Rory Ireland's 2021 Business Growth & Plans

Today we're talking to Rory Ireland who is the sales director of Bristol Twenty Coffee Co. The company is a coffee roaster based in Bristol that supplies wholesale and retail coffee & tea.

April is here – how does this month fit into the ebb & flow of your year? 

We are expecting a busy one. With the great news that hospitality will be opening slowly over the next month and with the weather improving, we are gearing up for what we hope will be a busy spring. 

Are you in a business which is either opening up this month – or preparing to open up? 

We have been open the whole time but on a very reduced basis, generally just me here. But business is definitely picking up and we have been able to bring some of the staff back from furlough. We are already back to roasting two or three times a week which is great.

What are you most looking forward to as the country tries to ‘open up’?

Businesswise it cannot come soon enough, it's like we have been in limbo now for so long and really want to start the slow journey back to where we were 12 months ago. 

Personally, I think the moral of the whole country needs this boost, the last three months especially have been hard on everyone and the little things like being able to have a pint in a beer garden with a couple of friends will be a huge relief. 

I do not expect things to be back to complete normality, but these little things will definitely cheer us all up.

It’s also Stress Awareness Month, what measures have you taken in your business to reduce the stress on yourself & your team?

We have adjusted our hours to give all of us a better work life balance and lockdown has enabled us to adjust our working practises so we can deal with things in a timelier manner. 

We also provide health care for all the staff which includes access to wellbeing advice and help at any level.

What do you do personally to support your health and wellbeing? 

I try to stay active. When allowed I do spend time at the gym, but at the moment it is long walks with the dogs and the occasional run. 

I love to spend time in the garden too and have developed quite green fingers. The better weather makes all this possible more often too which is great.

Do you see your product/service as one which supports the health and wellbeing of others such as your clients? 

We have made a conscious effort to include well being items in our product range. We have invested a lot of time in developing a range of top-quality decaffeinated coffees, as we all know caffeine isn’t great when you are already stressed. 

We also stock a range of fruit and herbal teas and a selection of powders such as matcha, beetroot or turmeric all of which have numerous health benefits.

As the year goes on, will you take health and wellbeing more seriously going forward?

We already take it very seriously but are always trying to find ways of improving things. Creating a good working environment is one of our core values.

Have you got any big events - personal or business - you are preparing for later this year?

No, we’re just keen to get the business back in good shape and be able to spend some quality time with friends and family again. We are all going to leave anything big until next year at the earliest.

Have you got any Spring services or special offers you’d like to mention?

April is our Central America Single Origin Discovery. Use the code 'DISCOVER' for a 10% discount on any of our single origins from Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica or El Salvador. Roasted freshly each week.

And finally:

It's been a hard year for everyone so spend the rest of the year being nice to each other, we all deserve at least that. 

For more information visit www.bristol-twenty.co.uk