About BEAR

Our Story

BEAR wasn't built in a day

The story of BEAR starts with 2 best buds: Craig and Michael. The pair grew up together, copied each others work at school, and spent most of their teenage years trying to out-skill each other on their skateboards. Fast forward to adulthood - Craig spent some time travelling around Australia and fell in love with the all-day coffee, cocktails & dining scene over there.

After Craig returned to the UK, he decided that he wanted to bring some of that fabulous coffee culture to his hometown of Uttoxeter and so recruited the help of his oldest pal, Michael, to get things off the ground. Craig & Michael got their heads together and set about researching the market, learning all they could and developing new skills with a view to create something super special.

BEAR Uttoxeter was the most anticipated store opening on the High Street, finally opening its doors in February 2016, and has been the busiest coffee spot in town ever since. Following the success of store number 1, our Founding Investor Chris Price joined the team to enable Craig & Michael to develop their vision for BEAR. The brand has now grown to employ over 90 people in our physical stores, online store and Central HQ, and spans across the midlands and beyond!

BEAR Co-founders, Craig & Michael. — **BEAR.** Founded in 2016 by best mates, Craig & Michael.

33 High Street, Uttoxeter. Before BEAR refitted the store. — **BEAR Uttoxeter**, the early days. Opened February 2016.

BEAR Iron Gate store, December 2017 — **BEAR Iron Gate, Derby.** Opened December 2017.

BEAR retail coffee to brew at home — **BEAR at home.** We launched our online store in June 2018, selling coffee to brew at home.

BEAR Stone, 2018 — **BEAR Stone, Staffordshire.** Opened November 2018.

**BEAR x Jack Wills, Soho, London.** Opened April 2019. Sadly closed in February 2020 due to Jack Wills falling into administration.

Derbion Store Opening — **BEAR Derbion** (previously intu Derby). Opened October 2019.

BEAR x Paperchase Pop-Up in Fitzrovia, London — **BEAR x Paperchase, Fitzrovia, London.** Opened February 2020. We ran a pop-up from the Paperchase Flagship store on Tottenham Court Road. Our time here was sadly cut short due to the pandemic.

BEAR coffee, AeroPress and Rhinoware hand coffee grinder — **BEAR Everywhere.** The pandemic forced our stores to temporarily close, so we became online-only overnight. We quickly and vastly grew our webstore retail range.

Northwich store opening. — **BEAR Northwich, Cheshire.** Opened September 2020.

BEAR compostable, Nespresso Compatible coffee pods — **BEAR Coffee Pods.** In July 2021, we launched our very own compostable coffee pods, filled with the exact same coffees that you'll find on our grinders in-store.

Brewing Hario Ceramic V60 with BEAR coffee — **Now we're here.** Brewing in-store, selling coffee subscriptions and lifestyle goodies online, making new friends and having loads of fun doing it!

Structure, values and commitments

How we work

BEAR has been built on a strong foundation of positive culture and ethically-led brand values. We're committed to inclusivity, sustainability, innovation, connection and doing the right thing. Our values are lived by and promoted from within, and they inform everything we do. We're always doing our best, but we're also continually looking for ways to improve and develop as we grow.

Roastery

At BEAR, we source & roast speciality grade coffee and work closely with our partners to ensure we are continuously improving each stage of the coffee journey, from farm to cup.

SHOP COFFEE

BEAR serves speciality coffee, seasonal fresh food, cocktails & craft beer in beautifully thought out spaces.

Stores

At BEAR, we serve speciality coffee, seasonal fresh food, cocktails & craft beer in beautifully thought out spaces. Find your nearest store and visit us for coffee, brunch or cocktails.

Visit Us

Hattie join BEAR as a marketing apprentice, she now leads our marketing efforts.

HQ team

Our small central HQ team looks after Operations, Product and Marketing. HQ help to support our stores in the day-to-day whilst working to maintain, develop and grow our brand in the background.

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