cup machines to UK offices and hospitality. Comparable as a broad incumbent competitor across Caber's office and hospitality segments.

Direct peers

• Rave Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster offering wholesale beans, equipment and barista support to UK hospitality businesses. Comparable regional specialty wholesaler with similar equipment-plus-beans-plus-training model.
• Hasbean Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with strong wholesale and online channels. Comparable as a small-batch specialty roaster selling to commercial customers and coffee enthusiasts.
• Origin Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with a wholesale division supplying cafes, restaurants, hotels and offices, plus barista training. Directly comparable as a specialty wholesale coffee supplier serving the same commercial segments as Caber.
• Matthew Algie: One of the UK's largest independent wholesale coffee roasters and machine distributors, supplying coffee, equipment, barista training and servicing to hospitality and office customers. Closest like-for-like competitor to Caber Coffee's business model in the UK.
• Paddy & Scott's: UK specialty coffee roaster and wholesale supplier with a focus on hospitality and office accounts. Comparable as a regional UK wholesaler combining own-roasted coffee with equipment supply and training.
• Union Coffee Roasters: UK specialty coffee roaster supplying wholesale beans, capsules and machines to hospitality and office customers. Comparable as a B2B specialty roaster with direct-sourcing ethics positioning, similar to Caber's own-label and Fairtrade offering.
• Bewley's Tea & Coffee UK: Ireland/UK coffee and tea distributor serving hospitality and foodservice with machines, beans and training. Comparable as a wholesale coffee/tea distributor with broad hospitality accounts in the British Isles.

Emerging players

• Grumpy Mule Coffee: UK B Corp, Fairtrade specialty roaster working with regional distributors like Caber to reach commercial customers. Comparable as a partner/peer roaster with overlapping ethical and specialty positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cabercoffeeltd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cabercoffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaberCoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/cabercoffeeltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caber-coffee

Compliance3 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 Caber Coffee