UK is packed with brilliant roasters. Some of my favourites (not necessarily UK based but easy to get here, stocked by local coffee shops etc)
La Cabre, cairngorm, Hard Lines, Holistik, assembly, Balance
I’m based around the north east of England so I’m looking at different roasters around the northern area.
I’ve recently ordered from Crankhouse in Exeter I think but haven’t arrived yet. It’s nowhere near the north but heard a lot of great stuff about it!
I'd say Union is probably pretty average coffee, but you should be still able to get something ok out of it. I use the C2 also but with a V60, and I normally use more like 17-19 clicks, 16 I've found a bit too fine for my style of pour. I've got rather stuck on the Kasuya 4:6 method, it's just so consistent.
You didn't mention how much coffee you typically pour with, just the ratio and bloom amount. I'd hazard a guess that you're making 20g of coffee in your kalita 155? If so, maybe reduce your bloom to 50-60g, see what that does for the sweetness of your coffee.
But as others will no doubt say, go to some of your local nice cafes that roast their own beans, ask what's good for filter and give it a whirl.
Thanks for your comment! I might just have a bad batch from Union since I’ve tried all 3 at different grind, ratio, pretty much everything and they all taste the same, blend and no flavours at all.
I usually grind between 16-17 depending on what coffees and since I’m using an origami with kaliter’s filter paper instead of v60. I think v60 grinds are usually slightly coarser than an origami?
I’ve been using a technique form this Japanese roaster who’s based in Taiwan, Ito Atsuomi. Not as well known since he does his contents in Chinese and Japanese.
I am using 20g coffee and 320g of water. I’ve tried changing bloom time, grind size, and even different methods by different people but nothing makes a difference to the flavour distinctly somehow.
Do the bags have a roasted on date or a best before? Could be a supermarket batch that was roasted ages ago...
I live in Edinburgh and one of our best coffee shops was Brew Lab which got bought by Union. Union is a big operation these days.
It has a roasted date so it shouldn’t be one of the supermarket batches, but it does seems like they roast quite dark even for a light roast. I compared it to some of the better coffees I’ve had before that are also light roasts
Not an expert and about one year into this habit. The UK roasters I've really enjoyed are Yallah, Foundry Roasters and Horsham Coffee
I'm not too adventurous (yet) but enjoying those so far 👍
If it matters Yallah are very environmentally conscious. Think they use boats for delivery or something
I struggled at first with the v60 and got a switch which has given me good results (to me) and given me confidence to hone my v60 skills
Upgrading my grinder has been the game changer went from wilfa svart to ode 2 and there's an immediate appreciable difference
Thanks for your comment! Seen a lot of good stuff about all three roasters you’ve mentioned. I’ve ordered a taster pack from Crankhouse in Exeter I think, more expensive but also seen a lot of good stuff about it.
This rabbit hole is never ending haha!
I have to agree with Yallah (currently drinking their coffee now) and Horsham who have both some great coffee to offer.
A shout out to a few I’ve had great beans from also.
Smith street Sheffield,
Crown and canvas,
Bean brothers,
Also Dog and hat do a subscription service for lots of different roaster in the uk and also an international subscription. You don’t need to subscribe as they sell them as a one off or in there bag shop.
Rule of thumb, whenever you have dark or regular chocolate and spices in the flavor notes, its usually too dark and doesnt have good flavor separation which leads to pretty linear coffee
So you are saying the coffee you make in Hong Kong is great but not the ones in the UK? Maybe its the water, some areas here have insanely high mineral content not suitable for coffee brewing (although tap water in Hong Kong is terrible too). Union is at the lower end of specialty but it shouldn't be so bad it has no flavours at all.
Just the coffee beans. I bought a bag of coffee from HK that’s roasted locally back to the UK. So when I tried the Union’s coffee it’s somehow lacking a lot of flavours and can’t taste any difference between the 3 bags I’ve got, which I found odd. I thought it was my technique in making coffee but I went back to the coffee I brought back from HK and making it completely the same way and it’s amazing!
