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Ramblings of a roaster

Copenhagen here i come…

8/3/2023

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It’s almost time to go…
On Sunday I fly to Copenhagen to spend a week at the Coffee Mind academy.  I’ve always been a person who performs better if I am motivated.  Five and a half years ago I trained at London school of Coffee where I passed my course and exams to become a Speciality Coffee Association certified roaster.   I’ve just celebrated a big birthday and I’ve been running my small business, The Garden Roastery, for 5 years,  so now feels a great time to press the injection pump.​

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So what’s in it for me?  I am going to refresh and learn new skills, review new roasting equipment, network with fellow roasters, fill my brain with coffee geek facts and start the next chapter of my coffee story….. and I can’t wait! 
What’s in it for you? Loads of great stuff!  If you’re a customer, you will have a roaster who’s at the top of her game, seeking out new and exciting coffees and roasts for you to sample.  If you like to keep up to date with life at The Garden Roastery, I’ll have loads more content and interesting stuff for you to access through my social channels and you can take a look at beautiful Copenhagen as I experience it for the first time. ​
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Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark with fabulous Scandi style.  As well as great coffee, there is beautiful architecture, canals, gardens and fabulous food! I will have some time to explore whilst I am in Denmark, as well as attending my training course and exams, so I’ll keep you posted along the way.   
So what happens when I’m back? Well, watch this space.  After returning from my course I’ll be planning updates to the Roastery offerings and then we are into festival season with London Coffee Festival kicking off at the end of April.
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I can’t wait to take you on my journey.
Lisa xx 
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2022 Year End Report - Small business imposter syndrome?

31/12/2022

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Firstly, I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and some well earned rest ahead of the New Year onslaught...

At this time of year, I usually write a year-end report.  So, I sat down this week to think about what I would share with you through my experiences of running The Garden Roastery in 2022, what were the nuggets of things that really stuck in my head that might be of interest?  If I’m honest, I really wasn’t sure whether I wanted to write a year-end report because it’s been an up-and-down year.  With the last few months being more stressful than usual.  There have been some challenges but there have also been some real highs.  So don’t stop reading at this point, it gets better I promise.  
 
Having mulled it over, I started to wonder, is there such a thing as Small Business Imposter Syndrome?  Why is it that we often think that we need to be perfect before we are legitimate in business?  Surely, it’s the journey that’s the thing that we should be enjoying rather than search for that elusive, perfect business.  Surely, it’s those lows and challenges that we overcome, the items that were unexpected that, when we finally look back, will be the ones that we remember.  Of course, business is about sales figures but it’s about so much more.   It’s about fulfilment, providing amazing customer service and giving something back.  It may be a single customer being delighted with their purchase, a snippet of unexpected positive feedback, or being able to support a local supplier, which gives you a sense of achievement. 

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Imposter Syndrome
​ –The persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills
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​So here is the year-end report that I wasn’t planning to write for 2022.  For me the year has really been a game of two halves. Following my delight at the end of 2021, when I had doubled the sales figures for The Garden Roastery, I felt that I was already delivering a high quality and consistent service.   The first half of 2022 started well, building on that joy and really feeling like I was getting somewhere with a significant increase in regular customers and wonderful feedback from customers who have been shopping with me for many years.  

The Lows?

Then in July 2022 something not related to the business really had an impact at home, we came back from a few nights away to find a swimming pool on the floor in the kitchen. Well, not a real swimming pool of course.  The hot water tank in the loft had kindly decided to leak through to the upstairs of the house, through the bathroom and into the kitchen before depositing itself onto the downstairs floor.  To be honest in the scheme of things it’s a very basic problem and should have been relatively easy to fix.   The volume of water, compared to some leaks or floods was insignificant, but what followed felt like six months of constantly being let down by suppliers which meant by Christmas we had just concrete floors and no furniture in the downstairs of the house and no confirmed sign of resolution.   
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Daisy, my beautiful retro coffee roasting machine, was really starting to feel like she was reaching her twilight years. ​
​Trying to sort out the repairs in the house at the same time as running a small business along with my busy corporate role wouldn’t usually phase me, but in addition unfortunately my wonderful Daisy, my beautiful retro coffee roasting machine, was really starting to feel like she was reaching her twilight years.  She started to show signs of needing a lot more TLC and on several occasions, I was unable to roast due to break downs.   Hopefully all the issues for Daisy are solvable, but they’re not the sort of things that you can do in half an hour squeezed between other priorities.  You really do need to allocate time in any business to plan in those maintenance schedules, make sure you’ve got every part in stock, make sure that you’ve got additional stock in case of a breakdown.   The good news is that Daisy has been receiving some much-needed TLC in the Christmas shutdown with some shiny new parts on order.  

