Lost Sheep Coffee is going from strength to strength with its fully traceable, hand-roasted speciality grade beans and compostable pods
Commuting to his job every day from Whitstable in Kent, Stuart Wilson just felt like a sheep – so he decided it was time to quit his career and “get lost”. While travelling in Melbourne, Australia, Stuart and his wife tasted superior Aussie-style coffee. “We had never experienced anything like it,” he says.
So in 2012, they started a company that would bring Aussie-style speciality, high-quality coffee to the UK. Lost Sheep Coffee, which began as a van parked in Canterbury High Street, is now a thriving business with a café and speciality roastery in Whitstable roasting a rotating selection of carefully selected coffee beans; and in 2019, it launched the UK’s first compostable speciality-coffee capsule – airtight and compatible with Nespresso machines.
“We only use speciality coffee beans, which are from the top five per cent for quality in the world,” says Stuart. The Lost Sheep team spent months developing special roasting techniques to ensure that the flavour of its coffee would be preserved in its pods. Sustainability was also a priority. “We made a conscious decision to find a compostable eco capsule because, for us, there is no point having this great coffee if you are just adding to the problem.”
The company offsets 16 tonnes of carbon monthly and sources directly from suppliers. “I personally know the family that grows our coffee in Brazil, so, when I buy from them, the container comes directly to the UK, ensuring traceability from field to cup. Our coffee is a perfect marriage between doing what we can for the environment, and the quality and taste of the product.”
All beans and ground coffee are roasted fresh to order and the Nespresso pods contain the same great speciality coffee. They are available online, by subscription or found in Morrisons stores in the South East and Booths in the North, as well as at smaller delis and coffee shops. The beans are available from the website in recyclable bags, along with other merchandise.
“Lost Sheep Coffee started as a hobby out of my passion, and I never realised it would go this far,” says Stuart. “I just love coffee and learning about it.”
www.lostsheepcoffee.com