Mull coffee firm set to expand

Isle of Mull Coffee has secured up to £32,000 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) towards the total project costs of £108,000.

The company sources coffee beans ethically from locations around the world, roasts them on Mull and supplies it in whole bean, espresso and cafetiere form to trade customers around Scotland.

Demand has grown steadily since its inception, and this has reached the point where new premises and equipment are required to meet growing demand and train employees, all of whom are paid at least the Real Living Wage.

Planning consent has already been secured for a new purpose-built roastery in Salen, a central and accessible location on Mull. New equipment will include a 5kg convection roaster which, through innovative fluid bed technologies recycles heat to provide the efficiency of a 10kg roaster together with an air filtration system with zero emissions. 

This will enable Isle of Mull Coffee to increase capacity, diversify its product range and streamline production while retaining its ethos of minimal environmental footprint.

As a result, company turnover is forecast to increase by more than £300,000 within three years. This will strengthen business resilience and create at least one new job.

The new building will be energy efficient, and the company will continue to base its marketing around ethically sourced coffee and the minimal environmental impact of the production process.

Confirming the HIE investment Morag Goodfellow, area manager for Argyll and the Islands, said:

“It’s great that a local company on Mull has seen such encouraging growth over a relatively short time and is able to expand while remaining on the island. This project is about entrepreneurialism, enhanced productivity and supporting rural fair work employment. It’s also about energy efficiency and supporting the transition to a low carbon economy. I’m very pleased we’ve been able to provide support and look forward to continuing to work with Isle of Mull Coffee as they implement their growth plans.”