​“But what about the highs for 2022?” I hear you cry!

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​Well great news, The Garden Roastery customer base has grown, with orders being dispatched across the UK.  Local customer awareness has spread, and I regularly find myself being greeted with ‘oh you’re the coffee lady’ – that always makes me smile.  There have been new product launches – the latest being the sell-out Coffee Travel Can and for the first time ever The Garden Roastery coffee and gifts are available for purchase at another local business.
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So, what’s next? ​

Those of you who are fans of The West Wing will recognise the phrase… 'What's next?'

What do
es 2023 hold for me and The Garden Roastery?  Well, it’s onwards and upwards.  I have been qualified as a Coffee Roaster since 2017, through the Speciality Coffee Association.  But it’s time to refresh and top up.  So, this year I am planning to travel to Copenhagen for the next stage of professional roaster training, exams and qualifications.  I can’t wait!
I will also need to start looking at new equipment, and I will be using my training trip to scout out the best roasting machines before considering an upgrade to help increase capacity and let Daisy start her well-deserved retirement.
Product development will definitely be on the cards with consideration of a range of subscription packages.  
Support and networking – I really want to spend more time networking with and supporting other local businesses.  It provides such a boost to meet others in a similar situation and share great ideas.  I have a business degree and 30 years experience which I hope can help others.
Last but not least, I want to give more back and support worthy causes where I can.  Whilst The Garden Roastery does not have the funds do make large corporate donations, I will absolutely be looking for opportunities to support worthy causes and reduce environmental impact whilst providing the best service possible to my customers.

Keep the faith...

I’m really looking forward to this year.   I’ve got a big birthday coming up and that is a big reason to focus on my passion.  For all small business owners out there I do believe there is such a thing as a Small Business Imposter Syndrome.  I think all small business owners at some point wonder whether they’re actually doing it right and forget how much they have achieved and how far they have come.  There have been so many small businesses close with the recent economic challenges.  But keep the faith! You do know more than you think, all the effort is worth it.  Yes, it’s very very hard but don’t give up.  Keep your passion, keep celebrating the journey, support each other along the way and together we will all keep small-business alive. 
 
Thanks so much for all my customers and all those people who have supported the Roastery through 2022.  Let’s look forward and have a wonderful 2023.  Happy New Year!

Lisa xx

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Ramblings of a Roaster - back on the road

23/10/2022

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Recently, I’ve been musing on the many changes in life and pace over the last 2 to 3 years.  Whilst the pandemic has indeed been horrific for many people, I still can’t believe how much it has fundamentally changed many of our lives.  My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and those still suffering.  In other ways the pandemic appears to have made many people look at their lives in a very different way.  Either forced by change in employment, and personal circumstances or by a personal choice.  Life now is simply not the same as it was before.

​For me - there has been a mix.  Those of you who have been with me on this journey since the beginning of the Roastery will have long known me as a career girl (perhaps I’m stretching the latter term a little there..).   For much of the last three decades I worked up to 60 hours a week with a long commute.  I’ve always been incredibly lucky to have a role that I have loved and receive great support from frankly amazing people along the way.  Yes - it’s been very hard work and many times I wondered about a change.  I have been incredibly proud to receive some awards – I have been named in the British Car Industry top 100 females twice in recent years, received a Special Recognition 'Award for Innovation' and took up the opportunity to Chair the Board of a trade organisation.   I’ve worked in the private, public and not for profit sectors.  So, you may be wondering why am I telling you all this??  So, here’s the crux, I feel hugely proud and privileged to have has many amazing opportunities in my corporate life, but in addition, I have to tell you that none of them has produced quite the same feelings as running a small business.  This part of my life has given me a whole different set of emotions, and I feel incredibly  lucky to do both!