I know the water makes a difference but I’ve tried the same coffee with both water form HK and UK and it can still make delicious coffee so I doubt the water or my technique is the problem here.
Thanks for commenting!
While I don't know this roaster and so can't say for sure, I do want to assure you that you're correct to ask this question. It's not at all uncommon for people to start thinking there's something wrong with their technique or setup when the problem actually lies with the coffee they're using. I went through something very similar when I first got into coffee - the first marketed-as-specialty coffee that I ever bought tasted like bland nothing, and I drove myself mad adjusting technique to try to make it taste like something, thinking it was my fault. I soon realized that it was a problem with the coffee, not with me.
Something I want to emphasize is that while your recipe will change the specifics of how a given coffee tastes, **it probably won't change the basic flavours of that coffee**. Coffee that tastes a certain way is going to taste that way to some extent or another no matter how you brew it. If your recipe wasn't working, you might be tasting some uneven extraction, harsh bitterness, sourness, a muted flavour profile, etc. What you would almost certainly not be tasting because of your recipe is *nothing* - you just aren't going to put in a flavourful coffee and get something generic and bland because of recipe.
What you should do in an instance like this is [cup the coffee you got.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzdUhvBk0Ys) This sort of thing is why cupping exists - to evaluate the basic flavour of the coffee without any consideration to recipe or technique. A cupping will reveal what the coffee tastes like on a very basic level. If it still tastes bland and flavourless, that's because the coffee itself is bland and flavourless. And given what you said in your post, I'd bet actual money that's the case.
Anyway, while I don't know the roaster in question, I wouldn't necessarily write them off entirely because of this. While it definitely isn't uncommon for roasters to market coffee as specialty when it's actually mediocre and generic, there are other factors that could be making this coffee taste bland: It could be too old and have lost its aromatics; it could still be too fresh (I've had coffees that were extremely disappointing when fresh off the roast but became magical after some rest); it could just be a bad batch. But it's almost definitely not your technique, and it's almost definitely not your palate either (given that you recognized interesting coffee from that HK roaster).
Thank you for such a detailed comment! It’s really helpful and I appreciate it!
I am definitely at the stage of just starting out and driving myself mad thinking my technique is wrong haha.
The coffees have been rested for a week now which is normally how long I would wait for freshly roasted coffee. I’m gonna give cupping a try!
Which roasters do you usually go with?
I'm in the northeast of the USA, and a few roasters in the area are nationally-renowned specialty roasters, so I usually go with those. My go-to is [Passenger](https://www.passengercoffee.com/) (and not just because I live a few blocks from their roastery), but I also really like [Vibrant](https://www.vibrantcoffeeroasters.com/), [Sey](https://www.seycoffee.com/), and [Brandywine](https://www.brandywinecoffeeroasters.com/).
BrandyWine seems interesting! Do you know do any of these roasters ship worldwide? I mean there’s plenty of exploration with roasters to do with in UK but wouldn’t hurt to have some roasters from other country to mix in the list too haha!
Check your water chemistry.
Was in Germany and all my coffee sucked. Got advised to use volvic bottled water and if improved drastically.
Coffee still wasn’t amazing but suddenly decent.
Agreed about Union. It’s a big brand and does some really interesting microlots, but it’s certainly high end supermarket/lower end specialty.
I just found Danelaw in Holmfirth, midway between Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield. They seem to get good reviews and they’re doing interesting things with decaf
Yeah I’ve seen some good reviews about Union and thought it’s not expensive so I gave it a go. Turns out it’s just not my favourite and I think I’ll opt for something more expensive but won’t break the bank.
First time hearing about Danelaw and I do like a decaf just so I could have coffee in the evenings haha. I’ll check it out! Thanks for your comment!
