From the journal
Meet Excelsa
A third coffee species, grown in Uganda, that tastes like dried fig and tamarind. Why we bought ten bags.
ReadThis week from the roastery · José Fernando, Guatemala
red apple, roasted hazelnut, dried apricot.
Every bag carries the farmer's name, the roast date and what it tastes like in plain words. Roasted in small batches in Silvertown and posted within 24 hours.
José Fernando, Guatemala
Medium-light roast · Score 85.25
£12.35
Roasted to order, posted within 24 hoursFree UK delivery over £25Union Direct Trade since 2001Certified B Corporation
Familiar favourites
Do not know where to start? These three have been on the roast sheet for years.
How do you brew, and how dark?
Two questions are enough. Pick a row and a column and we will point you at one coffee, not forty.
Through the letterbox, before you run out.
Roasted the day it is packed. Every two or four weeks, free delivery, pause or cancel in one click. Most people pick Roaster's Choice and let us surprise them.
This season's lots
All single origins- José Fernando, GuatemalaLimited parcelred apple, roasted hazelnut, dried apricotMedium-light roast · 85.25£12.35
- Miguel Pérez, HondurasLimited parcelplum jam, cola, maple syrupMedium roast · 85.0£13.75
- Yayu Wild Forest, EthiopiaTen yearsbergamot, peach, jasmineLight roast · 86.0£11.50
- Excelsa, UgandaNew speciesdried fig, tamarind, dark honeyMedium roast · 84.0£14.50
- Gatomboya AA, KenyaHighest scoreblackcurrant, grapefruit, tomato leafLight roast · 86.5£13.50
- Maraba, Rwandablackcurrant, brown sugar, orangeMedium-light roast · 85.0£10.95
Union Direct Trade, in four lines.
We wrote our own sourcing standard in 2001 because the certifications did not go far enough. Every coffee we sell is bought this way, and the farmer's name is on the bag.
A price agreed with the farmer
Negotiated face to face, above the market and above the Fairtrade minimum, for quality we have cupped ourselves.
Long relationships
Most of our producers have sold to us for over five years; Yayu in Ethiopia for more than ten. We go back every season.
Quality scored and published
Every lot is cupped on arrival and scored. The score is on the product page, not in a drawer.
Roasted to order
Small-batch roasting in Silvertown, packed the same day, posted within 24 hours. The roast date is printed on every bag.
Cafés, restaurants, offices
Serve Union in your place.
Around half of what we roast goes to cafés, restaurants, offices and hotels. We train your team, service your machine and roast to your volume, from one kilo a week to a pallet.
Enquire about wholesale
