Rough Hands smooth coffee

What is your full name?

Samuel-James Humphris

What is the name of the business?

Rough Hands Coffee

Are you the owner?

Yes

What is the ethos of the business?

Rough Hands is a speciality coffee shop, exclusively stocking exciting, light & interesting microlots from an extensive range of independent and ever-changing roasters. Offering multiple coffees at one time, both as espresso and filter options, we showcase unique, juicy and lightly roasted beans. Not only catering to the coffee experts, anyone can come in and chat to us about coffee, we prioritise making speciality coffee accessible to everyone.

Our beans are sourced from all over the world bringing the highest quality; ensuring transparency and fairness for farmers and everyone along the supply chain. As well as seeking out roasters who also prioritise beans from farms with biodiversity and environmental sustainability focus, we source from local, independent suppliers for all our offerings; milk, cakes, hot chocolates & savouries. We are a small business, supporting other small businesses.

What is your best selling item / most used service?

Much to my delight, our wide range of retail beans have gone down a storm. Everyone loves an oat milk flat white and a Bakewell however, I often feel like the most used service, is the free therapy! The baristas of the world know all of the secrets.

What is the weirdest thing you have been asked for in business?

I haven’t been asked for anything too weird but I was accused of bringing ‘bad energy’ to Stroud via the artwork in the bathroom..! Come in and have a look and you may understand.

What is Stroud like as a town to operate in?

Having gone to college in Stroud, and fallen in love with its unapologetic quirkiness, I feel very lucky to be able to open my own shop here. Stroud is aware of the importance of shopping independent and local, as this is my first year of trading I feel very much accepted as part of this town’s dysfunctional family and I'm very grateful.