Heart & Graft Coffee Roasters

Overview

James Guard founded a garage-roasting operation called The Coffee Circle in Manchester in 2012 after getting fed up with the lack of specialty coffee in his home city; in 2015 he and Sean Fowler — at the time the UK's youngest Q-Grader, formerly an assistant buyer at commercial roastery Lincoln and York — joined forces and rebranded as Heart & Graft. The roastery has moved through Salford's Artwork Atelier co-op, a Newton Heath mill building, and most recently a Cheetham Hill site, with two purple-and-brass Giesen roasters nicknamed 'Big Purple' (30kg) and 'Lil' Purple' (15kg).

Known for

• First-wave Manchester specialty roaster
• UK youngest-ever Q-Grader as co-founder
• Direct trade with Las 3 Naruas (Honduras)
• Purple Giesen roasters as brand signature
• Strong wholesale presence across Manchester hospitality

Why it matters

Manchester's foundational specialty roaster — built from a garage in 2012, now wholesaling to many of the city's best coffee bars while training the next generation of UK baristas via SCA-certified Kieron and the Barista Hustle test program.

Production

destoning

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head roaster

Frankie (since 2021)

color sorting

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roaster machine

30kg Giesen 'Big Purple' + 15kg Giesen 'Lil' Purple'

filter equipment

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cupping frequency

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roastery location

Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 8RE

espresso equipment

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annual volume tonnes

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Recognitions

• SALSA certified

Sources

• https://heartandgraft.co.uk/about/our-team/
• https://heartandgraft.co.uk/about/the-roastery/
• https://dogandhat.co.uk/collections/heart-and-graft
• https://mlkwood.store/collections/heart-graft-coffee-roasters
• https://www.bluecoffeebox.com/blogs/learn-blue-coffee/heart-graft-featured-roaster
• https://www.localspecialtycoffee.com/specialty-coffee-place/heart-graft-coffee-roastery