Intermission Coffee is a coffee shop in West Hampstead that roasts its own beans. The shop is a “little refuge from the rhythm of the day”, just outside West Hampstead Overground station and a minute’s walk from the tube, built for a break, a catch-up with a friend or a meeting.

Its mission is to put people and planet first and to be at the forefront of sustainable coffee. Intermission works to verify that everyone along its supply chain gets fair treatment and fair pay, and that its coffee causes no unnecessary harm to the planet. It buys green coffee through importers including Falcon, Caravela, Mi Café and Nordic Approach.

Its coffees go by names such as Power Hour, a washed El Salvador from 28 growers in Ahuachapán roasted for espresso, and Halcyon, a washed Kenyan from the Gatamboya washing station in Nyeri. Roasting happens on fixed days each week, and batches that miss their target are sold as a cheaper Test Roast rather than thrown away. The online shop sells them whole or ground to order.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Intermission Coffee