Dear Green Coffee Roasters

Overview

Dear Green was founded in Glasgow in 2011 by Lisa Lawson — Toby's Estate Sydney's first-ever employee, who had spent two years roasting in Toby Smith's mother's garage on a 5kg roaster — after returning to Scotland and finding no specialty roastery she wanted to work for. She borrowed money for a 12kg roaster, set up in a former architect's office near Glasgow's Barras market (knocking a brick out of the wall to vent the flue), and built early wholesale by delivering 200kg by bike. Lawson also founded the Glasgow Coffee Festival, now Scotland's largest coffee event, and in late 2025 moved Dear Green to a 13,500 sq ft Bridgeton warehouse — five times its previous size.

Known for

• Pioneer of Scottish specialty coffee
• Founded Glasgow Coffee Festival
• Toby's Estate Sydney's first employee as company founder
• B Corp certified with one of UK's highest scores
• First European roastery to win Roast Magazine Micro Roaster of the Year (2025)

Why it matters

The brand and the festival that put Glasgow — and Scotland — on the European specialty map. Built solo, scaled to a B Corp net-zero-by-2030 plan, and remains one of the very few European roasters to win Roast Magazine's Micro Roaster of the Year.

Production

destoning

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head roaster

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color sorting

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roaster machine

25kg Probat

filter equipment

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cupping frequency

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roastery location

Brook Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow (refurbished 1940s former textile warehouse, since late 2025)

espresso equipment

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annual volume tonnes

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Recognitions

• Roast Magazine Micro Roaster of the Year 2025 (first European winner)
• B Corp certified (one of UK's highest scores)
• 1% for the Planet partner
• Founder of Glasgow Coffee Festival

Sources

• https://www.gcrmag.com/lisa-lawson-on-the-rise-of-specialty-coffee-in-scotland/
• https://www.scotsman.com/business/dear-green-coffee-glasgow-firms-new-roastery-gives-more-scots-taste-of-speciality-bean-culture-5414860
• https://www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com/news/news/2025/november/24/award-winning-glasgow-roastery-announces-major-expansion/
• https://dailycoffeenews.com/2025/12/08/dear-green-coffee-roasters-grows-in-glasgow/
• https://www.roastmagazine.com/stories/podcast-roy-dear-green
• https://europeancoffeetrip.com/lisa-lawson-dear-green-glasgow/
• https://indycoffee.guide/my-life-in-coffee-lisa-lawson/
• http://edinburghcoffeelovers.blogspot.com/p/lisa-lawson-dear-green.html