Here at Bridge Coffee Roasters, our clients often ask us the question of whether they should roast their own coffee or outsource their roasting to a private-label coffee roaster.
Whilst we are proud of our private label coffee beans and wholesale services, we recognise that outsourcing your coffee roasting is not the ideal solution for every business and some may want to roast the coffee themselves.
Roasting vs White Label
We want you and our customers to be as educated as possible when it comes to running a successful coffee business, side hustle or hobby. This involves letting you know the benefits and drawbacks of both roasting your own coffee and outsourcing the roasting, and recommending which might be best for you.
This blog therefore provides a concise, unbiased review of our thoughts on the positives and negatives of roasting coffee in-house vs using a white label service.
The Benefits of Roasting Your Own Coffee
Roasting your own coffee is a challenging endeavour, but for those businesses or hobbyists who fancy giving it a go, there are a wealth of potential benefits.
- You gain full control over the roast level and flavour profile.
- Ultimate flexibility and choice in the green coffee you buy.
- It can often cheaper than buying from a roaster.
- Allows you to experiment with different origins and coffee varieties.
- Permits a business to sell their own product line of branded coffee.
- Provides an opportunity to learn new skills.
- It’s fun!
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What are the Downsides of Coffee Roasting?
Whilst coffee roasting can be a fantastic idea for many, there are some potential downsides that should be considered before going down the rabbit hole.
- You assume all responsibility for failed roasts and wastage.
- There is a steep learning curve with trial and error involved.
- Roasting coffee is a meaningful time investment.
- There is an additional upfront cost of buying the roasting equipment.
- It can be less financially viable than buying roasted coffee at a small scale.
- Space, noise, smell and heat considerations to be taken into account.
- Can be difficult to achieve consistency across batches without automation.
New to Coffee Roasting? Take a look at how we do it…
Or continue reading to learn about the pros and cons of white label coffee.
The Benefits of Outsourced, Private or White Label Coffee
Outsourcing coffee to a private/white-label supplier takes all of the responsibility out of your hands. It will typically involve working with a coffee roaster to choose your favourite blend or single origin amongst their offering, and can bring about a host of benefits.
- You have a guaranteed level of quality and no accountability for failed roasts.
- Requires less space for storage of the roasting equipment.
- Allows a business to sell their own product line of branded coffee.
- Significant time savings, staff, learning, training etc.
- A wide range of origins, varieties and roasting styles to choose from across the industry.
- Allows you to tap in to established supply lines, often from farm to cup.
- There are little to no upfront costs required.
Downsides to White Label
Buying your roasted coffee from a wholesale supplier saves a large amount of time and investment from yourself, and provides a level of protection for your business in case the roast goes wrong.
However, buying roasted coffee beans from an external supplier may have some downsides in the long run that are worth considering.
- It can often be more expensive than buying green coffee beans.
- Removes some of the fun out of creating your own coffee range.
- May involve being tied into contracts.
- Places restrictions on coffee selection.
In conclusion, both in-house roasting and outsourced private label coffee roasting can be viable decisions for you, depending on your situation and goals.
To briefly summarise, in-house roasting requires more of a time investment and higher upfront cost, but comes with the benefits of creating your own style of coffee and roasting profiles. White label coffee, or private label outsourced roasting, removes the upfront costs and time investment needed to roast coffee, but comes with paying extra for the coffee and takes some flexibility out of your hands.
With our white label coffee offering, you can create a bespoke coffee brand that is both personalised and unique to your business.
With over 2o coffees to choose from, we’re sure we’ll have the right blend or single origin to meet your needs.