Built on seven hills, Edinburgh is a sprawling city and you can find centuries-old buildings with impressive modern architecture within walking distance. A walk along the Royal Mile will take you from the abstract Scottish Parliament building, past the cathedral and countless hidden gates, to Edinburgh Castle, from where you can look out over the city and see its biggest landmark. No matter how many times you come to the city, it’s hard not to get scared, it feels like you have to look with reverence at what surrounds you.
Edinburgh is a city of hidden gems. The historic districts of the Old City have a long history. You can even see footprints made by the people who built St Giles’ Cathedral, a building at the center of many of Scotland’s important historical events. Within walking distance you will find the bustling Georgian New Town. Further down you’ll find the lively community of Stockbridge with all the little independent shops and it’s not uncommon to see fruit stands outside.
One of Edinburgh’s best preserved hidden gems is the quality of the city’s roasters. Coffee has been roasted in the Scottish capital for over a decade, but the roasting industry has grown over the past few years with more businesses offering their own coffee. Let’s talk about some of the best coffee roasters in Edinburgh.
Fortitude Coffee has three cafes in Edinburgh, one in York Square in Newtown, another in central Stockbridge, and a coffee shop and bakery on Newington Road. Founded in 2014 by Matt and Helen Carroll, Fortitude started out as a coffee shop with multiple roasters. Then they decided to go into coffee roasting. We are lucky because today Fortitude is known for its cozy and cozy café and the quality of its roasted coffee. Roasted on a Diedrich IR-12, Fortitude serves coffee to coffee shops around the city, such as Cheapshot, a police station run by Edinburgh University students, and their online store.
Fortitude Coffee roasts coffee beans from all over the world, constantly innovating its products to bring new and exciting coffees to its customers. It is not uncommon to see beans from several different continents at the same time on the Fortitude menu. More recently, Fortitude has expanded to offer rare and unique coffees through a 125 subscription plan. The 125 plan offers subscribers the chance to sample coffee that would otherwise be too expensive to buy in bulk. Fortitude’s attention to detail is reflected in this product, with each coffee accompanied by detailed information about its origin and roast profile.
Williams and Johnson Coffee, owned by Zack Williams and Todd Johnson, roasts coffee on a roaster near Leith’s waterfront. Their café and bakery is located in Customs Lane, an art studio for renowned creative professionals throughout the city. Step out of their cafe and you’ll be greeted by a picturesque scene full of fantastic buildings, boats, and a bridge that gives you access to many photos of the Leith area.
Williams and Johnson started roasting coffee for wholesale customers five years ago. A year later, they opened their own cafe serving roasted coffee. The company prides itself on freshness and strives to release new varieties of coffee as soon as possible after harvest. The founders have extensive roasting experience and know what to look out for when roasting coffee. This shows up in the final product. Plus, Williams and Johnson packs all of its coffee in the smallest biodegradable packaging so you can enjoy the freshest beans without worrying about what to do with the bag they’re in.
The history of Cairngorm Coffee began in Scotland in 2013. Cairngorm owner Robbie Lambie dreams of owning a coffee shop in the Scottish capital. Lambie didn’t keep his dreams in his head: he worked hard to turn his ideas into reality by launching Cairngorm Coffee. If you ask coffee lovers in Edinburgh to name the shops they recommend, Cairngorm will probably be on the list. With two cafes in Edinburgh’s New Town – their new store is in an old bank building – Cairngorm will satisfy the caffeine cravings of many people across the city.
Cairngorm Coffee roasts its own coffee and is a leader in roasting and marketing. Cairngorm coffee is packaged in custom-made colorful bags. Each bag comes with a brief description of the coffee you will be drinking, as well as clear recycling information on the packaging, so you can dispose of your coffee bag waste with confidence. Cairngorm has been looking into blends lately, and their Guilty Pleasures blend claims blends are as good as any coffee from the same origin. They also released a double pack that allows customers to taste the same coffee processed differently. If you’re looking for coffee roasted in Edinburgh, Cairngorms is always worth checking out.
Cult Espresso embodies the optimistic philosophy of coffee culture in every way. They have a fun name – the front door literally means “good times” – and their café is welcoming, with knowledgeable staff able to help you sort through their menu and roasted coffee offerings. Cult Espresso is a ten minute walk from Edinburgh’s Old Town but well worth a visit. While the cafe may look small from the outside, inside the cafe is quite long and there are plenty of places to set up tables.
In 2020, Cult Espresso began roasting its own coffee beans. Although their roasting business lasts less than many other players in the city, anyone who loves coffee will enjoy tasting Cult beans. Cult Espresso is roasted by hand in small batches on a 6 kg Giesen roaster. The roster is located in South Queensferry so you won’t see it in their cafe. Cult started roasting to explore the next frontier of the coffee industry: they are known for their great coffee drinks and atmosphere and wanted to take it to the next frontier.
Obadiah Coffee is located in the railway arches under the tracks connecting the Scottish borders to many other parts of southern Scotland and Edinburgh Waverley Station. Founded by Sam and Alice Young in 2017, Obadiah Coffee is run by a group of passionate coffee professionals whose coffee is well known to coffee lovers in Scotland and beyond. Obadiah’s main business is selling coffee to wholesalers, but they also have a thriving online store and retail coffee business. On their website, you can find coffees from all over the world that they roast based on an extensive cupping and tasting selection.
Obadiah Coffee, roasted on a 12kg Deidrich roaster, offers a wide range of coffee flavors in its roasted coffee. This means that everyone will find something for themselves in their store or in a coffee shop that sells coffee. It’s not uncommon to see Brazilian coffee flavored with chocolate with a wild and delicious mouth-watering flavor next to coffees from countries like Ethiopia and Uganda. In addition, Obadiah has done extensive research on coffee packaging. They are delivered in 100% recyclable packaging that has a minimal environmental impact due to the use of a minimum amount of materials.
No introduction to Edinburgh specialty coffee roasters would be complete without a discussion of Artisan Roast. Artisan Roast is the first specialty coffee roasting company, established in Scotland in 2007. They have played a key role in building the reputation of Scottish roasted coffee. Artisan Roast operates five cafes across Edinburgh, including their famous cafe on Broughton Street with the slogan “J. K. Rowling never wrote here” in response to a question about whether JK Rowling was in their “Letter” after she messed up writing in a coffee shop. They also have a roaster and a cupping lab that makes the mug, sorts and roasts the coffee behind the scenes.
Artisan Roast has years of experience in coffee roasting and shines with every roasted coffee. On their website, you’ll find coffees for every taste, from the light roast that professional roasters are known for, to the dark roast that’s been roasted to bring out the character of the beans. Artisan Roast sometimes offers special varieties, such as Cup of Excellence beans. More recently, their expansion of barrel-aged coffee—coffee that is month-aged in whiskey barrels—speaks of their innovation and interest in expanding our perception of specialty coffee.
Edinburgh has a wide range of specialized coffee roasters. Some roasters, such as Cult Espresso and Cairngorm, started out as coffeeshops and expanded into roasters over time. Other roasters started out roasting and later opened cafes; some roasters don’t own coffee shops, choosing instead to focus on what they do best when roasting specialty coffees. On your next trip to Edinburgh, stroll through the Old and New Towns, marvel at the beauty of the surrounding buildings, and don’t forget to stop by a coffee shop or two to pick up a bag of coffee roasted in Edinburgh’s specialty roasted coffee beans. .
James Gallagher is a freelance journalist based in Scotland. This is James Gallagher’s first work for Sprudge.
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