Getting to know Colin Morrison – Managing Director at Small Batch Coffee Roasters.
What's the story behind Small Batch Coffee Roasters and how did it all start?
Our journey started way back in 2006. Small Batch Coffee Roasters are one of the pioneers of specialty coffee in the UK and started out to raise the bar on coffee being served in Brighton, UK. Specialty coffee was new to most at that time and we quickly became popular as customers learned of our origin stories and could see first hand how we roasted our coffee in our flagship cafe — we had started roasting in a small corner in our coffee shop.
Today, we’re a multi award-winning roastery and celebrate the art and craft of great-tasting specialty coffee. We want specialty coffee to be accessible to a wider audience and take away any pretentious feelings that may stop people being curious to ask more questions. We like to be creative and innovative and put sustainable practice at the heart of what we do… anything is possible right!
For us, it's about great taste — maximising the flavour potential from every bean and sharing its story. We aim to make a big impact and have a plan in place to reduce our carbon impact from origin to cup while also giving back to small charities that support young people. We want to celebrate our Coffee Community as well, so that the spirit of Brighton, our hometown, is celebrated in our work. We celebrate the diverse, creative coffee community and share our learning every day.
Can you share more about your approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
We are passionate about creating the best quality coffee, every time. We source coffee from four continents and over 15 countries, because we know where the coffee is grown greatly affects the taste. Our coffees are traditionally harvested and selectively picked by hand. We travel to meet our producers, and aim to work with the same farms year after year to create long-standing and mutually-beneficial relationships. We do this by buying from them every year and paying sustainable prices significantly higher than the Fair Trade minimum.
What motivated Small Batch Coffee Roasters to explore the capsule coffee format?
The coffee capsule market is expected to grow two-fold by the end of 2033 and is becoming the leading way to drink great coffee at home, in the workplace, and on vacation at hotels. We’ve launched our new specialty range of pods to showcase our coffee to a wider audience in a more convenient way — the same great taste but in a capsule. For us, it’s a simple addition to our growing portfolio and we love them!
We all have our morning routines, and coffee is often a crucial part of it. What is your morning ritual like?
I enjoy a 40-minute drive to our roastery each day – for me it’s a great time to relax, think about the day/week ahead and also listen to the latest sports news on the radio. I arrive at our roastery and enjoy a flat white before we have a team catch-up – it’s always the best time to meet as a team and chat before we get to business. I’d love to say I go for a morning run... maybe one day.
What are you most excited about for the future of Small Batch Coffee Roasters?
In 2023, we set out a new strategy and want to be renowned internationally for exceptional-tasting coffee. We want to do this by working with the best wholesale partners, distribution network and growing our e-commerce presence — working with MORNING is amazing for us. Recognition with industry awards and feedback from our partners and consumers helps gives us confidence we’re on the right path.
We’re also on a path to reduce our carbon emissions by 75% by 2030, and the new ways of working we’re implementing are challenging but also extremely rewarding when considering the positive impact that can be made.
