Travel with me on a journey from a busy corporate career to a life of freedom - and coffee. On this episode I talk with Shai Elon of the brilliant Mont 58 independent coffee roaster and retailer. Brew yourself a cup and tarry a while with Shai inside his backyard wood-paneled roastery as he shares the road he traveled to create the life he'd always dreamed of for him and his family. Hear how he pivoted his business during lockdown. Get ready for some golden tips on realising your own business or lifestyle project. And how to get your hands on some of the most unusual small-estate beans by signing up to the Mont 58 Coffee Tasting Subscription.
https://mont58coffee.com/product-category/https-mont58coffee-com-product-tasting/
https://www.instagram.com/mont58coffee/
https://www.facebook.com/Mont58coffee/
Catherine: [00:00:00] There are many reasons to listen to my next guest on the Giant Pause podcast. Whether you love coffee, whether you are thinking of setting up a coffee roastery, whether you are thinking of just setting up your own business or project in general. It left me wanting to go away and straightaway brew another cup of coffee. So I hope you enjoy listening to this one. Picture wooden panelling and hessian sacking. I speak with Shai, direct from his coffee roastery. And we join the conversation just when he's introducing himself.
Shai: [00:00:41] My name is Shai and I'm the founder of Mont 58 Coffee. We started two years ago, and yeah we roast coffee and we supply coffee locally and actually nationally as well.
Catherine: [00:00:51] You're actually sitting in your roastery, which is amazing. Can you describe it to the listeners?
Shai: [00:00:58] So we build the rosary ourselves about a year ago. It's at the back of our house in the garden. It was designed by me and my wife, Maya. It's doing everything that we need it to do. So we've got the roaster and we've got the smoke elimination system. So it takes all the smell and the smoke and everything and zap it into nothing. It is an amazing thing, which is quite cool. Just at the start of the lockdown, I ordered a lot of coffee. Again, I wasn't sure what is going to happen because it was the start of the lockdown and I wasn't sure. I mean, we were losing customers more than gaining any customers in the first few days because of all the offices and the cafes kind of started closing. But anyway, I didn't know what to expect, but I ordered a lot of coffee because, hey, this business is mainly the passion that started with my love of coffee. So every time I look at all the coffees that are available, I'm like like a small kids so excited about, oh, my God, this coffee from Nicaragua sounds amazing. And the farmer is doing so much to improve it.
Shai: [00:02:04] And the Ethiopian coffee is coming from another farmer. And it's like for me, it's, you know, I would have all the coffees that I could get. So anyway, it was kind of a big purchase of new coffees as well. And as you can see, I mean, that background behind me was we had literally another level of coffees up until a few weeks ago.
Shai: [00:02:27] And, yeah, I think what happened is a lot of people stopped going to the office, obviously, because of the lockdown and inspiringly, a lot of them started ordering from us direct, which is amazing. So ...
Catherine: [00:02:39] Let's talk about there's there's a local piece, I think. So Shai and I know each other because we have a restaurant in Nunhead. And I was on Instagram one day and one of your customers Shai had posted a picture of coffee and your coffee bag and saying, this is just amazing coffee. I was like, oh, I've never heard of Mont 58. Let's click on the tag and found out that you are actually on most local roastery, which was super exciting. Anyway I got in touch and then came round and and I have to say that your roastery is just magical and you're enveloped in the smell of coffee and the roasting and it's really really... And I guess as a, you know, local business in that time where everything was closing, there is that question about, oh, my goodness like, how is this going to play out? We don't know how long it's going to last for. And working as we are with farmers and growers, you're working with a product which doesn't stop growing and thinking, I'm sure, as we have, about the impact of long term lockdown on farmers and growers, that are just there with living plants and an environment which is just pulsing and and, yeah, just just keeps going.
Catherine: [00:04:07] And what I love I'd love for you to talk a little bit about how you pivoted, because obviously with cafes and and offices closing down, what how did you how did you respond? As I can see there's like, there's very little coffee behind you now. So obviously you've been doing a few things really right.
Shai: [00:04:29] I think it was really inspiring to see all the neighbors and all the residents locally in the first few days kind of saying, hey, this is great, we are going to be at home, we need some coffee, we are going to get some really quality coffee. And there is a local roaster which is literally around the corner and we're going to get it from him. And people I mean, seriously, it was really amazing and inspiring because people would post on Instagram a picture of that, the coffee. In fact, a lot of people come and pick it up from the front of the house. It just becomes so lovely. So that's how we pivoted.
Shai: [00:05:11] But we also got involved in some local projects. So, for example, we we are part of providing our coffee to food boxes that go to Lewisham Hospital every week. So, you know, helping, packing and obviously providing the coffee. But it also helps us as a local business. So that's one example. But it's it's just amazing.
