People first
From the farmers who grow our coffee to the regular who needs their usual before they can speak — every cup is a relationship, and we treat it like one.
Since 2014
A long counter,
a short list, big hearts.
The Bean started with one second-hand roaster, a borrowed espresso machine and a stubborn belief that a neighbourhood deserves coffee made with real care. A decade on, the room's a little bigger — the obsession hasn't budged.
How it started
Two friends, one tiny roaster, far too much coffee.
Maya and Theo met queuing for the same flat white three mornings in a row. By the fourth, they were plotting a café of their own — one where the coffee was traceable, the welcome was genuine, and nobody felt rushed out the door.
They found a draughty corner unit on Alder Street, painted it themselves, and wheeled in a 5-kilo roaster that's still running today (we've named her Greta). What began as a weekend market stall is now the bar you're reading about — but it's run on exactly the same idea.
We're still independent, still family-run, and still roasting a few metres from where you order. That's the whole point.
We're not trying to be the biggest roaster in the city. We just want to be your favourite three minutes of the morning.— Maya & Theo, founders
What we stand for
Three things we won't compromise on
Roasted with intent
Small batches, taste-led profiles, and a roast date on every bag. We'd rather sell out of fresh coffee than sit on stale stock.
Kinder by default
Compostable to-go cups, a discount for your reusable, spent grounds free for the garden, and surplus pastries to the shelter down the road. Small steps, every day.
The crew
The faces behind the bar
The people who'll learn your order, talk you through today's filter, and probably remember your dog's name before yours.
Maya Adebayo
Co-founder · Head roaster
Spends her mornings at the roaster and her afternoons cupping samples. Believes every coffee has a story worth telling properly.
Theo Marsh
Co-founder · Bar lead
The hands behind the house blend and a stickler for a clean shot. Will absolutely talk your ear off about water hardness.
Priya Nair
Senior barista
Latte-art champion two years running and the warmest welcome in the building. Matcha is her hill to die on.
Sam Okafor
Head of pastry
Up before the birds, laminating dough by hand. The reason the cardamom buns sell out by ten.
Our story so far
Ten years, one corner
2014
A stall and a dream
Maya and Theo start roasting at home and selling bags at the Saturday market. The first batch of Greta's coffee sells out in an hour.
2016
The corner on Alder Street
We sign the lease on a draughty unit, paint it ourselves, and open the doors with eight stools and one espresso machine.
2020
The slow bar arrives
We add a dedicated brew bar and our first direct-trade lots, plus a window hatch that kept us — and the neighbourhood — going.
2024
Still here, still independent
A decade in, a bigger roaster, a wholesale list of cafés we love — and the same corner we started on.
Come be a regular
We'd love to make you a coffee
The best way to know The Bean is to pull up a stool. Bring a friend, a book, or just yourself — we'll handle the rest.