We get a lot of questions about our coffee and we also happen to love talking about coffee, so we thought we’d collate a few of the most common questions we receive and answer them in one place!
Is Ueshima Coffee from Japan?
Yes, Ueshima Coffee Company is a Japanese company and our story began in 1933 when an ambitious young man established a western food store in Kobe, Japan. Tadao Ueshima’s passion for all things Western soon led him to discover coffee, and such was his passion for this rich, aromatic ‘mysterious beverage’ that he dedicated his life to making coffee popular across Japan; leading him to be known as the ‘Father of Coffee’ in his homeland.
Ueshima Coffee Company is still headquartered in Japan and our coffee is enjoyed by millions around the world. Read more about our story.
Are your coffee beans grown in Japan?
No, this is a common misconception. Japan is not a coffee producing country of any scale but is rich in coffee culture and has a unique approach to the craftsmanship around coffee production.
Our coffee is sustainably sourced from the “coffee belt” where we source blends from Rainforest Alliance certified farms.
We also directly manage coffee estates in Jamaica and Hawaii, being actively involved in coffee making from planting saplings on through to harvesting the beans.
This is quite a unique approach for a large coffee company as managing a coffee estate is not without its risks: the uncertainty of nature, the challenges of maintaining fertile soil and caring for crops.
However, UCC founder Tadao Ueshima was committed to developing quality coffee by hand and delivering the genuine article to customers. With the operation of these estates, Tadao's vision lives on.
From the careful planting of each sapling to the harvest of the final beans, deploying the latest technologies where necessary, we develop the finest quality coffee beans that remain true to the ethos of Tadao.
What blends do you have?
Our ground coffee and beans are Rainforest Alliance Certified and come in three distinct blends; Fuji Mountain, Tokyo Roast and our House Blend as well as Decaf.
Our Japanese coffee masters use their years of knowledge, skills and meticulous attention to detail to create each of our distinctive blends that are characteristically smooth, and bold in flavour.
Which blend should I choose?
If you like your coffee at the strong, our Fuji Mountain blend is probably for you. Bold and intense, inspired by ‘fire mountain’ it is our darkest roast with deep flavours of cocoa, roasted nuts and brown sugar.
Or Tokyo Roast is lighter - smooth and bright with citrus and milk chocolate flavours. Our Tokyo Roast blend is characteristic of the coffee enjoyed by millions in Ueshima Coffee Kafes across Japan.
Last but not least, our House Blend. If you're not sure whether to choose Fuji Mountain or Tokyo Roast and would prefer something that sits perfectly between the two, then our House Blend is a sure fire winner. It’s rich and balanced with notes of caramel, granola and dark chocolate.
Our House Blend is a balanced coffee with lower acidity, perfected over decades by our Japanese coffee masters.
Our Decaf Coffee is a game-changer for when you want the flavour but none of the caffeine!
Whatever your taste, or mood at the time… we’ve got a blend for you!
Does Ueshima have Coffee Capsules or Coffee Bags?
Yes we have lots of other products for you to enjoy, including Ueshima Pod Capsules that are Nespresso® compatible and our coffee bags for when you need amazing coffee, conveniently.
You can also replicate the ancient brewing method of slow pour over coffee, modernised by our Pour Over Coffee bags.
And finally, of course as the inventors of the canned coffee we have a range of delicious iced canned Ueshima coffee for when you’re on the go!
Where can I buy Ueshima Japanese Coffee in the UK?
You can buy our coffee direct from us online, including our Ground, Beans, Canned Coffee, Pods and Capsules and Pour Over style coffee bags. Why not sign up to our Coffee Subscription so you can have your coffee routinely delivered straight to your door?
We’re also available nationwide in supermarkets, including Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and online at Amazon and Ocado.