Catherine: [00:05:34] That's beautiful. And you've got that balance, haven't you, then? Because there's a business, a heart-centered business, which I definitely you know, my experience of working with you, your is is all of that. Like, there's such a passion for the coffee, but also the community, the coffee-growing communities that you work with and you're interested in them and what you know about them. And you don't always get that. And I think, again, that's probably one area that I feel like we connected on is that, the sort of, well you don't really see it as a supply chain. I guess, as a business like yours it's a question of what and who you're enabling by buying it. And how nice, I guess, in this time of pivoting that you're also getting some of that back in terms of the community and how they're rallying round. And so you mentioned a little bit about your corporate background. Tell us about what you were doing. And because I, I, I have a feeling that some of our listeners are ones that have an idea and have something in them that they were always wanted to do. And I think for me it is stories, what other people have done are what's really inspired me. And so I loved hearing your story when we first met properly and sat down and had some amazing coffee and picked the coffee that we have at 28.
Shai: [00:07:01] So originally, as it as you can probably hear from my accent, I'm not England, but I was born in Israel.
Shai: [00:07:09] We moved me and my wife to London after the Army service, which is compulsory in Israel, and we just wanted more for our life. We came and studied. And anyway, I started literally being in big companies like Ticketmaster and Amazon and Tesco Direct. And EMI music is which is which was amazing place to be at. Last Minute dot com and most most recently, TripAdvisor. So all my career in the last 20 years was being in those large corporates and companies. And don't get me wrong, I, I loved a lot of what I did always at the back of my head, it was I always knew that I'm going to be an independent to start something, create a product, market it, use all the skills and experiences that I have, be my own boss and have the last say on direction. Do something here that actually makes an immediate impact on the other side without waiting or going through all the waves of bureaucracy and departments and stuff. And I have to say, my last job really inspired me. I mean, the company TripAdvisor - the philosophy's speed wins. You know, it's very much have an idea. You do it. You know, out of 10 ideas, maybe eight are really complete failure, but two are going to stick and be really successful and it's fine.
Catherine: [00:08:45] What an amazing background for an entrepreneur, though. I love hearing that to have been already said to have been working in an entrepreneurial environment. I don't know if it felt like that or whether you framed it like that at the time, but to be in an environment where you can literally execute ten ideas and not consider those eight ideas that don't work a failure. It's just all part of the learning process and staying curious and being supported to stay curious. Has that had a big impact on how you then transitioned into your own business. Do you still or is that just actually, that's who you are. You don't really mind - you're always going to try stuff and it doesn't really matter.
Shai: [00:09:31] I was always - It's a great question. And I was always a little bit out from the left if that makes sense, you know. Me and my wife Maya we always kind of followed our path, I guess. So I think I had it in me. However, you know, I come from a background of parents who always had a job. They maintain the same job for 40 years. You know, when I said to my parents two years ago, a year ago, I'm moving on, I'm opening my own thing, and they they freaked out. You know, it's like, what are you doing? You know, it's like I have to say that all the jobs that I had really inspired me, especially the last one to - they taught me a lot. Right. So they taught me that, yes.
Shai: [00:10:23] It's still maybe it wasn't my money in the bank that I'm going to play with, but trying things and failing in many, many, many, many cases is fine. And you need to keep believing in yourself because, hey, you know, it's going to be a success from day one. It's gonna take time. Sometimes it's a journey. And, you know, if you don't find it, I know it sounds like a cliche and everybody say that you need to fail a few times in order to succeed. But it's actually like that. It's so hard to start something and just see it go to the sky. It's a lot about the product, being passionate about the product, having the drive to do it, being resilient.
Catherine: [00:11:08] So you were you working in TripAdvisor, you're working an inspiring environment. Yet there was still this thing in you and this vision for an independent life. And at what point did that feeling collide with coffee or is it always being coffee for you?
Shai: [00:11:26] Always been coffee. So I drink a lot of coffee. Always did. In fact, I grew up in Israel in a house, you know, my granddad, my dad, lots of coffee, lots of black hardcore coffee.
Shai: [00:11:43] And, you know, whenever and seriously, every morning when I grind my own coffee just to make my own cup, that smell of fresh coffee just literally takes me back to that kitchen and hearing my grandad's kind of brewing and brewing the coffee and and then sitting and playing backgammon. You know, like a chess game or a chess game with a friend. And it just it takes me back always. And that passion to the taste of coffee and having the coffee. It's not just about the caffeine. But everything about the science of the coffee, how you grow it, how you grind it, how you brew it.? That really interests me. So it didn't happen by mistake. It's coffee. I didn't just pick up. Hey, I want to and I want to have an idea. So it came from somewhere. And dare I say, I think it's important for anyone that starts a business that it's the inspiration is there is something behind it.
Catherine: [00:12:47] So you decided you were going to set up a coffee roasting business. Tell us a little bit about the structure of that. Like, what were you seeing as a model for your business? How did you go about sourcing your beans? How did you go about designing your roastery and roasting? What were all those - what happened to get Mont 58 .... Because I have to say, if you haven't the listeners, if you haven't tried Shai's coffee he, in my super humble opinion, is one of the most talented roasters I've met. And I love coffee. His roasting's extraordinary. And the range of coffee that he has is extraordinary. And there's a story behind each of them. So anyway, sorry, back - tell us a little bit about how you set the business up. Color in color in the lines.
