Our story

Started with one roaster and a borrowed grinder

Bean There opened in 2016 in a former shoe repair shop on Mill Lane. The counter is still the original one, sanded down twice.

Coffee beans being weighed on a scale in the Bean There roastery

Small batches, no shortcuts

We roast twelve kilos at a time on a 1970s drum roaster we rebuilt ourselves. It is slower than the machines most shops use, and it gives us a lot more control over the curve.

Every batch is cupped the next morning before it goes anywhere near the bar. If it is not good enough to drink black, it does not get sold.

We buy green coffee through two importers who publish what they pay the farms. It is not a perfect system, but it is one we can explain to anyone who asks.

By the numbers

Ten years on Mill Lane

2016 First espresso pulled on 4 March

12 kg Batch size on the drum roaster

6 Farms we buy from directly or via importers

Behind the counter

The people you will meet

Mara, co-owner and head roaster, at the roaster — **Mara Ellis** Co-owner, head roaster

Theo, co-owner, behind the espresso machine — **Theo Nakamura** Co-owner, espresso

Priya, head barista, pouring filter coffee — **Priya Raman** Head barista, filter

What we care about

Three things we will not compromise on

They are not complicated, and they have not changed since the first week.

Freshness: nothing on the shelf older than three weeks
Fair pay: transparent pricing from farm to cup
Waste: spent grounds go to the community garden next door

Come and say hello

Mara is usually at the roaster on Tuesday mornings. Ask for a tour, she will happily give you one.

Find the shop