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Redemption Roasters Review 2026: Prison-Roasted Coffee Put to the Test

I wasn't expecting to feel anything when I tore open the bag. It was a Tuesday, late February, grey light through the office window, the radiator ticking. But the smell that came off those grounds stopped me mid-pour. Bitter dark chocolate. Deep cocoa powder. Something earthy underneath, like walnut skin left too long in the sun. I stood there, bag in one hand, grinder in the other, and thought: whoever roasted this cared about what they were doing.

In our roundup of the best coffee beans in the UK, Redemption Roasters landed at number nine, earning the Best Social Enterprise title. That ranking reflected both what's in the cup and what's behind it. This is the world's first prison-based coffee roastery, a company built on the idea that training people in speciality coffee skills can stop them from ending up back inside. It's a bold claim. We wanted to find out whether the coffee itself holds up to the same scrutiny as the mission.

Editor's note: Redemption Roasters is an independent brand with no commercial relationship to Balance Coffee or Balance Journal. All testing was conducted using the same blind protocol applied to every brand we review, including Balance Coffee and Kiss the Hippo. Panel scores were finalised before the brand reveal.

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The Brand Story

Redemption Roasters was founded in 2017 by Ted Rosner and Max Dubiel, two friends who met at the University of St Andrews. Their initial venture was a wholesale coffee company. The pivot came when the Ministry of Justice approached them about setting up a roastery inside a prison to train residents and reduce reoffending. That idea became Redemption Roasters.

The original roastery operated inside HMP The Mount in Hertfordshire, where inmates learned every stage of speciality coffee production. The programme's results speak for themselves. According to government reoffending statistics, the national reoffending rate sits at around 42%. Among Redemption's employed graduates, that figure drops to just 4%.

The company now operates over a dozen coffee shops across London, including Coal Drops Yard, Lamb's Conduit Street, and Dulwich. In 2024, they closed a £2.7 million funding round to scale the rehabilitation programme and expand their wholesale arm, which supplies KPMG, Meta, and Amazon. Ted and Max were recognised on the World's 50 Best "50 Next" list in the Empowering Educators category, and the brand received a Points of Light award. In late 2025, the roastery relocated to a company-owned facility in Wembley, marking a fresh chapter after the prison service contract ended.

How We Tested

We put three Redemption Roasters coffees through our structured blind tasting over two weeks in February 2026. Equipment: a Sage Barista Pro for espresso, a Hario V60 for pour-over, and an AeroPress for immersion. Each coffee was tasted black, then with oat milk, at hot and warm temperatures. Our three-person panel scored aroma, flavour clarity, body, finish, and overall balance. Doses weighed to the gram, extraction times logged. Full details on The Editor Lab™ methodology page.

Taste & Quality

The Roll Call blend was the standout. A combination of Brazilian and Kenyan beans, it pulled a thick, fudgy espresso with persistent crema and a deep, warming body. Black, the flavour profile opened with bitter dark chocolate, moved through a roasted walnut mid-note, and finished on dried fig, a sweet, jammy tail that hung around long enough to make you pause before the next sip. Through the V60, that dried fig note sharpened into something closer to date syrup, while the chocolate backed off just enough to let a gentle toffee quality emerge. With oat milk, the whole cup turned rich and almost dessert-like, smooth cocoa with a caramel undertone.

The single origin Guatemala delivered something brighter. Apple acidity up front, crisp and clean, followed by caramel sweetness in the mid-palate. It's a solid morning coffee, lighter in body, with a finish that fades quickly and leaves the palate ready for the next sip.

The Monte Alban Decaf from Mexico surprised us. Medium roast, with milk chocolate softness and a mellow nuttiness that held up well through the AeroPress. It didn't have the Roll Call's complexity, but it tasted like real coffee rather than a compromise. If you're after a solid decaf, it sits well alongside the picks in our best decaf coffee beans UK guide.

One small gripe. The first V60 we brewed from the Roll Call tasted a touch over-extracted, almost ashy, before we dialled the grind coarser. The beans seem to favour a slightly larger particle size than some other speciality roasters we've tested. Once we adjusted, the results were excellent.

