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GLASGOW – One of Scotland’s best-known coffee brands have moved into a new roastery that expands its capacity fivefold as it doubles down on sustainability and community impact.
Dear Green Coffee Roasters, founded by Lisa Lawson in 2011, has relocated to a 13500 sq ft warehouse on Brook Street, Bridgeton – a space five times the size of its previous site near the Barras, which will help it continue to pioneer speciality coffee in Scotland.
The move marks a new chapter for the independent B Corp-certified business, which is working towards becoming Net Zero by 2030.
Lisa, who began her coffee career while living in Australia before returning to Scotland, said: “When I started Dear Green, speciality coffee culture hadn’t kicked off in Scotland yet, but I was inspired by my experiences in Australia and by the emerging specialist coffee scene around the world. I borrowed the money for a small roaster and the rest is history.
“There have been great achievements and challenges along the way. Throughout our 14 years we’ve remained steadfast in our commitment to providing the highest quality coffee possible, while serving our community and being mindful of our environmental impact.
“This move proves that a small, values-driven business can grow and still hold onto its high standards in coffee roasting, customer focus, and purpose. It finally gives us the space to further invest in our coffee programme and to act on the sustainability goals we’ve had for years: from renewable energy and waste reduction to opening our doors wider to the community that’s supported us from day one.
“This move is essential to not only expanding our capabilities as a coffee roastery but also to achieving our goal of becoming Net Zero by 2030.”
The relocation follows a period of steady growth and international recognition. Last year Dear Green became the first European roastery to win Roast Magazine’s prestigious Micro Roaster of the Year award. It also recently recertified as a B Corp with one of the highest scores in the country, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and ethical business practices.
Over the past decade, Dear Green has recorded consistent year-on-year growth, with sales rising steadily as demand for responsibly sourced, small-batch coffee continues to climb. What began as a one-person operation now supplies cafés, restaurants, offices and retailers nationwide – including The Social Hub, Jupiter Artland, Brushworks, and Cafe Strange Brew – while direct-to-consumer sales, which surged during lockdown, remain strong, accounting for around a third of total revenue.
The business is forecasting 30% growth for the current financial year, supported by new production capacity, leaner systems and the expanding home-barista market.
The refurbished 1940s warehouse, once part of the city’s textile industry, now houses a modern roasting and packaging facility alongside dedicated training, cupping and event spaces.
Located among artists’ studios, workshops and creative businesses, the Bridgeton site places Dear Green at the heart of the area’s wider resurgence – a neighbourhood long associated with Glasgow’s industrial heritage and now home to a growing creative community.
The company, which employs ten people, has added two new team members since the move and plans to hire additional senior roles in 2026 to support further expansion.
Despite already roasting more than 63,000kg from 40 different producers worldwide, and training over 300 baristas across the country, the new facility – and growing team – will allow the business to go further still.
The team is now working with advisers from Scottish Enterprise and Business Energy Scotland to support a growth strategy and explore options for air-source heat pumps and further waste-reduction initiatives, with updated carbon-footprint data due to be published at the end of the financial year.
Dear Green donates 2% of its turnover annually – 1% to social-justice initiatives and 1% to environmental projects – through its partnership with 1% for the Planet. Its supported organisations include Bute Forest, Bike For Good, Greenheart Growers, World Coffee Research, The King’s Trust, Glasgow’s food banks and a coffee seedling project in Uganda with Agri Evolve.
Click-and-collect is now available at the new roastery, and with the move complete, Dear Green’s training and events programme will resume early next year.
