Eight mouth-watering bags by London coffee roasters

If you’ve already heard of any of the roasteries on this list, it’ll most likely be Monmouth Coffee. The Monmouth branches at Borough and Covent Garden are well-renowned as coffee havens, and, judging by their usually-enormous queues, that reputation precedes them. The Finca Perla Del Valle bag contains traditionally washed Colombian beans roasted in Bermondsey, and it’s simply a sublime medium roast. With hints of grape and kiwi, it’s a slightly acidic, medium body bag that tastes exactly as refined and curated as all Monmouth brews do. 

Union Coffee’s signature espresso blend is one of the east London roastery’s most popular roasts – if not their most popular. A dark roast of 100 percent Arabica beans with hints of treacle, cinnamon and dark chocolate, it justifies the hype. Union’s name stems from the company’s ethical bean-sourcing, which focuses on finding farmers directly and paying them a fair price. But the roastery’s signature bean is much more than just eco-hype – it’s a magnificently strong, rich and complex blend.

For something a little lighter, airier and more suitable for milk coffee, check out the George Street Blend, Kiss the Hippo’s house bag. A half-Peruvian, half-Colombian batch hand-roasted in Richmond, the George Street has echoes of chocolate, red berries and butterscotch. In short: it’s got a deep, sumptuous sweetness and a somewhat syrupy body – but it isn’t too strong, bitter or acidic. The George Street Blend is a little pricier than a lot of the others in this list, but that’s because it’s got a strict sustainable focus, being both certified organic by the Soil Association and carbon negative.

Confusingly, Square Mile’s roastery isn’t actually in ‘The Square Mile’ (i.e. The City of London). It’s actually in a far more beautiful place, sat overlooking the Walthamstow Wetlands. Anyway, we’re here to rep Macho, a Costa Rican bean named after its producer (Efrain 'Macho' Naranjo) and one of Square Mile’s finest roasts. Eagerly anticipated when it comes into season each year, Macho is almost desert-like in its creamy, honeyed blend of pear, almond and sultana. A real sweet treat.

Bold by name, bold by… you get it. Roasted in Brixton with 100 percent Arabica beans, Volcano’s Coffee Works’ Bold Morning Shot is a loud smack of sharp stone fruits, bitter dark chocolate and treacly molasses. Coming from another roastery with impressive ethical, carbon-neutral and sustainable credentials, this is a great coffee to shock you into action for the rest of the day. And the Shot is versatile, too. Cafetiere, Moka pot, press, filter – you name it, this tastes good brewed with it.

Assembly Coffee is all about the details. Buy a bag from them and info about the farmer who grew the beans, the region, the process, and the altitude are all plain to see. When it comes to the Gora Kone, you’ll see the beans were grown by smallholders in the Uddo Hadamma Kebele, Ethiopia, at a height of 2100 metres above sea level. What does that mean for the taste? We’re not sure, really – but it’s damn good. This Brixton-roasted bag features tastes suggesting pineapple and black tea, a rich but tasteful bean.

Kahwati Coffee offers something a little different to the rest on this list. It’s a Turkish coffee brand, meaning that it specialises in exceptionally finely ground coffee that’s a notch stronger than normal espressos. But this bag comes un-ground, a medium roast, single-origin Arabica kind roasted in Wembley. Boasting a balanced flavour (with hints of vanilla, hazelnut and cocoa) and a middle-ground for aroma and acidity, it’s also versatile – as good for a traditional, strong Turkish coffee as it is for pairing with milk.