A couple of weeks ago we took delivery of our new Loring S35 Kestrel roaster, tripling our production capacity, and marking a significant step in Red Bank’s evolution. Aside from allowing us to comfortably keep up with increasing demand, it’s also a statement of intent for where we want to go.
I’ve never been a big believer in growth for growth’s sake, so I’ve been asking myself some quite existential questions of late, most importantly, what is the motivation for growth.
This all came together during a recent visit to Origin’s roastery cafe in Cornwall. As speciality coffee roasters based in relatively remote areas of the country, I see many parallels between us. Aside from the roasting operation itself, what impressed me most was how they have created a thriving hub that employs seemingly upwards of 30 people on site in an area of the country that is historically lacking in employment opportunities. We are 10 years behind Origin in our journey, and I see no reason why we can’t create something similar here in the Lake District.
As we grow, we are also able to purchase more coffee from our producing partners year on year. Building long-lasting, meaningful relationships with the producers that we work with has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey so far, and the opportunity to provide them with more financial security in a world with vastly fluctuating market prices and costs of production is incredibly motivating.
Last but not least, as we grow, the amount that we are able to donate to our charitable and community projects by way of our 2% of coffee revenue commitment increases. This year has seen us make significant donations to Growing Well, Raw Material and a local rewilding project in the form of around 200 new trees, and the opportunity to have even greater impact is incredibly exciting.
A huge thank you for all your support that has allowed us reach this important milestone. We can’t wait to share the next stage of this journey with you.
A Shiny New Roaster
