If you've visited us recently, ordered coffee online, or follow what we do on social media, you'll probably know that Rounton Coffee has moved into a new home in Thornaby.
It's a significant milestone for the business, and one that's been many years in the making. On the surface, it looks like a straightforward story about needing more space. The reality is a little more complicated than that.
For us, this move isn't just about square footage, warehouse space or infrastructure. It's about saying goodbye to a place that has been part of our identity for over a decade and taking a step into the next chapter of Rounton Coffee.
And if I'm honest, that has been both exciting and surprisingly emotional.
The Building That Helped Create Rounton
When Tracy and I first moved into The Granary, Rounton Coffee looked nothing like it does today.
Back then it was mostly just the two of us, a 10kg Toper roaster imported from Turkey, and an idea that we hoped might become a sustainable business. We didn't have a grand growth plan or a detailed strategy for the next ten years. We simply loved coffee, enjoyed sharing it with people, and thought it was worth seeing where the journey might take us.
The building itself certainly wasn't designed to be a coffee roastery.
Before we could move in, old grain handling equipment had to be removed, and parts of the site had recently been used to house livestock during the winter months. There was a horse living in the stable next door that regularly poked its head through the doorway looking for attention, and more than once we found ourselves feeding it while trying to build a coffee company.
Looking back, it sounds like a slightly unconventional place to start a speciality coffee roastery.
At the time, though, it felt perfect.
The space seemed enormous. We were roasting very small volumes, perhaps only once a week, and much of our time was spent finding customers, attending markets and trying to convince people that great coffee was worth paying attention to. The Granary gave us the opportunity to learn our trade, make mistakes and slowly build the foundations of what Rounton Coffee would eventually become.
Growing Into Every Corner
Like many small businesses, we began with very little.
Almost everything in the roastery was bought second-hand. Furniture came from auctions, equipment was sourced wherever we could afford it, and we created a welcoming seating area with old leather Chesterfields because we wanted customers to feel comfortable when they visited.
Nothing was particularly polished, but that wasn't really the point.
The Granary reflected exactly who we were at that stage of the journey: resourceful, enthusiastic and figuring things out one step at a time.
Over the following years the business continued to grow. More customers joined us, more products were added, more equipment arrived and, thankfully, more people became part of the team.
The challenge with growth is that it often happens so gradually that you don't notice the impact until suddenly there's no space left.
What once felt vast started to feel cramped. Stock had to be stored externally because there wasn't enough room on site. Pallets seemed to appear in every available corner. Finding one item often involved moving several others first. We had reached the point where our team were effectively navigating around the building rather than through it.
For a long time we managed to make it work because that's what small businesses do. You adapt. You get creative. You squeeze a little more out of the space you have.
Eventually, however, it became clear that the building which had served us so well could no longer support where we wanted to go next.
The Decision We Didn't Really Want to Make
At around the same time, the lease on The Granary was approaching its end.
For a period of time, we genuinely didn't know whether we would be able to remain there long-term. That uncertainty forced us to confront a question we'd probably been avoiding for a while: if we were starting again today, would this still be the right building for the business?
The honest answer was probably no.
That doesn't mean it was an easy decision.
The Granary wasn't simply a workplace. It had been part of our story from the very beginning. Our first blend was named after it. Many of our earliest memories of the business happened there. Customers built relationships with us there. Team members joined us there. It had become woven into the fabric of Rounton Coffee.
Leaving felt a little like leaving home.
For nearly two years we searched for alternatives. We viewed properties, explored opportunities and tried to find a building that offered the same character and charm while also providing the practical infrastructure we needed.
The truth is that those buildings rarely exist.
We wanted rural surroundings, character, accessibility, room to grow, proper staff facilities, mains gas, three-phase power and affordable rent. Finding all of those things in one place proved almost impossible.
At some point we realised that we had to make a choice.
We had to trade a little romance for functionality.
Why Thornaby?
The new site isn't surrounded by countryside. There are no horses peering through the door and no rolling rural views from the roastery windows.
What it does offer is something equally important.
It offers stability.
It offers infrastructure.
And it offers the platform we need to build the next phase of the business.
For the first time, we're operating with mains gas rather than relying on bottled supplies. We have three-phase power, better production flow, improved warehousing and facilities that are more appropriate for the team we have today. Many of our colleagues also live closer to Thornaby, making the move beneficial from a practical point of view as well.
Most importantly, we now have space to breathe.
The goal was never to move somewhere bigger simply for the sake of having a bigger building. The goal was to create an environment where we could roast safely, pack efficiently, look after our team properly and continue developing the business without constantly fighting the limitations of the space around us.
Making It Ours
Of course, moving into a new building isn't quite as simple as unlocking the door and carrying on.
When we first collected the keys, the unit felt enormous. Standing inside, it was difficult to imagine ever filling it.
A short time later, after moving years of accumulated equipment, stock and infrastructure across, it somehow feels considerably smaller than we originally thought.
That's probably a reminder that businesses have a habit of expanding to fill whatever space they're given.
We've also inherited a building with plenty of character of its own. Unfortunately, much of that character came in the form of bright orange paint. The previous occupants clearly had a strong affection for the colour, and one of our earliest tasks involved making the place significantly less orange.
There is still a huge amount of work to do.
We want to improve the space, add our own personality and continue refining how everything works. The building will undoubtedly evolve over the coming years, just as The Granary evolved during our time there.
Looking Forward
What excites me most isn't increased production capacity or additional storage space.
It's the opportunities that the new site creates.
For years we've wanted to do more training, more coffee education and more events. We've wanted to invite people into the world of speciality coffee and create a space where customers can learn, taste and experience the craft behind what we do.
The reality is that our previous home made many of those ambitions difficult.
The new site gives us the opportunity to change that.
Over time we'd love to host more barista training, cupping sessions, equipment demonstrations, open days and coffee experiences. We want people to see behind the curtain, understand where their coffee comes from and become part of the journey.
The Building Has Changed. The Values Haven't.
There are things we'll miss about The Granary.
We'll miss the views. We'll miss the wildlife. We'll miss the familiarity of a place that was there for us from the very beginning.
Most of all, we'll miss the history.
But businesses, like people, sometimes outgrow places they love.
This move isn't about becoming bigger for the sake of it. It's about creating security, longevity and the foundations required to keep building something we're proud of for many years to come.
We've always believed that business is a marathon rather than a sprint. We'd much rather build something steady, sustainable and enduring than chase growth at any cost. Moving to Thornaby gives us the opportunity to do exactly that.
The surroundings may be different, but the business remains the same.
We're still the same independent coffee roaster. We're still focused on relationships, quality and doing the right thing. We're still passionate about coffee and grateful for the people who choose to buy it from us.
The building has changed, but the values haven't.
And while we're still finding our feet in our new home, we're incredibly excited about what comes next.
Dave Beattie