A coffee roasting company based in Gloucestershire is making a difference to coffee producing communities thousands of miles away.

Ethical Addictions coffee roasters have recently moved its roastery, operations and training facilities to expanded premises at Bamfurlong Industrial Park, Staverton.

'Head Bean' Ian Meredith said: "Now we're settled in our new coffee roastery, with new equipment, we have new opportunities to kick-on and grow the business.

"We're planning to serve more customers, offering better support and services, as well as being able to make more of a difference amongst coffee producing communities in Africa and South America, with our direct trade approach and social project investment.

"2024 will see a new crop arrive from Colombia, announcing a long-term relationship with yet another family farm and community, as well as the launch of regular roastery tours and barista training school.

"From an environmental perspective, we have invested into better mono-recyclable bags which are more easily and widely recyclable; adopted a deeper commitment to our reduce-reuse-recycle policy; and continued to work with farms towards protecting eco habitats, organic farming practices and tree-planting."

Priding themselves on their highest value of relationship, whether that is the farmers and communities they work with overseas or their customers here in the UK, the team at EA truly look after their beans from farm to cup, having fun along the way.

They then return to origin to reinvest in coffee-producing communities either in coffee production or social projects like fresh water, forest preservation or building school toilets.

EA is a unique, direct trade coffee roaster, working with farmers and communities to ensure quality of the beans, fair pricing, workers' conditions, and care for the environment.

After ensuring farmers are well looked after and the quality of the arabica beans are speciality grade, then they bring them to the UK to carefully roast in-house.

Ethical Addictions' new HQ has been renovated along with new equipment installed to not only produce incredible coffee but a sensory and educational experience for visitors.

EA will soon be offering regular roastery tours, barista school and other experiences for their business and at-home customers. A slice of heaven for coffee lovers!

Ethical Addictions was established in 2006 by two friends with a passion for great coffee but who cared about where it came from and the farmers who grew their beans.

Ian added: "We work out in Tanzania, Brazil and Columbia. We work with farmers and small communities. We import the coffee beans and we roast them here in Gloucestershire.

"The coffee beans go in the top of the big roaster and we preheat the drum so it gets up to about 210 degrees and we'll roast the coffee controlling the air temperature, the air flow and the speed of the drum and when it's roasted it drops out into the cooling tray and once its roasted we take it over to the production area where we will weigh it, bag it, label it and so on."

The business employs six full-time roasters, packers and trainers and has a turnover of about £750,000 a year.

Ian added: "About 40% or our customers are here in Gloucestershire and the borders. I think because of the uniqueness of what we do we get a reputation beyond the region and we've got customers in Scotland, London and the South West, all over.

"Our biggest sellers are espresso beans which go into coffee shops, restaurants and hotels."

For more information on Ethical Addictions, call 01452 308774 or 01452 280026, email hello@eacoffee.co.uk or visit the company's website at eacoffee.co.uk