The Best Coffee Subscription Services

In the UK, approximately 98 million cups of coffee are quaffed everyday, according to the British Coffee Association. Are you one of the 80 percent of Brits who buy a coffee in a high street coffee shop at least once every week? Or, God forbid, are you one of the 16 percent who visits a coffee shop every day? No judgement here, but if you’re looking to tighten the purse strings, a coffee subscription could be what you need, for a high quality cup of joe at home. The independent coffee scene is thriving, with an ever-growing collection offering freshly roasted, high-quality beans from all over the world direct to your doorstep. But they’re impressive in other ways too: raising money for antislavery projects, saving indigenous land in the Amazon rainforest, and donating coffee to NHS workers, to name a few. Here’s our pick of the best coffee delivery services to keep your cup full.

Best Coffee Subscription Services

Watch House

In the past, Watch House’s HQ served as a shelter for men guarding the graveyard of St Mary Magdalen’s Church on Bermondsey Street. Today, the space honours its former role by providing a contemporary sanctuary for coffee lovers. Watch House sources beans from independent suppliers all over the world, then goes on to roast them at its London premises, with a focus on provenance, flavour and quality. Its at-home delivery service, House at Home, offers weekly, fortnightly or monthly subscriptions, with a wide range of brewing options to choose from including whole bean, espresso, French press and V60. watchhouse.com

Kiss The Hippo

‘We believe that coffee can be a powerful force for good’, says London coffee roastery Kiss The Hippo. Sustainability is at the heart of this pioneering brand: it’s certified by the Soil Association, all coffee is made using an eco-friendly roaster, and the roastery is powered using renewable energy. The company is also involved in a number of environmental initiatives: to celebrate the opening of their Fitzrovia branch, for instance, Kiss The Hippo partnered with Rainforest Trust UK and saved 3,280 acres of indigenous land in Peru’s Amazon rainforest. Aside from that, the coffee is excellent. Try it for yourself by signing up to their subscription service, which features both single origin and blended coffee. Weekly subscription from £12. kissthehippo.com

Manumit

This not-for-profit Cardiff-based roastery ticks all the boxes for good coffee: interesting flavours, seasonal, and ethically sourced. But the most interesting part is the brand’s work surrounding antislavery. Manumit coffee is roasted, packaged and shipped by survivors of modern slavery – you can read their harrowing stories on the website. Employees are given support on re-entering the workplace and paid above the living wage, with all coffee profits going towards local antislavery projects. The current house roast is Boza Natural, a natural coffee from El Salvador with taste notes of chocolate, plum jam and toffee. Weekly subscription from £6.40. manumitcoffee.co.uk

The Roasting Shed

Pre-coronavirus The Roasting Shed operated on a wholesale basis, selling direct to restaurants. In light of the current situation they’ve launched a subscription service for consumers, offering weekly or fortnightly deliveries of artisan coffee. Beans are roasted in small batches to ensure unique flavours are highlighted, such as the red grape in the La Familia blend, the nutmeg in Ywangan, and the molasses in Tatama. Weekly subscription from £10. theroastingshed.com

Origin Coffee

As reflected in the name, where the coffee comes from is fundamental to Origin Coffee. Every year they travel around the world in search of great coffee – El Salvador, Colombia, Nicaragua – meeting farmers along the way and hearing their unique stories. Coffee is directly traded too: they pay at least 50 per cent over Fairtrade prices. And the stories behind each cup are communicated to consumers: each coffee delivery that arrives at your door will contain information on the country of origin, farm, processing methods and flavour notes. The Mainstay subscription is best suited to those who prefer to stick to classic coffee, while the Feature option offers more of a variety. For the ultimate lockdown treat opt for the chocolate and coffee subscription, a new partnership with Ecuadorian chocolate brand Rio Nuevo. From £8 per send. origincoffee.co.uk

Hundred House Coffee

Before the existence of shires or counties, The Hundred House was traditionally the meeting place for every hundredth of land – a place for communities to come together. Centuries on, Hundred House Coffee aims to do something similar: bring people together over a cup of coffee. The roastery is based in a converted barn in Shropshire, in a yard shared with other rural-living, speciality-driven food producers. Beans are ethically sourced from eco-conscious growers around the world, and used to create a selection of espresso blends – ranging from sweet and jammy to fruity to pure organic. Rolling subscription from £9.50 for 227g. hundredhousecoffee.com

Grind at Home

Grind coffee’s new subscription service is made with the planet in mind. Not only is the coffee 100 per cent organic and certified by the Soil Association, it comes in plastic-free, compostable packaging – even the pretty pink tins can be recycled. Coffee is available in either a whole-bean, ground or compostable pod format, with two blends to choose from: The House Blend, which has notes of chocolate, hazelnut and cream, or the Black Bend, a lighter option with floral hints. Compostable tin refills available as a letter-box friendly subscription from £13.50 per month. grind.co.uk

Independent Coffee Box

Tour the UK’s independent coffee scene from home with Independent Coffee Box, a subscription service which brings you a rotating selection of coffees from the UK’s best independent roasteries. All beans involved are sourced from top-quality roasters across the country, and they’ll arrive at your doorstep within days of being roasted to ensure ultimate freshness. The process couldn’t be easier: just select your home brew set-up and the experts will select pick styles to best suit your preferred serve. Monthly subscription from £19.99. indycoffeebox.co.uk