Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth, former flatmates at the University of St Andrews, founded Black Sheep Coffee in 2013 with a deliberately contrarian streak. The company was among the first to champion specialty grade robusta, offering double caffeine blends at a time when the industry treated robusta as categorically inferior. A 2014 Kickstarter campaign raised initial funds, and the first shop opened in Fitzrovia the following year. Growth accelerated through private investment and the 2019 acquisition of eight locations from the collapsing Taylor St Baristas chain. The company now operates over 110 locations globally, spanning the UK, the US, the Middle East, and France. Some locations transition into cocktail bars in the evening. The founders remain majority owners and have stated their ambition to build the largest coffee company in the world.