Moon Roast

In 2012, Francis Bradshaw, inspired by a family heritage in the coffee and tea trades spanning four generations, commissioned a Probat Coffee Roaster in a small barn in his backyard and began roasting at night after a day’s work. By the light of the moon and under the watchful gaze of the village owl, Francis set about developing roast profiles for carefully selected beans. Before long he was supplying freshly roasted coffee to local people and businesses. And so Moon Roast was born. The Bradshaw passion for fine coffee began in Mincing Lane, London where imported tea and coffee were once auctioned and traded. In the late 1800s Richard Goodwin Bradshaw, the son of a London publican, swapped the family pub, The Shades Tavern, for a milder brew. ‘RGB’ as he was known, joined Wilson Smithett, the principal City of London tea broker whose London offices still overlook the River Thames. There, as a taster, then as a broker, he became an expert in trading and blending tea from Ceylon. RGB’s son Dorman Bradshaw, Francis’s grandfather, continued in his father’s footsteps as a broker. Haydon, Francis’ father began his career in tea, then moved to the coffee industry. Working for Nestlé he became Britain’s leading coffee specialist, and also worked as a coffee consultant for famous brands like Waitrose. Francis’ uncle, Richard was a tea-blending specialist who ran his own loose-leaf tea firm. Kathy Bradshaw, his wife, continues in the tea business today. In 2017, Moon Roast moved to our purpose-built roastery in converted Grade 2 listed outbuildings on a working farm nearby, where an additional roaster was installed. We also have barista training facilities and a kiosk, where our customers can purchase freshly roasted beans and a cup of expertly brewed coffee. Now in our tenth year, Moon Roast now has a team of 9. Passionate about our craft, our time goes into exploring ethically sourced, seasonally selected Arabica beans, from various origins world wide. Hand roasti...