A few months back, we headed to the quiet town of Woking, Surrey, where there's a hidden gem for all coffee nerds who are new to Bell's Beans.
This isn't just any coffee roastery; it's the heart and soul of Chris, a former engineer turned coffee aficionado. With a bold leap from circuits to coffee beans, Chris transformed a cosy space beside his house into a micro-roastery bursting with character and big ambitions.
Chris is the guy who doesn't just love coffee, he lives it. For years, he's honed his craft, obsessing over every tiny detail of roasting. He's the kind of person who geeks out over the quirks of every single bean, loving the science, the unpredictability, and the endless possibilities of creating something extraordinary in every cup.
At Bell's Beans, Chris works his magic on a 10kg Roastmax drum roaster shipped straight from Australia, hand-roasting small batches of top-notch, speciality-grade coffee every week. He's always pushing boundaries, experimenting with new seasonal beans, diving into the underappreciated world of speciality Robusta, and searching for eco-friendly packaging that's as kind to the planet as his coffee is to your taste buds.
One standout creation? The Indian Wet Plum Robusta is coming back in the summer of 2025. Think rich, biscuity notes with dried fruit, dates, toffee, and even a hint of whiskey. Yes, whiskey. If that doesn't intrigue you, check out Coffee Nerdery where your coffee cravings will kick into overdrive.
But it's not just about great coffee with Chris; it's also about thoughtful, sustainable choices. Chris is all about reducing waste and reusing where he can:
- Wholesale customers get their beans in reusable buckets.
- His cleaning products come from a local refill business called The Happy Hedgehog Family.
- Even the paper from label stickers got a second life at his son's nursery for scribbling and crafts.
- Coffee chaff? It's put to good use. Chris shares it with a local business, Artisan Leaves, that grows microgreens and speciality cresses, using the chaff for mulching in their garden.
- As for the coffee sacks, they've seen all kinds of adventures. Some were donated for charity campfires, others sold, and a few found their way to beekeepers, who burn the sacks to create non-toxic smoke that calms bees during hive inspections. How cool is that?
When Chris isn't roasting or finding innovative ways to reuse and recycle, he's spending time with his family, tinkering with his collection of motorcycles and cars, or doting on his pets. He's a guy who pours his passion into everything he does.
So, whether you're a hardcore coffee nerd or someone who loves a great brew, Bell's Beans Roastery is where passion meets perfection. From hand-roasted beans to sustainability with heart, Chris serves up coffee with a twist and a lot of love.
You can find Chris and his incredible coffee beans at various local markets, where his passion for coffee shines:
Egham - Panier Markets
Old Amersham - Cooper's Markets
Ripley - Ripley Farmers Market
Guildford - Sparkle Vegan Events
Find Bell's Beans market updates on Instagram.
