A Norwich coffee entrepreneur has shared his firmly-held belief that businesses should not sacrifice their ethos or identity in pursuit of profit.

Alex Sargeant, co-owner of Strangers Coffee House and roastery, said the city is fostering clusters of businesses 'trying to push quality products' as consumers become more ethically aware.

The company roasts around 400kg of coffee beans a week, and Mr Sargeant says taste always trumps price in his purchasing.

'Some of the UK's top roasteries are trying to get the most money out of their kilograms so they are changing their ethos, their style and eventually their product,' he said.

'They are changing who they are to make more money and that is not what this is about for me. I, perhaps foolishly, never find out how much our coffee is going to cost until I am potentially ready to buy it.'

Speaking at a Norfolk Network event at St George's Works in Norwich – where Strangers has a concession stand – he said the company, which he runs with brothers Sam and Will Maddocks, now has the infrastructure in place to reassess its sustainability.

'We work with some of the most impoverished people in the world and sustainability is everything for them. The way we buy and source our coffee is all about ethics,' he said.

'For years people have produced stuff without caring what is in it or how it is produced, but we have got to the point now where we are smarter. It has moved me on in my sourcing style.'

Upon entering his first Barista Championship in the early days of Strangers, Mr Sargeant chose to buy a different, more expensive type of coffee than that which was currently being used in the shop – potentially bad for their finances, but in keeping with his values. It helped him to achieve 11th place in the national competition.

'That was what helped to push us forward and gave us an identity and a goal,' he said.

The business has since been nominated as the UK's best 'grab and go coffee experience' – at a time when the country has one coffee shop for every 3,000 people.

When the Strangers shop opened on Pottergate in 2009 speciality coffee was almost non-existent in Norwich, according to Mr Sargeant.

'We were bringing a new ethos of coffee into the market place,' he said.