Our Journey

Red Bank started life in 2015 in the shoebox otherwise known as Unit 4C Lake Road Estate, Coniston - right in the heart of the English Lake District.

Tom had spent the previous decade working as a lawyer in London, where he would grab his daily brew at the Starbucks near his office. One morning a colleague of his invited him for a cup of coffee at Monmouth in Covent Garden. A million miles from the bitter beverage he was accustomed to that required a hefty dose of sugar to make it remotely palatable, this was naturally sweet, and unbelievably fruity.

This moment sparked an obsession that would eventually see him quit his career in law, move to the Lake District, and set up his own roastery in the hope of sharing this magical experience more widely.

Over the ensuing years Red Bank has gained a loyal following, both domestically and internationally, for the quality of the coffee that they roast, and the principles that guide them - quality, traceability and sustainability.

Red Bank is relentlessly committed to improving the way they work. This includes the never-ending search for delicious coffee, seeking to work with producers who farm their land with love and respect for the planet, shortening supply chains, using sustainable packaging materials, and reducing waste and energy consumption wherever possible.

In 2019 they took the big step of investing in a Loring S15 Falcon, the most energy efficient roaster on the market with the lowest emissions. In 2020, Tom achieved Q-Grader certification in order to assist him making better green coffee buying decisions. Trips to visit farms in Rwanda, Brazil and Costa Rica have facilitated a much greater understanding of the situation on the ground, and how Red Bank might facilitate positive change, and support more sustainable supply chains.

There are a number of other such endeavours going on in the background that we can’t wait to share with you, and for sure, plenty more to come. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy drinking our coffee safe in the knowledge that it is sourced responsibly, and roasted with love and respect.