UK Specialty Coffee Review
Cheltenham's specialty roaster with a loyal national following. The Signature Blend is one of the UK's most consistently excellent everyday coffees — and the decaf is legitimately remarkable.
One of the best independent UK roasters for everyday quality. The Signature Blend is perfectly calibrated for home espresso; the Ethiopia single-origin will impress pour-over fans. The decaf is the best we've found in the UK.
Rave Coffee was founded in 2012 in Cheltenham by Rob Hodge, who trained as a barista in Sydney and brought the Australian specialty coffee culture back to the UK. The roastery has stayed small and independent, which is reflected in the care and consistency of the product.
Unlike London-based roasters competing on trendiness, Rave focuses on accessibility — making genuinely good specialty coffee that works in a home espresso machine, not just through a speciality pour-over setup. This makes them one of the UK's best options for people upgrading from supermarket coffee for the first time.
Signature Blend pulled at 18g in / 38g out on a Sage Bambino Plus: sweet and syrupy, milk chocolate body, clean finish. Makes a genuinely excellent flat white — the sweetness complements oat milk perfectly. As a long black: less interesting, slightly flat.
Natural Decaf: this is the real surprise. The Swiss Water Process preserves the flavour profile exceptionally well — it's noticeably more flavourful than 95% of decafs on the market. You can taste the nuttiness and sweetness of the original beans.
Ethiopia Natural single-origin as V60: blueberry jam, dark chocolate, and a floral finish. Exceptional for an accessible UK roaster. Not at the level of the very top UK specialty roasters (Hasbean, Square Mile), but far above supermarket single-origins.
Rave Coffee
The workhorse blend — Brazilian and Guatemalan beans at a medium roast. Sweet, balanced, and extremely consistent. Works brilliantly as espresso or flat white base.
Rave Coffee
Swiss Water Process decaf — the best UK specialty decaf we've tested. Tastes almost identical to the regular Signature Blend. A genuine rarity in decaf coffee.
Rave Coffee
Rotating single-origin offerings — Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, and others. The Ethiopia (natural process) is the standout: blueberry, dark chocolate, jammy sweetness.
| Roaster | Price/250g | Style | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rave Coffee | £9–£15 | Balanced, accessible specialty | Everyday espresso, decaf |
| Pact Coffee | £8–£14 | Single-origin focus | Subscription discovery |
| Grind | £8–£12 | Sustainable pods + beans | Nespresso machine owners |
| Has Bean | £10–£18 | Deep single-origin range | Advanced home brewers |
Yes — Rave Coffee sources specialty-grade beans (scoring 80+ on the SCA scale) and roasts in small batches in Cheltenham. The Signature Blend and single-origin offerings are traceable to named farms or cooperatives. Rave publishes sourcing information and roast dates, which are standard expectations in the specialty sector.
Rave sits in the same tier as Pact and Has Bean — UK specialty roasters with strong sourcing and good online subscriptions. Rave's Signature Blend is slightly more balanced and milk-friendly than Pact's typical offerings. Has Bean goes deeper on single-origins; Rave is more accessible for the everyday specialty drinker. Pricing is comparable across all three.
Yes — Rave Coffee offers a subscription direct from ravecoffee.co.uk. You choose the blend or single-origin, grind size (or whole bean), and frequency. Free delivery on subscriptions. You can pause or cancel any time. They also offer sample packs if you want to try before committing to a subscription.
Start with the Signature Blend for espresso, or the Ethiopia Natural if you have a pour-over setup.
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