Training at The London School of Coffee
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​I trained at London School of Coffee in 2017 and was certified by the Speciality Coffee Association as a Roaster.  I set up The Garden Roastery in 2018.  Since then, I have reduced my ‘day job’ official working time to four days a week (albeit still up to 60 hours a week).   By dropping my official working days, I have been able to dedicate more time to the Roastery.  In that part of my life I wear many hats: owner, roaster, manager, operator, marketer, blogger, PR, project manager, web-designer, production, packing, finance ….  Many days are exhausting, and within those days I experience every emotion from worry and frustration to pure elation!  Yes, even this morning I cheered out loud and clapped my hands when I received the first order of my new product, within just an hour of the official launch!   All those tough days, worry, stress and emotion are worth it for that moment when something I created was good enough for a complete stranger to want to purchase.
The Garden Roastery Established 2018
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​Over the last few weeks, I have been extremely busy and since the pandemic my weekly schedule has changed significantly.  I now operate a hybrid work pattern, with a varying number of days in the office and other days based at home.  I try to protect my roastery working time with a passion, because, simply it is a passion.  Autumn commuting has become pretty unpredictable, with most days when I am in the office having a three-hour round-trip commute.  So I am back on the road, coffee flask to go.

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Back on the Road -coffee flask to go..
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,​So, what am I getting to here? - well this has all been leading to the inspiration for my new product (yes, the one that led to cheering and clapping this morning).  We all have busy lives, and they all take different shapes, they can be unpredictable and, if you’re anything like me, you try to fit too much in.    And so, the ‘Coffee to Go - Travel Can’ was born.  The simplest yet most effective way I could design a product to enable us all (and yes, I will use one) to have a good cup of roast coffee, wherever we are.  After finding many times  at the start of hybrid working that I was not able to access a decent drink and with my travel increasing by the week, I wanted something that I could grab and go.  A kit that was easy and well-made that I could top up whenever I needed.  So, take a look….
The simplest most effective way I could design to enable us all to have a good cup of roast coffee wherever we are
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Shop 'Coffee to Go - Travel Can'
​People sometimes ask me - why and how I do what I do?  I’m sure we could all ask ourselves that question……I’m still not sure of the answer to be honest.  I see myself as someone who has never planned anything in her life.  I work as hard as I can (generally too hard), I am sensitive soul and I never regret anything that made me smile.  So, I plough on and try to put my energy into what feels right – trust your gut!  
 
So, for now, this roaster is signing off ……
 
The Garden Roastery…. Coffee for people who want the flavour without the hype
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Christmas spiked spiced coffee

10/12/2020

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It’s that time of year for something comforting to warm the cockles, and for coffee lovers why not something to build on our favourite beverage? Introducing Christmas Spiked Spiced Coffee. Whilst this warm cocktail can be made with standard roast coffee or even De-Caf, why not push the boat out? ........ well as my favourite childhood advert always said ..the ‘holidays are coming’.
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A beautiful blend of The Garden Roastery Whole Spice Coffee, spiced dark rum, vanilla and sweetness with a luxury crystallised sugar stirrer.

The whole spices in The Garden Roastery Christmas blend give the amazing taste and aroma of Christmas, with cinnamon, cloves and star anise.

To make, simply:

  • Prepare a strong portion of coffee,
  • In a cup, or heat resistant glass -
  • Add a shot of spiced rum,
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • Add one teaspoon brown sugar
  • Top up with hot water to desired strength
  • Serve with a crystallised sugar stirrer ...and better still a warmed mine pie!
If you’d like to make your own, head on over to The Garden Roastery shop, where you can buy your Christmas Whole Spice Coffee & Crystallised Sugar stirrers... then all you need to decide is what to add....
SHOP NOW
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Flavoured coffee

7/6/2020

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The garden Roastery - HalF-Caf blend

22/4/2020

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International women’s day - what does that mean?

