10 Great Irish Coffee Roasters 2021
Thu Apr 15 2021
10 Great Irish Coffee Roasters To Try Right Now written by Melanie May
In Ireland, we are drinking more coffee at home than ever before. If you are as fussy as we are when it comes to caffeine, here are some great coffee roasters in Ireland that you need to try, right now. They are all scattered across the island but will deliver whole beans or fresh ground coffee straight to your door. Not into home brew? You can also try all of these roasters in cafes across the country.
This Dublin-based roaster sources only the very best single-origin beans, most of which are organic. Owner, Gary Grant, brings really unusual coffee into Ireland like one of the world’s most exclusive coffees, the Panamanian Gesha. If you want to drink some exquisite coffees, sign up for the Imbibe Coffee Club. He’s a good lad, too, is Gary, 1 per cent of total sales go to Women’s Aid and he is a zero-waste advocate. This is coffee with a conscience.
Tony Speight of West Cork Coffee roasts a wonderful selection of beans at his speciality roastery at The Forge in Innishannon, West Cork. The coffee is a mix of natural, washed and experimental beans. A great way to sample these is to sign up for a coffee subscription. We are big fans of the Ethiopia GGRF Bold Beshadu beans for our morning brew.
Based in Mullingar, Westmeath, Bell Lane has been bringing brilliant beans to Ireland since 2012. The roasters have won nearly every award going for its speciality coffees, which included single-origin beans as well as tasty house blends. We love the Black Tie Espresso with its buttery mouthfeel and dark chocolate finish, but the Uganda Kisinga single-origin roast with its tropical notes is superb. You can taste Bell Lane coffee in cafes across the country or you can order directly from its website. There is a subscription service too.
Colin Harmon is credited with kicking off the Irish coffee revolution. He literally wrote the book on running coffee shops. His coffee is brewed in cafes all over the country as well as his own establishments, of which there are many, in Dublin. On the 3fe website, you can buy everything you need for brewing coffee at home but when it comes to what really matters, the coffee, 3fe produces some really good ones. The best thing about ordering coffee from here is that it is super fresh. It is roasted and then posted the next day. 3fe has a tasting subscription for those who like to regularly try new coffees.
Velo Coffee Roasters, founded by Rob Horgan, is based on the fringes of Cork city. At Velo, coffee is sourced from green bean merchants with high-quality beans with providence and traceability. The coffee is then carefully hand-roasted in Cork. Velo was part of the Grow with Aldi programme and the SuperValu Food Academy. However, the best place to shop is on the Velo Coffee website so you can choose from its extensive range. You’ll never run out of coffee again if you sign up for one of its subscription services.
The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery
The Old Barracks in Birdhill, Tipperary, is located in a beautiful old building that has an abundance of character, much like its coffees. The smell in the shop is heavenly and alongside your caffeine fix, you can also pick up some tasty artisan foods, with lots of local delicacies filling the shelves. We are huge fans of the Guji coffee but the house blend is also delicious. There are some lovely hampers and gift boxes that would be ideal for the coffee lover in your life.
Dublin-based roasters, Cloud Picker is a firm favourite with coffee connoisseurs due to the exciting beans that they source from small producers. We love the versatility of the Henry Blend but for something a bit different, try the Banka Natural from China. All beans are hand-roasted weekly to order and all of the products are individually hand-labelled, and every finish and tiny detail is lovingly considered.
Australian Brock Lewin set up Badger & Dodo with his father-in-law on a farm in Fermoy, Co Cork. From here, in their artisan roastery, they roast crop single-origin and single estate coffees. Keen to pass on their brew knowledge, Badger & Dodo offers courses through its prestigious Coffee Academy. There is a coffee subscription club too which offers some very interesting coffees including the washed, red bourbon beans from Burundi.
Based in Belfast, Bailies follows its coffee from bean to cup. The roasters are experts at bringing out the best flavours in the beans and have won numerous awards for their efforts. Its website is a one-stop-shop for all your brewing needs and the coffee subscription is a great way to try some of the most interesting roasts. Fancy a coffee with notes of cinnamon roll and oranges? Pick up a bag of the Colombia Planadas decaf. If you need more of a caffeine kick, the fruity Ethiopia Hunkute is a beautiful brew.
We are spoiled for choice when it comes to great Irish coffee roasters. But, if you want to try more than one roaster have a look at the subscription service offered by Bean Delivered. Each month, Bean Delivered sources coffee from Ireland’s top roasters from all over the country, whether that’s Dingle or Donegal, Celbridge or Cork. These coffees are then delivered straight to your door. It is a great way to try a wide range of coffees and support Irish businesses along the way.
