Caribe brews up micro cafe growth

A North East-based coffee company is grinding out its next stage of growth with plans to expand beyond online sales.

Caribe Coffee Co Roastery, headquartered at Fivehills in Morpeth, is rolling out a series of micro cafes across the region as it looks to complement its predominantly online sales model. 

New sites are opening at Sunderland train station, the Galleries Bus Station in Washington and The Core office building in Newcastle.

Founded nearly six years ago after starting out with a simple stall at Morpeth Market, the business is run by Wilmer and Elle Carcamo and focuses on importing, roasting and distributing specialty coffee sourced from Honduras. 

Caribe currently employs ten people and is planning to recruit a further five employees in the coming months to support its growth.

Wilmer said: “We are excited to launch these micro cafes, where we can showcase our speciality Honduran coffees, blends, flavours and exceptional quality to customers – the aim is to increase footfall and sales and bring the warmth of Honduras to the North East.

“Why the warmth? Well, I struggle with your British weather!

“Our small coffee venture, which began life on a simple table stand at Morpeth Market in 2019, has expanded across the UK, with the North East a key part, and we’re also planning international expansion thanks to the support of new investors who share our vision.”

Caribe featured on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, where entrepreneur Peter Jones made an offer.

“After careful consideration, we chose to stay true to our vision and continued growing the business on our own terms,” Wilmer added.

“This growth isn’t just about business, it's about staying committed to quality, sustainability and community, and continuing to make a positive impact wherever we go.

“When we first started out, like many start-ups, we did a lot of stuff wrong.

“Now, with the right partners such as Azets, we have the professional support to help us improve and succeed, particularly with all the compliance that comes with running an expanding business here in the UK and overseas.”

The expansion is being supported by regional accountancy and business advisory firm Azets and marks the next phase of development for the brand, which also operates a subscription service supplying freshly roasted coffee to homes and workplaces.

Jill Streeter, an Azets partner in Newcastle, added: “What Wilmer and Elle have created is incredible – they work tirelessly to make Caribe what it is today – a coffee venture synonymous with flavour, quality and ethical sourcing. 

“Britain’s coffee culture is a multi-billion-pound market, with consumers willing to pay more for artisan-style, sustainable coffee with compelling back stories attached to them, providing scope for channel growth as well. 

“Caribe fits into this mould and the prospects for expansion are good, given that, according to the British Coffee Association, we now drink around 98 million cups of coffee per a day in the UK, with more than 210,000 jobs created.

“That we will be able to sample Caribe’s products here in the North East, with the micro cafes, is great news for us coffee lovers.”

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