It’s a measure of how quickly the coffee scene in Edinburgh has evolved that Mr Eion Coffee Roaster, set up in 2013, is now considered an established veteran.
It’s not however a business which has stood still, but is constantly seeking ways to evolve and adapt to an increasingly competitive market. This dynamic environment includes the costs involved in producing high quality coffee, plus the arrival of high calibre new cafés and roasters, such as Obadiah, in the city.
Evolution and adaptation
Mr Eion has steadily evolved and grown as a business. Initially focusing solely on the roasting and selling of beans from their Stockbridge base, they now have three locations. The need for the new roastery is a question of scale. Their Stockbridge base was no longer capable of producing the quantities they needed. At their roastery they produce their wide range of beans, including popular blends such as Moustache Twirler.
In time, Mr Eion might emulate roasters such as Santu (on Union Street) who have opened up their large roastery, with (limited) space for sit-in customers. At the moment that is just an idea rather than a concrete plan. But it’s evidence that Mr Eion is aware of the need to constantly adapt and evolve.
Enticing aromas
On select Saturdays during the summer, they did fire up the old roaster – at Dean Park Street – for old times’ sake. When I visited it it was a breezy Saturday. This meant that the enticing roasting aromas could be detected well along Raeburn Place. These dominated my nostrils as I made my way in to chat to Fabrizio (Senior Roaster) and the eponymous Eion Henderson (‘Head Honcho’) at one of their ‘Meet the Roasters’ sessions. They gave a flavour of how the business is doing as well as plans for the future.
An aspect of the evolution of Mr Eion is that they are now offering takeaway coffee at the Stockbridge store. Previously, their focus at Dean Park Street was selling beans – and brewing equipment. As Fabrizio put it, ‘we keep adapting’, changing the focus and layout of the store. The takeaway element has started pretty well with a steady number of regulars. They admit that being ‘slightly tucked away’ on a side street does limit things, especially with so many cafes in and around Stockbridge to compete with. These include the highly rated Artisan Roast, just a few metres away.
The four quid flat white
They feel that evolution is critical in maintaining a healthy business in a “difficult climate”. They relate that “the past couple years have really highlighted the challenges independent businesses face”. One thing that has really affected Mr Eion and the wider specialty coffee scene is the increased prices they have to pay for raw beans. The reasons for this are multifarious. As they put, “the coffee industry has been extremely volatile. Green bean costs have reached all-time highs due to climate change, tariffs, transport challenges, and market predictions”.
All these are pushing up the prices of raw specialty beans to about five dollars a pound. This is being reflected in the increased prices people are being charged for coffee. As Fabrizio admitted, “the four quid flat white is coming…whether we like it or not”. With such prices, customers are going to be increasingly choosy about where they go for their coffee. So, competing for quality with the leading places in the city is vital for the likes of Mr Eion, if they wish to, at least, maintain market share.
Mr Eion also needs to be alert to changing demand among their wholesale customers, which include the likes of Grow Urban and the excellent neighbourhood café and bistro in Trinity, La Cîme Deli. La Cîme is a place where they make very good use of Mr Eion’s beans, brewing with real care and attention.
Some of their other wholesale customers are looking for more ‘accessible blends’ at a lower price point. This is evidence of divergence in coffee, between accessible and premium coffee. It reflects the obvious truth that not all customers are looking for the same thing. Many specialty places are offering select coffees that “challenge your palate” for the real coffee geeks – for which they’re prepared to pay a premium.
A sense of community
Fabrizio emphasises the importance of the customer experience. He feels that in some places this is not as it should be, with customers sometimes feeling like something of an imposition on the staff. Again, given the competitive market, this is not the way to create customer loyalty. You need to be producing consistently good coffee and a high quality customer experience. This is something I’ve enjoyed at their Trinity branch. Mr Eion are delighted that they have managed to cultivate a real ‘sense of community’ at the Trinity branch, with a lot of regular customers.
At Stockbridge, I also felt very much welcomed, with Fabrizio and the other staff members very keen to chat to customers. For Fabrizio, good interactions between staff and customers is vitally important. Customers who are “very interested in coffee”, should be able to expect baristas to engage with them about the finer points of what they are serving. At the same time, those who simply want a nice coffee and cake in a nice environment should also get good friendly service. Good cafes should be able to adapt to different types of customers.
As part of the evolution of the business, they have been serving some specials, including Café Bombon (a sweet coffee drink made by layering espresso with condensed milk) and Greek-style Freddo Espresso. This was introduced by their Cypriot barista Maria – and got the seal of approval from my Greek partner. These efforts to evolve suggests that Mr Eion will remain a fixture in Edinburgh’s ever-expanding coffee scene.
Stockbridge Shop
9 Dean Park Street, EH4 3NG
Trinity Cafe
44-44a East Trinity Road, EH5 3DJ
