Looking Back
What inspired you to create Coffi Lab?
Dylan. My best friend.
Did you imagine the business would grow the way it has?
Yes! Believe it or not I had unwavering conviction.
On the opening day of Monmouth on July 10th 2021, we threw open the doors and I could immediately feel something very special. Customers hooked onto “coffee and dogs” and what Coffi Lab stood for. They got it. It meant the world to me.
I knew from then on that we had a responsibility to grow - to grow with care and not for the sake of it. But we didn’t need to hang around and be too introspective. We needed to be brave and push forward. With each shop we got a little better. And inched closer to our vision.
What have been the biggest challenges?
The Monmouth flood. Nothing prepared us mentally or physically for this. It was shocking and devastating for all involved. The extent of the damage was unimaginable, and the road to rebuilding has been immensely challenging. That said, we have learnt a great deal, both in terms of how insurance works with such a large claim, and how to rebuild to future-proof. More importantly, the support we received from the community, many of whom were also affected, has been incredibly humbling.
Technology is a blessing and a curse. Our industry is incredibly innovative. New technologies enable us to serve our customers at greater and greater efficiency while making life a little easier for our baristas. However, when the tech fails the impact on our team (and the wider supporting team) is huge. It can be timely and expensive to fix, especially in the early stages of development when the manufacturer is learning too.
Ignoring pushy salesmen whose tactic is to tell you how bad you are at something in their opening teaser. They don’t have the remotest understanding of who we are. The ability to hide behind a written message is often hard for the reader of that message. I think people often forget there is an actual human at the other end.
What lessons have you learned?
Stick to the knitting and focus on one thing. In today’s constant stream of content and shiny perfection it’s easy to get overwhelmed. We remind ourselves to stay true to our ethos and the strict set of rules which made us successful in the first place.
What are your top 5 most memorable moments that make you smile?
Seeing our beautiful Giesen roaster, aptly named Dylan, produce its first batch of our Fox Red Costa Rican roast. Building relationships with our coffee buyers Algrano, and our producers, has been incredibly rewarding for me.
Seeing our beautiful Dylan come to life as a mural in Pontcanna, which is also our home. Some people go to church, I go and look up at Dyl - reminding myself why we are doing this. People in The Halfway Inn think I’ve lost the plot.
Interviewing Sir Gareth Edwards and Brynmor Williams and introducing them to their furry namesakes, while supporting the Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity in the process.
Opening our bakery and kitchen. Quality has always been important to me. It has to be the full experience. If your coffee is exceptional but your food lets you down, your customer won’t have a memorable experience. Relying on third parties was hard. It’s a journey. And it’s hard for me as I am not the most patient person, but it takes time to build and develop a great food offer. I am really proud of how our bakery is developing and I can’t wait for our full offer to be available in all Labs.
Watching Dylan and Brynmor run through Coffi Lab Monmouth on our opening day. It’s such a treasure to have that on video. I have lost count of the number of times I have watched it.
Can you name any individuals that have inspired you?
The team around me. Who always show up. Consistency and grit are the most precious traits in the coffee business - it is not for the faint-hearted! Top this off with a self-deprecating sense of humour and you’re in clover.
There’s a handful in our ops team who demonstrate boundless energy and have the ability to move a room. I’m often left speechless.
The Brand & Community
Coffi Lab has a special identity. What was your inspiration?
It all comes back to Dylan. And it’s all about creating a warm and welcoming space where people feel comfortable, like that feeling when you come home and your dog is so happy to see you. There isn’t much to match that. Dyl was never left for long, but on the rare occasions he was, he was always waiting at the window watching for me at the gate and would rush to greet me with his most prized toy - normally Snoopy or Scooby Doo. All my stress fell away. I was whole again.
Coffi Lab has a loyal community – why do you think people connect so strongly?
We say, “enjoy the simple things”. I think customers buy into this and how it informs the Coffi Lab spirit.
We want our shops to feel more like a home where friends gather. My overriding ambition has always been to serve our customers a great cup of coffee efficiently, and with warmth. We care about the other things too: simplicity, quality food with provenance, beautiful interiors and most importantly, cleanliness.
As for those with dogs, it’s important to me that they feel comfortable bringing them. We have anxious dogs so I know how intimidating it can be to take them places. I often hear customers saying that they love how welcoming we are – not friendly, but welcoming. It means a lot to them. And I’m so happy we’ve created that kind of environment.
For our web customers, we do everything we can to make sure they have a positive experience. And if we get something wrong, we fix it. We know how much people’s floofs mean to them – the joy of receiving their coffee personalised with their pup’s name. We started our personalised Lab Pal coffee with 20 breeds and now we’re approaching 60! If we’re yet to have someone’s dog, we’re always happy to add it and make someone’s day.
