YORK-based coffee roaster, York Coffee Emporium, has changed hands.

Amateur coffee lovers Laurence and Philippa Beardmore have bought the business from its founder Sadie Walton, who will concentrate on her consultancy business.

Sadie, who originally set up the speciality coffee business in a shop in High Petergate in 2009, started selling exclusively online in 2010, when she set up new venture Slave to the Grind Coffee Consultancy.

Laurence, who worked in IT and technology, said he and Philippa, who worked for a small charity, had been coffee nerds and tea geeks for 20 odd years and decided they wanted to do something different.

“The opportunity came up and we grabbed it with both hands,” he said.

“We have significant plans for expansion, while keeping the business locally run and independently operated. We hope to encourage many more cafes, restaurants and hotels to offer our bespoke, locally roasted coffee and loose teas, and have already invested in a new roaster to meet demand.”

They are being trained by Sadie, through her consultancy practice, to provide the speciality coffee which is freshly roasted in its roasting house at Oakwood Business Park in Poppleton.

Laurence said they hoped to move back into premises in the city centre, and were investing in equipment that would enable them to roast larger quantities of coffee and roast them in different ways for specific tastes.

“I’m keen to set up an artisan micro-roastery to serve all the York clients and internet customers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sadie who set up Slave to the Grind Coffee Consultancy to help people start up their own businesses, said she had been called upon by coffee companies to do barista training, advising them on coffee supply and selection. The work has led her to become a judge for the UK Barista Championships, and next she hopes to be a judge for the World Barista Championships. “That’s ultimately what I want to do – talk about coffee in a hot climate!” she said.

“It’s a new start for me and for York Coffee Emporium. I wanted to ensure the business was sold to coffee enthusiasts who had the time and focus to take the business further, and I found just that in Laurence and Philippa.”