Helston · United Kingdom
Origin Coffee
Origin Coffee roasts in Helston, Cornwall.
Since 2004 · Tom Sobey
Overview
Origin Coffee was founded in 2004 in Helston, Cornwall by Tom Sobey and produced what the company describes as the first commercially roasted specialty coffee in the county. From a single Diedrich 12kg the operation grew to two 30kg Loring Smart roasters and an additional 15kg Loring at a new Cornwall roastery opened in 2021, alongside seven coffee shops between Cornwall and London — including the original Harbour Head café in Porthleven (2015) and the East London Shoreditch flagship (also 2015).
Known for
- Founded 2004 by Tom Sobey — Cornwall's first commercial specialty roaster
- First Loring Smart roaster operator in the UK — eco-friendly, smokeless, 80% less fuel use
- 90%+ of green coffee bought direct, with farmer relationships dating to 2008 (e.g. the Mierisch family)
- Head of Coffee Freda Yuan: UK Cup Tasters Champion 2017, 2018, 2020 and 3rd at the World Cup Tasters 2017
- Allegra Awards 'Europe's Best Speciality Coffee Roaster' and Queen's Award for Sustainable Development
Why it matters
Cornwall is geographically as far from a third-wave coffee scene as the UK gets, but Origin made it work by becoming the regional name London ended up coming to learn from — first via wholesale, then through the Shoreditch café opened the same year as the original Porthleven location. The Loring Smart Roast investment positioned them as a sustainability reference point in the UK industry, and the back-to-back Cup Tasters titles by Freda Yuan turned the Helston roastery into a global cupping address.
Production
- destoning
- true
- head roaster
- Freda Yuan (Head of Coffee)
- roaster machine
- Loring Smart Roaster (2 × 30kg + 1 × 15kg)
- roastery location
- Wheal Vrose Business Park, Helston, Cornwall
Café
This roaster operates a café.
Recognitions
- Allegra Awards — Europe's Best Speciality Coffee Roaster
- Queen's Award for Sustainable Development
- Freda Yuan — UK Cup Tasters Champion (2017, 2018, 2020), 3rd World Cup Tasters (2017)