Mont58 Coffee is an award-winning craft coffee roastery run by husband-and-wife team Shai and Maya Eilon, along with their whippet, Pi. It started in a roastery cabin at the end of their garden in south-east London, and it is now based in Ashford, Kent, and south-east London. Their coffees have won Great Taste awards in 2021, 2022 and 2025.
Childhood coffee memories
Shai grew up in Israel in a Jewish Iraqi family, where coffee is a way of life. One of his oldest memories is playing backgammon with his grandfather while his grandfather sipped thick black coffee flavoured with cardamom. As Shai grew older, he became more and more curious about where coffee came from and how it was made.
His favourite coffee experience came years later, on a trip to Guatemala. "We stopped to take a break in the middle of these coffee plantations. It was an incredible moment."
How they roast
Every new batch of green beans is test roasted, tasted, and tested again, trying different roast profiles to get the most flavour out of each coffee. If they don't love it, they won't sell it. Shai roasts on a larger Giesen roaster and a smaller Coffee-Tech, and one of his favourite gadgets is a Tonino colour meter, which checks how dark each roast is.
Mont58 roasts 100% arabica single origins and blends, and aims to use recyclable or compostable packaging.
Shai's favourite coffee
Choosing a favourite origin, Shai says, is like choosing a favourite child, but Mont58's Ethiopian is up there, with the floral, fruity flavours that high altitude brings. At home he switches between brewing methods, but a simple pour-over is his favourite, because you can taste the notes so clearly. He even drinks from glasses rather than mugs, so he can see the coffee.
His advice for new roasters
"Be really open and try to learn as much as you can from others. I firmly believe in working together. Everybody benefits."
Outside work, Shai plays guitar and loves live music. His go-to coffee books are James Hoffmann's The World Atlas of Coffee and Scott Rao's The Coffee Roaster's Companion.
Buy their coffee
You can buy Mont58's coffee from the Mont58 Coffee website. For tips on brewing it, see our guide to brewing better coffee at home.
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