Scots coffee roaster marks 160 years with eco-friendly transformation
(Robert Milne, Roastery & Site Manager, Roslyn Coombe Coombe, Head of Marketing_ Estelle MacGilp, Head of Coffee Sourcing, Paul Chadderton, Managing Director at Matthew Algie (Photo: Elaine Livingston)
A Scots coffee roaster that survived two World Wars, is celebrating a whopping 160 years with a multi-million-pound factory ‘transformation’ – complete with its own pallet-packing robot – in a bid to become more eco-friendly.
Matthew Algie, nestled just south of Glasgow’s River Clyde, is a coffee roasting powerhouse that shows no signs of slowing down.
A team of more than 400 employees work at Matthew Algie, providing coffee and coffee machines to more than 7,500 businesses all across the UK. As its client numbers continue to soar, Matthew Algie has grown to become one of the UK and Ireland’s biggest coffee suppliers.
In addition, the firm boasts the UK’s first Fairtrade espresso; the world’s first triple certified coffee. Part of family-owned German coffee giant Tchibo since 2016, the roaster works with Fairtrade supported coffee farmers and producers around the world in countries including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Peru, and Honduras.
Hailed for its eco-friendly practices, Matthew Algie coffee was served to Barack Obama among other world leaders at COP26. Its sustainability mission continues as the team aims to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040. And part of this mission was a recent multi-million pound ‘transformation’, bringing a pallet-packing robot as well as other ‘state-of-the-art’ technology to the factory.
Matthew Algie’s esteemed, coffee pioneer status is a far cry from its humble beginnings on the banks of the River Clyde. The founder, Matthew Algie, was born in Greenock, Inverclyde in 1814. The Clydeside town was a major port for goods entering and leaving industrial Glasgow. A grocer by trade, Matthew sold tea that arrived on the famous Clyde Clippers; a fleet of ships famed for their speed in transporting goods such as tea, opium, spices, from the Far East to Europe.
In 1864, Matthew decided to specialise and set up his own tea blending and wholesale business, with a clientele made up of thousands of Glasgow retailers. Having survived the horrors of World War One and World War Two, the company then added coffee to the mix. The firm moved to a factory on Lawmoor Street in the Gorbals in 1964, where it is still in operation to this day.
The introduction of coffee beans to the production line saw the company, sometimes referred to as, ‘Algie’s’, go from strength to strength. In 1974 they began offering coffee machines to offices, restaurants and hotels, replacing instant coffee with roast and ground coffee. A period of rapid expansion in the eighties saw Algie’s going UK-wide and adding bulk-brew coffee machines for the catering sector to their portfolio, then in 1989, the first espresso machines landed in its range. Six years later the then managing director, David Williamson, visited Portland, Oregon for research purposes. Inspired by the popularity of espresso stateside, he returned to Glasgow determined to make Algie’s a driving force of its introduction to the UK market - of which he succeeded. In another huge feat two years later, the company started roasting with the UK’s first Fairtrade espresso bean.
Now, Matthew Algie is heading into a new era after its incredible refurb at the Glasgow factory. Video footage from Lawmoor Road shows a state-of-the-art green bean handling and blending system, upgraded automation, new conveying systems and a cutting-edge packaging line. A pallet-packing robot also features in the fascinating clip that can be seen packaging up the coffee into cardboard boxes, passing them through the production line and positioning them correctly before they head out for delivery. The installation of cutting-edge technology can also be seen in the clip as coffee beans pass through newly installed, high-tech machines, tubes and pipes suspended in the air.
But the upgrade isn’t just in aid of keeping with the times, Matthew Algie is on a mission to make their roastery more eco-friendly and sustainable. Traditional hessian sacks have been replaced with larger one-tonne transportation bags and coffee is now shipped in bulk containers. It aims to reduce manual handling, increase capacity, therefore cutting costs and carbon emissions.
The team behind Matthew Algie, now celebrating 160 years in business, could not be more ‘thrilled’ at the progression.
The firm’s managing director of sales and marketing, Paul Chadderton, said: “After sixty rich years of roasting coffee at our beloved Glasgow site, we knew it was time for a fresh upgrade and we’re thrilled to share our exciting roastery transformation. This multi-million-pound investment isn’t just about enhancing our operations—it’s about brewing a brighter, more sustainable future.
“This comprehensive upgrade is set to revolutionise how we produce your favourite coffees, ensuring consistency and quality in every cup.
“As we sip on our favourite brews, we invite you to join us in celebrating this exciting new chapter. Here’s to the future, filled with innovation, sustainability, and, of course, delicious coffee.”
