How I started KATA Coffee Roasters

Hi, I'm Pete and after over 20 years in the coffee industry (from Barista and Operations Manager to Business Development Manager), I finally bit the bullet and left the corporate-style job that I somehow fell into and decided to get back to what I really enjoy.

So four years ago, whilst struggling with the 9-5 lifestyle, I quit my job and found myself a barista position at a small speciality coffee shop and roastery in Glasgow. I was skint but was enjoying myself again, working with Dave who I'd worked with way back at the start of my 'career'. From shutter up to shutter down we had a laugh.

Behind a cafe counter is my natural position to be honest, my key skill being 40 seconds of chat on loads of subjects (that's usually all you need) and I'm not bad at making a coffee too! It was here that I got into roasting coffee, it was on an old French drum roaster, I've only seen one more of these and that was on the Isle of Skye. It was old school but Dave taught me a lot and I looked forward to Monday mornings when we would get the roast on. I was doing two other jobs at this time - Deliveroo and KP in a street food restaurant - so was working a lot, but my head was clear.

I then bumped into Paul, an old customer from my corporate days - I used to manage his account. He had a coffee company and had been outsourcing roasting but had recently bought his own hand-built 27kg convection roaster. We chatted and eventually I agreed to work with him a couple of days a week developing blends and doing all the roasting. It was great. I was still roasting on the drum roaster one day a week, but also gained experience in this larger machine and a different roasting method.

Two years on and I was enjoying my simplified life, but was always thinking of how I would do things if I was running my own business - the problem is I'm a big fearty - scared of failing and better at telling others how to do things rather than doing it myself. Anyway, in 2020 when Covid hit, the roastery got quieter - our business took a nosedive. I had time on my hands and time to reflect. I thought now is the time to take the leap and set up my own business; to use all the knowledge and experience I had gained over the years and to make my own decisions, decide on what beans, packaging, ethos, website design - the whole thing. And so over the next few months that's what I did. I put together the website, cupped loads of coffees, looked in to the many packaging options and got to the point where I could launch KATA Coffee Roasters.

And so here it is. Our ethos is simple. Specialty Coffee, made simple.

We also try to be as socially responsible as possible, and that's why all our packaging is CO2 neutral and 100% recyclable. All of our coffee is speciality grade and ethically sourced. 

I hope that gives you an idea of how KATA Coffee Roasters came to be, but if you want any more information or have any questions then please get in touch or click here to check out our coffees.