Behind the Beans: Meet the Couple Fueling Oxford’s Favourite Coffee

Tucked in the heart of Oxford, Jericho Coffee Traders is the kind of place where coffee is taken seriously - but never too seriously. Behind the beans? Husband and wife duo Lizzie and James Armitage - musicians-turned-roasters who’ve built a buzzing business that blends creativity, community, and caffeine in equal parts.

Between running a roastery, juggling three cafés, managing a team, and raising a small human, their days are anything but quiet. But they still make time to share stories, laugh with their crew, and push for better ways of working. Alice from Bustle UK popped in for a chat about growing a small business with heart, staying afloat when prices rise, and how Bustle fits into the rhythm of it all.

‍

‍

What’s it really like keeping a growing independent coffee business on track?

‍

James: It's good. It's great fun. It's busy. We've got really good people, thankfully. They're really nice. They're awesome. And that takes so much pressure off - just knowing that I can rely on people to look after their own backyard in the business. And obviously, there’s Lizzie.

Lizzie: We tend to attract quirky, artistic people. And I love that. Actors, artists, bakers, musicians - our High Street manager Hux is a musician. My whole time in the coffee industry, it's always been very normal to have several jobs. And if we can help support artists through our coffee, we love the idea of sponsoring people. Plus, they meet so many interesting people. It's great.

James: I couldn’t work for anyone else - as any boss that I've ever had will confirm. And then there’s Lizzie again, my wife. The mother of my child. Lizzie carries a lot of the load. She’s played a huge role in bringing Bustle on board and is always pushing for more clarity in how we work.

‍I’m not a spreadsheet brain. I’m more product-focused, more... artsy. If I can have a system that takes care of the spreadsheets, that's gold. Isn't it? Otherwise, I'm sort of driving the Titanic through an iceberg. Sorry, that's probably a really bad reference for those who in 1912 lost loved ones. (Editor’s note: fun fact - Titanic is also Lizzie’s favourite film. You might spot her Heart of the Ocean necklace if you visit).

‍
You weren’t always in specialty coffee - what led you here?

‍
Lizzie: We're both classical musicians, which is a bit random. We met at music college in London, and we came to Oxford in 2011. I promise I won't give you the whole life story, it's very boring (Lizzie proceeds to give the life story, but in her defence - it’s very interesting).

James had always wanted to have something to do with coffee. When we lived in Winchester, he bought this beautiful Piaggio Vespa Ape, stuck a coffee machine on the back, moved to Oxford and started serving outside the Radcliffe Camera. Then we opened a little pop-up around the corner - it was super basic: cable reel tables and an Ikea bar with a coffee machine on top. But people liked it.

Before long, local businesses were asking, “What coffee is this? Can we serve it too?” That’s how we became wholesalers. Everything since has just grown from there - pretty organically.

Lockdown was hard, but it gave us time to focus more on our online sales. At one point we had five shops, which turned out to be too much. So we’ve since scaled back to three, and we’re really focused on doing those well. We’re also excited to be working with Bustle across all three locations - it’s a great moment to consolidate and grow with a bit more focus.

‍

With prices rising, how are you navigating the pressure?

‍

Lizzie: Financially, coffee's not cheap anymore, and the coffee we buy has gone up. Coffee in general has gone up by something crazy, like 40% in the last few months. So it's quite a hard time to be a coffee roaster at the moment.

And the big question is, who absorbs that cost? Is it the café? The roastery? The customer? It can’t be the grower - they’re already stretched. It’s a tricky balance, and there’s no easy answer.

One thing we’re excited about with Bustle is the level of detail it gives us. It will show you how the coffee on your menu is made and the detail you can go into of how much everything costs. It's pretty cool. You can work out your margins and have more transparency.

‍

Opening shift energy: what’s your soundtrack?

‍
Lizzie: You know what my son is obsessed with at the moment? Uptown Funk You Up. Anyway. That's a good one.

James: I know this one. Oh yeah. I should have a good answer for this. What’s that Avicii song? Wake Me Up - that’s the one. It makes me sound really uncool now, but then it was really cool. Dialling in espresso, doing the morning taste test... spandex on after my yoga sesh.

‍Alice: That's a good way to get ready for a big day of beans.

‍

‍

At Jericho Coffee Traders, the story isn’t just about coffee - it’s about craft, community, and carving out something truly personal. Lizzie and James haven’t just built a business, they’ve built a life that makes space for creativity, family, and a lot of laughs.

As they grow, they’re doubling down on the things that matter: great coffee, solid systems, and the freedom to do more of what they love. We’re stoked to be part of that journey.

Running your own roastery (or café)? We see you. Bustle’s here to help you find your rhythm, keep the spreadsheets in check, and make the good times even better.

‍