Cedar Coffee Roasters: Cape Town's “Young and Unafraid” Specialty Roaster
Three minutes. That's all the conversation I had with Winston Thomas at the Jo'burg Coffee Festival in May 2026. But it was three minutes of the kind of thinking about coffee that makes you want to come back with a notebook and a full hour.
## Who is Cedar Coffee Roasters?
Cedar Coffee Roasters is approaching its fifth anniversary in September 2026. It's a Cape Town specialty roaster with two physical homes — the Woodstock roastery at 48 Albert Road and Cedar Hatch at Lemkus in the CBD — and a philosophy that might be the most articulate I've heard in the SA scene.
Founded by Winston Thomas, Leigh Wentzel, and a third co-founder based in Belgium who handles green coffee trading.
## The Founders' Credentials
Both Winston and Leigh started as baristas in 2014 — Winston at Origin Coffee, Leigh at Rosetta Roastery. Winston's competitive record is staggering:
• ☕ 3× South African Barista Champion (2017, 2018, 2020)
• ☕ Africa Barista Champion (2019)
• ☕ SA AeroPress Champion (2016)
• ☕ Best New Roastery at Coffee Magazine Awards (2022)
• ☕ Barista Trainer of the Year at Coffee Magazine Awards (2022)
• ☕ Licensed SCA Trainer with an online professional barista course reaching thousands of students globally
Before Cedar, Winston rose from barista to head of Origin Coffee's Barista Academy. Leigh brought roasting expertise from Rosetta. And the Belgium-based partner gives Cedar something most SA roasters don't have — someone on the ground in the European green coffee market.
## The Philosophy That Caught My Ear
> “We meet drinkers where they are. Not where we wish they were.”
Most roasters either chase the connoisseur end (rare single-origin, anaerobic ferments, R600+ bags) or sit firmly in the mass market. Cedar tries to do both, deliberately.
The idea is that drinkers don't leap from instant coffee to a washed Yirgacheffe pour-over overnight. They transition gradually — instant → flavoured milk drinks → cappuccino → flat white → single-origin filter. Cedar wants a coffee for every stop on that journey. Their price range runs R179 to R799, which is the philosophy in a sentence.
## The Milky Way Blend
This is the signature. A bridging coffee designed for the moment someone realises they actually care about what's in the cup, but still wants something familiar enough to enjoy without thinking too hard.
• Components: Brazil + Colombia
• Process: Washed + Natural blend
• Altitude: 1,100 – 1,980 masl
• Cup profile: Milk chocolate, toasted nut finish
Specifically crafted to maintain sweetness and cut through milk. It's the kind of coffee I'd hand a friend who's just upgraded from a Nespresso pod and isn't ready for fruit-bomb naturals yet. But it's good enough that experienced drinkers don't roll their eyes.
## The 360° Partner Model
Most SA roasters supply beans and offer training. Cedar does that and helps wholesale partners design their coffee bar, offers financing for equipment or stock, provides extensive ongoing staff training, and sends Cedar staff to work alongside partner staff for consistency.
I haven't seen another SA roaster offering all four. This is closer to a hospitality consultancy than a traditional roastery wholesale model.
## Origins Sourced
Confirmed: Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Rwanda (including the Vunga washing station — at least three releases), Ethiopia, and Uganda. The Belgian green-buying relationship suggests broader access than most.
Cedar also roasted the competition coffee for the inaugural April Brewers Cup South Africa — a significant nod from the competitive community.
## What's Next?
Winston mentioned something at the end of our conversation that genuinely surprised me: coffee raves. Not yet a thing. But they've been asked. Watch this space.
## Where to Find Them
Roastery: 48 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
Cedar Hatch at Lemkus: 26 St Georges Mall, Cape Town CBD
Online at cedarcoffeeroasters.com with global shipping. Instagram: @cedarcoffeeroasters.
Read the full Cedar Coffee Roasters profile on Coffee Journal for the complete writeup, gallery, and partner support details.
Source: Jo'burg Coffee Festival 2026, Fourways Mall Rooftop, 31 May 2026. Photos: Bibi Burness.