Wogan Coffee
Location: Bristol
Established: 1970
No. of coffees: 32
A Bristol family roastery, hand-roasting coffee for three generations since 1970
Wogan Coffee has been part of Bristol's fabric for over fifty years, now run across three generations with one branch in Bristol and another in London. As a wholly independent family company, they've spent decades learning not just how to roast well, but how to do it responsibly - paying the living wage, running solar-powered roasteries, and delivering locally by cargo bike.
Their Coffee Range
Wogan Coffee's range is built around a simple idea: that development - how far a bean travels through the roasting process - matters more than a light, medium or dark label. At the espresso end, Riposo is their classic crowd-pleaser, offering praline, malt and roasted chestnut with a long finish. Capitol sits nearby, a smooth Brazilian and Colombian arabica with marzipan, praline and orange that holds up well in milk. Con Vivo goes further - an old-school Italian-style blend of Brazilian, Ethiopian and Indian robusta, built for classic espresso preparation.
Move into single origins and the range opens up considerably. The Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural from Mundayo Village brings pear drop sweetness, lime acidity and jasmine; the Kenya Kariti Kianjege AA follows with rose hip, orange and cranberry. For something with more body, the India Monsooned Malabar AA - pipe tobacco, cedar, malt - is unlike almost anything else here. Decaf and half-caff drinkers are well served too: the Sugar Cane Decaf Colombia La Serranía is bright and complex, while the 50|50 half-caff blend of Colombian and Nicaraguan beans delivers praline, cocoa and orange for those easing back on caffeine without easing back on flavour.
More About Wogan Coffee
Wogan Coffee was established in Bristol in 1970, and what started as a single-generation family business is now in its third, with the Wogan family split between Bristol and London. That longevity has shaped how they think about coffee, about people, and about the planet. James Wogan was personally invited to speak at COP26, where the roastery was featured as a showcase study in carbon reduction - a reflection of how seriously the business takes its environmental commitments.
The roastery runs on solar panels that generate more electricity than the business uses in a year, with any surplus sold back to the grid. Their fleet of seven electric vehicles handles deliveries, while Zedify cargo bikes cover Bristol's local drops - saving around 832kg of CO2 annually. The roasters themselves are two restored vintage Probats, a 1968 and a 1991 model, refurbished with new modulating gas burners and improved insulation to cut gas usage by up to 60%. Packaging is fully recyclable LDPE, and every member of staff earns at least the UK living wage.
Fifty-odd years in, Wogan has built the kind of infrastructure that makes these commitments more than good intentions - and it shows in how the business runs day to day.