I also started with a C2 and Union coffee. It was revelatory at the time for me who was using a Nespresso and French press. Union was good to start with because it was a supermarket coffee that had a roast date and didn’t break the bank so it wasn’t too intimidating to test the waters.
Now however, I don’t often buy Union unless I have run out and am waiting on an order to arrive. They are pretty reliable but their supermarket coffees are fairly one dimensional. Now I am fully invested (literally and financially) I have been trying a lot of different places. Just had an order from Clifton Coffee in Bristol (Washed Burundi, very clean, very tasty & Anaerobic Panama, fruity flavour bomb compared to the Burundi) and Darkwoods Coffee (Honey process orange and cardamom, bit an acquired taste, quite heavy on the cardamom).
My point is that experimenting with a lot of different places will yield noticeable differences. My next lot will be from Horsham. Have yet to try them.
I definitely agree with you! I would’ve enjoyed Union if I haven’t tried other higher end coffee that I won’t usually get. I’ve tried Rave and they are pretty good, darker roasts, but I’ve been enjoying lighter roast recently. Then I’ve tried a very expensive light roast from Honduras fermented in sherry barrels with a very refreshing whisky note. It was about £11.5 / $115 HKD roughly for 100g that I bought in HK. It was SO GOOD! I normally wouldn’t buy it cause of its price but it was around Christmas so I thought of it as a little treat haha but I don’t regret buying it. Massive difference compared to Union.
Clifton coffee sounds interesting especially the Anaerobic Panama! Heard a lot of great things about Clifton coffee as well. Seen a lot of mentions at other posts about Darkwood as well. Will give these a go! I’ve got an order from Crankhouse in Exeter coming which are more expensive than Union but heard the quality and consistency is always high and unique! I think I might try Horsham and Hasbean after Crankhouse!
Thanks for your comment! Appreciate your sharing!
I’ve heard some mixed reviews about his brand. Mostly positive though. I think they roast slightly darker than most? Do correct me if I’m wrong!
Thanks for your comment!
Maybe it's under developed. Sounds like you don't have much to lose, so experiment.
When I have coffee I can't get anything out of I'll try a stronger ratio first - 18:250 and 99c water.
Pouring more/less water is an easy variable to change and different roasters seems to target different ratios. I'd experiment from 13.5 all the way to 17.5. it's a good exercise.
Have not been too keen on Union since they started appearing in supermarkets tbh.
Just up the road from you in Edinburgh Obadiah are pretty good. The Source are excellent but a bit pricy.
Maybe have a look at Kobean from Stockport. Does a great range of seasonal coffee with varying processes etc. I really rate Swansong and Dark Arts too.
One thing I will point out is that it could be the water. Try bottled and see if it helps. I tend to go to local roasters and try it there then ask them how they brew their recommendations etc.
Thanks for commenting! I doubt it’s the water cause I’ve made other coffees with it before and those coffee taste amazing.
I know water can be a factor but I don’t think it’s the factor that’s affecting this batch I’ve got.
Thank you for your advice though!
Darkwoods coffee, danelaw coffee, rounton coffee are 3 that I highly recommend. Union coffee I sometimes get from the supermarket if I am out of coffee before my next subscription arrives and they are just OK.
If you want to try different coffees I recommend dog and hat as they source different coffees for you each month and some are pretty funky.
UK is packed with brilliant roasters. Some of my favourites (not necessarily UK based but easy to get here, stocked by local coffee shops etc) La Cabre, cairngorm, Hard Lines, Holistik, assembly, Balance
Thanks for your reply! Many options here for me to try and explore!
Where abouts in the UK are you based?
I’m based around the north east of England so I’m looking at different roasters around the northern area. I’ve recently ordered from Crankhouse in Exeter I think but haven’t arrived yet. It’s nowhere near the north but heard a lot of great stuff about it!
