In early 2021, while much of the world was still figuring out what “normal” looked like after lockdowns, we were standing in the snow, opening the hatch of a converted horsebox and hoping someone might buy a coffee.
That horsebox became the beginning of Acorns Coffee.
At the time, we didn’t have grand plans to become a roastery. We weren’t chasing industry recognition or building a large-scale coffee operation. Like the ones we know very well, having worked alongside giants like Costa Coffee and McDonald’s. We simply wanted to create something independent, welcoming, and genuinely good.
Like many small businesses that started during COVID, it came from uncertainty as much as ambition. I remember turning to Tracey and saying ‘this either fails, and we have nothing, or, COVID destroys the world and we have nothing, so whats there to lose’
The world had slowed down. People craved connection again. Good coffee became one of those small comforts that mattered more than ever.
So we started small.
Really small.
The Horsebox Days
Our setup was simple:
A converted horsebox, carefully selected coffee, really inviting cake, cold mornings, long days, and an obsession with trying to serve every cup properly.
There’s something brutally honest about running a business from a horsebox. Customers are standing a few feet away from you. There’s nowhere to hide. Every coffee matters. The sweat pours off your eyebrows and the queues watch every moment – this is when I learnt, coffee is theatre.
If the coffee isn’t good, people won’t come back.
This has always been a philosophy I’ve breather, every day, to every customer, to every barista, no one comes back for pretty, they come back for a great coffee, served well and served with a smile. It’s great tastes and great connections that matter. Not a pretty pattern.
And in those early days, we learned quickly that customers could absolutely tell the difference between average coffee and coffee that had been chosen, brewed and served with care.
That changed everything for us.
We became fascinated not just with serving coffee, but with understanding it.
Why did one coffee taste chocolatey while another tasted fruity?
Why did freshness matter so much?
Why did some coffees feel smooth and balanced, while others tasted harsh or bitter?
The deeper we went, the more we realised coffee is far more complex than most people ever get to experience.
Falling in Love With Roasting
Eventually, curiosity turned into obsession.
We started experimenting with roasting our own coffee in small batches, learning through trial, error, mistakes and endless tasting sessions.
Roasting coffee is a strange combination of science, timing, instinct and patience. Tiny changes can completely transform flavour. But mostly, instinct.
A few degrees too hot?
The sweetness disappears.
Too much development?
The delicate fruit notes vanish.
Roast too fast?
You lose balance.
The more we learned, the more we understood that roasting isn’t about making coffee darker. It’s about revealing character.
That became the philosophy behind Acorns Coffee:
To showcase what makes each origin unique.
Brazilian coffees with smooth chocolate and caramel notes.
Ethiopian coffees bursting with fruit and florals.
Indonesian coffees with bold intensity and spice.
Coffee stopped being “just coffee.”
It became storytelling through flavour.
Building Something Independent
One of the advantages of starting small is that you can stay intentional.
We weren’t trying to become a giant coffee chain. We wanted to build something personal. Something local people genuinely connected with.
That meant:
- roasting in small batches
- focusing on freshness
- sourcing coffees we actually loved
- creating a welcoming experience
- building a recognisable brand
- constantly improving quality
Over time, customers started noticing.
People returned not just for caffeine, but because they became interested in flavour. They started asking questions about origins, processing methods and roast profiles.
That was probably the moment we realised we weren’t simply running a coffee trailer anymore.
We were building a coffee community.
Winning Great Taste Awards
Receiving recognition through Great Taste Awards was one of those surreal moments.
Not because awards suddenly validated the business, but because they confirmed something we had quietly believed all along:
That small independent businesses can compete on quality.
Especially in coffee.
The coffee industry is full of huge brands with enormous marketing budgets. But great coffee still comes down to attention, care and consistency.
Winning awards after starting from a horsebox during COVID felt less like a business milestone and more like proof that persistence matters.
What We Learned
Looking back, the biggest lesson is probably this:
Small beginnings are not weaknesses.
Starting with limited resources forced us to focus on what actually mattered:
- product quality
- customer experience
- consistency
- authenticity
It was about being Tracey and Dayne.
We didn’t launch with a massive warehouse or expensive branding agency.
We launched with coffee, determination and a horsebox in the snow.
And honestly, that foundation shaped everything that came afterwards.
Coffee Is Still About People
Even now, after growing into a roastery and expanding far beyond those first days, the part we value most is still the connection coffee creates.
Coffee shops become routines.
Conversations.
Meeting places.
Communities.
That mattered during COVID.
It still matters now.
And although the business has evolved massively since those horsebox mornings, the original goal remains surprisingly similar:
Serve genuinely great coffee.
Keep improving. Keep smiling.
Build something people feel connected to.
Everything else grew from there.
You can explore more about our coffees and roasting journey at Acorns Coffee.
