SCOTTISH COFFEE BRAND APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR
L-R: Harris Grant & Robi Lambie
Edinburgh based Cairngorm Coffee has appointed a new operations director and unveiled new packaging, as the business aims to reach a turnover of £1 million this year.
Harris Grant, co-founder of the Edinburgh-based vegan fashion retailer Treen, has also joined as co-owner.
The trained accountant spent almost five years working for KPMG in Hong Kong, before returning to Scotland where he launched Treen alongside his partner, Cat Anderson.
Grant commented on his new role saying: “I’ve kept a close eye on Cairngorm since the beginning, and I’ve always thought the potential is huge
Robi’s standards – from sourcing to the final taste – are exceptional, and he is so naturally talented as a marketer and a storyteller. What he has already built is outstanding and I’m very excited to work with him to take Cairngorm to the next level.”
Founded by Robi Lambie in 2014 Cairngorm went on to open two coffee shops in Edinburgh city centre.
The pandemic saw both the Melville Place and Frederick Street sites forced to close for several months. Even when they were allowed to reopen, the business suffered a 72.5% loss in 2020, as regular customers and tourists stayed at home.
However, Cairngorm Coffee pivoted to e-commerce and saw 1,100% growth in online orders of coffee and merchandise in 2021, which has put the company on track for record turnover in 2022.
Plans have now been revealed to drive sales and recruit wholesale customers across Scotland and beyond, alongside a new direct-to-consumer subscription service.
Lambie, who learned to roast at the Ralia Cafe in the heart of the Cairngorms, explained: “The pandemic made me think differently – our main focus had always been the shops, and it’s not an exaggeration to say I was in a state of severe panic when lockdown hit – we went from being on track for £1m turnover to near disaster.”
He added: “Scotland’s coffee scene has transformed in the years since we began, so we’ve got to keep moving forward all the time; there are so many great roasters in Scotland that it feels like we’re part of a movement.”
