SOroast started roasting in Southampton in 2015, and its store sits on The Triangle in Bitterne Park. The SO:Special blend has been “the heartbeat of our roastery” since that first year: milk chocolate and toasted hazelnut with a hint of citrus zest, made to cut through milk in a latte and still clean enough to drink black through a filter.

The roastery works in small weekly batches, and online orders are sent out after the next roasting day. The single origins come from Rwanda, Ethiopia and Colombia, and each one is roasted to its own profile: the Rwandan 1000 Hills light to medium-light for paper filter, the Colombian Wuchii medium-light with espresso in mind, and the Colombian sugar cane decaf medium-dark. Each product lists the lot’s cupping score, variety and altitude. Gift subscriptions run for three months.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: SOroast Coffee