A female-led specialty coffee roastery in the heart of Hackney Wick, East London, serving up great-tasting, non-pretentious coffee for everyone. Our beans are sourced from smallholder farms worldwide, promoting sustainable agriculture and securing microlots of extra special beans. We're a micro roastery, which means we roast in small batches, trusting our instincts to deliver delicious coffee beans with surprising flavours. Are we all that bad?

Co-founders (and friends) Mandi and Alex perfected their coffee skills at PEARL, a beloved brunch spot in Hackney Wick. After countless hours spent brewing, they decided to take the plunge and roast their own beans. As they explored the ins and outs of roasting, Alex came across an old doodle from Mandi that read, “Don’t drink bad coffee.” It seemed to sum up their journey.

Coffee roasting was a natural fit for Mandi and Alex’s DIY spirit. Like their early days at PEARL, they learned to experiment, adapt, and embrace every mistake along the way. Through trial and error, they trusted their instincts and refined their roasting style.

They thought of that doodle often—it captured the anxiety of starting something new, their playful approach, and the lesson that sometimes you have to do bad before you can get it right.

Bad was born.

Our beans come from smallholder farms around the world, backing sustainable practices and the communities behind each harvest. We team up with importers who know their producers well, investing in projects that make a difference in coffee-growing regions. We love backing sustainable agriculture and understand the challenges facing farmers when it comes to climate change.

Our beans aren’t just tasty—they’re responsibly sourced.

Our goal? To visit as many producers as possible, digging into the stories that make each cup unique. When it comes to choosing beans, we keep it simple: if it tastes good, we’re in.

As micro-roasters, we roast in small batches to bring out bold, unexpected flavors and give each bean the attention it deserves.

Hackney Wick in East London is a place known for its rebellious, DIY roots and a community that thrives on creativity.

We're a real neighbourhood gem, a proper local coffee roastery. Serving espresso and batch filter coffee so you can sample what Bad Coffee has to offer. We also spotlight a Guest Roaster on a monthly basis, available to try on guest filter or you can buy a bag of guest beans from our shelves.

Whenever you buy a bag of beans in-store and get a free cup of coffee, we can grind them to suit your preferred brew method or keep it wholebean.

Our milk is sourced from the healthy, relaxed and happy cows at Northiam Dairy, based just a couple of hours from our shop. We have a large selection of alternative milks, including Unordinary Oat M*lk, Bonsoy Soya Milk, and Sproud Pea Milk, among others.

We're not a food place but we do have a few fresh pastries to offer everyday.

Bad coffee, bad attitude? Not here. We’re all about great coffee and good vibes. Join us in celebrating the joy, productivity and community that coffee brings. Come and grab the best coffee Hackney Wick has to offer at our espresso bar and coffee shop.