Nantwich coffee maker roasts opposition in national competition!

A coffee maker from Nantwich has roasted opposition from around the UK to finish runner-up in a national competition.

Tilted Coffee, founded by Kris Thurbin in Nantwich and with a base in Alsager, placed second in the inaugural Best Roaster UK competition at Glasgow Coffee Festival.

They were competing against established roasters from across the UK on its very first entry.

The competition brought together 10 top roasters from across the UK, from London to Glasgow, for a blind, peer-assessed cupping event.

Roasters competed across two rounds: a mandatory coffee, supplied identically to all entrants and roasted to each competitor’s own specifications, and a sourced coffee of each roaster’s own choice, chosen to represent their brand and style.

Points across both rounds determined the final result, judged by the competing roasters alongside two independent industry experts.

Kris, who founded the roastery in 2022 while working full-time, began roasting in Nantwich before expanding into a dedicated roastery space in Alsager as the business grew.

He said: “Going in, I was hoping to finish in the top half of the field.

“To come second, on a first entry, against roasters I genuinely respect. I am still processing it.

“It means a lot for the business and for what we are building.”

For the sourced round, Tilted entered San Jose Ocana, a Red Honey processed coffee from Guatemala.

The coffee sold out entirely across the festival weekend, and proved a talking point at the stand, where Tilted was exhibiting alongside the competition.

Kris said visitors returning to buy after trying other stands was a strong signal the quality and story were landing.

Tilted Coffee was established in Nantwich in 2022, shaped by a deep appreciation for the coffee culture of Scandinavia: its clarity, its quality, and its focus on the cup above all else.

The business roasts on a ROEST P3000, a precision roasting machine with data-led profiling, and donates 5% of all sales to charitable causes.

The Best Roaster UK competition was held at Glasgow Coffee Festival for the first time. First place went to Jonathan Martinez, head roaster at Thomson’s Coffee in Glasgow.

(Images courtesy of Roest)