Ask the Roaster

Click the link to read more from Tom about his coffee journey and his roastery in the Lakes

About

Red Bank Coffee Roasters was founded by myself, Tom Prestwich, in early 2015. I fell in love with coffee during my time working as a lawyer in London. In 2007 a cup of single-origin Kenyan Ngunguru peaberry from the iconic Flat White coffee shop in Soho revolutionised my perception of coffee. A million miles from the bitter beverage I was used to that required a hefty dose of sugar to make it remotely palatable, this was naturally sweet and unbelievably fruity. This moment sparked an interest that would eventually see me quit my job, move to the Lake District and set up my own roastery.

At Red Bank it is our goal to help as many people as possible experience a similar moment and to raise their expectations of coffee. Preparation is key to making a great cup of coffee - but the best baristas in the world can't make a great cup unless they are using great beans. We source the best tasting, seasonal, ethically-produced, speciality-grade arabica coffee we can find and roast to retain the unique personality of each bean. We buy and roast our coffee in small-batches to ensure it is always fresh, and our line up of single-origin coffee changes regularly. This allows us to showcase the variety of the humble coffee bean - from the complex, fruity flavours characteristic of coffees from East Africa to the full-bodied richness of those from South and Central America.

Dog and Hat

We came across Red Bank while we were researching roaster that give back to charity.  Their charity of choice is the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association, which was a role Dave's granddad used to perform in the mountains around Grasmere.  Their coffee is a breathtaking as the views from Lake Coniston, which is just down the road from their roastery.