About Redroaster
Redroaster Coffee is roastery from Brighton, UK and it was founded in 2000 and it's the oldest and the only certified organic roastery in the South
The roastery is still located in the heart of Kemptown, Brighton and we roast every day on our vintage Diedrich roasters. New harvest green arabica beans are imported from around the world, roasted and sold fresh from our cafes in Brighton and here online.
We are passionate about always negotiating a fair price for the high quality coffee we buy. We go further than Fairtrade agreements to reward and incentivise our farmers to produce the finest quality. In 2016, we changed our business so that we now directly support the Rwandan farmers who supply our coffee beans, their families and the people involved in helping them become self-sufficient. This began with the construction of a school in Musenyi and is part of a wider project which has included providing safe water, a health post (which sees 900 patients a month), a community centre and farm equipment and training.
Can you please introduce your roastery in a few short sentences?
Back in 2000 we were one of the only roastery cafe’s in the country and became known as one of the pioneering specialty coffee roastery in the UK. We began our Brighton wholesale coffee operation a couple of years later and 20 years on we proudly remain the oldest certified organic coffee roastery in the South and the only Brighton coffee roastery still operating from that era.
What is the story behind your name and logo?
Both our Diedrich Coffee Roasters are Red
What is the hardest part about being a roastery?
Sales
What is the one thing people still don’t get about coffee?
The amount of variables along a coffees journey from farm to cup that can influence the final product in a positive or negative way.
Which one thing do you wish you’d done differently since starting a roasting business?
There is no one thing that comes to mind. We've been working it out as we go learning what works and what doesn't.
Is there a person in the industry people should know about?
Andrew Tolley.
What’s been your biggest failure?
No failures, just lots of valuable lessons to learn from.
What are you most proud of?
Our work and support in helping Kinini Washing Station get established as producers of exceptional coffee. Also still being in business 20 years later
How will the specialty coffee market look like in 2025?
I imagine it will be quite similar but with an upsurge of experimental processing methods at origin and an increase in overall quality of green, roasted and brewed coffee
Tell us a little bit about “The Cup” - the best cup of coffee you’ve ever tasted?
Ive tried too many amazing cups to narrow it down to one! This year tho the first Natural processed coffee to come out of Kinini Washing Station in Rwanda is up there as one of the best. It's just a very bold yet clean cup tasting of Raspberry Jam and stewed plums.
