How It All Began
Like many good stories, ours started over a cup of coffee.
Back in 2020, when lockdown hit the UK, we (Kelly & Ash) found ourselves missing the simple joy of visiting our favourite cafés. So we began seeking out coffee roasteries across Glasgow, from the West End to the East End, and South Side. Each one gave us something special: incredible beans, friendly faces, and the chance to brew coffee at home that actually tasted great.
By 2021, we were craving nature, so we converted a camper van and spent every spare moment exploring Scotland. Our wee moka pot and gas stove became our travel companions, brewing coffee in some of the most beautiful corners of the country. Somewhere along those winding roads, the dream began to take shape. We’d laugh and say, “Wouldn’t it be cool if one day we were the ones people visited to buy their coffee?”
At the time, we were both working corporate careers. Life was steady, but the dream of roasting coffee kept tugging at us. Four years later, that dream found its moment. An opportunity came up to move from Scotland back to the West Coast of Aotearoa, Kelly’s hometown. Within two weeks of arriving in Māwhera (Greymouth), a coffee roasting business came up for sale. It felt like the universe was shouting at us: this is it. So, we jumped.
We trained, we learned, and we launched WEST Roastery. Even though we were and still are learning, we had a love for what we do. Every bag we roast is rooted in this coast, and every blend carries its spirit in its name.
Starting WEST hasn’t been without challenges. The cost of green coffee beans has surged globally, making it one of the hardest times in years to start roasting. Ash has gone back to full time employment, leaving Kelly to run WEST mostly alone, with Ash lending a hand when she can. Some days, the weight of those realities is heavy. But what keeps us going is simple: this place, and its people.
Just like we travelled across Scotland visiting roasteries, we can’t wait to travel more around New Zealand and visit the incredible roasteries here. We look up to the roasters already doing amazing things, and we believe coffee is stronger when it’s a community, not a competition. We’ll always support and celebrate the work of others in this industry, because that’s what keeps it vibrant, welcoming, and inspiring.
We’re not just roasting coffee; we’re building something for Kelly’s hometown. Every bag we sell is a little love letter to the West Coast.
Coffee is what we roast, but community is what we’re here for. And that’s what makes it all worth it.
When people ask Kelly’s mum why she left a corporate career, she always smiles and says:
“She wanted to come home to the beach, wear bare feet, and roast coffee.”
And really, she’s not wrong.
