Onsen Roastery

More About Onsen Roastery

Onsen Roastery is located at Meidoornlaan 22 in Bunde, Limburg. Tom Pepels is publicly identified as the individual roasting and selling coffee under this name. The project originated from his interest in making espresso at home. He subsequently began roasting coffee himself and started supplying it to others.

Pepels began roasting alongside university lectures and research. He was seeking work with a more tangible outcome. The exact year of establishment or business registration is not publicly recorded. However, archived web pages from 2025 did feature a copyright notice with that year.

Roasting Style and Brewing Advice

The roastery adheres to a light to medium-light roasting style. The goal is to preserve the characteristics of the origin and the green coffee. A separate roasting profile is developed for each coffee. Onsen therefore does not use a single fixed recipe for the entire range.

Production is described as small-scale. Some coffees are only roasted after an order has been placed. No public data is available regarding the brand, model, or capacity of the roaster. The software and equipment used for quality control are also not documented.

For filter coffee, Onsen recommends a base recipe of 15 grams of coffee per 250 milliliters of water. For espresso, 18 grams of ground coffee serves as a starting point. This should yield approximately 36 grams of beverage in around 30 seconds.

Assortment in July 2026

In July 2026, the current offering consisted of three single-origin coffees from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The webshop provided information on altitude, variety, processing, and a stated SCA score.

Colombia – Caturra Chiroso: Sourced from Finca El Diviso in Bruselas, Huila, at an altitude of 1,920 meters. Producer Jonathan Alexis Delgado Zúñiga cultivates the Caturra Chiroso variety used here. The processing method includes oxidation, extended anaerobic fermentation, washing with hot water, and controlled drying. Onsen lists an SCA score of 87.5.
Ethiopia – Guji Megadu: Grown at altitudes ranging from 1,988 to 2,200 meters. This lot contains the 74112, 74110, and wild Guji varieties. The coffee undergoes anaerobic natural processing. The product page cites an SCA score of 86.5.
Uganda – Nanolot Nafuna: Sourced from Mount Elgon, at altitudes between 1,800 and 2,200 meters. The varieties used are Nyasaland, SL14, and SL28. This coffee features skin-ferment processing, with an SCA score of 85.75.

The Colombian coffee was available in 250- and 500-gram bags. Older webshop data also listed Costa Rica – Villa Sarchi Toño and Guatemala – El Naranjo. Both products were marked as sold out in the available listings.

Origin and Sustainability

The Ethiopian lot is linked to local landowners and community leaders Gash Duba and Ato Saffay. Part of the processing takes place at the farm’s own mill. The description mentions regenerative agriculture, knowledge sharing, and more sustainable processing methods.

The Ugandan coffee is associated with The Coffee Gardens and bears the name of farmer Jackie Nafuna. According to the product information, this organization works on farmer income, gender equality, environmental protection, and training in sustainable agriculture. The Colombian description highlights hand-picking, local employment, and the careful use of natural resources.

There is no public documentation regarding organic production, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, B Corp, or other external certifications. Information on recyclable packaging, refill systems, or a formal waste policy is also absent. The storage advice is limited to airtight and dark storage.

Sales, hospitality, and public presence

Onsen sells directly through a Shopify webshop. Payment options include iDEAL, Bancontact, cards, and PayPal. According to the website, the standard shipping time is one to three business days. Delivery is available in the Netherlands and several countries within the European Union.

Studio Nosh at Rechtstraat 43 in Maastricht serves and sells coffee from Onsen. No fixed opening hours, seating, drink menu, or public tastings are listed for the Bunde location. As a result, it is not confirmed that a café, shop, or dedicated takeaway spot is operated there.

Team, scores, and external recognition

Public communications suggest a business led by its founder. No other permanent staff, co-owners, or separate roles for procurement and quality control are mentioned. The total number of employees is also not publicly disclosed.

The listed SCA scores are found on the brand’s own product pages. The name of the evaluator, the tasting panel, or an independent verification body is not mentioned. Furthermore, no competition results, industry awards, or extensive independent press profiles are publicly documented.

Disclaimer: We do our best to keep all information in this article as accurate as possible. Have you come across something that is no longer quite correct? Send a message to the editorial team at [email protected] and we'll update it!