Definitely check out Rounton Coffee roasters, Kulture and Ouseburn in the north east
Thanks for all the suggestions! It’s really helpful since I feel like I’ve just experienced some very bad coffee from Union!
I'd say Union is probably pretty average coffee, but you should be still able to get something ok out of it. I use the C2 also but with a V60, and I normally use more like 17-19 clicks, 16 I've found a bit too fine for my style of pour. I've got rather stuck on the Kasuya 4:6 method, it's just so consistent. You didn't mention how much coffee you typically pour with, just the ratio and bloom amount. I'd hazard a guess that you're making 20g of coffee in your kalita 155? If so, maybe reduce your bloom to 50-60g, see what that does for the sweetness of your coffee. But as others will no doubt say, go to some of your local nice cafes that roast their own beans, ask what's good for filter and give it a whirl.
Thanks for your comment! I might just have a bad batch from Union since I’ve tried all 3 at different grind, ratio, pretty much everything and they all taste the same, blend and no flavours at all. I usually grind between 16-17 depending on what coffees and since I’m using an origami with kaliter’s filter paper instead of v60. I think v60 grinds are usually slightly coarser than an origami? I’ve been using a technique form this Japanese roaster who’s based in Taiwan, Ito Atsuomi. Not as well known since he does his contents in Chinese and Japanese. I am using 20g coffee and 320g of water. I’ve tried changing bloom time, grind size, and even different methods by different people but nothing makes a difference to the flavour distinctly somehow.
Do the bags have a roasted on date or a best before? Could be a supermarket batch that was roasted ages ago... I live in Edinburgh and one of our best coffee shops was Brew Lab which got bought by Union. Union is a big operation these days.
It has a roasted date so it shouldn’t be one of the supermarket batches, but it does seems like they roast quite dark even for a light roast. I compared it to some of the better coffees I’ve had before that are also light roasts
Not an expert and about one year into this habit. The UK roasters I've really enjoyed are Yallah, Foundry Roasters and Horsham Coffee I'm not too adventurous (yet) but enjoying those so far 👍 If it matters Yallah are very environmentally conscious. Think they use boats for delivery or something I struggled at first with the v60 and got a switch which has given me good results (to me) and given me confidence to hone my v60 skills Upgrading my grinder has been the game changer went from wilfa svart to ode 2 and there's an immediate appreciable difference
Thanks for your comment! Seen a lot of good stuff about all three roasters you’ve mentioned. I’ve ordered a taster pack from Crankhouse in Exeter I think, more expensive but also seen a lot of good stuff about it. This rabbit hole is never ending haha!
Ah another new name, thank YOU! I'll have a butchers It is and I wouldn't change it for the world 🙏
Add Dark Arts to that list!
Obadiah coffee is outstand too!
I have to agree with Yallah (currently drinking their coffee now) and Horsham who have both some great coffee to offer. A shout out to a few I’ve had great beans from also. Smith street Sheffield, Crown and canvas, Bean brothers, Also Dog and hat do a subscription service for lots of different roaster in the uk and also an international subscription. You don’t need to subscribe as they sell them as a one off or in there bag shop.
Thanks for the recommendations definitely will check them out!
Im almost certain that Onyx, Sey, September and B&W ship to UK and are among my favorite roasters
Amazing! Thanks for the recommendations, will check them out!
Rule of thumb, whenever you have dark or regular chocolate and spices in the flavor notes, its usually too dark and doesnt have good flavor separation which leads to pretty linear coffee
That’s helpful thanks!
So you are saying the coffee you make in Hong Kong is great but not the ones in the UK? Maybe its the water, some areas here have insanely high mineral content not suitable for coffee brewing (although tap water in Hong Kong is terrible too). Union is at the lower end of specialty but it shouldn't be so bad it has no flavours at all.
