THE HACKNEY COFFEE COMPANY STORY
2008-2015 - BREWING AN IDEA
It was back in early 2008, on a backpacking trip through South America, as we stumbled along dusty back roads in the rural hills of Colombia, where we fell in love with coffee. It was here, tasting the freshly roasted beans from artisan farmers, we experienced the full flavour complexity of a properly crafted coffee. The coffee travelled with us, and as we sat sipping piping hot coffee on crisp mornings, watching blazing sunrises, we realised that enjoying great coffee isn’t just about what’s in the cup - it's about understanding the story behind the coffee, the ritual of its preparation, the ambiance and the company you keep. From these beginnings, our idea grew, of creating a space that celebrated the craft of creating outstanding coffee, in surroundings that encouraged you to feel at home, and to savour time. Over the years that followed we threw ourselves into learning as much as we could about the coffee industry and perfecting our craft (as well as trying to scratch together enough savings to quit our day jobs!)
2015 - The Little Shop on Hackney Road
We launched our small shop at 499 Hackney Road. As the first of the new wave of speciality coffee shops to land in this part of town, we quickly gained a reputation for great quality coffee.
2016 - Launch of Speciality Coffee Range
Following years of work building our network, supply chains and knowledge of the industry, we launched our own range of speciality coffee inspired by the stories of East London and its history with the world of coffee.
2017 - The Move to 503 Hackney Road (next door)
The opportunity arose to move into a much larger space next door at 503 Hackney Road, which at the time was derelict. We completed much of the renovation work ourselves, boot-strapping and up-cycling as we went. Everything from the bar to the light fittings and furniture were repurposed with love to build the beautiful space it remains today.
503 Hackney Road is our HQ, cafe and and where all the magic happens. It's an impressive space that we use to host pop-ups, events and parties, and over the years we have collaborated with a host of top-named brands on everything from product launches to summer parties.