DEAR Green Coffee was set up nine years ago by Lisa Lawson who wanted to bring cafe culture to the UK after living in Australia. During lockdown the business has adapted as restaurants and cafes cancelled orders. Earlier this year, the company gained a B Corp status for paying the Real Living Wage and having an ethical supply chain.
Name: Lisa Lawson
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Dear Green Coffee
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Glasgow
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I WORKED in coffee in Australia for three years. I got a job packing coffee up for a guy and I learned to roast it. Setting up my own business was in my head for eight years while I worked as a chef and in the wine industry. An opportunity came up to set up a roastery for a wine company. It wasn’t a grand plan as I am not from a wealthy background so having enough money to set up a business was not on my radar. Within six weeks I got a roaster. There was never any coffee in my house growing up – we were tea drinkers. We had coffee on Christmas and at special occasions. I studied in Edinburgh and did shifts at the Edinburgh Festival and drank coffee to get me through the shifts. I was open to learning about it but I didn’t know the world of coffee was out there. I was intrigued by the whole thing. I was back to point zero when I came back from Australia. I didn’t drink coffee for years then I found my way back to it. We didn’t have the same coffee culture here as they did in New York, Australia, Seattle and London. In Scotland coffee was generally dark, over roasted, made with stale beans and we added lots of cream and sugar. In the last 10 years it has changed so much. Lots of people are investing in equipment to make coffee at home and we are getting questions about how to brew. It’s a turning point for home brewing.
HOW HAVE YOU COPED WITH CORONAVIRUS?
IT has had a massive impact on the business. When Boris Johnson announced restaurants and cafes were to close, people started cancelling their orders and we lost 95% of our business overnight. I guaranteed jobs until the end of April when the furlough scheme was announced. We increased online adverts and invested in digital marketing. We had to cancel all non-essential spending but we have now worked out how much to sell online to cover basic running costs. We already had a subscription service in place. We never pushed for online sales because we are a wholesale service. People are so quick to click on Amazon but during the pandemic people have had to buy local and think about purchases more. We put out a discount code in the first lockdown which was very popular.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
I NEVER had a business plan – I am just passionate about coffee. I wanted to be wholesale because I was on my own so I could do that without hiring staff. I worked in a deli at the weekend to pay off my mortgage. There wasn’t really a cafe culture back then. Instagram started at the same time we set up so I was probably one of the first businesses on there. People were loyal to the brand straight away because of the name. We have now moved premises and taken on one more staff member per year.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
BEING the first in Glasgow to start roasting coffee. Artisan Roast was set up in Edinburgh which gave us a headstart. Coffee culture was happening in the UK and across the world at that time anyway. We had more time to learn and collaborate with others through coffee festivals.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
YES. Glasgow is a small city full of loyal people. When we started we had so much support and so many people wanting me to do well. Seeing people support my business was quite moving. People make Glasgow and wanted to help me find space for a roaster. I used to sell to Williams Bros Brewing Co – they used my coffee in their beer. It’s a really lovely industry to be in – we have gone to London Coffee Festival every year and felt very welcome and wanted to have that in Glasgow. There is no point in being in competition – we all do the same thing and can change consumer habits.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
I DIDN’T know I’d survive the first year. If you can get through this year you can get through anything. The online side will grow and we will help more cafes. I want us to maintain our B Corp status and keep the values we’ve started with.
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