where are we now?…
In the words of the wonderful late Mr Bowie…where are we now?
Firstly, we are well.
Secondly, we are still married!
Just short of a year and a half from when we first went live with Lars & Margo we are living a dream that we never thought possible. We have created a growing customer base; some thirteen + retail stockists throughout Cornwall and Devon, with seven places of hospitality serving our coffee plus Peter and I attending markets every weekend in Cornwall and Devon. Very much included in this still are our customers who visit us at the Lars & Margo Roastery. Many have walked with us from the very start. A few have vanished without trace but we hope they will return, even just to say hello. We tend to find ourselves simply saying, “…hope they are ok?”. Others are new and we continue to greet them as though they were our first. Our online customers and subscribers - so very much valued. We have 15 roasts including our debut original #001 espresso blend and our second water processed decaf (an area I’m very keen to increase on, believing there is a strong calling for those needing zero caffeine, me included 90% of the time, alas) - I think we can say our efforts and your support are absolutely paying off!
As I sit here now in the roastery, it’s almost the end of November, the sunshine is filtering through our windows on to the floor where the husks from weekend roasting need sweeping away. Most Saturdays or Sundays we attend the markets but as covid cases rise we are keeping an ear to the ground and preparing for any downward turn regards lockdowns and ‘events cancelled’. Hopefully it won’t be the case here in the UK but with Europe’s covid ‘storm clouds looming’ it pays for us to remain vigilant. We have kept quite ritual with facial coverings being worn at the Roastery by visitors (and ourselves when others share our space) - a roaster with no sense of smell or taste is no good to anybody and as it’s still just the two of us; we need to be wary - thus far we have remained covid free. In the last month we have relaxed and entertained mask free but we do feel we are going to need to install the request again to mask up. We thank our visitors in advance for supporting our decision on this.
Our initial launch of ‘Lars & Margo Makers’ has evolved into ‘Makers for Lars & Margo’ - offering a platform for those in the creative field. We have so far collaborated with three ceramicists since Autumn 2020 who have created the most beautiful drinking beakers, cups and tumblers. We will be looking further into other creative fields and practitioners that we would like to collaborate with, possibly stepping aside from the drinking vessels in the new year. I’m certainly eager for an opportunity myself to knock around with a few 2D ideas. Watch this space.
Space - we are filling our Roastery well. Now that I am full time my office is also sharing the floor with Genevieve, slumped sacks of green beans and lidded metal bins with roasted contents enticing me with fragrances from sour cherries to chocolate peanut. I’ve also brought some planting into the space and hope to fill this over time to help counter balance any carbon emissions - a number of houseplants will fall far short but every little helps and the green is pleasing aesthetically, especially when working alone or on my laptop!
Community - we are starting to be asked for donations - this actually means a lot to us. It not only suggests we are being seen and recognised but also that we are being respected. We are trying our best to support as many as we can. Last year we were asked by Liskeard in Bloom so of course we said yes and for a good length of time saw our name supporting a beautiful box display in the high street. This year we have received many more requests - a couple to name, Macmillan Cancer Support (Suez Recycling and Recovery) and Truro Doctor’s Mess (Royal Cornwall Hospitals). We like to try and provide to those we see as worthy. Despite Peter and I working/having worked for the NHS we were contacted purely on the basis of being a recognised business in Cornwall so, especially regards the latter mentioned, there was no hesitation from us.
Captain Roaster, Master Roaster, The Boss. Well, maybe not the last of the three but Peter is doing great! I have to say I cannot wait for him to reduce his hours with his ‘day job’ - this happens post-christmas. Already with me joining L&M full time from the 1st of November we are seeing huge benefits. All in all, as our daughter described regards the outcome of our recent photo shoot by the very talented and genuinely lovely Rebecca Rees (see image of the two of us on the beach), ‘wholesome’. He is happier now than I have ever seen him, apart from weekends and holidays with our young growing family… of course!! His ability to create such beautiful roasts leaves me speechless - to have found his calling after many decades of flirting with the idea is a joy to witness. Hearing our customers feedback, and exclamations of “Oh it’s you! We tried your coffee ….its the best we’ve ever had!” and that little blush after they leave - as I often tell them before they do so, “this guy only used to make beans on toast!” And we laugh together.
So how about our farmers? Well, the pandemic has certainly prevented us from meeting in person. We are grateful to have very good merchants who assure us the best interest of our farmers is at heart. We do have direct links with one farmer, Bernard, who supplies us with his incredible organic Honduran green coffee beans. We’ve had two harvests and this latter one is incredible. Beautifully fruity. We have also met with James, UK based but who has direct links with east Africa having lived over there himself. A lovely, lovely guy whom we have grown to trust very quickly. Oh to be able to visit east Africa again…the smell of our Ugandan Bukonzo Dream transports Peter and I instantly to the African plains following rainy season, as we experienced back in 2019. As for our South Americas…we have great concerns for them - I read recently that Brazil, in many of its regions, has experienced harsh weather conditions resulting in yield losses of up to 90%. Shipping costs have increased massively - but we are keeping calm and observing from a distance at this time, we are also hoping to ship over by wind (sail boats) but that’s in the future.
On top of other health, social, climatic and political difficulties throughout all of our coffee supplying continents - daily life is not how it should be, for any of them. It can be very easy for Peter and I to forget this but we remind ourselves frequently - we are here now, because of them all. 22nd November 2022