Just outside Newcastle Upon Tyne in Blaydon, is Goldbox Coffee Roasters who have captivated coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike with their unrivalled commitment to quality, flavour, competition and community. As Newcastle’s first and only commercial speciality coffee roastery, Goldbox merges modern aesthetics and design, technical mastery, decades of experience and heartfelt storytelling that elevates speciality coffee into an immersive experience.
The Goldbox Philosophy
At its core, Goldbox has a simple, yet profound philosophy: “Less swagger, more substance” and “Roasted with passion, perfected by science.” For over two decades, their team – which include championship level baristas and brewers and lisenced Q-Graders has helped innovate their palate and techniques, allowing the coffee to do the talking. Whether you’re a coffee professional or a home enthusiast, Goldbox’s dedication to nuanced flavour, from terroir to roast is unmistakeable.
Babara Croce, the founder of Goldbox, who is also a certified Q-Grader treats every roast with informed sensitivity and ethical sourcing. Her direct trade relationships span continents ensuring each coffee is selected with care, respect and purpose.
The Roastery
When you walk into Goldbox’s Newcastle location you’re met with the perfect blend of industrial urban style and minamalist design, a probat roaster that quietly hums in the background – Babara has recently invested in a Loring roaster to help up Goldbox’s consistency. Goldbox’s flavour profiles are visualised through vibrant water colour graphics that paint a picture of how the coffee is going to taste – not something you usually find in a coffee roastery, but we absolutley love it.
World Stage Competition: Luca Croce
The most thrilling chapter in Goldbox’s story is the accomplishments of Luca Croce, Barbara’s son and the unbodiment of their brewing ethos. In April 2025 Luca made history by becoming the UK Brewers Cup Champion for he third consecutive year – something that has never been seen before in the competitions history. 2023, 2024 and now 2025 – three back to back championships for Newcastle’s very own. And to add to all of that glory, Luca placed 4th at World Brewers Cup in Athens, so you can see, you’ve got a roastery whose efforts rise far beyond local limits.
And a quick shoutout to Luca Croce for not only being a champion brewer, but on a personal level he is an amazing person. He’s helped me immensley mentally in a sense I owe Luca a lot for helping me get out of a very negative, depressing head state – he is an absolutely beautiful human being, he is part of the reason I am fully motivated with Caretta Coffee and to pursue a career in speciality coffee.
Sourcing, Roasting & Community
Goldbox’s sourcing ethos champions origin storytelling. Their coffees communicate terroir through tasting notes that span from a traditional nutty, chocolate and caramel, to blackberry, passionfruit, jasmine or even an intense raspberry jelly (that’s my personal goldbox favourite.) Whether it’s a microlot or a competition worthy coffee, they treat every batch as its own narrative.
Tasting Perfection
Goldbox’s offering highlight their range and quality, with roasts like Colombia Canteloupe, peach sidra, Nestor Lasso raspberry jelly and the sherbert lemon Geisha offers both vibrant and unique sensory journeys – all from £14 – £48 per bag.
In the need of a classic espresso roast? The Dark Sugars – a rich chocolatey, full bodied brew, a blend of Brazil and Indonesia, perfect to shine through a milky flat white with a bold hint of spice.
Why you will Love Goldbox
- Depth & freshness – A Roastery invested in seasonal micro lots, Goldbox elevates each bag with mindfully curated and freshly roasted coffee.
- Proven Excellence – championship brewers like Luca, and Q-Grading expertise. Every cup reflects a standard others aspire to.
- Story and Substance – From family legacy to bold expansion, their history is bold, compelling and rooted in curiosity and connection.
- Ethics and Adventure – from fair sourcing to sustainability to global reach, they’re as conscientious as they are creative.
To Finish
Goldbox Coffee Roasters isn’t just about brewing great coffee – it’s a fusion of design, science hospitality and competition. Barbara Croce and her amazing team have crafted a speciality roastery that isn’t just local to Newcastle, but stands tall on the world stage. Their story is compelling and evolving – from Newcastle’s only speciality coffee roastery to championship podiums, seasonal micro lots and sustainable innovation.
And that’s it for today’s article, we really hope you have enjoyed reading about the amazing Goldbox Coffee Roasters.
Feel free to check out our most recent article on the New World Record Geisha Price at $30,000 per kilogram!
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Until next time, catch you on the next one.
