The more I dig, the more this list could turn into a two-parter, three-parter or beyond.
Like craft beer before it, coffee is on a serious rise in Ireland. From large-scale roasteries to micro-operations, corner shop cafés to pandemic-inspired trailer offerings, it would seem that the coffee trade in Ireland is booming. I know I’ve probably spent more on coffee in the past 12 months than on beer and wine, and I do like a good craft beer or a bottle of red.
All that said, I’m on a mission to broaden my coffee horizons for 2024, and while the likes of Cakeface, The Gourmet Store and Little Green Grocer to name but a few outlets in Kilkenny will go a long way toward satisfying the home coffee enthusiasts of the world, a 2022 article in the Irish Examiner would put the number of independent Irish coffee roasteries at over 200. That’s a lot of coffee to explore and maybe one day I’ll write them all up.
For now, and it being 17 January, I’ve picked 17 Irish roasteries of all shapes and sizes that will deliver freshly roasted coffee straight to your door, just in case you can’t make it to your local deli or market, or you’re simply looking for something new.
1. Cakeface
First up is a home call to Cakeface in Kilkenny. Purveyors of some of the finest cakes known to man, the roaster is a more recent addition to operations at their Irishtown base in the heart of Kilkenny city.
From their website, you can pick up a bag of Cakeface Sitio Lagoa – Brazilian in 250g or 1kg size. In store, you’ll also get their own roast along with a selection from other Irish roasters including 3fe, Imbibe and others.
2. Belfast Coffee Roasters
Belfast Coffee Roasters was set up in 2018, a stone’s throw away from Belfast city. Run by Allen and Rod, the team at Belfast Coffee Roasters “want our customers to experience different coffees from all around the world and we achieve this goal with deconstructing traditional supply chains and forging strong relationships with producers across the globe.”
with South American coffee featuring heavily, going from Mexico through Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, and more. on offer. Two subscriptions are also available, in either 250g or 1kg, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
Prices start at €7.95 for their Turbine Blend with a wealth of coffees, Free delivery on all orders over €25.
3. Artessa
Artessa in Carrick-on-Shanon (Leitrim) supply freshly roasted coffee within Ireland, Northern Ireland and the EU. Artessa was founded by Hungarian native Georgia Visnyei with the company roasting coffees for retail and trade in Leitrim for over ten years. From east Africa to El Salvador to a heavy-bodied certified organic Indonesia Sumatra, there’s plenty to choose from with subscription offers to match.
4. Imbibe Coffee Roasters
Since I stared asking around, Dublin’s Imbibe Coffee Roasters have been a regular occurrence in conversation. One of their hallmarks is in giving back and it’s hard not to admire the cut of their jib with 1% of all sales going to Women’s Aid, a further 1% to projects at coffee original and another 1% shared among staff.
Imbibe started roasting coffee in May 2018 but their coffee club precedes that with a discounted bundle of coffees offered once a month (it’s not a subscription service). Their online shop brings weekly suggestions, and a large selection of single-origin and certified-organic coffees.
Free shipping on orders over €25.
5. Carrow Coffee Roasters
With my own family line firmly rooted in Sligo, Carrow Coffee Roasters are next on the list. Run by Paola and Andrew, roasting takes place on Carrowgarry Farm at Beltra, about ten minutes the near side of Ballysadare.
Taking a passion for coffee from Columbia to the West of Ireland, the Carrow duo favour light-to-medium roasts, allowing a bean’s instrinsic flavour to shine through. A Q Grader, Andrew’s background is in journalism and he started roasting in their apartment while living in Bogota. Trieste native Paola’s background is in project and communications management.
Prices start from €10.50 for their Serra Do Cigano Go-To Espresso with the fruity and complex Honduran Confite running €15 per 250g bag. As of December they were also hiring for a roastery assistant. Free shipping in Ireland and Northern Ireland on all orders over €40. Use the code SHIPFREE.
6. Bailies Coffee
Bailies is another Belfast-based operation. If you’re having a browse around, there’s also some decent reading from 2023 on their blog for tips onV60 brewing, steaming milk, the coffee process and more.
Shipping costs for a single 250g bag run at GBP2.50, going up to GBP2.85 for shipping up to 2kg.
7. Upside Coffee
Based in Dublin, Upside have been roasting since 2016 and as they say themselves, they’re all about making great coffee easy to enjoy, whether you’re new to the brew or know your Brazil from your Burundi. Coffee subscriptions run from €34 monthly with selection boxes also available as gifts. Kudos to their packaging as well for the fun designs. If you’re after a little sweetness in your coffee and you’re an Aeropress fan, check out their Guatemala Tzikin Huehuetenango but best of luck when asking for it in your nearest coffee bar.
Free shipping over 1kg within Ireland.
8. Bell Lane Coffee Roasters
Bell Lane’s new minimalist-looking packaging catches the eye straight away and they’ve got over a decade of roasting experience from their base in Mullingar. Their coffee is sourced seasonally and their range evolves throughout the year. Exclusive farmer relationships mean (for you) access to new varieties, origins and coffee processes too. Orders start at €9.50 which shipping at €6. Get 10% off your first order with a newsletter signup.
