One of the driving forces behind setting up Argyll Coffee Roasters was the desire to create a business here in Argyll and support the community in which we live and work. We wanted to create an amazing product that we could supply locally and we also wanted to be able to support other business by using their products. We love Argyll and we’re so proud to work alongside the incredible chefs, proprietors and food and drink producers based here.

For us, buying local makes so much sense, especially in rural areas like Argyll, where the economy is so seasonal and dependant on tourism. Running a business out here can be tricky and we all have to support each other to thrive. If we spend our money locally, more jobs are created, more families are supported, things can grow. 

It’s not just about stimulating the local economy. It’s also about quality. By using local producers, we also get to know so much more about the product. We can meet the people behind it, see where they work and get the story behind what they make. We make friends and connections and those relationships spark ideas and collaborations. 

It’s also about environmental integrity. We can reduce our carbon footprint by buying local and reducing transportation. 

We haven’t got it 100% right. Our coffee pouches are still manufactured in China and our roaster was shipped from the US, but when we’re making day to day decisions, if we can get something locally without taking a hit on quality, we will. Buying something locally is not always the cheapest or easier option (it’s often cheaper and easier to buy something from large retailers), but we would rather pay more and wait a bit longer for a product knowing that it has been carefully crafted locally. 

Here are just a few of our favourite local suppliers:

Wee Isle Dairy - delicious fresh milk from Tarbert Farm on the Isle of Gigha. It comes in glass bottles and is the only commercial dairy in Scotland that pasteurise their milk using the old-fashioned low temperature protocol.

Wild Kitchen - beautiful bakes made right next door to the roastery by Leoma that we serve up at our Coffee Bar. We also get baked goods by the wonderful Eider Bakery from the Isle of Bute and Botanica at The Barn in Millhouse. 

Islay Cocoa - hot chocolate spoons made by our friend Emma on Islay. We also serve up hot chocolate by Bare Bones - bean to bar chocolate made in Glasgow. 

Three Robins Oatmilk - we were delighted when we met Karen and tasted her oatmilk. It’s a fabulous family-run Edinburgh-based business. 

AM Transport is based out of Campbeltown and delivers most of our wholesale orders around Argyll. Jamie passes in his van every day. We just message him if we have something and he always goes out of his way to make sure he grabs it. It’s normally delivered the next day. 

It goes without saying that we are so appreciative of all the local cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops and delis that choose to use our coffee. We absolutely love working with each and everyone of them to spread the word about speciality coffee right across Argyll.