Our Journey
Inspired by the magic of Vietnamese coffee and by the culture which produces it, we started our jouney into sourcing, importing, roasting and brewing coffee from Vietnam in 2017.
3 years on, we’re discovering more farms, building our community in Edinburgh and are now sharing our enthusiasm for Vietnamese coffee online.
"We aim to use the diverse medium of coffee production to bring about a 'good thing' both in our local community and further afield. Doing things the way we like free from mental slavery and modernised corruption"
- Stu, Uplands Roast Founder
Direct Trade
Creating honest trading relationships is the foundation of our business. By working directly with the farmers we can all enjoy ourselves and openly discuss price, quality and goals. We also shorten the supply chain which allows us to pay the farmer a higher price for their product.
Paying well over the market price for coffee was a key motivation to set up the business, highlighting deceit from the virtue signalling industry powerhouses and trying to support a movement for genuine honesty.
Thoughts
Fairtrade: Is It Really Fair? (Coming Soon)
Our Community
We are passionate about sourcing top quality ingredients and take great care to find producers that share the same values as us. Our supply chain is full of amazing makers that work hard to create delicious and sustainable products. We don’t mind paying that bit extra so that we don’t have to comprimise on these values.
Talking to the community and our customers on the front-line is of real value to us. Everyone has something to teach and being able to speak freely and learn is of utmost importance to us.
Farming
Working directly with farmers in Vietnam is truly amazing and sharing the knowledge and skills they have is inspiring. How these farmers have grown their craft and work with care and precision within the confines of - sometimes - basic tools is rather extraordinary.
We believe in creating fruitful and sustainable relationships with the farmers that we trade with. This means visiting the farms when we can, paying them a price they are happy with and taking on board their expert knowledge.
Roasting
We roast coffee every day on The Meadows in Edinburgh. It is lovely to be able to share this experience with our customers as they watch us do this in the open air. Finding the perfect roast for our beans is an ongoing journey and we are forever learning of new subtleties as we go.
Roasting is both a science and an art and there is no ‘right’ answer. Though by feeling our way through and relying upon taste, measurement, intuition and practice we are forever improving our knowledge.
The Coffee Box
Situated in the heart of Edinburgh, our Meadows coffee shop has become a hub for folk in the community and those just passing through. We are proud to roast beans fresh on-site and always try to brighten people’s day by playing tunes, having a chat and serving drinks as best we can.
If you are ever in town, be sure to stop by for a coffee, chat or just a wee dance.