H.R. Higgins is one of the oldest independent coffee roasters in Britain, trading from Mayfair since 1942.
Harold Rees Higgins opened the first shop at 42 South Molton Street with a hand-driven 7lb roaster, working as an air raid warden at night during the Second World War. In 1960, Harold visited the Kibo Chagga farm on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and became the first British coffee roaster to buy directly from farmers there, a relationship the business maintains to this day.
Now in its third generation of family ownership, the shop remains in Mayfair and sells coffee alongside tea, gifts, and brewing equipment. The range includes organic coffees, decaf, and single origins, with Creole Blend — created in 1950 in response to customer demand — still a permanent fixture on the roasting schedule.
