A Bolton-based coffee brand with deep roots in the region’s creative scene is inviting the public to help shape its next chapter.
Studio Black Coffee, founded by local entrepreneurs Tobias Peever (25) and Callum Jackson (26), has launched a new crowdfunding campaign to support the business’s next phase of growth — and to bring its community along for the ride. Backers can get their name emblazoned on the company’s new coffee van for a £50 pledge, alongside hands-on rewards including latte art workshops and behind-the-scenes roasting sessions at the brand’s Bolton base.
The business is still young, but its rise has been rapid. Launched just 12 months ago, Studio Black began with Peever and Jackson roasting coffee in a spare room to fulfil online orders. By May 2025 — only five months later — demand had outgrown the setup, prompting a move into a dedicated roastery on Lever Grove in Bolton.
Today, the company supplies one of the UK’s largest television studios, dock10 at MediaCity, and regularly serves cast and crew on film and TV shoots across Greater Manchester, including productions for Netflix and Hollyoaks. Alongside this, Studio Black continues to sell beans online and pop up at markets and events across the region.
“Studio Black Coffee has been built from the ground up,” says Peever.
“We’ve reinvested every penny back into the business, which we’re really proud of — but it does make growth challenging. This campaign is about inviting our community to be part of what comes next.”
What sets the brand apart is its close relationship with the creative industries. Both founders previously worked on large-scale film and TV productions, including live broadcasts and major charity events — an experience that helped shape the company’s ethos.
“In creative industries, a good break can make all the difference,” says Jackson.
“It’s where ideas form, conversations happen and people connect — but the coffee on sets and in shared workspaces is notoriously bad. We want to change that by serving genuinely great coffee that fuels creativity, while building something sustainable here in Greater Manchester.”
The crowdfunding campaign will help fund the fit-out of a second, fully equipped coffee van — allowing Studio Black to operate in two locations on the same day. That could mean one van heading to a TV set while the other serves weekend crowds at spots like Campfield Market.
While the team has already invested in purchasing the van, the cost of turning it into a working coffee bar is substantial.
“Most people don’t realise that the equipment inside a coffee van can cost more than the van itself,” Jackson explains.
“Grinders, espresso machines, fridges, power, materials — it all adds up very quickly.”
For Peever, local support is key.
“Bolton has a strong independent spirit,” he says.
“People really do back people here. If we can grow with the support of our community, that means everything to us.”
Studio Black Coffee’s crowdfunding campaign is live now.
Find out more at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/studioblack.
