El Salvador-born coffee roaster named UK’s best after finding a home in Glasgow

Glasgow’s coffee scene has another reason to celebrate, as Jonathan Martinez of Thomson’s Coffee has been named the UK’s best coffee roaster.

Originally from Ahuachapán in north-west El Salvador, a region known for its coffee farms, Jonathan moved to Glasgow around a decade ago after meeting his now wife, Nuala. Today, the couple live in Maryhill with their three children.

His journey into coffee roasting began not with years of formal training, but with homesickness, a need for work and a connection back to his roots.

From El Salvador to Glasgow

After arriving in Scotland, Jonathan found himself missing home and looking for a new path. Nuala, who worked at The Ubiquitous Chip, approached their coffee supplier, Thomson’s Coffee, to ask if they had any roles available.

Jonathan started in an entry-level job packing coffee and helping with repairs around the roastery, using his background in electronics. From there, he began learning how to roast coffee and eventually worked his way up to become head roaster.

Jonathan said coffee became a link to his culture, his childhood and his people.

A winning roast inspired by childhood memories

The Best Roaster UK competition took place at Glasgow Coffee Festival, where finalists were asked to roast the same coffee to their own specifications. They also submitted a sourced coffee that represented their brand style, with judging taking place through a blind, peer-assessed cupping.

For Jonathan, the winning roast was personal. Growing up around coffee farms in El Salvador, he remembers spending time among the trees, picking coffee cherries during school holidays and sharing food with others at the end of the day.

He said that when coffee from his hometown arrived at the roastery, he knew some of the people who had hand-picked it. That connection made the roast especially meaningful.

Glasgow Coffee Festival celebrates record year

This year’s Glasgow Coffee Festival at The Briggait was the biggest yet, with 52 exhibitors, almost 3,000 tickets sold and a waiting list of more than 1,500.

The festival, founded by Lisa Lawson of Dear Green Coffee Roasters, has grown into one of the key events in the UK coffee calendar since launching in 2014.

Jonathan said he was thrilled to bring the prize home to Glasgow, praising the city’s cafés, roasteries and supportive coffee community.

More winners from Glasgow Coffee Festival

Alongside the Best Roaster UK competition, the festival also hosted the SCA UK Brewers Cup Championship and the Best Coffee Shops UK Awards.

Andrew Wong won the UK Brewers Cup and will go on to represent the UK at the World Coffee Championships at World of Coffee in Brussels in June 2026.

Scottish coffee shops including Birch, Ottoman Coffeehouse, Zennor and Cairngorm Coffee were also recognised, with winners now in the running for Europe’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.

A not-for-profit festival supporting good causes

As a not-for-profit event, Glasgow Coffee Festival will donate more than £3,000 to charities including Bike for Good, Kwetu Coffee, Change Please and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

The 2026 festival was supported by headline partners including La Marzocco, Mossgiel Organic Farm and Dear Green Coffee Roasters.