Union Hand-Roasted are one of the original UK specialty roasters — founded in East London in 2001, a decade before the UK’s current coffee wave made specialty the mainstream conversation. Founders Steven Macatonia and Jeremy Torz were pioneering Direct Trade relationships with coffee farmers when most UK roasters were still buying commodity coffee.
Their approach combines genuine sourcing depth (long-term relationships, farm visits, above-market prices) with wide accessibility — Union are stocked in Waitrose, M&S Food, and numerous independent retailers across the UK. They occupy a useful middle ground: specialty quality, supermarket convenience.
The Revelation Espresso is their flagship blend; the Bright Note Filter their most accessible supermarket offering. Both are recommended.
Union Hand-Roasted Revelation espresso reviewed: fruit-forward with blood orange, milk chocolate, and blackcurrant. Rewards careful extraction.
Union Hand-Roasted's Bright Note filter coffee reviewed: a crowd-pleasing washed blend with citrus and toffee notes, well-suited to home filter brewing.