9. Silverskin Coffee
Silverskin have been roasting in Dublin since 2012. Brian Kenny’s journey has seen him represent Ireland at the World of Coffee Cup Tasters Championship through to running the coffee kiosk in Ballsbridge, working an ever-changing menu that brought freshly roast and ground coffee to the masses at the roadside in the heart of Dublin 4. Flash forward a few years and Silverskin saw a move to a state-of-the-art facility in 2019 where they continue to rotate their coffee selection with a focus on hybrid varietals and experimental fermentation.
Subscriptions are available in two varieties – €60 for a six-month house blend subscription, €80 for a single-origin subscription for the same time. Among their rare coffees, you’ll find the Cafe Granja La Esperanza Gesha Cerro Azul Hybrid Wash, a 90+ points coffee running at €50 for 100g.
10. Badger & Dodo
One of the longest operating and a name very familiar on the coffee scene is Badger & Dodo. A regular at Savour Kilkenny over the years, Badger & Dodo coffee is pouring here in Kilkenny (certainly in REDMILLS anyway). Direct farm relationships mean access to coffee you may not find elsewhere, along with limited and seasonal releases. Among their best-sellers online are Brazil Recreio (with notes of chocolate, orange, pecan), Jam Jar Espresso and Blackwater Blend (milk chocolate, praline and orange).
11. Bear Market
With a roastery in Stillorgan, Dublin, Bear Market’s online collection brings you a choice of six on the espresso front, more on the filter front (including a surprise collection), along with a selection of their own compostable Nespresso-compatible coffee pods. Their monthly subscription allows you to build a plan that includes free delivery for the duration of the subscription, a free keep cup, 10% saving on each coffee order, early access to limited/new releases and at least one free coffee sample every month. Subscription amounts come in 500g (30 cup) or 1kg (60 cup) sizes, starting at €20 per month.
12. Creed Coffee Roasters
Creed Coffee Roasters, based in Celbridge (Kildare) and with an outlet on Dublin’s Pearse Street offer several coffees online, all roasted weekly and ground to order. Their Peru-Cajamarca roast makes for a balanced brew, sweet and mellow with toffee and citrus fruit flavours. Coffee offerings vary from season to season and from a wide variety of coffee-producing regions. Delivery free within the Republic of Ireland, with wholesale options also available.
13. Neighbourhood Carlow
Neighbourhood Coffee on Carlow’s Barrack Street has been packing a punch and some rave reviews for a while.
On the scene in the heart of Carlow town since 2017, Brian and the Neighbourhood crew hand roast their own specialty grade coffee in Carlow. From their website (and in store too on Barrack Street) you can buy whole bean offerings from Honduras, Costa Rica (El Perezoso), El Salvador (El Cipres), Brazil (Caixa Da Fruta) and more with prices starting at €14.
14. Trá Coffee
Based out of the Dunhill Ecopark in Waterford, Tom and Alan both started off in the Irish army before making the leap from peacekeeping missions to roasting coffee. While you can get their coffees in the likes of Ardkeen Stores (great spot), Mezze, Tramore’s Cove Stores and more, online you can pick up the duo’s takes on coffees from Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia and El Salvador along with their Colombian coffee bags.
15. McCabe’s Specialty Coffee
McCabe’s Specialty Coffee in Co. Wicklow offers a variety of blends and single-origin coffees, as well as a coffee subscription service for those who want to receive fresh beans regularly. Q Graders they work with, both in Ireland and abroad, grade the quality of their coffee with a score out of 100. Specialty Coffee must score 80 or above. The majority of McCabe’s coffees score between +85 and +90 and some in the +90 to +92 range. Browsing through their website and reading more about their offerings, you get a good sense of why they’ve been roasting coffee for close on 30 years in Ireland.
16. Stone Valley Coffee Roasters
Musicians John and Tom decided in 2017 that on top of their night job as the saviours of rock and roll they should start their own coffee business. They began roasting in a 19th-century stone shed in a valley (hence the name) and never looked back. They feature some of the best coffee around, freshly roasted in Clonakilty in the heart of west Cork. Always specialty-grade and always roasted to perfection. Tom is the roaster and John is the guy who pretends he can identify all the tasting notes. Labelling is tidy by design with roasts packing fun names like Smiling At The Sound, Look Into Infinity, Heaven Ain’t Close, Don’t You Remember.
17 Ponaire Coffee (Tipperary)
Newport, Tipperary, is home to the Jennifer & Tommy Ryan-founded Ponaire (the Irish for ‘bean’). Set up in 2006, Ponaire only import high-grade Arabica beans from around the world – India, Indonesia, Colombia, Nicaragua, El Salvador (where they sponsor a soccer team) and more.
New on their website is the Ponaire Sumatra Aceh from Ratu Ketiara Gayo Farm. with a low-to-medium acidity and herbal, bittersweet flavours, priced from €12. Coffee is roasted to order for customers within 3-4 days, sometimes even quicker. Online they also offer a 1/3/6/12 month subscription.
Who did I miss?
I know this list is far from exhaustive and in fairness, it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to coffee in Ireland. If you’ve got a favourite brew that you’d love to share or shine a spotlight on, then drop me a line at any stage – ken@kenonfood.com – to point me in the right direction. For me, I’m all about trying new coffees this year so this won’t be the only list of roasters you’ll see published this year, but it’s a good start. Maybe you’ve tried some of the above, others you may not have heard of at all. If you have, sound off in the comments below and let me know what’s good!
