Where to buy coffee beans in London (without paying London prices)
From morning commuters clutching flat whites to those who prefer to drink coffee in their dressing gowns, London ticks, buzzes and whirrs on caffeine.
And while there’s no shortage of cafés, counters, and expensive oat milk lattes, many Londoners are beginning to question the cost, both financially and quality-wise. So, if you’re wondering where to buy coffee beans in London, the answer might not be a local postcode or the closest place to the underground.
Instead, Londoners are buying coffee beans from independent coffee roasters in the UK who deliver straight to their door, just like us.
Freshly roasted coffee delivered to London
At York Emporium, we roast in small batches. Our coffee is always fresh and sent out quickly.
We send a lot of it to London. In fact, more of our coffee ends up in the capital than anywhere else in the UK. Not only are we ensuring you’re getting quality coffee, but saving a lot of money!
An even bigger benefit is that every coffee bag from us supports ethical sourcing, independent roasting and delivers barista-level quality at a fraction of the café price.
How much could you save by brewing at home?
If you’re grabbing a coffee on the way to work every day, say a flat white at £4, that’s £20 a week just to keep your eyes open. A cup of artisan coffee can set you back anywhere from £4.00 to £5.00. Add a few weekend coffee runs and you’re looking at £100–£120 a month on takeaway coffee.
Now imagine if you brewed at home instead.
With a 1kg bag of The Terrence (£27.50), you can make approximately 55 coffees, assuming 18g of coffee per drink. That works out to just 50p per cup and even with milk factored in, you're still around 60–70p per flat white.
Compared to your daily café spend, that's a potential monthly saving of £70–£90, just by switching to home-brewed coffee for your regular routine.
Even if you invest in a decent home espresso machine, which is around £300 for a solid entry-level setup, you’ll start saving surprisingly quickly.
With every home-brewed coffee costing around 70p, compared to the usual £4+ in London, you’re saving about £3.50 a cup.
That means you’d make your money back after just 86 coffees.
That’s about three months if you’re drinking one a day, or just six weeks if you’re sharing with someone equally committed to the cause.
How much does a coffee cost in London?
Depending on where you go, a flat white in London can now set you back £3.80 to £4.20. We’ve even seen some speciality brews creeping over the £5 mark.
Now throw in five-day commutes, Saturday brunches, and your partner’s oat milk obsession, and suddenly you’re staring down a monthly coffee bill of £80–£100. It’s enough to make your cafetière cringe.
That’s why so many Londoners are skipping the queue and brewing at home, with beans from independent UK roasters like us.
At York Emporium, you can:
- Brew 20+ cups from a single 250g bag (starting from just £7.25)
- Get even more value with 1kg bags
- Save with subscriptions and free delivery thresholds
- Enjoy barista-worthy flavour without the café markup
In short: better coffee, better value, and no compromise on quality, ethics, or freshness. Just exceptional beans, delivered to your door without the central London price tag.
Our top coffee recommendations for London coffee drinkers
If you favour elegance over strength in your brew, you’re absolutely in the right place. Dark roasts, while bold, can often flatten nuance, masking flavour with bitterness.
But lighter roasts allow the bean’s natural character to shine through: the sweetness, the citrus sparkle, the delicate floral lift.
We roast on the lighter side, typically a 2 to 3 on the roast scale, using 100% Arabica beans for a smoother, more sophisticated cup. Better for flavour and for your health too.
Below you’ll find a few of our most expressive, easy-drinking light roasts:
If you like a chocolatey coffee, we’d recommend The Terrence with flavour notes of milk chocolate, orange and hazelnut.
If you’d prefer an experimental small-batch coffee, our Colombia Ice – Roasters Reserve shows hints of blood orange, black cherry and dark chocolate.
If fruit is more your taste, our naturally fermented Brazil Fermentado contains raspberry, green apple and tropical fruit flavour notes.
For night owls or those cutting back, our Swiss Water The Dame - Decaf retains full flavour of hazelnut, milk chocolate and caramel, without the caffeinated buzz.
Why more Londoners are buying from independent UK Roasters
Let’s break it down. Why are London coffee lovers choosing to order from roasters outside the city?
- Better value: Without the overheads of central London rent, we can offer premium coffee at a more affordable price.
- More transparency: We publish full origin details, flavour profiles, and roast levels so you know exactly what you’re brewing.
- Higher freshness: Our beans are roasted in-house, packed immediately, and delivered at their peak.
- Smaller environmental footprint: We use recyclable packaging and work with ethical importers to source sustainable beans.
How to get the best coffee subscription in London?
Looking for coffee subscriptions in London? You’re in the right place.
- Choose your favourite beans
- Select your grind (whole bean or ground for your kit)
- Set your delivery schedule
- Earn loyalty points while you sip
Skip the queues, dodge the traffic, and let your coffee come to you.
Brew coffee at home like a barista
We’ve gathered a whole library of helpful guides to get you to your perfect cup of coffee without needing a £2,000 espresso machine or previous experience.
Our flat white, espresso and latte brew guides are designed to make things simple, clear, and gloriously unpretentious.
And here’s a fun fact: just following a brew guide can improve your cup quality by up to 50%.
Check out our brew guides here.
Brewing your favourite coffee at home
It’s no surprise that lattes and flat whites top the list as the UK’s most popular coffee orders, according to recent stats from Balance Coffee.
And in London? It’s practically a personality trait.
Brewing them at home is easier (and far more satisfying) than you might think. With a good grinder (~£200), a reliable espresso machine, and some fresh, well-roasted beans you’re already halfway to café-quality.
Where to buy coffee beans in London?
We may be up north, but our beans make their way into kitchens across London every single day.
Whether you're after convenience, quality, or just something that actually tastes like coffee should, you're in the right place.
Browse our full range of blends and single origins and get coffee delivered to your London door in just a few clicks. Whether you're looking for a bold breakfast brew or something a little more adventurous, we’ve got just the thing.
Written by York Emporium