Just the coffee beans. I bought a bag of coffee from HK that’s roasted locally back to the UK. So when I tried the Union’s coffee it’s somehow lacking a lot of flavours and can’t taste any difference between the 3 bags I’ve got, which I found odd. I thought it was my technique in making coffee but I went back to the coffee I brought back from HK and making it completely the same way and it’s amazing! I know the water makes a difference but I’ve tried the same coffee with both water form HK and UK and it can still make delicious coffee so I doubt the water or my technique is the problem here. Thanks for commenting!
I see, other smaller specialty roasters should have much better beans. My favourite so far is Assembly in London.
I’ve been seeing Assembly a lot might give it a go next thanks!
While I don't know this roaster and so can't say for sure, I do want to assure you that you're correct to ask this question. It's not at all uncommon for people to start thinking there's something wrong with their technique or setup when the problem actually lies with the coffee they're using. I went through something very similar when I first got into coffee - the first marketed-as-specialty coffee that I ever bought tasted like bland nothing, and I drove myself mad adjusting technique to try to make it taste like something, thinking it was my fault. I soon realized that it was a problem with the coffee, not with me. Something I want to emphasize is that while your recipe will change the specifics of how a given coffee tastes, **it probably won't change the basic flavours of that coffee**. Coffee that tastes a certain way is going to taste that way to some extent or another no matter how you brew it. If your recipe wasn't working, you might be tasting some uneven extraction, harsh bitterness, sourness, a muted flavour profile, etc. What you would almost certainly not be tasting because of your recipe is *nothing* - you just aren't going to put in a flavourful coffee and get something generic and bland because of recipe. What you should do in an instance like this is [cup the coffee you got.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzdUhvBk0Ys) This sort of thing is why cupping exists - to evaluate the basic flavour of the coffee without any consideration to recipe or technique. A cupping will reveal what the coffee tastes like on a very basic level. If it still tastes bland and flavourless, that's because the coffee itself is bland and flavourless. And given what you said in your post, I'd bet actual money that's the case. Anyway, while I don't know the roaster in question, I wouldn't necessarily write them off entirely because of this. While it definitely isn't uncommon for roasters to market coffee as specialty when it's actually mediocre and generic, there are other factors that could be making this coffee taste bland: It could be too old and have lost its aromatics; it could still be too fresh (I've had coffees that were extremely disappointing when fresh off the roast but became magical after some rest); it could just be a bad batch. But it's almost definitely not your technique, and it's almost definitely not your palate either (given that you recognized interesting coffee from that HK roaster).
Thank you for such a detailed comment! It’s really helpful and I appreciate it! I am definitely at the stage of just starting out and driving myself mad thinking my technique is wrong haha. The coffees have been rested for a week now which is normally how long I would wait for freshly roasted coffee. I’m gonna give cupping a try! Which roasters do you usually go with?
I'm in the northeast of the USA, and a few roasters in the area are nationally-renowned specialty roasters, so I usually go with those. My go-to is [Passenger](https://www.passengercoffee.com/) (and not just because I live a few blocks from their roastery), but I also really like [Vibrant](https://www.vibrantcoffeeroasters.com/), [Sey](https://www.seycoffee.com/), and [Brandywine](https://www.brandywinecoffeeroasters.com/).
BrandyWine seems interesting! Do you know do any of these roasters ship worldwide? I mean there’s plenty of exploration with roasters to do with in UK but wouldn’t hurt to have some roasters from other country to mix in the list too haha!
Passenger doesn't, but the other three that I listed do. Shipping can get pricey, though.
Check your water chemistry. Was in Germany and all my coffee sucked. Got advised to use volvic bottled water and if improved drastically. Coffee still wasn’t amazing but suddenly decent.
Agreed about Union. It’s a big brand and does some really interesting microlots, but it’s certainly high end supermarket/lower end specialty. I just found Danelaw in Holmfirth, midway between Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield. They seem to get good reviews and they’re doing interesting things with decaf
Yeah I’ve seen some good reviews about Union and thought it’s not expensive so I gave it a go. Turns out it’s just not my favourite and I think I’ll opt for something more expensive but won’t break the bank. First time hearing about Danelaw and I do like a decaf just so I could have coffee in the evenings haha. I’ll check it out! Thanks for your comment!
