Nestling in the West Yorkshire Pennines, we are surrounded by dramatic moorland, dry-stone walls and ancient woods. We see reminders of the area's heritage, shaped by the Industrial Revolution; from the 18th Century canal locks to the remnants of old mills and weirs. It was this that gave birth to our river-side Victorian textile mill, where we roast our coffee on a vintage Probat drum roaster.
Dark Woods use specialty grade coffees, which have cleaner more distinctive flavours than cheaper commercial coffees and are traceable to skilled farmers and their farms across the world. Carefully roasted to produce an array of flavours to suit a wide range of styles and tastes - which may be why Dark Woods gained another 13 awards in 2020's Great Taste Awards.
Dark Woods use specialty grade coffees, which have cleaner more distinctive flavours than cheaper commercial coffees and are traceable to skilled farmers and their farms across the world. Carefully roasted to produce an array of flavours to suit a wide range of styles and tastes - which may be why Dark Woods gained another 13 awards in 2020's Great Taste Awards.
Services
Dark Woods Coffee is an adventurous coffee roaster, Barista school, and pop-up cafe nestled on the edge of Marsden village in the West Yorkshire Pennines. We roast our coffee by hand on a 1950's Probat drum roaster in a beautifully refurbished Victorian textile mill beside the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and River Colne.
Terms like "sustainable", "ethical" and "fair" are used lot in marketing these days, with broad claims being made by companies about their practices and products. We sought a way to measure and verify what we did in order that we could give substance to our values. By applying a high degree of scrutiny to our work we aim to move beyond soundbites and make a real and positive impact.
Dark Woods' desire for inclusivity informs our roasting and blending philosophy. Though all speciality roasters aim to source the best green coffees from great producers, not all explore the full range of flavours locked within them. Lighter roasting retains fruit, brightness and origin character but often misses the kind of nutty, caramel and chocolate sweetness developed by longer and fuller roasts.
The Great Taste Awards have always been very important to Dark Woods. Not just because over 12,000 products a year are entered, or because they are judged by a wide range of food lovers - deli owners, chefs, food critics etc, but because all the products are blind tasted.
The quality of the products have to stand up for themselves, with only the best winning the highly acclaimed stars, and only a handful going on to win the "Golden Forks" each year.It's testimony to the quality of coffee our farmer partners supply, that we have been grateful to win numerous stars over the years, and are the only coffee company to have won two "Golden Forks".
The quality of the products have to stand up for themselves, with only the best winning the highly acclaimed stars, and only a handful going on to win the "Golden Forks" each year.It's testimony to the quality of coffee our farmer partners supply, that we have been grateful to win numerous stars over the years, and are the only coffee company to have won two "Golden Forks".
Speciality coffee, for all its talk of terroir and origin, is in many ways an urban industry. High-end cafes and roasteries embrace industrial aesthetic and typically hug the streets of our busiest and most iconic cities. Despite this fact, Dark Woods has always felt more a product of the windswept moorlands and snug valleys of Yorkshire than of the cities that they surround.
Reviews (9)
Chaz
Jun 22, 2021
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Dark Woods have created fantastic specialty roasted beans here. I took the dive and ordered a 1kg bag of Arboretum after hearing great things. All I can say is after the hundreds of Microlot, specialty coffees that I have tried from all over the world; this is definitely within my top 5. The flavour profile is incredible fruity, vibrant and complex and perfectly light roasted. Once you have dialled it in to pull that perfect shot, it is nothing short of bliss. After drinking this, I can surely say that no craft coffee shop comes close to my home brews. I will be back for other beans to try!
Tony Hellman
May 09, 2021
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Sean Conaty
Jan 05, 2021
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Gotta be honest tried some of their award winning coffee and wasn’t to my taste, however made enquiries into whether I was doing something wrong and found them extremely helpful, knowledgeable and they went above and beyond to try and see if they could improve my experience. Other roasters could learn allot from these guys, love the aesthetics of their branding and packaging quality company.
Dawn Mitchell
Dec 29, 2020
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Andrew Mount
Dec 29, 2020
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I've been ordering beans from dark woods for a few months now as the are based in Huddersfield where I live and I want to support local businesses.
They always process my order with 24hrs. I have tried most of the beans and all are delicious, such a difference from the poor quality ones on supermarkets.
On my last order I was left a note from Connor thanking me for my customer which was appreciated. All I need to do now is visit their shop when things get back to normal.
They always process my order with 24hrs. I have tried most of the beans and all are delicious, such a difference from the poor quality ones on supermarkets.
On my last order I was left a note from Connor thanking me for my customer which was appreciated. All I need to do now is visit their shop when things get back to normal.
Craig Warner
Nov 12, 2020
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I stumbled upon this little gem on my way to work one day and thought I would pay a visit. I left with a huge supply of coffee, as I was amazed by the professionalism and friendly attitude of the team developing the products next to the shop counter. I bought a new supply of coffee beans (Good Morning Sunshine and Guillermo Lomas Finca La Colina) yesterday at around 0930 hrs and I have just literally received the products an hour ago! Talk about rapid delivery!! The coffee is amazing, the aesthetic of each bag is amazing! What more could you want from a coffee roaster. I highly recommend paying
Lisa Beck
May 26, 2020
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Joseph Davies
Jan 14, 2019
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Absolutely fantastic range of single origin coffee, wonderful blends, not to mention that the customer service is beyond anything I've experienced before. The training course that I attended at the mill was hugely insightful and has really given me the chance to develop professionally and truly exceeded my expectations. I can recommend these guys to anyone who works with coffee or indeed anyone who just likes to drink it. Huge respect.
Graham Martin
Oct 08, 2018
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