A COFFEE roaster from Glasgow has been named the “best in the world” and aims to promote sustainability in the industry.
Dear Green Coffee Roasters has been crowned the world’s best by a leading industry trade publication, Roast Magazine, in the 21st Roaster of the Year Awards.
Established by Lisa Lawson in 2011 the city centre-based company beat competitors from around the globe to secure the top spot.
Dear Green is the first European roastery to win the award, with founder Lawson saying she has been “blown away” with the title.
The Scottish firm became Scotland’s first B Corp-certified coffee roaster and produced 98,326 pounds of coffee in 2023 with just a team of 10.
The annual award aims to celebrate and recognise “superior coffee quality, sustainability, community engagement, and excellence in roasting”.
Lawson, who began working in the industry while living in Australia, said the award shows that a small-scale operation can have a big impact on the world.
She said: “If you told me when I was scrimping and saving to buy our first roaster in 2011 that one day we’d get this award, I wouldn’t have believed you.
“I’m blown away. This is an incredible honour for our team – it speaks to the passion and commitment we put into everything we do. We are proud to represent Scotland on a global stage.
“When we first started, the specialty coffee scene in Scotland was limited. This award is a reflection of how much the industry here has grown and matured.”
She added: “This shows a small-scale operation can have a big impact on the world, both in terms of our coffee and by the example we set as an ethical coffee roaster.
“This definitely raises our profile, and with that, it puts us in an even better position to foster education and transparency within the coffee industry, from sourcing practices to roasting techniques, ensuring the growing number of specialty coffee lovers out there understand the journey from bean to cup.”
