“This has been a very exciting opportunity which I have waited for. We can finally serve the community our coffee in person again” said founder of Cricklewood Coffee Roasters James Colbourne.

James shares these words to mark the opening of his new roastery at Claremont Way NW2 1AJ. The roastery opened September 23 and has bar and outdoor seating.

We met James last year when he shared with us his coffee roasting journey. James is a local who started his coffee roasting during COVID 19. The idea came to him whilst helping out with the garden at Cricklewood Station. James learnt how to roast his own coffee and began selling it both online and from a van outside Cricklewood station.

Through selling from a van, James describes how he met loads of locals and people offering support. It was also through the van that James met a member from the developers at Related Argent, who are big fans of Cricklewood Coffee. James became the preferred supplier of coffee for the Brent Cross Town community hub at The Workshop and as a retailer on Claremont Way.

“In just the first week of opening, I have met even more people, not just locals – including bike clubs and visitors in the area.”

James explains how his ambition was always to run his own business just like his father and mother, except that he chose coffee because it is a great opportunity to engage with the community. James aims to eventually grow the business to employ local people and really increase his part in being environmentally friendly such as a refill section for coffee beans, donating as much waste as possible such as coffee sacks and chaff.

Cricklewood Coffee Roasters has become even more of a family affair, as James’s partner Laura Halliday is a ceramicist and plans to soon make and sell handmade cups for the business. Christmas-themed ceramics will be arriving in-store soon. So, watch this space.

James also shared his goal to serve the community beyond the roastery, hoping to join up with local schools to teach students the science-side of coffee roasting and offering work experience.

The new roastery opening now marks the completion of all the street retailers on Claremont Way.

Curious to try it? The roastery is open weekdays from 7:30am to 3pm and weekends 8am to 3pm on Claremont Way, NW2 1AJ