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GFC Awards 2026/7 Drink Producer of the Year: Two Chimps Coffee, Oakham, Rutland
Drink Producer of the Year Finalists 2026/7
The top public vote-winners:
- Two Chimps Coffee, Oakham
- Grainstore Brewery, Oakham
- Northern Tea Merchants, Chesterfield
- Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co, Ketton
Drink Producer of the Year 2026/7: Two Chimps Coffee
Two Chimps Coffee in Oakham is our Great Food Club Drink Producer of the Year 2026/7.
Founders Laura and Andy started Two Chimps in 2016, turning what had begun as a passion for coffee alongside their work as wedding photographers into one of the East Midlands’ most impressive independent coffee roasters.
Ten years later, the business has grown considerably, but it still feels personal, energetic and approachable. That combination made a strong impression on our judges.
The railway-side roastery and shop in Oakham is a superb space. Considerable work has gone into restoring the old industrial building while retaining its character, with original beams, a mezzanine tasting room and the roasting operation visible around you.
It feels like a working coffee roastery rather than a polished showroom – which is part of its appeal. Visitors can see the process, learn about coffee and talk to a team that clearly enjoys sharing its knowledge.
Inside the Oakham roastery
Two Chimps was founded partly in response to a speciality coffee scene that Laura and Andy felt could be confusing and unnecessarily exclusive. Their aim was to make better coffee easier to understand and enjoy.
That approach remains central to the business. Its speciality-grade Arabica coffees come from individual farms or co-operatives, are roasted in small batches several times a week and are ground to order where required.
A simple colour-coded system helps customers navigate different roast styles and flavour profiles even when the origin of a particular coffee changes from harvest to harvest.
The roaster
There is serious knowledge behind the relaxed presentation. The team runs barista workshops, coffee tasting experiences and sessions where customers can create their own blends. Wholesale customers receive training and practical support as well as freshly roasted coffee.
Sustainability is another important part of the operation. Two Chimps works to reduce waste and its carbon footprint, uses recyclable packaging where possible and offsets emissions it cannot remove. It was recognised as Environmental Champion at the 2025 Mercury Business Awards.
What stood out during our visit was the combination of fun, energy and expertise. Laura, Andy and the team take coffee seriously without taking themselves too seriously, and they have built a business that feels welcoming whether you know everything about speciality coffee or almost nothing.
They also work closely with other independent businesses and have created a strong Rutland company with an identity very much of its own.
For excellent coffee, serious expertise, sustainability and a decade spent making speciality coffee more approachable, Two Chimps Coffee is our Great Food Club Drink Producer of the Year 2026/7.
The other finalists
Grainstore Brewery, Oakham
Grainstore Brewery has been part of Oakham’s food and drink landscape for more than 30 years. The brewery was founded in 1994 by former Ruddles head brewer and production director Tony Davis and engineer Mike Davies, who transformed a derelict Victorian grain store beside Oakham railway station into a brewery and tap.
The business is now run by Tony’s son Will Davis and Peter Atkinson, continuing a brewing tradition that has produced a long list of award-winning beers. Ten Fifty, Rutland Panther, Rutland Beast and Nip have all collected major honours, with Nip named SIBA Champion Cask Beer of Great Britain in 2023.
The brewery tap remains an important part of the operation too, helping make Grainstore both an established Rutland producer and a destination for beer drinkers.
Northern Tea Merchants, Chesterfield
Northern Tea Merchants is a specialist tea, coffee and cocoa business with roots stretching back three generations.
Managing director David Pogson established Northern Tea Merchants in 1959 after learning the trade from his father, whose own career in tea began in 1926.
The company personally sources and tastes its teas and coffees, travelling to plantations around the world in search of the products it wants to sell. Today, more than two million cups of its tea and coffee are enjoyed each week.
Its combination of specialist knowledge, longevity and hands-on sourcing secured Northern Tea Merchants a deserved place in this year’s final.
Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co, Ketton
Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co is a two-person microbrewery producing modern cask, keg and canned beers in Rutland.
Established in 2015 after a lifetime spent around pubs and beer, the brewery began with a particular love of hop-forward cask ale and a desire to brew the styles its founders wanted to drink themselves.
The business has grown organically by concentrating on consistency and high standards, building a following among drinkers across the East Midlands and East of England while retaining the character of a genuinely small independent brewery.
Congratulations to Two Chimps Coffee, Grainstore Brewery, Northern Tea Merchants and Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co on reaching the Great Food Club Awards 2026/7 Drink Producer of the Year final.
