Eversys’ super-automatic Shotmaster machine is empowering one independent café owner in London to make specialty coffee more accessible and affordable.
In 2025, consumers can expect to pay around £4.50 (US$5.80) for a specialty flat white in London, United Kingdom. Rising green bean, rent, and energy rates – among other factors – have seen the price of a cup of coffee increase at hospitality venues around the world, with the specialty sector not immune to these pressures.
Despite these challenges, when Joseph Lee established Sontag in the heart of London in 2024, he did so with the core aim of making specialty coffee accessible and affordable for everyone. For him, this meant keeping the price of a specialty flat white less than £3.60 (US$4.60) – something rarely seen in the capital city.
“Sontag was inspired by the writer Susan Sontag and the idea that there’s high culture and low culture, and that each is only available to certain groups. Our ethos explores how we can make the beautiful experience of specialty coffee accessible to everyone,” says Lee.
“In this current climate, we want to make quality coffee more economically viable for more people. I believe we’re one of very few coffee shops in central London serving very good beans and charging £3 to £4 per cup.”
Unlike most café owners who start with the initial idea for their venue and then choose a machine and equipment to fit with their vision, Lee says he found the Eversys Shotmaster first and built the rest of the café ecosystem around the super-automatic espresso machine.
“My background is in tech and hospitality, so I think that set me up to view innovation as a method to improve quality and experience,” he says.
For Lee, the Shotmaster was the key to making quality coffee affordable. He says the machine enables Sontag’s baristas to serve customers quickly, efficiently, and consistently without years of barista experience.
“More than 60 per cent of our baristas had no barista experience or training before they started with us. Using the Shotmaster, they quickly have confidence navigating the machine, therefore much of our training is based on brewing a strong specialty coffee culture at the café,” he says.
“It’s increasingly difficult to find experienced baristas in London, but we believe talent isn’t just about what’s on a CV. There are passionate people out there who haven’t yet had the chance to break into specialty coffee. At Sontag, we’re committed to lowering the barrier to entry for the industry. With our automated systems and supportive training environment, we can teach the skills needed to thrive.”
Long queues are a rare occurrence at Sontag, with the morning rush of office workers quickly tamed thanks to the Shotmaster. The machine can produce a significant number of espressos per hour, depending on the operator’s coffee recipe.
“Customers are often very surprised at how quickly the queue goes down,” he says. “People will come in and comment on how quiet it is, but it’s not that we don’t have any customers – they’ve just already been served.”
Around 60 per cent of Sontag’s menu is crafted via the Shotmaster. Responding to the trend for chilled and signature drinks, matcha drinks make up around 40 per cent of the offering, with the milk for matcha lattes prepared using the super-automatic machine.
In terms of quality and consistency, Lee says the shots produced are as good – or better – than any other machine he’s used.
“We regularly host cuppings at the shop, and people in the industry are often surprised by the quality the machine delivers,” he says.
“But at the end of the day, it’s how well you look after a machine that will determine the quality. You could have the best machine in the world, but if it’s not maintained the quality will drop. The Shotmaster cleans itself, so as an operator that removes a responsibility while maintaining the high level of consistency.”
Lee believes Sontag is the first specialty coffee shop in the UK operating exclusively with an automatic machine from day one. While the specialty coffee world often debates automation versus tradition, Sontag’s customers aren’t concerned.
“For them, it’s simple: consistently excellent coffee, served quickly and thoughtfully. We’re here to help shift the industry’s perception – and set a new norm for what great coffee can look like,” Lee says.
“I would guess around one in every 200 customers comments on the machine, and when they do it’s usually curiosity. We don’t hide it away or cover the logo, the Shotmaster is more than a machine to us – it’s the vehicle that drives our business.”
The compact size of the Shotmaster gives the Sontag team more space to prepare other drinks such as pourover coffees. If the shop is quiet, sometimes the barista will steam the milk manually using the steam wand, but Lee says the machine itself produces a very high standard of textured milk.
Around 50 to 60 per cent of Sontag’s customers are regulars – an impressive figure for a café located just steps from Covent Garden, The British Museum, and other major tourist destinations.
For Lee, the key to this loyalty lies in the freedom the Shotmaster provides. With the machine handling precision brewing, the team have more time to connect with customers, build relationships, and foster a daily routine for the community.
“The machine frees up the barista to have a good conversation with each customer. They feel empowered using the machine, and that gives them the confidence to spend more time on each person who comes through our door,” he says.
While the Sontag setup is unique and faces competition nearby from big coffee chains including Starbucks and Costa, Lee says the concept is working well and that other independent coffee shops could learn from its example.
“Having our café concept designed around a super-automatic machine doesn’t only serve our ethos of making specialty coffee more accessible but also solves the wider problem of managing the rising costs the industry faces,” he says.
“What we have created is a step towards making the independent café business model more sustainable. I believe this could be a way to level the playing field so that independent coffee shops can compete with the corporate conglomerate coffee chains.”
For more information on Eversys, click here.
This article was first published in the May/June 2025 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
