Rosie is a retired Consultant Psychiatrist with a passion for good coffee. Her Welsh business Grounds For Good takes waste coffee grounds and does good with them.
Rosie the cat lover
Firstly and most importantly, have you ever had a dog?
No we’ve never had a dog. Our family were always cat owners and we currently have a male black and white rescue cat called Charlie. However, we do a lot of hill walking and would love a dog in the future. Our current cat is a nervous boy and he wouldn’t cope well with an addition to the family. Pets bring so much joy and love and I don’t think we could live without one or more. We’ve had several cats over the last 20 years
Rosie the Extraordinary
“We have set up the first and only bespoke waste coffee grounds collection service across South Wales.”
Can you describe the work you do for Grounds for Good?
I am the Founder of Grounds For Good which was established just after lockdown in 2021. It is a Limited Company and I am sole Director. We have set up the first and only bespoke waste coffee grounds collection service across South Wales. We transform this waste into a variety of innovative products. We have a web shop but also sell to trade and wholesale. Any coffee grounds not required for products are converted into renewable energy and bio-fertiliser for Wales, in Wales. We have several research and design projects ongoing with Welsh academic partners and are hopeful that this will lead to some truly novel applications to transform this waste product.
What is the biggest challenge you face?
Being the sole employee! I have to be a master of all trades – which has been a huge learning curve. While I always enjoy learning, there are some aspects of running a business which I neither enjoy or feel I am particularly adept at. I am working towards being able to delegate these tasks and work to my own personal strengths. At least no two days are ever the same for me at Grounds for Good headquarters !
“We must find ways to manage the huge amount of waste grounds generated every year.”
How can we do better?
We desperately need to raise awareness of our ethos and mission. Globally, there are amazing innovative businesses upcycling coffee grounds waste. I would be hugely proud to place Wales on that same footing. We are not going to change our coffee drinking habits any time soon and thus we must find ways to effectively manage the huge amount of waste grounds generated every year across Wales and the UK.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Creativity and innovation. I worked for 30 years in the NHS. Like any large organisation it is virtually impossible to be innovative – not without a mountain of paperwork and red tape to get through. The freedom of being my own boss affords me the pleasure of letting my imagination flow! I am a science geek and my role allows me to channel my scientific know-how to strengthen the business.
What are your goals for the next 5 years?
“We want to work towards zero coffee waste across Wales.”
Growth of the business is top of the list. We have a plan in place to take on some premises soon which will allow us to have both homeless volunteers and employees working in the business. The more products we sell, the more good we can do. We can transform more coffee waste into valuable products, diverting it from landfill where it has a negative environmental impact. We can donate more much-needed funds to our national homelessness charity for young people.
We want to work towards zero coffee waste across Wales and hope that within the next 5 years we will have onboarded at least 10% of all coffee waste generating businesses in Wales. We want to lead by example and demonstrate the value of the circular economy in valorising this substantial food waste into valuable end products.
Can you name three individuals who have inspired you along your journey?
I’m a huge fan of Deborah Meadon, David Attenborough and Jane Goodall.
What’s your favourite book?
Such a tough question. I am an avid reader and I’m not sure I can pick just one. A recent book I loved was All The Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker.
When you visit Coffi Lab, what’s your go to drink?
Absolutely hands down – a flat white with oat milk!
