What Is Speciality Coffee?

So, what is speciality coffee, and why does it matter?

Most people think speciality coffee means better beans. In reality, it’s a precise grading system that defines the highest level of quality a coffee can achieve - the top 5 % of beans on the planet.

After 15 years immersed in the UK coffee industry, training baristas, visiting farms at origin, and working with Sanremo, an Italian coffee machine brand supporting hundreds of the UK's best coffee roasters, I’ve learned that speciality coffee isn’t just a label.

It’s a discipline, a score, and a story of care at every step from farm to cup. 

The Rise of Speciality Coffee in the UK

My journey into coffee began just as the first speciality cafés were opening in central London. I still remember walking into Prufrock Coffee - one of the pioneers of the movement- and realising coffee could taste entirely different when treated like a craft rather than a commodity.

Back then, most cafés served dark, bitter blends designed to hide defects. But this new wave changed everything. Independent roasters started sourcing traceable micro-lots, baristas trained in sensory evaluation, and customers began asking where their beans came from.

Over the last decade, that quiet curiosity has grown into a nationwide movement.

From the first Aeropress Championships to the best coffee roasters in London the UK has become one of Europe’s most vibrant speciality coffee hubs - setting new standards for transparency, traceability, and taste.

Today, speciality coffee isn’t just a trend. It’s a mindset — one that connects farmers, roasters, and drinkers through shared respect for quality and care.

What Does “Speciality Coffee” Actually Mean?

Speciality coffee refers to beans scoring 80 points or higher on the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) quality scale. Each lot is evaluated by certified Q-graders for aroma, flavour, balance, sweetness, and absence of defects.

Many of my friends and colleagues are certified Q-graders, demonstrating the highest standards in coffee education. 

Only around 5 % of global coffee meets that high bar. These beans grow in optimal micro-climates, high altitude conditions, balanced rainfall, mineral-rich soils and yes, are processed with extraordinary care.

“When you cup hundreds of coffees a week, you realise that true speciality isn’t marketing - it’s measurable and unforgettable.”
-James Bellis, SCA-certified coffee professional

Learn more: Speciality vs Commercial Coffee →

The Coffee Quality Pyramid

Most people only ever taste the bottom layers of the coffee world. What separates an average cup from a clean, high-performing one comes down to how beans are grown, graded, stored, roasted and tested.

After 15 years in the industry, I’ve learned that coffee quality isn’t a single label; it’s a pyramid built on precision and care at every stage.

As you climb this pyramid, each tier removes more toxins, improves taste, traceability, and enhances the way your coffee makes you feel.

That’s where Balance Coffee leads the way, bridging the craftsmanship of speciality with the science of wellbeing through our Clean Coffee standard.

How Speciality Coffee Is Graded

The company uses a 100-point cupping system to evaluate coffee quality.

The Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) uses a detailed 100-point cupping system to grade speciality coffee.

Certified Q-graders assess aroma, flavour, acidity, body, and balance - with only coffees scoring above 80 classified as speciality, helping to discern for quality. 

Even one defect can lower a score, which is why speciality coffee demands rigorous attention from farm to roast.

For the detailed guide, learn How Speciality Coffee Is Graded. Each lot is evaluated by certified Q-graders across ten key attributes, from aroma to balance.

How to Identify True Speciality Coffee

Once you understand how coffee is graded, it becomes much easier to recognise quality for yourself. 

Over the past fifteen years, I’ve cupped thousands of coffees, from high-scoring microlots to supermarket blends, and a few clear markers always separate the real thing from the rest.

Here’s what to look for when you’re shopping or exploring a new coffee:

1. Transparency on Origin & Farm: The website or bag should clearly state where the beans come from — country and region —and, ideally, the farm or co-op. This clarifies that they understand the detailed source of supply. 

2. Roast Date (Not Best Before):  Real speciality roasters highlight freshness with a date stamp of the precise roast date. If the bag only shows an expiry date or a best-before date, that’s a red flag.

3. Varietal & Processing Info: Look for details like washed, natural, or honey process, which signal the level of detail speciality grade provides. 

4. Tasting Notes: Expect clear flavour notes like chocolate, berry, or citrus, not just generic words like “strong” or “rich.”

5. Traceability & Ethics: The best roasters know their farmers and can share how they’re paid or supported.

6. Flavour Evolution: When brewed well, speciality coffee changes as it cools. You’ll taste balance and sweetness rather than bitterness. In other words, the taste will show you. 

7. Price: It may be an obvious one, but a 'good quality coffee' showing up too cheaply probably means it's not speciality-grade. Speciality grade coffee is not cheap, but for good reason. 