What We Liked

A mission that actually delivers. A 4% reoffending rate against a 42% national average isn't marketing fluff. It's a measurable outcome backed by years of data and government statistics. Buying this coffee funds something real.

Genuine speciality quality. These aren't charity beans. The Roll Call scored highly across all five tasting categories, competing comfortably with roasters who don't carry a social mission at all — including Volcano Coffee Works and Rave Coffee, both of which placed higher in our overall ranking. The SCA-grade sourcing from Brazil, Kenya, Guatemala, Mexico, and Colombia shows genuine range.

Ethical sourcing with transparency. Redemption works through direct trade and collaborative importer partnerships, maintaining direct knowledge of the farms their coffees come from. They pay premiums for quality and partner with producers tackling social issues in their communities.

Subscription flexibility. Weekly, fortnightly, or monthly deliveries, with the option to pause or swap. Simple and well-managed. For more subscription options, see our best coffee subscriptions UK roundup.

What Could Be Better

The grind sensitivity on the Roll Call blend caught us out. If you're using a V60 or Chemex, expect to spend a brew or two finding the right setting. The beans extract faster than most, which can tip into bitterness if you're not paying attention. A brewing guide on the bag or a QR code linking to recommended parameters would help.

The online shop could also be clearer about flavour profiles. Tasting notes are listed, but there's no roast-level indicator or brew-method recommendation on product pages. For someone new to speciality coffee, that's a lot of guesswork — contrast that with Square Mile Coffee, whose detailed brew guides make the onboarding process far smoother.

Value for Money

House coffees start from £9.90 for 250g, with single origin and espresso beans ranging from £11.50 to £14.00. That puts Redemption in line with most mid-range UK speciality roasters and slightly below premium brands like Kiss the Hippo. The subscription knocks a further percentage off, and the social enterprise model means your money is doing more than just buying coffee. Compared to picking up a flat white at one of their London shops for around £4.00, the home-brew route offers strong value per cup, roughly £0.55 to £0.70 depending on the bag. Our best coffee beans in the UK guide has a wider price comparison.

The Verdict

Redemption Roasters is the rare brand where the story and the product both hold up under pressure. The Roll Call blend delivered one of the most satisfying espressos we've pulled this year, full-bodied, complex, and genuinely memorable. The social impact model isn't a gimmick. It's producing real, documented outcomes that justify every penny of the price tag.

It's not a perfect experience. The grind sensitivity requires attention, and the website could do more to guide less experienced brewers. But those are fixable friction points on a brand that's doing something no other UK roaster is doing.

If you care about where your money goes and you want a cup of coffee that earns its place on merit, Redemption Roasters belongs on your shelf. You can browse the full range at Shop Redemption Roasters →.

FAQs

Is Redemption Roasters a social enterprise? Yes. It's the world's first prison-based coffee roastery, founded to reduce reoffending by training inmates in speciality coffee skills. Their employed graduates have a reoffending rate of just 4%, compared to the national average of 42%.

Where are Redemption Roasters beans roasted? Originally roasted at HMP The Mount in Hertfordshire. Since late 2025, roasting has moved to a company-owned facility in Wembley, London.

What coffee beans does Redemption Roasters use? They source seasonal speciality-grade beans from Brazil, Kenya, Guatemala, Mexico, and Colombia through direct trade and importer partnerships. All coffees are roasted in small batches at their London facility.

How much does Redemption Roasters coffee cost? House blends start at £9.90 for 250g. Single origins range from £11.50 to £14.00. Subscriptions offer savings, with weekly, fortnightly, or monthly delivery at redemptionroasters.com.

Can I visit a Redemption Roasters coffee shop? Yes. They operate over a dozen shops across London, including Coal Drops Yard, Lamb's Conduit Street, and Dulwich. Takeaway espresso drinks start at around £4.00.

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James Bellis Forbes-featured coffee expert and wellness founder exploring the intersection of health, performance, and great coffee.