Coffee with Passion & Good Vibes - Dear Green Coffee Roasters

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lisa Lawson, Founder of Dear Green Coffee Roasters, located in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is Dear Green Coffee Roasters. We source and roast specialty-grade coffee from Africa and Latin America and supply it throughout the UK. We have an online shop and also distribute to businesses locally and nationally.

Tell us about yourself

I first learned about coffee whilst I was working in Australia in the year 2000. I fell in love with the roasting process and the sensory experiences from different single-origin coffees and different brewing techniques. Scotland didn't seem to offer anything similar, so I decided to start Dear Green and launch Glasgow's first roaster of specialty coffee. I established the business in 2011 and haven't looked back! My love of coffee to this day inspires me to continue learning and advancing what we do and what we can offer our customers. I'm proud of the coffee we source, the consistency of our roasting, and the professionalism of our team.

I'm continually motivated to support my team and our customers through sharing knowledge, passion, and experiences of flavor, roasting, brewing, and of sourcing coffee. Our industry is a dynamic, fun, and supportive one to be in. It's a pleasure to work with a wonderful product and to ensure that we do justice to the hard work of the coffee producers at the start of our supply chain.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Every year seems to bring a new accolade to Dear Green which is a testament to how ambitious and hard-working the team is! By far, the proudest achievement to date is certifying as a B Corporation. Dear Green was audited for social and environmental business practices in 2020, and the B Corp movement supports our ongoing journey to do business better.

We were incredibly proud to be one of the first businesses in Scotland to achieve this status and have been excited to see the movement gain great momentum since! Meaning even more businesses are putting people and the planet before profit!

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Being a business owner doesn't come without its stresses and sleepless nights, especially these last couple of years! The challenges it presents also bring the greatest sense of achievement when they are overcome!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Know your value proposition, your product, and your market.
  2. Have water-tight costings and realistic projections. Never take your eye off the bottom line.
  3. Seek help when you need it. If you're trying to spin all of the plates, you're likely to drop one!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.deargreencoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deargreencoffeeroastersglasgow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deargreen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coffeeglasgow

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/deargreen/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-coffee/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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