How to build a Scottish coffee blending business

5

min read

How to build a Scottish coffee blending business

red wedge
grey wedge
yellow dot
grey line with green square
blue square

As the clock ticks down to the celebrations of Burns’ Night, we spoke to Mark Wilson, owner of Blendly, about running a Scottish business and creating the perfect blend.

Hi Mark, thanks for bringing us our own iwoca blend —we drink a lot of coffee in this office. Tell us about Blendly.

Blendly allows ultimate control over your coffee. Using our website, our customers all over the UK can fine tune the percentages of different beans to make their favourite blend. It’s a highly personalised experience. I always say that "choice is the new value", it’s key to everything; customers love having products that are unique to their lifestyle. It’s the era of the individual, after all.

How did it start?

I set the company up two years ago in Perthshire after a career as a project manager. I had been roasting coffee on the side, and it was a major passion for me, so I decided to scale up and take on the web.

What was the best thing about setting up a business of your own?

On a personal level, I’ve got a young family, so I get to spend more time with them than I would otherwise do in a traditional office. Otherwise, running a small business is really engaging, you’ve got to meet the demands of the developing market otherwise you won’t thrive. A small business is about managing change.

What makes running a business in Scotland unique?

Scotland is an absolutely brilliant place to do business. We’ve got a culture of innovation and progression in our bones. Just look at all our big names, Walkers Shortbread, Tunnocks Tea Cakes, all the whiskey! The developments in food technology are rooted in tradition. However, now there’s the particular challenge of access to relevant skills. Skills and knowledge can be hard to hone in on, but it’s still a really exciting place to operate in.

Thanks so much for chatting with us Mark, we can’t wait to try the iwoca Crema blend.

Words by
Article updated on:
January 22, 2020

Get started

  • Borrow up to £500,000
  • Repay early with no fees
  • From 1 day to 24 months
  • Applying won't affect your credit score
Apply now
red line and yellow circle

Other finance related topics

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

View all
Alternative business funding

Supply chain finance

Supply chain finance plays a crucial role in the success of businesses in the UK. It involves various financial techniques and solutions that help optimise the movement of goods and funds along the supply chain. By understanding the basics of supply chain finance, businesses can unlock potential opportunities and drive growth in the competitive market.

Accountants

Management buyout

A management buyout (MBO) is a well-known strategy in the business world that allows the existing management team to take control of a company by purchasing either all or a majority of the company's shares from its current owners. In the UK, management buyouts have gained significant popularity as a means of acquiring and managing businesses.

Alternative business funding

Property refurbishment loans

In today’s competitive real estate market, property refurbishment has become an increasingly popular strategy for investors looking to maximise their returns. However, undertaking a renovation project can often require a significant amount of capital upfront. This is where property refurbishment loans come in to provide the necessary funding. In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about these loans and how they can help turn your property investment dreams into a reality.

light blue wedge

Let’s get started

Applying won’t affect your credit score

Need help? Call us:

Get approved in 24 hours

Applying won’t affect your credit score

What's next?

  • Apply in 5 minutes
  • Meet your account manager
  • Get money in the bank in hours

Need help? Call us: