[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":221},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guides-en-US-how-to-buy-green-coffee":3},{"kind":4,"guide":5,"categorySlugs":213},"guide",{"key":6,"slug":6,"category":7,"order":8,"featured":9,"schema":10,"title":11,"seoTitle":12,"description":13,"excerpt":14,"keywords":15,"published":23,"updated":23,"readingMinutes":24,"cover":25,"related":28,"body":50,"faq":116,"products":126,"sources":139,"locale":148,"sourceHash":149,"translated":150,"paths":151,"slugMap":157,"categorySlug":212},"how-to-buy-green-coffee","green-coffee",40,true,"HowTo","How to buy green coffee for a roastery","How to Buy Green Coffee: A Roaster's Guide","How roasters buy green coffee: where to buy, spot vs forward, samples, cupping and grading, quantities, prices and terms, contracts, delivery and storage.","From the first sample request to the sacks on your floor: where green coffee comes from, how much to buy, how prices are set, and the checks that stop you paying for a disappointing lot.",{"primary":16,"secondary":17,"intent":22},"how to buy green coffee",[18,19,20,21],"buy green coffee uk","green coffee beans wholesale","where to buy green coffee","green coffee suppliers uk","commercial investigation, roaster sourcing","2026-10-09",9,{"figure":26,"kicker":27},"Spot","Green coffee",[29,36,43],{"key":30,"slug":30,"category":7,"title":31,"excerpt":32,"readingMinutes":33,"updated":23,"cover":34},"green-coffee-importers-vs-direct-trade","Buying through an importer or direct from origin","Direct trade is a relationship with real costs: you take on finance, logistics, customs and quality risk that an importer would otherwise carry. How to decide which coffees to buy which way.",7,{"figure":35,"kicker":27},"Direct?",{"key":37,"slug":37,"category":7,"title":38,"excerpt":39,"readingMinutes":33,"updated":23,"cover":40},"green-coffee-samples-and-sample-roasting","Green coffee samples: offer, pre-shipment and arrival","Three samples protect a green coffee purchase: the offer sample you choose from, the pre-shipment sample you approve, and the arrival sample you check against it. How to roast, cup and record each.",{"figure":41,"kicker":42},"PSS","Samples",{"key":44,"slug":44,"category":7,"title":45,"excerpt":46,"readingMinutes":33,"updated":23,"cover":47},"green-coffee-landed-cost","Landed cost: what green coffee really costs per kilo","The FOB price is where the cost of a green coffee starts, not where it ends. Build the landed cost line by line, then convert it to cost per roasted kilo before you compare offers.",{"figure":48,"kicker":49},"FOB+","Landed cost",[51,53,55,78,80,82,84,86,96,98,100,102,104,106],{"p":52},"Green coffee is your largest variable cost and the biggest influence on what your coffee tastes like. Buying well is a skill built on samples, records and relationships. This guide covers the process most roasteries follow, from the first purchase to buying ahead.",{"h2":54},"Where green coffee comes from",{"table":56},{"head":57,"rows":61},[58,59,60],"Source","Typical quantities","What you get",[62,66,70,74],[63,64,65],"Green coffee importers and merchants","From a single bag, held in UK or EU warehouses","Spot coffee ready to deliver, samples, credit once established, quality claims handled for you",[67,68,69],"Exporters and cooperatives at origin","Often a pallet to a full container","Closer relationship and traceability; you or an agent handle import, finance and logistics",[71,72,73],"Producers directly","Varies; usually needs an exporter and importer in the chain","Relationship and story; most risk and admin",[75,76,77],"Other roasters' surplus","A few bags","Quick, small lots, often at a discount; check age and storage",{"p":79},"Most roasteries start with importers and add direct relationships as volume grows. See [importers vs direct trade](guide:green-coffee-importers-vs-direct-trade).",{"h2":81},"Spot or forward",{"p":83},"**Spot** coffee is already landed and sitting in a warehouse; you can taste it, buy it and have it delivered within days. **Forward** coffee is bought before it ships, sometimes before it is harvested, for delivery months later. Forward buying secures specific lots and can cost less per kilo, but ties you to a volume and a price before you know your