UK coffee help?

[Jester]

I don't drink coffee. But my little sister does, and she loves the stuff.

So I had a brilliant idea that for her upcoming birthday, I would send her a variety of coffee beans from a local Key West coffee place that has a serious reputation for great coffee around here. They only ship within the U.S., but I figured I could buy it directly from them and ship it myself.

I just looked at the USPS shipping rates for sending a few pounds from here to the UK, and about fell over. Shipping would be about the same price as the coffee itself!

So then I had a great idea that I should try to find some local UK coffee places that would do the same thing, i.e., let me purchase a few pounds of beans and ship them to Lil Sis's London home.

Through random googling, and without having a CLUE what I'm doing, or about coffee in general (though I have some good advisors on the second part), I found a place called Redroasted in London, and have requested a price list and shipping rates from them.

But then I figured that some of the brilliant CSers in the UK might also be able to help me in identifying some good shops that might make this idea into a reality.

So, UK coffee lovers....some help perhaps?

Thanks!

[Gumby30]

I'm in the UK but don't drink coffee (so 1/2 ain't bad right? lol)

A friend of mine ages ago used a company called James' Gourmet Coffee for a gift. Sadly she's travelling atm so I have no way of asking if they were any good but I do remember that they do gift certificates - so if you wanted to give your sis the option of choosing something herself then that's an idea.

http://www.jamesgourmetcoffee.com/

There's also http://www.lecafeshop.co.uk/ which does gift seletions of coffees.

I hope this is a good starter at least!

[Marmalady]

Taylors of Harrogate are the firm that sprang to my mind first....

http://www.taylorsofharrogate.co.uk/OurCoffee.asp

[houdini]

The Monmouth Coffee Company in Covent Garden is amazing - I know they do sell coffee in Bermondsey, but I've never actually investigated it or checked out their mail order. http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/company

I also understand that HasBean http://www.hasbean.co.uk/ supplies one of my sister's favourite coffee shops, but I've never had their stuff myself.

If you find places that won't post but will let you put stuff aside for collection, let me know - I'm in London on the 1st Nov and have some free time, and have a few friends that I can send to collect & post stuff if it helps.

[Jester]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. I'll look into all of those.

Houdini, I appreciate the offer, but I want to try to get this to my sister by Friday, which is her birthday. (Yes, I know...I procrastinate.) Also, worst case scenario, if I have to have someone pick it up for her, I have her boyfriend in the loop; he's actually been advising me on what kinds of coffees she likes, since I am way out of my wheelhouse on that one!

[artcurmudgeon]

and with the Yank perspective about coffee in the UK.

When I was living in Wales with my now wife, the only coffee got was this liquid concentrate stuff that truly sucked ass. I began to bring a blocks of Folgers over(its not my idea of the greatest, but the freeze dried blocks were easy to pack and easy to ship.

I began shipping 2-1lbs blocks over every couple of weeks when I wasnt over there to help my wife get by.

Disclaimer: I drink both coffee and tea and if I had my druthers, I would drink tea all damn day. But the wife complains as I can go through a box of tea on my own per week without really trying hard. You can imagine how much of a pain this can be....

[telecom_goddess]

I just don't understand you people who don't drink coffee.....it's a life force!

Course I live in coffee central here in the Northwest so there ya go.

[houdini]

Houdini, I appreciate the offer, but I want to try to get this to my sister by Friday, which is her birthday. (Yes, I know...I procrastinate.)

Hey, you're not too bad on the procrastinaton...at least you're looking before this birthday, right?

[cinema guy]

I just don't understand you people who don't drink coffee.....it's a life force!

The British Empire was run on tea!

Of course there's not a whole lot of it left.

[Jester]

Still looking for suggestions, by the way....

[Gizmo]

http://www.whittard.co.uk/

They do next day premium delivery service for £7. However it is by courier.

[Jester]

Thanks, Gizmo. That site was far more helpful than the shop I had originally intended to use.

But, since I have clearly already missed Lil Sis' birthday, I am not worried about next day delivery. And either way, it is still far cheaper than it would be to ship it from Florida!

[coffeedrinker]

I've been lurking on this forum for a long while, and registered just to respond to this. Although I don't live in the UK now, I have done, and I can highly recommend Has Bean coffee. It's not cheap, but the delivery prices are very reasonable and the coffee is very high quality (roasted- and, if requested, ground- very, very soon before shipping). They also do emailed gift vouchers so your sister can choose what she wants. You may not be able to get specific coffee from your area, but if I were to give coffee as a gift, that's where I'd go. (Most of the coffee readily available in the UK is... somewhat lacking. I say this as an Australian with the benefit of living in a city with a thriving coffee culture)

My experience of Whittard coffee is that it's pretty stale by comparison (although it is a brand that is well recognised in the UK).

[Gizmo]

Cool. I hope she likes it.

[Jester]

I've been lurking on this forum for a long while, and registered just to respond to this.

Thank you. I'm rather honored by that!

I can highly recommend Has Bean coffee. It's not cheap, but the delivery prices are very reasonable and the coffee is very high quality (roasted- and, if requested, ground- very, very soon before shipping).

Good to know, and I can afford a bit. As for it being ground, I don't need that, as Lil Sis' boyfriend confirmed to me that she has a grinder.

They also do emailed gift vouchers so your sister can choose what she wants.

Nope. Her boyfriend has been very helpful in guiding me to her preferred styles.

My experience of Whittard coffee is that it's pretty stale by comparison (although it is a brand that is well recognised in the UK).

They are also idiots. At least, that's my impression of them. I sent them a few questions, on their own site's "contact us" form, to which I have received zero answers, but three emails trying to sell me their stuff. Which I was trying to do, if they could have only clarified a couple of things. Which, apparently, is either beyond them or beneath them. Don't know, don't care. I'll check out Has Bean. You wouldn't happen to have a website for them, would you? (Of course I'll try my google fu, but it hasn't been very good in this endeavor to date.)

Sorry, Gizmo, but Whittard lost my business. Thanks for the help, though!