COFFEE SPOTLIGHT: The Milk Shed and The Flour Pot Bakery
Brighton is known for being independent through and through. From coffee to craft, croissants to clothing. As such, it’s fiercely protective of its food and drink scene, and the stalwart spots that continue to plenish its vibrant community with hand-crafted, artisan produce. Two brands that embody this ethos whole-heartedly, and have grown together as Sister Company’s are The Flour Pot Bakery and Milk Shed Coffee Roasters.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Milk Shed’s Head of Coffee, Corinne, and Flour Pot’s Marketing Manager, Phoebe, to understand their approach to sustainability and sourcing, how important long-term relationships are across the businesses, and, of course, their favourite chocolate!
How it all started
“We originally started as a wholesale bakery and then opened our first cafe on Sydney Street back in 2012,” Phoebe tells us. Fast-forward to 2026, and Flour Pot Bakery (FPB) now have 12 sites across Brighton, Hove and Worthing supplying some of the South of England's best sourdough to a loyal community nurtured over this time. Quality ingredients, provenance and artisan craftsmanship can be seen across all of FPB’s produce – from hand-selecting the flours they use in their famous bread selection, to proudly keeping their bakery emulsifier and preservative-free.
“coffee is such a massive element alongside your bakery goods”
Everything is done in-house and made in their Brighton bakery. Having previously worked with external coffee partners, FPB saw their growth and wanted to ensure that the quality and craft of their bakery was also mirrored in their coffee. Five years ago, Milk Shed was born. “As Phoebe said, coffee is such a massive element alongside your bakery goods” Corinne tells us, “We’re on a minimum half a ton of coffee going out the door every Monday and that’s for Flour Pot alone.” Seeing (and tasting) the quality and volume coming out of Milk Shed’s small but powerful operation was inspiring and mind-blowing in equal parts, and this is only possible with the talent of Corinne and her team ensuring the quality always remains consistent.
Sourcing Ethos
At Islands, sourcing is paramount. Sourcing cocoa the Islands Way means sticking to three key pillars:
Barista Quality
Unrivalled cocoa sourcing, farming and flavour
Tastes Good. Does Good.
For Milk Shed, this sourcing ethos aligns with their mission also, with long-term farming partnerships allowing for more security for the producers and a quality that is as a direct result of continued support. “I just got back from my origin trip to Mexico” Corinne tells us, “We source a lot of our beans from there so it was really important for me to go out and meet the producers to see how it’s done on a farm level.” As a much smaller coffee producing nation in comparison to their neighbours, Colombia, it’s often incredibly labor-intensive to produce coffee in comparison for much smaller yields.
However, Milk Shed have been sourcing from the same farmers buying the same beans for over three years, giving producer stability in their crop and building long-term relationships. “You want to support these small holder producers because they produce incredibly good coffee and they deserve a decent price point for that… and without roasteries like us working with them, they wouldn't be getting a fair price at all”
Proud members of the 1% For The Planet Scheme
As well as supporting at origin, sustainability and conscious sourcing is in the DNA of FPB also, proud members of the 1% For The Planet scheme across all of their sites, as well as sourcing flour from local producers to be used across all of their baked goods and offerings in their locations.
Drinks Trends
With the rise signature drinks innovation and a boom in iced demand, we were keen to hear what Phoebe and Corinne had noticed across the FPB sites and in the Milk Shed Roastery.
“Year on year, our cold brew sales skyrocket,” Corrine says, “people absolutely love it and when it falls out of our range as we go into winter, people are like, ‘where’s the cold brew?!’” Brewed as a concentrate, it’s no wonder bottles are flying out the door of Milk Shed – as it nails both flavour and convenience seamlessly. It also got us thinking about a cold brew mocha with a whipped chocolate foam, watch this space!
“Year on year, on cold brew sales skyrocket”
From the FPB side, conscious consumption is the overriding theme. “We're definitely getting more demand for healthier products at the moment… development team are look at what kind of fresher, lighter options we can get in.” Snackification, kid-friendly menu adaptations and a focus on the gut-healthy ingredients list that goes into FPB’s bread products have also been big hits with customers, Phoebe tells us. And of course, the ever-present matcha wave – with both their drinks menu and baked good inspired with matcha combinations.
Where to find them
We’re incredibly thankful to Corinne, Phoebe and all of the teams across Milk Shed and Flour Pot Bakery. Undoubtedly cornerstones in Brighton’s specialty coffee community, and simply the best hosts. If you find yourselves in Brighton or surrounding areas, we recommend stopping into Milk Shed or one of FPB’s 12 sites for a delicious pastry made with the utmost love, a taste of Milk Shed’s expert roasting, and maybe even an Islands Chocolate Mochortado if you ask for the off-menu item nicely. We’re already looking forward to our next visit!
Milk Shed - https://www.instagram.com/themilkshedcoffee/
The Flour Pot Bakery - https://www.instagram.com/theflourpotbakerybrighton/