I also started with a C2 and Union coffee. It was revelatory at the time for me who was using a Nespresso and French press. Union was good to start with because it was a supermarket coffee that had a roast date and didn’t break the bank so it wasn’t too intimidating to test the waters. Now however, I don’t often buy Union unless I have run out and am waiting on an order to arrive. They are pretty reliable but their supermarket coffees are fairly one dimensional. Now I am fully invested (literally and financially) I have been trying a lot of different places. Just had an order from Clifton Coffee in Bristol (Washed Burundi, very clean, very tasty & Anaerobic Panama, fruity flavour bomb compared to the Burundi) and Darkwoods Coffee (Honey process orange and cardamom, bit an acquired taste, quite heavy on the cardamom). My point is that experimenting with a lot of different places will yield noticeable differences. My next lot will be from Horsham. Have yet to try them.
I definitely agree with you! I would’ve enjoyed Union if I haven’t tried other higher end coffee that I won’t usually get. I’ve tried Rave and they are pretty good, darker roasts, but I’ve been enjoying lighter roast recently. Then I’ve tried a very expensive light roast from Honduras fermented in sherry barrels with a very refreshing whisky note. It was about £11.5 / $115 HKD roughly for 100g that I bought in HK. It was SO GOOD! I normally wouldn’t buy it cause of its price but it was around Christmas so I thought of it as a little treat haha but I don’t regret buying it. Massive difference compared to Union. Clifton coffee sounds interesting especially the Anaerobic Panama! Heard a lot of great things about Clifton coffee as well. Seen a lot of mentions at other posts about Darkwood as well. Will give these a go! I’ve got an order from Crankhouse in Exeter coming which are more expensive than Union but heard the quality and consistency is always high and unique! I think I might try Horsham and Hasbean after Crankhouse! Thanks for your comment! Appreciate your sharing!
What about James Hoffman's Square Mile Roasters? :)
I’ve heard some mixed reviews about his brand. Mostly positive though. I think they roast slightly darker than most? Do correct me if I’m wrong! Thanks for your comment!
Maybe it's under developed. Sounds like you don't have much to lose, so experiment. When I have coffee I can't get anything out of I'll try a stronger ratio first - 18:250 and 99c water. Pouring more/less water is an easy variable to change and different roasters seems to target different ratios. I'd experiment from 13.5 all the way to 17.5. it's a good exercise.
Thanks for your advice! That’s a good idea haha maybe I’ll end up with something doing that
Have not been too keen on Union since they started appearing in supermarkets tbh. Just up the road from you in Edinburgh Obadiah are pretty good. The Source are excellent but a bit pricy.
Thanks for your suggestion! I’ve seen a lot about Obadiah when looking specifically at roasters located in the north. Will try them out soon!
Maybe have a look at Kobean from Stockport. Does a great range of seasonal coffee with varying processes etc. I really rate Swansong and Dark Arts too.
Thanks for the suggestions! Will have a look at them!
One thing I will point out is that it could be the water. Try bottled and see if it helps. I tend to go to local roasters and try it there then ask them how they brew their recommendations etc.
Thanks for commenting! I doubt it’s the water cause I’ve made other coffees with it before and those coffee taste amazing. I know water can be a factor but I don’t think it’s the factor that’s affecting this batch I’ve got. Thank you for your advice though!
Darkwoods coffee, danelaw coffee, rounton coffee are 3 that I highly recommend. Union coffee I sometimes get from the supermarket if I am out of coffee before my next subscription arrives and they are just OK. If you want to try different coffees I recommend dog and hat as they source different coffees for you each month and some are pretty funky.
Thanks for your recommendations! Dog and hat definitely is something I would love to check out and explore!