Meet the Team
Ash - Director
Hey, I’m Ash. It’s great to see you browsing our website and scrolling through our ‘Meet the Team’ page, I’m so thankful to be surrounded by such incredible individuals who inspire me every day.
Finding my way in to speciality coffee was not a straight line, although, somehow I’ve been working in coffee one way or another for over nine years now! I initially worked at a café in my hometown of Penrith, whilst studying Film Production at Kendal College (½ a mile from our roastery).
My love for coffee blossomed whilst I was studying in London and working for a small franchise, whom used 100% robusta varietal for all of their espresso based drinks; giving me the intrigue to want to know more about arabica and robusta, and then led down the rabbit hole to learning all about green coffee and how it is processed. Nowadays, the most important parts of coffee to me are; it tasting amazing, but also how it can impact people’s lives socially, whether that is sustainability on our behalf using an electric roaster and eco-friendly packaging, or whether that is actually paying the farmers a fair price by working direct trade, rather than through a broker – being able to make a social impact.
I’m an avid CrossFitter, I enjoy trail running with friends or just getting out on the local fells with my Belgian Malinois, Arlo.
Jonathan - Director
My love of coffee started about 10 years ago. Like most people, I was brought into the coffee world by Starbucks (living on the South Coast) and the infamous PSL! (Pumpkin Spiced Latte)
Working in an office, this quickly changed to brewing my own in various ways; V60, Aeropress and the humble Cafetiere. All the coffee however was purchased from a supermarket. The next step was finding great independent coffee shops of which there are loads, down south. I didn't really know much about the coffee they used or how it was made but I knew what I liked and what I didnt. I went to University near Winchester in Hampshire and graduated at 22 with a BSc in Fish Science! I've worked as a Fish Farmer, Sales Assistant for Cotswold Outdoors, Sales Executive for a Fire Security company (my longest serving job) and then two jobs in recruitment before deciding that I'd had enough of working for companies I had no interest in.
Fast-forward to 2020 - I moved back up to the Lakes after a 14 year absence and it was during lockdown that I decided (during recovery from a major operation, I had lots of time to think) to start Fellside Coffee! I was sick of working for other people, I wanted to be my own boss and do something that I love!
I'll be honest, I didn't know much more about coffee in terms of how it was processed, but I knew what tasted good! I love learning about coffee, particularly espresso and filter. I will happily discuss brew methods, coffee processing, grind size, dose size - don't get me talking if you're in a hurry!
If I am not with the van or in the Roastery, you can find me on top of a fell or riding a bike!
Jem - Roastery Assistant
Hiya, I’m Jem!
My way into coffee has come through people, place, and warmth. I’ve spent the last few years working in cafés around Cumbria during summers and winters when I wasn’t teaching; slowly falling in love with the rhythms of different communities that frequent cafes, the quiet dance-like choreography of making a good coffee and all the small rituals of warming both a front of house and a taste palette.
I’ve always loved the idea of third spaces in urban design and cafes serve perfectly as somewhere conversation happens easily, strangers become familiar, and community is built slowly. Places like Podda & Wren do that cup by oaty cup and roast by delightful roast.
I’m a writer by nature, with a degree in Literature. Oddly, coffee feels like a natural extension of that. You get to be part of people’s quiet but impactful daily narratives. There’s small magic in remembering a regular’s name, learning how they like their coffee just right, or making room at a busy table. The price of community, I once heard, is inconvenience, and in coffee there is always time to take the bitter with the sweet.
When I’m not in the café out front or in the back of the roastery bagging wonderfully aromatic beans, you’ll usually find me writing, reading, running, or doing yoga. I care deeply about good coffee, good stories, and helping to create spaces that feel warm, human, and welcoming to all. If you need someone to chat philosophy, coffee or anything else with whilst you get your daily caffeine fix just give me a shout!