Cairngorm Coffee interview

Kris Sandlan, community manager at Cairngorm Coffee, talks to Bite contributor Kirsty Wilkins about creating connections and the Scottish coffee culture.

How did Cairngorm Coffee come about?

Cairngorm was founded by Robi [Lambie] in 2014 around a kitchen table in Newtonmore. Back then the goal was simple: to make the best coffee we could without alienating people. Fast-forward over 11 years and we’re still exploring the ever-evolving world of coffee. We’re proud to be part of Scotland’s coffee community.

Community manager Kris Sandlan

Founder Robi Lambie

Can you tell us more about your roastery?

When we opened our first coffee shop on Frederick Street, we were initially a multi-

roaster cafe, serving a selection of roasters from across Europe. In 2016 we took our first foray into coffee roasting. At the time, we’d roast all our coffee in Newtonmore and then transport it to Edinburgh to be brewed in our shops. We quickly realised this wasn’t sustainable and moved our roastery to Edinburgh. Nowadays, we’re based near Portobello and are lucky enough to work with other passionate coffee businesses across the UK and beyond.

What makes a great cup of coffee?

Taste is, of course, entirely subjective so what makes a great cup of coffee will differ

from person to person. For us, working with exceptional producers and growing

incredible high-quality coffee forms a big part of the eventual cup quality. Honouring

the hard work of these producers, roasting the coffee with respect and brewing that

coffee with the passion it deserves creates the perfect cup.

One of your aims is to create genuine connections – what does this look like in

practice?

When it comes to coffee, we believe in forging long-term relationships with

producers, choosing to buy regularly from the same farmers. By doing this, we

ensure ethical and sustainable sourcing programme that empowers producers,

allowing them to reinvest in infrastructure on their farms. Outside of coffee, we

always choose to align with businesses that share our passion for quality.

Coffee has and always will be a point of connection between people. It was always

our goal to create a space that’s welcoming, a space where specialty coffee is

accessible to everyone without pretension. For us, we want people to connect with

each other and with an extra-special cup of coffee.

Graham’s Family Dairy pop-up at Cairngorm Coffee with Carol Graham (pictured centre)

What makes coffee culture in Scotland stand out?

Scottish coffee can often be seen as the underdog when it comes to the overall

landscape of specialty coffee in the UK. There are so many fantastic coffee spaces

that, in our opinion, don’t get the recognition they deserve. It’s not just in the big

cities either. All over the country – from the borders, all the way to the Highlands and

Islands – there are fantastic coffee shops. It’s in these more remote places that you

see the true definition of what a coffee shop is. Not just a space to enjoy coffee, but

also a place to come together as a community.

How did the partnership between Graham’s Family Dairy and Cairngorm come

about?

We’ve worked with Graham’s Family Dairy for a number of years and are happy to

call [marketing director] Carol Graham one of our regulars at our shop on Melville

Place. Over the years, we’ve worked with them on a variety of different content pieces

so it was the perfect collaboration for the recent Gold Top pop-up.

What are the benefits of Graham’s Family Dairy milk?

Around 70% of our drinks are made using milk, so it’s important that the milk we use

is high quality. Graham’s Family Dairy milk textures perfectly and allows us to

produce a high level of micro-foam, creating that silky and luxurious texture that

makes your latte or flat white taste incredible.

Any tips for customers making their own coffee at home?

The two biggest tips we can give are:

1. Where possible, always buy whole-bean coffee and grind it as you need it.

Pre-ground coffee stales incredibly quickly so buying whole bean and grinding

yourself will significantly prolong the life of the coffee.

2. Give your coffee time to rest before brewing. It’s a bit of a myth that the

fresher the coffee, the better it is. Coffee should be left to rest around seven to

10 days after the roast date. This is to allow the carbon dioxide added during

the roasting process to de-gas from the coffee.

Any upcoming coffee trends should we be aware of?

Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a huge trend of coffee shops thinking

outside the box when it comes to signature drinks. We’ve already seen the massive

explosion of matcha alongside some interesting flavour combinations. We’d expect

that to continue into the new year, with hojicha* joining the party too.

We’ll also continue to see producers push the boundaries of coffee processing, with

a big focus on co-fermentation**. We’re already seeing some interesting creations

popping up for early next year and hope to bring a few of these to our roastery

throughout 2026.

Cairngorms Coffee 1 Melville Place, Edinburgh EH3 7PR Ralia, A9 by Newtonmore, PH20 1BD cairngorm.coffee

Check out other tea and coffee posts.

*Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea made by heating bancha or sencha leaves over charcoal, giving it a warm, nutty flavor and reddish-brown colour. Unlike grassy sencha or intense matcha, it’s mellow, slightly sweet and low in caffeine – ideal for evening drinking or pairing with desserts. First popularised in the 1920s, hojicha is now enjoyed both traditionally and in modern forms such as lattes, ice cream and cakes, prized for its toasty aroma, digestive-friendly qualities and cultural versatility.

**Co-fermentation is one of the most talked-about experimental trends in specialty coffee right now. Instead of fermenting coffee beans on their own, producers add other ingredients – such as fruits, spices, or even hops – into the fermentation tanks. This changes the microbial environment and infuses new flavor compounds into the beans.