BERKELEY, Calif., USA – Today, Bellwether Coffee, the technology company transforming retailers into sustainable on-site roasters, is launching the first-ever compact, ventless commercial roaster for less than the cost of an espresso machine. With increasing competition in retail coffee, businesses are looking for new ways to differentiate themselves and increase revenues.
Roasting in-house with The Bellwether Shop Roaster enables more retailers to serve fresher coffee at a fraction of the cost while reducing their carbon footprint.
“The Bellwether Shop Roaster is ushering in the next wave of the micro-roastery movement by empowering all retailers to realize the promise and impact of electric on-site coffee roasting from farm-to-cup,” said Ricardo Lopez, Founder and CEO of Bellwether.
“Our platform enables any business to reduce costs, grow revenues, and differentiate their brand with the added benefit of selling the most delicious and lowest-carbon coffee that supports living incomes for farmers. Because we’re lowering the barrier to entry to roast on-site, we’re allowing more retailers to deliver the freshest coffee for better taste.”
The Bellwether Shop Roaster is a small-format, high-throughput electric roaster that seamlessly fits into any retail environment, allowing all businesses, even those with limited space, to roast hundreds of pounds of coffee each week.
The fully automated system is offered as a countertop roaster or with a Continuous Roasting Upgrade and includes access to the Bellwether Green Coffee Marketplace – a global library of expertly sourced coffees paired with custom roast profiles, allowing retailers to source and roast fresh, world-class coffee. Because retailers can roast more than 40 lbs of coffee in a single operation, they can reduce costs while crafting consistently fresh, high-quality, delicious coffee while lowering their carbon footprint.
Electric roasting is a powerful alternative to gas‑powered roasting, which generates 15% of the industry’s carbon footprint.
The Bellwether Shop Roaster cuts wholesale coffee costs in half and reduces the carbon footprint of a pound of coffee by an average of 87%, at just one-fourth the cost of the Bellwether Series 2 Electric Roaster.
Because the Bellwether system is simple to install and operate, anyone can roast the highest quality, most sustainable coffee. In addition, no gas lines, vents, construction, or training are required to set it up and start roasting.
Bellwether’s lower-cost roaster was developed in response to the increased demand for electric coffee roasting worldwide. The company experienced significant momentum in 2023, led by international expansion to Japan and Europe, including new partnerships with Japanese retailer MUJI, The Hagen Project, and High Grade Coffee in the United Kingdom.