These small details tell you everything about a coffee’s story, from the altitude where it was grown to the care behind each roast. Once you start noticing them, you’ll never look at supermarket coffee the same way again.

Next: explore Speciality vs Commercial Coffee, to see how these differences show up in your cup.

Why Is Speciality Coffee More Expensive?

Speciality coffee costs more because quality is built at every step of the supply chain. Unlike mass-market blends, it’s grown on small farms where altitude, soil, and climate create exceptional flavour complexity.

High-altitude regions, such as Ethiopia’s Sidamo, Colombia’s Huila, and Guatemala’s Antigua, produce denser beans with richer sweetness and acidity.

These farms often yield less coffee overall, but every cherry is hand-picked and meticulously by coffee farmers dedicated to picking, sorting and processing - to avoid defects.

Beyond farming, roasters like ourselves pay a premium for traceability, direct trade, and ethical wages, ensuring farmers reinvest in soil health and infrastructure.

In short: you pay for higher-quality raw material (the bean), a transparent supply chain, and a coffee experience that's noticeably healthier and tastier. 

Is Speciality Coffee Healthier?

Speciality coffee already offers a cleaner flavour and better farming ethics, but health depends on purity. 

Beans stored too long or processed poorly can harbour moulds and mycotoxins, leading to jitters, fatigue, and energy crashes.

At Balance, every roast is independently lab-tested to confirm it’s free of contaminants so each cup supports steady focus and sustained energy.

Read Healthy Coffee vs Speciality Coffee

The Clean Coffee Movement

Our mission is to raise the bar beyond flavour, merging craft + coffee science to deliver coffee that fuels wellbeing.

Every batch is tested for mould, mycotoxins, and pesticide residue, meeting standards that exceed the SCA baseline.

This innovation has been recognised by The Independent, Evening Standard, Forbes, and SME London Awards, where Balance Coffee was named Best Speciality Coffee Company.

Shop Speciality Grade Coffee

How to Brew Speciality Coffee at Home

You don’t need to spend a fortune on barista gear to get almost café-quality results, just the right fundamentals.

• Grind size: Match grind to method (fine for espresso, coarse for French press) This is crucial. 

• Ratio: For 1 cup, use 15–17 g coffee per 250 ml water for balanced extraction.

• Water: Filtered water at 92–96 °C preserves clarity and sweetness.

• Freshness: Grind immediately before brewing to capture volatile aromas.

Each brew method highlights something different. For example, espresso amplifies body, while pour-over reveals origin character.

If you’re unsure where to start, explore our Coffee Brewing Guides.

Where Speciality Coffee Comes From

Speciality coffee begins long before roasting, in high-altitude farms where climate, soil, and care determine everything. Most premium Arabica is grown between 1,200 and 2,000 metres above sea level, where cooler air slows ripening and naturally develops sweetness and clarity.

The best-known origins include Ethiopia, where heirloom varietals offer jasmine and bergamot notes; Colombia, known for its balanced caramel sweetness; and Guatemala, where volcanic soils create rich chocolate and citrus tones.

Fun Fact: Colombia and Kenya are my favourite global coffee-growing regions. 

Emerging regions like Rwanda, Uganda, and Peru are now producing micro-lots that rival traditional powerhouses, proving speciality coffee is a global craft of passion and precision.

At Balance Coffee, we only work with farms that score 80 + on the SCA scale and follow clean post-harvest practices, ensuring every cup supports both quality and ethics from origin to roast.

Best Speciality Coffee Beans in the UK

Looking to experience the best speciality coffee beans available in the UK?

I’ve personally reviewed and ranked some of the country’s top roasters, from London micro-roasteries to nationwide brands - in our updated 2025 guide.

During my time at Sanremo UK, I worked directly with hundreds of the country’s leading roasters, helping them refine espresso quality and roasting profiles. That hands-on experience shaped how I evaluate each roaster today.

Every recommendation in the list focuses on freshness, SCA score, and ethical sourcing, highlighting what makes a coffee truly exceptional.

Read: Best Speciality Coffee Beans London UK (2025 Guide)

FAQs

What is speciality coffee?

Coffee scoring 80 + on the SCA scale for taste, balance and traceability.

Is speciality coffee healthier?

When lab-tested for toxins and mould, yes.

Where can I buy speciality coffee in the UK?

Directly from ethical, tested roasters like Balance Coffee.

Conclusion

Speciality coffee represents the peak of craft and care, but Clean Coffee is its next evolution: lab-verified, functional, and designed for modern energy needs.

It’s coffee without compromise: pure fuel for clarity, focus, and calm productivity.