(Robert Milne, Roastery & Site Manager, Roslyn Coombe Coombe, Head of Marketing_ Estelle MacGilp, Head of Coffee Sourcing, Paul Chadderton, Managing Director at Matthew Algie (Photo: Elaine Livingston)
A Scots coffee roaster that survived two World Wars, is celebrating a whopping 160 years with a multi-million-pound factory ‘transformation’ – complete with its own pallet-packing robot – in a bid to become more eco-friendly.
Matthew Algie, nestled just south of Glasgow’s River Clyde, is a coffee roasting powerhouse that shows no signs of slowing down.
A team of more than 400 employees work at Matthew Algie, providing coffee and coffee machines to more than 7,500 businesses all across the UK. As its client numbers continue to soar, Matthew Algie has grown to become one of the UK and Ireland’s biggest coffee suppliers.
In addition, the firm boasts the UK’s first Fairtrade espresso; the world’s first triple certified coffee. Part of family-owned German coffee giant Tchibo since 2016, the roaster works with Fairtrade supported coffee farmers and producers around the world in countries including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Peru, and Honduras.
Hailed for its eco-friendly practices, Matthew Algie coffee was served to Barack Obama among other world leaders at COP26. Its sustainability mission continues as the team aims to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040. And part of this mission was a recent multi-million pound ‘transformation’, bringing a pallet-packing robot as well as other ‘state-of-the-art’ technology to the factory.
Matthew Algie’s esteemed, coffee pioneer status is a far cry from its humble beginnings on the banks of the River Clyde. The founder, Matthew Algie, was born in Greenock, Inverclyde in 1814. The Clydeside town was a major port for goods entering and leaving industrial Glasgow. A grocer by trade, Matthew sold tea that arrived on the famous Clyde Clippers; a fleet of ships famed for their speed in transporting goods such as tea, opium, spices, from the Far East to Europe.
In 1864, Matthew decided to specialise and set up his own tea blending and wholesale business, with a clientele made up of thousands of Glasgow retailers. Having survived the horrors of World War One and World War Two, the company then added coffee to the mix. The firm moved to a factory on Lawmoor Street in the Gorbals in 1964, where it is still in operation to this day.
The introduction of coffee beans to the production line saw the company, sometimes referred to as, ‘Algie’s’, go from strength to strength. In 1974 they began offering coffee machines to offices, restaurants and hotels, replacing instant coffee with roast and ground coffee. A period of rapid expansion in the eighties saw Algie’s going UK-wide and adding bulk-brew coffee machines for the catering sector to their portfolio, then in 1989, the first espresso machines landed in its range. Six years later the then managing director, David Williamson, visited Portland, Oregon for research purposes. Inspired by the popularity of espresso stateside, he returned to Glasgow determined to make Algie’s a driving force of its introduction to the UK market - of which he succeeded. In another huge feat two years later, the company started roasting with the UK’s first Fairtrade espresso bean.
Now, Matthew Algie is heading into a new era after its incredible refurb at the Glasgow factory. Video footage from Lawmoor Road shows a state-of-the-art green bean handling and blending system, upgraded automation, new conveying systems and a cutting-edge packaging line. A pallet-packing robot also features in the fascinating clip that can be seen packaging up the coffee into cardboard boxes, passing them through the production line and positioning them correctly before they head out for delivery. The installation of cutting-edge technology can also be seen in the clip as coffee beans pass through newly installed, high-tech machines, tubes and pipes suspended in the air.
But the upgrade isn’t just in aid of keeping with the times, Matthew Algie is on a mission to make their roastery more eco-friendly and sustainable. Traditional hessian sacks have been replaced with larger one-tonne transportation bags and coffee is now shipped in bulk containers. It aims to reduce manual handling, increase capacity, therefore cutting costs and carbon emissions.
The team behind Matthew Algie, now celebrating 160 years in business, could not be more ‘thrilled’ at the progression.
The firm’s managing director of sales and marketing, Paul Chadderton, said: “After sixty rich years of roasting coffee at our beloved Glasgow site, we knew it was time for a fresh upgrade and we’re thrilled to share our exciting roastery transformation. This multi-million-pound investment isn’t just about enhancing our operations—it’s about brewing a brighter, more sustainable future.
“This comprehensive upgrade is set to revolutionise how we produce your favourite coffees, ensuring consistency and quality in every cup.
“As we sip on our favourite brews, we invite you to join us in celebrating this exciting new chapter. Here’s to the future, filled with innovation, sustainability, and, of course, delicious coffee.”