quality and quantities of beans used in coffee shops

[charliepig]

Hi I am new to the forum and indeed to the coffee world. I have just started a business importing ready roasted, high quality arabica beans from Colombia to the UK and am looking to distribute them to retailers and or coffee shops. I wondered if anyone can tell me what sort of products are mostly used in independent coffee houses and the quantities? Eg: for an espresso machine what size bags, and how many would you go through on a daily basis?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also if anyone is interested in trying out my coffee feel free to inbox me.

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[eldub]

Can't speak for the UK, but in the US, most independent coffee shops want freshly roasted beans. (Not roasted before import.) And most use blends for the espresso developed specifically for that application.

[CoffeeJunky]

Most of the independent coffee house use anywhere from 5 pounds - 20 pounds of roasted coffee a day. This number should cover about 90 percent of the coffee house.
And the quality usually matters a lot. that means that would like to purchase from local roasters to ensure the best and fresh quality of beans....

[charliepig]

Thanks for the info. What is the average shelf life once the beans have been roasted? (bearing in mind that once roasted they are immediately packaged and sealed prior to export)
Would a coffee shop normally buy packaged coffee beans (500g bags) for grinding and making drinks, or do they prefer to purchase them in unsealed containers?

[CoffeeJunky]

We buy 5-10 pound bags and once its roasted, I believe you compromise the quality after about 1-2 weeks... Some coffee house don't really care to know when they are roasted but if you are a coffee house who cares about the quality, they would not buy roasted imported coffee beans....

[eldub]

We sell beans wholesale to shops/restaurants in 5lb. bags. (2,240g)