sales. New roasteries mostly buy spot.",{"h2":85},"The buying process",{"ol":87,"steps":9},[88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95],"**Decide what you need:** a role on the menu (blend base, espresso single origin, filter, decaf), a price range per kg and a monthly volume.","**Request samples** from two or three suppliers for each role. Ask for the lot reference, process, altitude, arrival date, bag size and price per kg delivered.","**Sample roast and cup** them blind, side by side, with your current coffee as a reference. See [samples and sample roasting](guide:green-coffee-samples-and-sample-roasting) and [grading and cupping](guide:grading-and-cupping-green-coffee).","**Check the physical green:** moisture, visible defects, screen size and smell. See [moisture and density](guide:green-coffee-moisture-and-density).","**Calculate the landed cost per roasted kilo,** not just the green price. See [landed cost](guide:green-coffee-landed-cost).","**Agree terms in writing:** price, quantity, delivery, payment terms, and what happens if the delivered coffee does not match the approved sample.","**On arrival, cup the delivered coffee against the approved sample** before you roast it for customers.","**Store it properly** and log the lot in your inventory. See [storing green coffee](guide:storing-green-coffee).",{"h2":97},"How much to buy",{"p":99},"Buy roughly what you will roast in two to four months for a spot coffee, more for a core blend component you will use all year. Smaller, more frequent purchases protect cash and freshness; larger ones may earn a better price and secure supply of a lot you love. Bag sizes vary by origin, commonly 60 kg, 69 kg or 70 kg, and many importers sell single bags.",{"h2":101},"How prices are set",{"p":103},"Arabica prices are referenced to the ICE coffee futures market in New York (quoted in US cents per pound), robusta to the ICE London market (US dollars per tonne). Commercial coffee often trades as a differential to those markets. Specialty lots are usually fixed-price, reflecting quality, scarcity and relationship as much as the futures market. Your price from an importer also includes their freight, financing, warehousing and margin.",{"h2":105},"Terms to agree",{"checklist":107,"title":115},[108,109,110,111,112,113,114],"Price per kg, currency and what it includes (delivered, ex-warehouse, or FOB at origin)","Quantity, bag size and lot reference","Delivery or collection date and address","Payment terms","Approval sample and what happens if the delivered coffee differs","Who arranges and pays for haulage","Storage terms if the supplier holds it for you","In writing before you pay",[117,120,123],{"q":118,"a":119},"What is the minimum order for green coffee?","Many UK importers sell single bags of 60 kg to 70 kg, and some sell smaller quantities. Buying direct from origin usually means a pallet or a container.",{"q":121,"a":122},"How much does green coffee cost per kg?","Prices move with the futures markets, currency, freight and quality. Ask suppliers for current prices per kg delivered and compare on a landed, per-roasted-kilo basis.",{"q":124,"a":125},"How long does green coffee keep?","Properly stored, many coffees hold well for months, but they slowly lose freshness and character. Buy what you can roast within a sensible period and use first in, first out.",[127,131,135],{"target":128,"label":129,"note":130},"market:buy","Buy green coffee on the Roastnet market","Importer, origin and roaster lots in one place, by the bag.",{"target":132,"label":133,"note":134},"page:sample-management","Sample management","Track samples requested, roasted, cupped and approved.",{"target":136,"label":137,"note":138},"page:green-coffee-inventory","Green coffee inventory","Every lot with landed cost and location.",[140,144],{"name":141,"title":142,"url":143},"GOV.UK","Trade Tariff: coffee (heading 0901)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk\u002Fheadings\u002F0901",{"name":145,"title":146,"url":147},"International Coffee Organization","Coffee market