White label coffee is one of a roaster's existing coffees sold under your brand: low minimums, low cost and fast. Private label is a product developed for your brand, such as a mushroom or protein coffee: unique to you, with a development fee, higher minimums and a longer timeline. A bespoke blend sits in between. Here is how the three routes compare on cost, time and minimums.
The short answer
| White label | Bespoke blend | Private label (new product) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Our existing coffees under your label | A blend built for your brand from our recipes | A new drink developed to your brief |
| Examples | Single origins, blends, decaf, flavoured coffee | Your house espresso, your signature roast | Mushroom, protein, collagen or mineral coffee, teas, hot chocolate |
| Minimum order | None in a stock pouch with a simple label | By quote | Minimums apply |
| Cost to start | From £5.00 a 250g bag on small runs | By quote | NPD fee, taken off your first order |
| Time | Typically 2 to 3 weeks from artwork sign off | Sampling first, then as white label | Agreed per project |
| Unique to you? | The brand is; the coffee is from our range | Yes, the blend | Yes, the product |
White label: our coffees, your brand
You choose from our single origins, blends, decaf and flavoured coffees, as whole beans, ground or pods compatible with Nespresso® Original machines. We roast to order, pack it under your label and send it to you. You can rename the coffees and choose light, medium or dark options.
- Best for: new brands testing demand, creators and businesses adding a coffee to their range, and anyone who wants to launch quickly.
- Minimums: none for our coffees in a stock pouch with a simple label. Pods start from 250 boxes of 10.
- Cost: 250g bags from about £3.85 to £6.30 each depending on coffee and run size; 1kg from about £12.30 to £16.10. See our white label coffee price bands.
- Included: label design service, a label check against food labelling law and claims rules, and free samples (you pay £9.95 shipping).
Bespoke blend: a coffee that is yours
If you want a coffee nobody else sells but do not need a whole new product, a bespoke blend is the middle route. We have ten blends ready to go and dozens of blend recipes to draw on, so we can build a blend around the taste you want, whether that is a chocolatey espresso for milk drinks or a bright filter coffee.
- Best for: brands that want a signature coffee, and businesses that serve or sell one house coffee.
- How it works: tell us the flavour you are after, taste samples, refine, then we roast and pack it like any white label order.
- Cost and minimums: by quote, depending on the coffees in the blend and your volumes.
Private label: a new product built around your brief
Private label is for brands that want a product of their own. We develop the drink with you from samples: mushroom coffee with lion's mane or reishi, protein coffee including collagen, and mineral coffee are all possible, as a coffee, a tea or a hot chocolate.
- Best for: wellness, fitness and functional drinks brands, and established brands extending their range.
- Included: two rounds of samples, a spec sheet, lab testing if your product needs it, design service and a label check.
- Cost: an NPD fee, which comes off your first order.
- Minimums and time: minimums apply, and we agree the timing with you at the brief.
How to choose
- Choose white label if you want to launch in weeks, keep your first order small, or test whether your audience will buy.
- Choose a bespoke blend if the coffee itself is part of your story and you want a taste that is yours.
- Choose private label if your brand is built around a function or ingredient, such as mushrooms or protein, that a standard coffee cannot deliver.
Many brands start with white label, prove demand, then move to a bespoke blend or new product. Our coffee brand margin calculator shows what each bag could earn you, and our guide to selling into cafés, gyms and farm shops covers where to sell it.
Quality and compliance on every route
The roastery producing our coffee is SALSA certified, and food safety is run on HACCP principles. HACCP documentation, MSDS and spec sheets for flavourings, and spec sheets for finished products are available on request. Every label is checked against food labelling law and claims rules before print. A roastery since 1975, We Are Coffee Co since 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between white label and private label coffee?
White label means an existing coffee from the roaster's range, packed under your brand. Private label usually means a product developed for you, such as a bespoke recipe or a new drink, that only your brand sells. White label is faster and cheaper to start; private label gives you something unique.
Which is cheaper to start with?
White label. There is no minimum order for one of our coffees in a stock pouch with a simple label, and 250g bags start from £5.00 each on small runs. Private label projects carry a development fee and higher minimums.
Can I have my own blend?
Yes. We have ten blends ready to go and dozens of blend recipes to draw on, so a bespoke blend can be built for your brand. It is priced by quote, and you taste samples before you commit.
Is there a fee for developing a new product?
Yes. A new product, such as a mushroom, protein or mineral coffee, has an NPD fee, which comes off your first order. Two rounds of samples are included.
Can I start with white label and move to private label later?
Yes, and many brands do. Launch with one of our coffees to test demand, then develop a bespoke blend or new product once you know what your customers want.
Start with a conversation
Not sure which route fits? Tell us what you want to sell and who to, and we will point you to the right one. Read more on our start a coffee brand page, or go straight to white label and private label.
