Last month we looked back on 2022 and some of the sustainability goals we achieved over the preceding twelve months. Now, as a new year begins and the days start to lengthen, it feels like the perfect time to consider some of the things we’re looking forward to in 2023.
Here are three of the (many) things we’re excited for this year.
COLLABORATIONS
One of the key beliefs of Glen Lyon Coffee is the importance of community, and we’re always looking for collaborations with partners new and old. This could be something as simple as opening our doors to host the Repair Café each month, helping Aberfeldy locals fix their stuff and keep it out of landfill. We’ve also worked with other businesses to create custom products, like our partnership with Charlotte Flower before Christmas that resulted in some delicious coffee-infused chocolate bars—so popular we had to order a second run, which then also sold out!
In 2023 we’re hoping to keep this momentum going, starting out with an upcoming collab with our friends at Wasted Degrees Brewing in Blair Atholl. We’ve partnered with Conall and Jack before, when they used our Red Stag Espresso to brew up a syrupy coffee stout back in 2019, and this year we’re doing it again! Wasted Degrees brews up a new Imperial Stout each year with a different featured ingredient, and for this year’s Imperial Coffee Stout they’ll be infusing their beer with a cold brew concentrate made from our Costa Rica Volcan Azul beans.
Keep an eye on our social media for the launch date, and we’re looking forward to visiting the Wasted Degrees tap room for beer and pizza once the weather improves (oh when will the weather improve??).
LIVE AT THE ROASTERY
We have a lovely space here at the roastery, and it was a shame to keep it to ourselves. We started small
with a pop-up cafe to keep Aberfeldy caffeinated as we came out of lockdown, we have a monthly tour of the roastery starting up again in March, and now we’re expanding our repertoire with an ongoing series of live events featuring some of the area’s top talent.
Before Christmas we welcomed acclaimed singer Kim Carnie for an intimate concert of songs from her debut album, and at the end of January we will host a night of poetry featuring Jon Plunkett and Morag Anderson with blues music by Bert Bertram and beer by Wasted Degrees.
We’ve got plans for lots more over the coming year, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to find out first.
TRAVEL
Our trip out to Uganda at the end of 2022 was the first visit we’ve been able to make to one of our producer partners in several years. Restrictions have restricted our plans, but this year we are hoping to make at least a couple of journeys to origin to reconnect with partners and cement new friendships.
Meeting face-to-face is an essential part of our goal to form long-term, direct relationships with coffee producers and our export partners. Email, WhatsApp and Zoom are useful tools for communication, but there’s no substitute for a handshake and conversation.
Beyond that, visiting farms is hugely beneficial to get an insight into the working practices of our partners and to see the coffee being produced in-person.
We’ll keep you informed about all our travels throughout the year via the Journal and our monthly newsletter (sign up here!). Thanks for supporting Glen Lyon Coffee in 2022—we can’t wait to see what the next 12 months have to offer.
