Chimney Fire Coffee is a B Corp™ Certified speciality coffee roastery, nestled in the Surrey Hills.
We work hard to bring our customers coffee to suit every taste that supports ethical and eco-friendly practices, all the way from farm to cup. We have long-term relationships directly with our suppliers, use 100% compostable & recyclable packaging across our range & deliver social impact through donations to Re-Cycle, a small charity who refurbish bikes in the UK and send them to rural communities in Africa.
Founder Dan Webber spent several years working on coffee and cocoa traceability projects in Ghana. After returning to the UK and building a new garden shed, he purchased his first roasting machine and began testing and tweaking coffee recipes. Alongside learning the craft of coffee roasting, Dan was part of the trial of AirBNB Experiences, inviting members of the public into his back garden ‘Labin’ (lab-cabin) - a tour and tasting that continues today as our Bean to Cup Coffee Experience.
In 2017, it was time to launch Chimney Fire Coffee from a converted stable in the Surrey Hills. Elizabeth Furth joined the company as Head Roaster, bringing in her roasting expertise to help consistently produce exceptional speciality coffee.
From the outset we were fortunate to work with some incredible partners who shared our passion for quality. Working with local independent businesses and receiving lots of feedback from early online subscribers and coffee experience visitors enabled us to grow and increase our range of coffees to suit different tastes.
It has always been our goal to form direct sourcing relationships with coffee growers, cooperatives and exporters. Making direct, long-term commitments provides farmers with a better income, a sustainable business model and ensures that the farm is economically and environmentally sustainable and not just a subsistence operation.
In 2019, we received three Time & Leisure Awards, served our coffee to royalty and rolled out a successful crowdfunding campaign. However, there was a lot less time for hob-nobbing when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring 2020. We quickly scaled up our subscription platform to service the working from home boom, introducing our Discovery Coffee range and taking on a second unit in the courtyard to expand our production capacity. Below is a video from our original roastery in the courtyard.
After less than a year we were nearing capacity once again, and made the decision to upgrade our beautiful CoffeeTool roaster to the next model up. But there was a problem - it wouldn’t fit in our current unit! We were extremely happy to be offered a unit on one of the UK’s finest vineyards, Denbies Wine Estate, and moved our company four miles down the road to our new home in November 2022.
During this period, we made a conscious effort to sleep less and apply for the world’s leading sustainability accreditation. In August 2022 we became a Certified B Corporation™, an international commendation of social and environmental performance. The B Corp™ Community is a nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet, using business as a force for good.
What’s next for Chimney Fire Coffee? We’re not quite sure yet, but check out our socials and newsletter for some of the best coffee content this side of Dorking.
The Chimney Fire Coffee Team ☕
OUR TEAM
Dan Webber
Founder
A masters in Sustainable Development, several years working in cocoa and coffee traceability and plenty of coffee slurping in Kenya led to launching Chimney Fire Coffee in 2017. Responsible for sourcing and managing the business.
Elizabeth Furth
Head Roaster
A passionate coffee blogger and roaster for nearly 10 years, Elizabeth's coffee journey started in 2011 when her brother set up a speciality coffee roasting business in Vienna. Oversees all roasting and quality control processes.
Row Baker
Operations Manager
Row has a bucket load of industry experience having worked for a coffee roaster / social enterprise and a coffee importer. Passionate about operational processes & customer service, Row helps ensure every single bean arrives safely at your door.
Sam Pearce
Community Manager
Sam looks after many of our wholesale and retail partners, developing and delivering our training programmes as well as overseeing roastery events and wider community engagement projects. You’ll also frequently find him out enjoying the Surrey Hills on two feet or two wheels, come rain or shine!
Neroli Snowden
Operations Assistant
Neroli takes charge of all things picking, packing, and keeping the fulfilment process running smoothly, making sure our products get out the door and to our lovely customers on time. On her days off you can find her enjoying the beautiful natural playground that is the Surrey Hills - be that on her mountain bike, paddleboard, or wild swimming. Brr!
Nathan Skingley
Digital Content Creator
Coming from a background of stunning landscape and travel photography, Nathan joined us as our main content creator - producing media for ads, socials and the website. You might end up speaking to him if you message us on our social media accounts...
Barkley
Barketing Manager (part time)
The real boss around here. Duties include lunch break enforcement (walkies), doorbell notifications (woofs), and emotional support (cuddles). Will howl for treats.