Most coffee is not as clean as you think

I have worked in coffee for over 14 years. One thing still surprises people. Over 85% of coffee sold worldwide is commercial grade. It is grown for volume, not quality. Many farms spray it with pesticides. Some suppliers store it in damp conditions. That can lead to mould growth inside the bean.

Here is the thing. Mould can produce mycotoxins. These are toxic compounds that can survive the roasting process. Many people drink coffee every morning without knowing what is in it.

A few years ago, I noticed I was changing my own food and drink habits. I read labels. I chose organic food. But my coffee was behind the curve, and so was everyone else's. The same people who read supplement labels rarely ask how their coffee was grown.

That gap is the reason I started Balance Coffee.

Built for health-conscious home brewers

I built Balance Coffee for people who take their health seriously. You read labels. You choose better food. You want your daily coffee to meet the same standard as the rest of your diet.

So what does that mean for you? It means you deserve coffee that has been tested, not just marketed as clean. It means knowing exactly where your beans come from and how they were stored.

We serve home brewers who want café-quality coffee with nothing hidden. We also supply cafés and restaurants that share the same commitment to clean sourcing.

How I solve it better than the alternatives

Most speciality roasters focus on flavour. That matters, and I hold the SCA Coffee Skills Diploma because I care about it too. But I wanted to go further. I source, roast and test for both health and taste. Here are four things I do that most roasters do not. You can read my full story here.

I source from the top 5% of farms worldwide. I pay 25% more than the market rate for our beans. That extra cost buys farms that grow coffee at altitude and store it correctly. Controlled storage helps stop mould from forming.

I worked with a qualified nutritionist. During product development, I brought in Clemmie Rose, a former Harrods nutritionist. Her expertise shaped both my sourcing criteria and my roasting approach. That kind of input is unusual in the coffee industry.

I roast for health, not just flavour. Roast temperature and time affect which natural compounds survive. I control both precisely. The result is coffee that tastes good and keeps more of what makes it worth drinking.

And that is just the start. I also created Lion's Mane coffee and our mushroom tincture drops. Many of our customers add them to their daily coffee routine. Few UK speciality roasters offer both clean coffee and functional mushroom products.

Why you can trust that my approach works

Let me explain. I do not ask you to take my word for it. Every claim I make is backed by testing, industry recognition or a guarantee. The guarantee removes the risk from your first order.

• Independently lab-tested. Our coffee is tested by an accredited laboratory for mould, mycotoxins and pesticides. No mould, mycotoxins or heavy metals were detected. It was also screened for over 600 pesticides. Clean is not a marketing phrase for me. It is a standard I test against.
• Voted Best Speciality Coffee Company 2021. Recognised for our sourcing and product quality.
• Voted Best Organic Coffee Roasters 2022. A second industry award for our commitment to clean, sustainable coffee.
• Over 1,100 customer reviews. Rated 4.8 on Google, 4.7 on Loox and 4.4 on Trustpilot. Read them on our reviews page.
• 60-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied, I refund you in full. No questions asked. I am confident in my coffee, so I stand behind it this way.
• Nutritionist-informed development. Clemmie Rose, a former Harrods nutritionist, helped shape my sourcing and roasting standards. That expertise is built into every bag we sell.

I also back my sourcing claims with transparency. Our farming partners are chosen against strict quality criteria. I publish our science and sourcing standards on the site. You can read the evidence behind every product we sell.

James Bellis
Founder, Balance Coffee