How has starting in Wales/Cardiff shaped the brand?
It was incredibly important to me to start in my home. I have travelled a lot in my life and lived abroad, but Cardiff has always been my home. Family, friends, connections and memories. They’re all so important. Dylan started his life with me here in Pontcanna and ended his life with me here in Pontcanna. I started Coffi Lab for Dylan, so it had to be here.
What role have the neighbourhoods/communities played?
We started the business during Covid, a time when we all missed connections. It was very important to me to create beautiful spaces in neighbourhoods where people could gather and meet with friends and family, especially our four-legged family members. We haven’t always got it right and there are always tricky situations to navigate. But we have always tried to make decisions for the best, for our teams, our customers and the commercial viability of the business.
How important to you was the dog-friendly element?
Extremely important. Throughout my life I have always had dogs, and they have always very much been family members. I understand it is not for everyone, but it is for many. We are here for them. Many of our customers don’t have dogs, it’s not obligatory 😊, but they enjoy our coffee or enjoy seeing all the dogs.
What makes a coffee shop a great experience?
Clearly, great tasting coffee. But I think that has to be a given. For me it’s about warmth. There are so many coffee shops which are technically good, but the warmth of the experience falls short. There’s a lack of eye contact and forced or pushy communication. Or, going through the motions with far too many questions. We strip it all back to try and keep it easy and natural. We must show up with each and every customer. We must try and shut out all distractions and focus on that one individual.
Looking Ahead
What’s next and exciting for Coffi Lab?
More Roastery innovation. Our web sales and customers are growing and we need to keep innovating with more unique coffees. It’s an exciting time.
We work closely with our buyer Emma Haines at Algrano, and our wonderful coffee guru Dale Harris, to keep developing our current coffee line-up. We have more beans on the way from new origins, including an amazing Ethiopian which Adam our roaster describes as “like Starbursts in liquid form”.
At our Labs, we have lots more to come from our wonderful bakers. We’ve been working with Astrid’s Petite Cuisine to improve the quality and taste of our viennoiserie even further. Our menu is continuously evolving throughout the seasons with lots of delicious ideas ahead.
How do you see the industry changing?
Quality will continue to improve. More tech-driven solutions will emerge and it’s hard to know what will stick and what won’t. But coffee is our core. We know some of our customers want something different. We have improved our matcha this year and it has been well received.
We’re also loving Ube and will continue to develop this line. We have been experimenting with soft serve, batch brew and cold brew. But we are always careful, we always stay true to who we are. I love speaking to customers and our teams as you find gold every time: what we do right and where we miss the mark. We listen and we evolve. It’s hard not to be swayed by the next big thing as we all love something new. But like our spirit animal we try to be dependable. Not everyone wants change.
How do/will you stay creative?
Travelling and discovery. Moving around. I love travelling by train.
And I read. Biographies of those who have been on this journey.
When I have space, my mind opens up. I need time out from the day-to-day in order to get perspective and see the way forward.
I write a lot. I find this helps me focus on where we need to get to. I’m always trying to be 6 months ahead.
Just for Fun
What’s your favourite coffee from the pack?
This changes with my mood and the season but right now, probably our Rwandan Silver Lab as a pour over. It’s bright and fruit-forward. And it’s an experimental lot, produced and processed solely by the women of Gashuru Coffee. I love its sweetness, multi-layered acidity and elegant body. It’s the perfect coffee to honour my Dylan - the inspiration behind everything we do.
Your favourite bake?
Our cinnamon Bun. The contrast of the pillowy dough with the slightly spicy cinnamon filling is joyful.
Favourite Coffi Lab?
That’s like asking me to choose a favourite dog! They’re all special in so many ways. Monmouth where we launched Coffi Lab is obviously special. Customers have always been so wonderful and supportive. Pontcanna is also very meaningful to me. We live around the corner. It’s where Dylan had his first and last walk.
Best dog experience / name you’ve encountered?
I chuckle when I see the aristocratic sounding names. A cocker spaniel called Lady Patterson-Vallis. A goldie called Lord Charlie Williams.
Then the puns…a springer spaniel called Jerry Springer was my favourite.
In terms of best dog experience, it has to be the opening days when Guide Dogs come out in force to support us. It’s so uplifting so see all the life-changers together at once. I think Wellfield Road was perhaps the most poignant. We had lost Dylan the week before opening. I felt like the dogs knew we were in a difficult place. They have a sixth sense: their heart.
