LS6 Cafe Competitors

Caffè Nero was founded in 1997 by Gerry Ford who had a vision to bring a continental style coffee house experience to Europe and beyond. Our philosophy is really very simple: Premium Italian coffee. A warm and welcoming atmosphere. Good food and great personal service. Caffè Nero has continued to increase its store numbers, sales and profitability year on year and become a familiar neighbourhood meeting place in towns and cities across Europe and US. As store numbers have increased, Caffè Nero has built a strong brand identity built on premium espresso-based gourmet coffee, authentic Italian food products and a relaxing atmosphere in every store.

Our relationship with coffee began in Kenya in 2011, working amongst smallholder coffee farmers to conduct academic research into whether Fairtrade had delivered what it promised to in terms of social and economic development. Although we didn’t know it at the time, our home for the month happened to be the best producing region in the country (Nyeri) and we had the honour of working alongside some of the world’s most renowned coffee cooperatives. We therefore began our coffee journey within the specialty industry amongst a community focused on quality, and we have never looked back. North Star Coffee Roasters was established in 2013 as the first coffee roastery in Leeds dedicated to providing coffees of the highest quality by working with specialty focused producers all over the world. We buy only specialty grade Arabica coffees and choose beans based on their complex flavour profile, cleanliness and consistency. We work seasonally, purchasing fresh green coffee in small batches all year round which we then roast to showcase the inherent flavours of each bean. Our love for coffee comes from its power to connect people all over the world with a shared interest and goal. Our aim is to strengthen this connection by sharing our stories and relationships with the fantastic people behind our product. Following nearly three years of experience working in green coffee with one of the UK’s leading specialty importers (and with a background in ethical studies) we are very proud of our sourcing policies which aim to ensure that the land and people growing our coffees are treated with respect and consideration.

We use a range of the best coffees available to the UK market.