8/3/2020

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So this morning I woke up and checked my social feeds, to see that today is International Women’s Day. My first reaction was ‘well I wonder what that means?’ After a little research it’s clear that the focus of this day is raising awareness against bias, celebrating women’s achievement and taking action for equality. So I sat with my first cup of Sunday coffee and I started to think...
Filter Coffee Not People
As some of you will know, before setting up the Garden Roastery I spent 25 years building a career in the male dominated world of engineering. A career which I love, and which continues today alongside running my coffee roastery. With a profession which is focussed around people I have been lucky enough to be in a position to develop and implement many tweaks and changes which support a more equal workplace and industry. When I first started work, I certainly saw examples of inequality, unconscious bias and in some cases very conscious bias. I have also seen reactions that far outweigh a situation and can send progress in the wrong direction.
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Positivity creates change...
I am a firm believer that positivity creates change, and I believe in supporting change that creates equality, by being respectful, appropriate and proportional, not ‘in your face’ and antagonistic.
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I have been lucky enough to be born in a part of the world where culture and equality is progressive. I have benefitted from equal rights in a democracy, equality in education and rarely found a barrier that I couldn’t overcome. However, I have personally experienced practices in other countries where this is not the case by a long shot, so whilst we can always improve, let’s recognise how far we have come.
Let’s recognise how far we’ve come
Looking at my female friends, colleagues and local female business owners, it is clear to me that positive support and strength is the most powerful combination. All the female role models that I hold in high esteem, who have been successful in their chosen route (business, family, sports...), have been the ones putting all of their energy into supporting others, showing compassion and fairness, but most importantly working hard. The ladies in my family, both in the UK and overseas, are absolute examples of this, and how lucky am I to be part of that gang...as my Dad said, even the cat was a girl!.
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So for me International Women’s Day is about positively supportive each other, celebrating success, recognising where change is needed and working hard together to achieve that.
I have been blessed with some wonderful male role models who have supported and encouraged me, sometimes providing a strong foundation of listening and advice, but also importantly shown me, sometimes with tough messages, that in life you have to crack on. As my wonderful dad would tell me ‘life isn’t fair’ and that’s true, so I worked hard, tried my best to support others and never wanted anything that I didn’t deserve.
So I’m sending a huge well done to all of those women forging ahead in their chosen path, a hand of support to anyone struggling in a difficult circumstances who may need to reach out for help, and true recognition to those men who support the incredibly important role of women in their lives.
#IWD2020 #EachforEqual
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Pancake Day - coffee style

22/2/2020

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Espresso & cinnamon pancakes

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So pancake day is almost upon us, and this year it also happens to fall on my birthday!! So, a double reason to have something delicious.  I thought I’d get a little ahead of the game this year and post this recipe ahead of Shrove Tuesday.  This is mainly because my diary on Tuesday is looking rather like a car crash, and it wouldn’t be right to miss out on pancakes.
From a food perspective, I think in the UK we have a mixed approach for pancake day.  Some of my family have already got US style pancakes down pat (celebrating the influence of our amazing American cousins!).  My mum makes fabulous traditional home made pancakes, which are large and thin, more similar to a French crepe.  My memories of pancakes when I was a kid was having them served with lemon juice, sugar and sultanas. Sometimes the sultanas were cooked with the batter, and the first pancake was typically the runt of the litter - thick and gloopy - I personally loved that one!
So in true tradition of The Garden Roastery, I have looked for a coffee theme - who doesn’t like a cuppa Joe with their pancake?  But this year, I have gone one step further.  Espresso and Cinnamon pancakes!!.  Yes, I’ll admit it, the recipe was created on the hoof, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the result.
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I am the kind of person who cooks by the grace of luck, hope and innovation, so I apologise in advance that I cannot give you exact quantities here.  (I can hear kitchen perfectionists groaning at me at this point).

So ingredients….
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup cooled fresh brewed coffee, or half cup freshly brewed espresso. (I know a good supplier ;))
  • Plain flour  - around 5 heaped deserts spoons
  • Vanilla essence - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
  • Milk (I used oat milk), start with 1/2 to 1 cup and keep adding
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Butter for the pan

Topping...
  • Drizzle of honey
  • Drizzle of yoghurt or spoon of ice cream
  • Cinnamon/suger sprinkle
  • Lemon Juice​
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I beat the pancake ingredients until I got to pourable yoghurt consistency.  As the flour and egg interact you can keep adding flour/milk to get the perfect consistency.  I like to leave my batter after beating for 10 mins, you will see bubbles form.   You may need to add a little more milk for the last few pancakes as the mixture will have naturally thickened.
Heat a little butter in a frying pan, don’t let it burn, wipe it around the pan with a little kitchen paper.   Test the pan with a drop of the pancake batter.  When is starts to slowly thicken the pan is ready.   Slowly pour half a ladle of mixture into a circular shape in the pan, wait for it to start to cook before adding more pancakes.  Cook slowly on medium heat, on both sides.  Wait until small browned areas appear and the pancake starts to rise.  You will see the colour lighten as the inside of the pancake starts to cook.  At this point small bubbles will raise inside the batter.  When you find that a little pressure on the pancake bounces back, remove them from the pan.  

Serve on a plate and drizzle/sprinkle toppings to your heart’s delight!

