Atkinsons Coffee Roasters keeps Lancaster brewing after more than 180 years

Walk down China Street in Lancaster and the smell of roasting coffee will usually tell you that Atkinsons is nearby. The coffee roasters have a history stretching back around 180 years, and their China Street shop has been on the same premises since 1901, making it one of the city's best-loved institutions.

Today Atkinsons is much more than a single shop. Next door is The Hall, a café in a former parish hall, and the business also runs The Music Room in Sun Square and a café at Lancaster Castle, giving locals and visitors several places to enjoy its coffee.

The castle café came about when the Duchy of Lancaster chose Atkinsons to run a new visitor café, The Kitchen, at the historic site. The roasters have also showcased their equipment there, bringing the theatre of coffee-making to one of the city's most visited landmarks.

One of the most intriguing additions is Upper Priory Hall, a space above The Hall that owner Ian Steel has described as a secret room. The former parish hall space was planned as a venue for gigs, functions, conferences and fine dining, with room for around 200 people standing.

Upper Priory Hall was also set to house what was described as Lancaster's first focaccia bakery, run by artisan bread maker Abi Hampsey, baking Italian bread on the premises. It is a fitting partner for a business built on the craft of roasting.

Atkinsons did try life beyond the city. In 2017 it opened a café at Mackie Mayor in Manchester, its first venture outside Lancaster in its long history. The company later announced the closure of that café, saying it would focus on its Lancaster locations, a decision that kept the business firmly rooted in its home city.

That loyalty to Lancaster is a big part of its appeal. For many residents, a bag of freshly roasted beans or loose tea from China Street is as much a part of the city as the castle on the hill.

Atkinsons Coffee Roasters is on China Street in Lancaster, with The Hall next door and further cafés at Lancaster Castle and Sun Square. Visitors can buy coffee and tea in the shop or stop for a cup in any of the cafés.