About Dark Arts Coffee
Dark Arts Coffee is a London-based specialty roaster founded in 2014, distinguished by countercultural branding drawn from hip-hop and underground art rather than conventional third-wave aesthetics. Closely associated with Brad Morrison, it sources from Colombia, Burundi, Indonesia, Peru, and Brazil, and has earned over 3,000 customer reviews averaging 4.8 out of 5.
About
Dark Arts Coffee launched in London in 2014, building its identity around countercultural aesthetics from the start. The roastery is closely associated with Brad Morrison — the subject of a dedicated specialty podcast episode titled "The genius of Brad Morrison" — and has developed a following that reaches well beyond the specialty coffee world into music, art, and alternative subcultures.
From its founding, Dark Arts has deliberately subverted the earnest minimalism common in third-wave coffee branding. Creative Review documented the roastery's evolved visual identity, noting that Dark Arts "has always dabbled with countercultural ideas." That positioning runs through the entire product lineup: coffees carry names like Metal Face, Phantom, Lazy Eye, and Dealer — drawn from a vocabulary closer to hip-hop and underground art than the pastoral farm narratives typical of the genre. The brand has expanded into merchandise and music collaborations, including a joint release with UK indie band Basement ("Wired: Digital Download + Merch"), reinforcing its cross-cultural ambitions.
Dark Arts sources from a range of producing countries — Colombia, Burundi, Indonesia, Peru, and Brazil — and credits individual producers and cooperatives on each release. Current offerings include a washed Colombia from Nestor Lasso (Sweet Soaker), a Burundi from Migoti Coffee (Walking Wires), and an Indonesian from the Nola Wonga Farmers Group (Lazy Eye). Flavor profiles skew fruit-forward and expressive: tasting notes span Jelly Babies and strawberry to green tea and lemongrass. A rotating seasonal espresso — currently a Brazilian from local Sul de Minas producers (Dragon) — anchors the more accessible end of the catalog.
In the Press
Third-party coverage of Dark Arts Coffee.
Coffee & Beans Review
Dark Arts has attracted attention from both the specialty coffee press and broader design media. Creative Review covered the roastery's brand identity evolution, framing it as a case study in countercultural positioning within an increasingly crowded specialty market. Brad Morrison was the subject of a full episode on a specialty coffee podcast, suggesting a meaningful profile within the UK scene. Coffee Scholar has reviewed its offerings, and consumer-focused outlets including GetBeand have covered specific releases such as Best Buds Beans.
Dark Arts ships direct-to-consumer via darkartscoffee.co.uk, with same-day dispatch available on orders placed before 7am and free UK shipping on orders over £50. The shop offers subscriptions — described as "exclusive coffee, delivered through your door" — alongside one-off bag purchases across the full rotating catalog. With over 3,000 customer reviews averaging 4.8 out of 5, the DTC operation appears well-established, even if the roastery's countercultural image might suggest otherwise.
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