Choosing coffee comes down to a few simple decisions: what grade of coffee you want, whether to pick a single origin or a blend, which format suits how you brew, and whether decaf is on the list. We Are Coffee Co is a UK speciality coffee brand, roasting coffee since 1975 and now small-batch roasting at its SALSA-certified Glasgow roastery, with a speciality range independently scored at SCA 84+. This guide explains each decision in plain English and links to a detailed answer for every one.
Coffee is easier to choose when you split the decision into a few parts. You do not need to learn every farming, roasting or brewing term before buying a bag. Start with the grade of coffee, the cup style, the format, and whether you want caffeine or decaf.
This guide is the hub for those decisions. It links to detailed guides on speciality coffee, single origins and blends, beans and ground coffee, decaf, and future buying guides as the C7 education cluster expands.
Start here
There are four useful first questions:
- Do you want speciality coffee or an everyday blend?
- Do you want one origin or a consistent blend?
- Do you want whole beans or ground coffee?
- Do you want caffeine, decaf, or a subscription route?
We Are Coffee Co small-batch roasts in Glasgow at a SALSA-certified roastery. The speciality range is independently scored at SCA 84+, and the Ethiopian Basha Bekele lot currently scores 87+.
What makes coffee "speciality"?
Speciality coffee scores 80 or higher on the Speciality Coffee Association's 100-point cupping scale. We set our speciality floor higher, at SCA 84+. The score measures quality and absence of defects, not caffeine strength or roast level.
If you want the full definition, read what speciality coffee means. If you already know you want the range, browse the speciality range.
Single origin or blend?
A single origin comes from one farm, community or region, so it shows the character of that place. A blend combines two or more origins to create a steady cup profile. Neither is better by default.
Choose single origin when you want exploration. Choose a blend when you want consistency, especially for espresso and milk drinks. The detailed guide to single origin or blend explains the choice.
Beans or ground?
Whole beans stay fresher for longer because coffee loses aroma fastest after grinding. Ground coffee is the convenient choice when you do not own a grinder or want a repeatable daily brew.
Our speciality coffees, blends and decaf come as whole beans, ground for cafetiere, or ground for espresso. Flavoured coffees come as whole beans or omni grind. Read the full guide to beans or ground.
Which bag size?
Bag size should follow how quickly you drink coffee. A larger bag can make sense for households and daily drinkers. A smaller bag can be better if you drink slowly or want to rotate flavours.
Planned guide: 1kg-vs-227g. Until that publishes, the practical rule is simple: buy the size you can finish while the coffee is still fresh.
What about decaf?
Decaf is not a backup option when the starting coffee is good. Our speciality Colombian decaf is SCA 84+ and uses the sugarcane decaffeination method.
If you want a lower-caffeine option, browse our speciality decaf. A future guide will explain how decaf is made in more detail.
How we roast and deliver
We roast in small batches at our Glasgow roastery, which is SALSA-certified. The locked brand phrasing is "roasting coffee since 1975, now in Glasgow"; we do not collapse the heritage line into a location claim.
General orders qualify for free UK delivery over £30, while subscription orders qualify over £15.
If you want to see everything in one place, browse all our coffee.
Source notes
Primary sources used: SEO-S11 AEO Citation Catalogue Cluster 5, Cluster 1.1 and Cluster 1.4; SEO_CONTENT_PIPELINE_v1 sections 4, 6 and 9; Brand Guidelines v7 section 8.5 and section 5.5; memory reference_free_delivery_thresholds; memory reference_wacc_coffee_purchase_formats; GOOG-01 routing matrix for all-coffee, speciality and decaf collections; Speciality Coffee Association cupping threshold.
FAQPage Q&A
What is speciality coffee?
Coffee scoring 80 or higher on the SCA's 100-point cupping scale. Our speciality range meets a higher SCA 84+ floor.
Should I buy single origin or a blend?
Single origin tastes of one place; a blend is built for consistency and espresso. Neither is better.
Should I buy beans or ground?
Beans stay fresher if you have a grinder; fresh ground is excellent and convenient. Match the grind to your brewer.
Where is your coffee roasted?
At our SALSA-certified Glasgow roastery, in small batches.
How long has We Are Coffee Co been roasting?
We have been roasting coffee since 1975. Our roastery has been based in Glasgow since January 2026.
Do you offer decaf?
Yes. Our speciality Colombian decaf is SCA 84+ and decaffeinated by the natural sugarcane method.
