Combining coffee with art - Meet the Shropshire roastery celebrating ten years in business
Hundred House Coffee was set up by Matt Wade and Anabelle de Gersigny in autumn 2016 and aims to create ethically sourced coffee while supporting the arts
A coffee roastery founded in a "freezing Shropshire barn" is celebrating its tenth birthday.
Hundred House Coffee was set up by Matt Wade and Anabelle de Gersigny in autumn 2016 and aims to create ethically sourced coffee from micro-lots while supporting the visual arts through its own 'Art & Industry' programme.
It was born in Munslow near Craven Arms and is now based in Ludlow, with a secondary roastery in St Leonards-on-Sea which opened earlier this year, supplying wholesale partners across the UK.
The duo started selling their products on local farmers' markets several times a week and have since won listings with department store chain Selfridges and Jason Atherton restaurants.
Anabelle said: "When we started Hundred House Coffee ten years ago in a freezing Shropshire barn, we only had a tiny roaster, a Suzuki Jimny packed to the roof for farmers' markets and our dog Bear.
"To look around today and see how our community has grown across our spaces in Ludlow and St Leonards is incredibly humbling. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us, bought a bag of coffee or shared our love for the arts over the last decade."
Matt has been roasting specialty coffee for more than 20 years.
He studied fine art and then moved to New Zealand where he worked as a barista at a number of different coffee houses and roasters before bringing his knowledge and experiences back to the UK.
Anabelle, who manages the roastery day to day, studied critical writing at university and has had creative roles with Phaidon Press in London and CAPHouse Studios in Japan.
She is also the founder of Art-iculate, which is a research, editorial and writing service for the arts sector, and Safina Radio Project, an online broadcasting platform which features conversations, art performances and cultural exchanges.
Since its inception, Hundred House Coffee has combined coffee sourcing with a public arts programme, allocating a portion of its profits to fund art projects and collaborate with independent creators.
Anabelle added: "From day one, our mission was to merge specialty coffee with the visual arts, creating a platform to support independent artists while sourcing exceptional micro-lots.
"Reaching our ten-year anniversary proves that doing things a bit differently works.
"Celebrating this milestone with new artist collaborations, like our series with Nicholas Stevenson, feels like the perfect way to honour the creative community that has shaped who we are."
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