In March 2020, just before the world as we know it went from under us and was replaced by nothing but our own four walls, we were delighted to be invited behind the scenes of Glasgow’s Dear Green Coffee Roasters. We knew we were in for a treat, a tour of the roastery, a curated coffee class just for our fresh faced trainees but I think the unexpected gift was to hear the story of a fabulous female entrepreneur, Lisa Lawson.
Grab a cuppa, and take a minute to watch her message from the eerily quiet roastery to the hospitality trainees https://youtu.be/my35oEW-7LU
I had heard of Dear Green, tried their coffee at the last Glasgow Coffee festival and even have one of their Keep Cups knocking about somewhere, but until our visit had never appreciated how the business started and just how much of a heart it has, it’s safe to safe I am now a BIG fan and even started my own monthly coffee subscription which has given me another reason to be cheerful in the morning lockdown routine.
It was really quite inspiring for me and the young people to hear how Lisa started roasting coffee using her last savings to buy her first roaster and within a matter of years was being flown out across the world to the coffee farms to inspect the conditions of the workers, ensuring they were being looked after and benefiting from their supply partnership. I felt like I was with her for a second when she described the magical experiences she had, hearing the soulful singing of the Ethiopian women in the plantation, happy in their work providing for their families. I sense she feels very proud knowing the more she expands her business the more work, income and stability she is providing for other women, children and families around the world.
Her approach to ethical business makes her a good person, but this teamed with her strong work ethic and respect for others in her team has clearly been a key factor in her success to date. Her business has grown organically, Dear Green has a strong following of indy cafes, bars and restaurants and now a roaring trade from lockdown coffee addicts who are ordering beans online in an attempt to become a pro stay-at-home barista. It’s nice to see so many people are valuing her approach to sourcing coffee transparently, and paying her own staff a fair wage, seeing Lisa’s business growth has given me a little more faith that our buying habits are changing for the better and we’re not just happy to settle for the cheapest of products at all costs.
The extremely cool team at Dear Green
I MISS COFFEE. I have it every day and yet I feel like I am missing it. The ritual of grabbing a coffee I suppose. Nothing will beat the smell of freshly ground coffee in the morning, the hiss of the milk wand and the chitter chatter of people from all walks of life milling about a coffee shop. I know we all cannot wait to get back to enjoying basic freedoms like a morning coffee..with PEOPLE! Although I do wonder how we are all going to have a brew with a face mask on?
SO…for now all we can do is put the kettle on and enjoy some peace, this is probably the only time in your lifetime that you will have to be so relaxed and de-stressed with little pressure to do anything, so before the world awakens again try to savour this special quiet time, if you can.
Stay Home, Stay Safe, Drink Coffee
Steph
