Are you looking for an Independent coffee roaster?

Independent coffee roasteries are born from people with a passion for coffee.

Often, indie coffee roasters started out in other jobs, jobs entirely unrelated to coffee. They have always had a passion for great coffee – they might even have had a go at roasting their own – but they won’t have thought about making it their career.

Until that lightbulb moment. The moment when you realise that, hey, coffee could be more than a hobby: it could be a way of life. It could be what we do, day in, day out.

Aaand… so came Two Chimps Coffee

This is how Two Chimps came about. Andy and Laura previously worked as wedding photographers, photographing newlyweds up and down the country. They enjoyed their work but the unsociable hours and weekend work meant that their careers didn’t fit around family life.

Andy and Laura had always had a flair for great-tasting speciality coffee. They often roasted coffee for their wedding clients, impressing them with their freshly roasted beans. So, when the time came for a change, Andy and Laura decided to turn their passion into a business and launch Two Chimps Coffee. They spent lots of time learning all there is to know about coffee, roasting and brewing before opening the Two Chimps roastery in 2016. It’s been a challenge, especially during the pandemic, but Andy and Laura have never looked back since!

Great coffee from great people

As one of the only indie companies roasting speciality beans by hand, you already know you are getting something pretty unique at Two Chimps. However, Andy and Laura knew they still needed to make Two Chimps stand out. Let us tell you how…

Speciality coffee can sometimes come across as snobbish (you must buy whole beans, you must use x device, blah, blah). Andy and Laura believe that artisan coffee can be enjoyed by everyone and wanted to make Two Chimps fun, down-to-earth and playful.

We’re not ‘preachy’ – we don’t tell you what grind you should choose or which brew method is best. We advise, of course, but we leave the final decision up to you, because you know your tastebuds best! We understand that it can feel intimidating when people talk about flavour profiles and tasting notes. Not everyone will be able to pick out those ‘winey flavours’ or the ‘undertones of nutmeg and dried cherry’ stamped on the packaging, but that doesn’t matter, as long as you enjoy the taste! The world can be serious but coffee doesn’t need to be – it just needs to be fun!

Fresh is best – no jest!

That said, there’s one thing we do want you to know, and that’s that fresh is best. Andy hand-roasts our Arabica beans in small batches of 12kg to give him full control over every element. We also roast multiple times a week and never store beans after they’ve been roasted; this way, we can deliver the very freshest coffee to your door every time. Ordering our coffee little and often rather than in large batches is the best way to go as it means you’ll always be well-stocked with freshly-roasted beans. We recommend enjoying our coffee within 12 weeks after the roast (our roast dates are hand-written on the back, so you’ll always know the exact date your beans got toasty in the roasty ?). It’s still safe to drink after that, but the flavours won’t be as fresh and vibrant.

Plenty of other perks come with choosing Two Chimps Coffee. We offer free First Class delivery on all orders over £25, no matter how small, because we don’t believe in delivery charges. We’re also a climate positive coffee roastery so we’re a great company to go for if you’re keen to do your bit for the planet. What does carbon neutral (or climate positive – they are the same thing) mean? Essentially, it means that we take more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than we put in – go us!

What else sets Two Chimps apart? The fact that we are a jolly good bunch of people who believe in good fun and first-rate service. Just get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!

We also offer a coffee subscription service where you can get freshly roasted coffee as often as you need it!

What makes us truly independent?

1.       adj.

If one thing or person is independent of another, they are separate and not connected, so the first one is not affected or influenced by the second.

This, according to the dictionary, is what ‘independent’ means. Now, we’re not sure about the whole not being connected part (we love connecting ?) but we have certainly created a lovely, independent Two Chimps hub that offers a personalised service you won’t find anywhere else. We’re hands-on and do it all ourselves, from roasting our beans to sourcing new speciality coffees. We hand-deliver most of our local orders (you’ll probably see us drop off your delivery!) and speak to our stockists every week. This gives us a great insight into both the coffee beans we roast and the business we run, so we always know how to improve!

Independent v. commodity

Why choose  indie coffee over supermarket own brands which are, let’s face it, a bit cheaper? Reason 1: it tastes much better. Commodity coffee is made from low-grade coffee beans which have been over-roasted to remove impurities. This results in a bitter, burnt taste, rather than one that is fresh and inviting. Commodity coffee is very often stored after roasting, too. It’s still safe to drink, but the flavours will have become dull and uninspiring. That’s why our mantra is ‘fresh is best’; we know that coffee always tastes best when it’s fresh.

Skill and expertise is also something you won’t get from the supermarket, so that’s Reason 2. Unlike the bulk-roasting you’ll see in factories, we evaluate each batch of beans (by analysing their moisture and density) and tailor the roast to match. Andy roasts by hand, so can adapt the roasting times and temperatures if he needs to. What’s more, Andy uses all his senses to gauge the process and get it absolutely bang on. Now, that’s not something a factory robot can do!

Reason 3: ethical roasting. If we say our coffee is ethical, you’ll probably say that yours is too; it’s got the Fairtrade logo, after all. Organisations like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance are great for commodity coffee, but our speciality beans go above and beyond the standards they set. We pay between 30% and 150% more than the going rate for our coffee beans, and our direct trade sourcing means that a higher percentage goes straight to the farmer. We use an ethical coffee importer, too, which means we’re supporting development projects and sustainability work worldwide.

Wholesome and wholesale

We work with a lovely range of independent businesses to share our great coffee. Our wholesale partners include cafes, restaurants, farm shops, gyms and more!

All of our customers are small, independently owned businesses with a passion for great service. We’re proud to be an independent coffee roaster and love working with like-minded people. They support us and we support them. By using independent retailers, not only will you be supporting your local economy, but you’ll be showing your local high street some love and get the best quality produce in the process!

We’re a family business at Two Chimps, and would love to welcome you to the troop! So, if you are looking for an independent coffee roaster with a passion for great-tasting coffee, look no further! From coffee subscriptions to coffee, tea and hot chocolate gifts, we’re the answer to every coffee conundrum.

Our speciality coffees are ethically sourced, fast and free 1st class tracked delivery over £25 and taste utterly awesome. So what are you waiting for?

Start shopping!