report","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ico.org\u002F","en-US","3ab6f8ec75bbd75a","spelling",{"en-US":6,"en-GB":6,"de-DE":152,"es-ES":153,"es-419":153,"fr-FR":154,"it-IT":155,"ja-JP":6,"pt-BR":153,"nl-NL":156,"el-GR":6,"fi-FI":6,"et-EE":6,"lv-LV":6,"lt-LT":6,"sk-SK":6,"sl-SI":6,"pt-PT":153},"rohkaffee-einkaufen-leitfaden","como-comprar-cafe-verde","comment-acheter-du-cafe-vert","come-comprare-caffe-verde","hoe-groene-koffie-inkopen",{"how-to-start-a-coffee-roasting-business":158,"coffee-roastery-business-plan":159,"coffee-roastery-startup-costs":160,"roastery-premises-and-planning-permission":161,"register-a-food-business-as-a-coffee-roaster":162,"haccp-plan-for-coffee-roasters":163,"insurance-for-coffee-roasters":164,"business-structure-for-a-roastery":165,"how-to-price-wholesale-coffee":166,"retail-coffee-pricing":167,"gross-margin-per-kg":168,"roastery-cash-flow":169,"staffing-a-roastery":170,"roastery-production-planning":171,"batch-scheduling-for-roasters":172,"roast-loss-and-shrinkage":173,"roastery-stock-control":174,"choosing-a-coffee-roaster":175,"gas-vs-electric-coffee-roasters":176,"new-vs-used-coffee-roaster":177,"buying-a-used-coffee-roaster-checklist":178,"importing-a-coffee-roaster":179,"afterburners-and-roaster-emissions":180,"roastery-extraction-and-ventilation":181,"commercial-coffee-grinders-for-roasteries":182,"coffee-packing-lines-and-heat-sealers":183,"coffee-roaster-maintenance-schedule":184,"leasing-vs-buying-roastery-equipment":185,"how-to-buy-green-coffee":6,"green-coffee-importers-vs-direct-trade":30,"importing-green-coffee-into-the-uk":186,"green-coffee-contracts-and-incoterms":187,"green-coffee-samples-and-sample-roasting":37,"grading-and-cupping-green-coffee":188,"green-coffee-moisture-and-density":189,"storing-green-coffee":190,"green-coffee-landed-cost":44,"selling-wholesale-coffee-to-cafes":191,"cafe-wholesale-account-terms":192,"coffee-subscription-business":193,"selling-coffee-online":194,"selling-coffee-at-markets-and-events":195,"private-label-coffee":196,"b2b-coffee-pricing-tiers":197,"coffee-labelling-uk":198,"allergens-for-coffee-roasters":199,"vat-on-coffee":200,"coffee-traceability":201,"food-safety-records-for-roasters":202,"roast-profiling-for-consistency":203,"coffee-roastery-qc-programme":204,"production-cupping-protocol":205,"development-time-and-roast-logging":206,"coffee-roasting-software-buyers-guide":207,"when-to-buy-a-second-roaster":208,"contract-roasting":209,"hiring-a-head-roaster":210,"multi-site-roastery":211},"how-to-start-a-coffee-roasting-business","coffee-roastery-business-plan","coffee-roastery-startup-costs","roastery-premises-and-planning-permission","register-a-food-business-as-a-coffee-roaster","haccp-plan-for-coffee-roasters","insurance-for-coffee-roasters","business-structure-for-a-roastery","how-to-price-wholesale-coffee","retail-coffee-pricing","gross-margin-per-kg","roastery-cash-flow","staffing-a-roastery","roastery-production-planning","batch-scheduling-for-roasters","roast-loss-and-shrinkage","roastery-stock-control","choosing-a-coffee-roaster","gas-vs-electric-coffee-roasters","new-vs-used-coffee-roaster","buying-a-used-coffee-roaster-checklist","importing-a-coffee-roaster","afterburners-and-roaster-emissions","roastery-extraction-and-ventilation","commercial-coffee-grinders-for-roasteries","coffee-packing-lines-and-heat-sealers","coffee-roaster-maintenance-schedule","leasing-vs-buying-roastery-equipment","importing-green-coffee-into-the-uk","green-coffee-contracts-and-incoterms","grading-and-cupping-green-coffee","green-coffee-moisture-and-density","storing-green-coffee","selling-wholesale-coffee-to-cafes","cafe-wholesale-account-terms","coffee-subscription-business","selling-coffee-online","selling-coffee-at-markets-and-events","private-label-coffee","b2b-coffee-pricing-tiers","coffee-labelling-uk","allergens-for-coffee-roasters","vat-on-coffee","coffee-traceability","food-safety-records-for-roasters","roast-profiling-for-consistency","coffee-roastery-qc-programme","production-cupping-protocol","development-time-and-roast-logging","coffee-roasting-software-buyers-guide","when-to-buy-a-second-roaster","contract-roasting","hiring-a-head-roaster","multi-site-roastery","green-coffee-buying",{"starting":214,"running":215,"equipment":216,"green-coffee":212,"selling":217,"compliance":218,"quality":219,"scaling":220},"starting-a-roastery","running-a-roastery","roasting-equipment","selling-coffee","compliance","roasting-quality","scaling-a-roastery",1791626954004]