Enjoy!!
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'a heartfelt THANK-YOU' - year end review 2019

29/12/2019

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Hi Coffee Lovers 
Whenever I get to this time of year between Christmas and New Year, I always find myself in a reflective mindset.  For me it’s a time to think back on the year past, before launching myself into the New Year with as much gusto as I can muster.  

So what of 2019?  The headline for me and The Garden Roastery is Wow!  This was my first full year since the Roastery was established and I can’t tell you how pleased and happy I am about how things have gone.  As many of you will know, I started roasting as a hobby, after training as a specialist coffee roaster a few years ago.  Within a few months, the friends, to whom I was giving my surplus roasts, insisted on paying for them and so that was it, The Garden Roastery business was formed.  
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This year, with more experience and understandingly of my customers, I have focussed on recognising what people want.  I have been so pleased to offer more eco-friendly options, like refillable tins and larger bag sizes, give better flexibility for customers with my new secure out-of-hours collection point, and a broader range of gift products.
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I have reached out to a wider customer base and at the end of the year, I diversified with my new CoffeeSpa beauty boxes, providing innovative homepsa skincare, which harnesses the amazing benefits of coffee.  All of these aspects have resulted in 3 times as many sales in the last quarter of the year, compared to the same period last year.  No wonder it has felt so busy, and the need for Noelle The Elf - Christmas Intern.

​​As you know I’m always keen to give something back, and I have been so pleased to be able to support a number of charities through the year, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Primrose Hospice and the Alzheimer’s Society. 
As I look back on 2019, I have to say that by far my top reflection is all the wonderful people who have supported my business.  Along with those closest to me, my family and my wonderful friends, the customers of The Garden Roastery have made my year!  I can’t tell you how blown away I have been with the amount of support that both I personally, and the Roastery, have received.  From customers who I have met in person, to those who I have met online, I have been blessed with many pieces of positive feedback, support, referrals and recommendations.  When you run a small business, with sales on-line, it’s so powerful and empowering to receive that support.  So I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have supported me.  From those who choose the Roastery as their coffee supplier, to those who are supporting a local business, to all the social media likes and shares from further afield, as well as the biggest form of feedback by personal recommendations.  I couldn’t do it without you.   

​From the end of a great year to the start of the next chapter I wish you all the very best for a happy and healthy 2020.

​Lisa x

Roaster by Passion
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CoffeeSpa? Where did that idea come from?

30/11/2019

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Where did that idea come from? This is a question that I am getting a lot just now. I have been a coffee roaster for a couple of years and I’m very proud to have just launched the CoffeeSpa Beauty Box Range. Along with some amazing comments from complete strangers that have blown me away...like “wow!” “What an amazing idea”, I have also received some wonderful curiosity, like “How did you think of it?” “How did you know what to do?” So here’s the story....
Where did that come from?

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Like with so many of these things, it was a combination of events that led to an unexpected lightbulb moment. I’ve always tried to take care of myself and adapt as I reach different stages in my life. I’d noticed a change in my skin a while ago and so had been looking online for a face mask. It’s a type of product that I hadn’t really used before and as I try to keep my skincare as natural as possible, I was taking my time to read up on lots of products, checking out the reviews and ingredients lists.
As I trawled the internet, looking at the various beauty products available, something started to jump out at me....Coffee!? ....Coffee face mask....coffee body scrub.....The more I looked, the more I saw. Coffee coffee coffee. Wow, I thought, who knew?
Coffee, coffee, coffee!
I am that type of person that, once I have an interest, likes to really get into the detail of the topic..(I can feel my friends and team frantically nodding at this point :) ). So there I was, page after page of internet info about coffee in beauty products: the benefits; natural skincare ingredients that work well with coffee; how I could prepare ingredients for my own personal skincare....and then it happened ....light dawned! If I would like to be able to prepare my own personal skincare products, using natural ingredients and get them just right for me, other people would probably like to do the same. In that way, the product can be perfect for the individual’s need.
So I set about pulling together everything I needed, ingredients, recipes, storage containers. First of all I would need a supply of fresh roasted ground coffee.......oh hang on a minute...@thegardenroastery ✅
Once I had sourced all of the ingredients, I wanted to pull them together with simple, high quality, reusable containers in an as environmentally responsible way as possible, with options to include more of a homespa experience. Why wouldn’t you want to create your own haven of peace and tranquility whilst enjoying your skincare?
Shop CoffeeSpa
..and so The Garden Roastery CoffeeSpa range was born. An EcoStandard box with the basics, and a Deluxe box to enjoy a full HomeSpa experience.
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