Owens Coffee
Location: Devon
Established: 2010
No. of coffees: 14
Lorraine swapped lab coats for roasting notes in 2010 - Devon's been better for it ever since
Owens has been roasting coffee in Ivybridge since 2010, and Lorraine - who came to the craft from a career in biotech - brings a scientist's instinct for precision to every batch. Every coffee they sell is organic, Fairtrade, and independently graded as specialty, a standard they've held from the start. They were the first dedicated organic coffee roaster in the South West, and nothing about that commitment has shifted since.
Their Coffee Range
The range starts somewhere smooth and familiar. Bantham is the easy entry point - a chocolatey, rounded blend that works equally well as espresso or filter, the sort of coffee that makes mornings feel manageable. From there, the character deepens: Baya is a bold, spicy dark roast with real presence and an award to its name; Dart sits alongside it as another decorated dark roast, though mellower and sweeter in the cup.
For those who prefer something brighter, the single origins are worth a look. The Peru is a medium roast with a clean, fruity lift, well suited to filter; Rwanda brings a bright, elegant quality that's picked up awards of its own; and the Honduras offers a softer balance of chocolate sweetness and gentle citrus. There's also a Limited Edition Colombia for when something seasonal and fruit-forward is on the table.
Owens rounds things out thoughtfully. The Half Caff blend keeps things light and balanced for those watching their intake, and the Swiss Water Decaf delivers a rich, chocolatey cup without the caffeine - available in compostable Nespresso-compatible pods alongside the rest of the range. Whether you're easing in or already know exactly what you want, there's a clear path through.
More About Owens
Lorraine's route into coffee was an unusual one. After years in biotech, she brought a scientist's instinct for precision and process to the roasting drum - learning by doing, adjusting by tasting, and building a roastery in Devon that has been running since 2010. The founding principle was straightforward: coffee should taste as good at home as it does in a café. More than a decade on, that idea still shapes every decision.
Owens was the first dedicated organic coffee roaster in the South West, and organic and Fairtrade have been the baseline from day one - not as a marketing position, but because the approach produces better-tasting beans and fairer conditions for the farmers growing them. Fairtrade gives producers stability; organic farming lets the coffee cherry ripen naturally, developing cleaner, sweeter flavour without synthetic chemicals. Every coffee is also specialty grade, independently scored before it reaches the roaster.
The roastery in Ivybridge is home to Perfect Waves Café, where the team serves the full range fresh from the drum, alongside locally sourced food and their own Devonshire Tea range. There's a coffee academy on site too, running courses from home barista workshops through to professional training - because for Owens, the job doesn't end when the bag is sealed.