Shai: [00:13:39] So it's it's it's a great question from the sense of, you know, every person that starts a business, I think they have a different ambition. And that ambition can change throughout the journey of having a business. But for me, the ambition was a local independent. I wanted to be at home. It needs to fit within my lifestyle. I wanted to be with my kids a little bit. You know more than I did before when I commuted every day into London and backwards. And I knew that it's not going to take less time of my time to dedicate into a new business. But that was fine. You know. As long as it's in the place and the setup that I wanted, I didn't care. The funny part is it's not funny, but it's you know, the way I got into the roasting more and more was when I started I literally started with a tiny roaster and it was really hard to find anyone that would sell me any green beans, you know, roast, because normally they come in a 70 kilo bag and it takes a long time to finish 70 kilos in a home setting environment. You know, it started really small, really, with me experimenting, and it kind of forced me to create almost like relationships with the right people in the supply chain, which is amazing, because when you get to that and you speak to the people that you buy your raw material from, you know, you get so many stories about it. You get so many, the background to it, a lot of tips, a lot of suggestions and recommendations that you would never, ever know before you start talking to those people.
Catherine: [00:15:28] So for people who are thinking of setting up their own business, I think it's kind of the granular detail. Like, you know, the day I decided to start Mont 58. And as you said you, you spent time, which again I really relate to, kind of going and meeting different suppliers and talking to them. And then tell me about how it was, how you taught yourself to roast and where did you get your first customer from? And how did you how did you launch the business?
Shai: [00:16:01] So I taught myself how to roast by failing so many times. I ruined so much coffee. Seriously, I chuck it. I mean, the amount of burnt coffee in the house was just piling up because you have to try. Right. You have to try right. When I order new coffee, I would experiment until I get to the right profile and I will. And a lot of that experimentation include a lot of coffee going to waste. So that's just about the roasting and how I taught myself.
Shai: [00:16:38] I have to say one recommendation that I have to anyone that approaches a new business, especially at the time that we are at the moment. And this is really, really important. The philosophy of having a perfect product ready to launch with - that's that's almost a fiction. You would never have your product or service perfect for launch. Forget it. Instead of that, it needs to be a really iterative process. And the one thing that I would always say or recommend to any any friends or any anyone that would ask me. Try to have, try to define what is your what is your minimum viable product to try it out when you go to market? Right? So for me, using my tiny roaster at the time, I'm going to roast a really small bag of coffee. I went to Maya my wife and I said to my Maya, hey, you are a designer. I need a logo. I need here's the name. Here's why I picked the name.Here is my vision to the brand. But I need your help. You know, don't spend too much time on it. It doesn't need to be perfect. Hey, don't worry about the sticker at the back. Let's just have a stamp. I'm going to put my coffee into a bag and I'm gonna give it to a friend. I just wanted to see what happened.
Shai: [00:17:59] So that was kind of the start. And the feedback was great. Obviously a friend. But, you know, he was honest as well. Almost to the point that he said, hey, if you have six bags every week, I would take you it to - as a business, we have an office. I would buy it from you on a weekly basis. And that would be fantastic for my employees. You know, it's like great coffee. So that was my minimum viable product, kind of. Am I doing the right thing? Is it a good product? Is there a market for it? And seriously, I had nothing. I didn't have my roastery ready. I didn't have a big roaster. I didn't have a proper grinder. I, I literally just registered a company. You know, I didn't have many of the things that I have today, but I at least I had the confidence that from this point I can iterate and perfect it as I go. For anyone who is thinking about anything, any idea that you have try to define what is the minimum that I need to do in order to put it out there, get some feedback and then take it from there. That would be my best recommendation.
Catherine: [00:19:11] That is just that's absolute gold. That's such great advice. Really great advice. And I think even with launching a business as you were developing new things, it's still easy, isn't it, to get caught up in to needing for something to be perfect? Whatever that is. So having keeping an iterative process around how you do business and how you grow different ideas even within your business, or if your you have you employ people, how you support them to explore new ideas as well. That's that's absolutely magical Shai. Thank you so much. Well, we're coming to the end of end of our conversation. And I'm sure there are quite a lot of people out there kind of thinking, I really need a cup of coffee. How do they get your coffee? How did they discover the wonders of Mont 58 coffee range?
Shai: [00:20:11] So we obviously we have a Web site called the coffees are listed there with delivery. If you are local, we'll deliver it ourselves. If your not local, we post it and that works really well for a lot of our customers. What's your website address? Oh, it's Mont 58 coffee dot com.
Catherine: [00:20:34] That's M O N T five eight dot com.
Shai: [00:20:37] Find us on Instagram or Facebook if you need to but we are stocked around some shops. Deli shops around us. So a lot of people kind of discover us by taking one bag, trying it and then come back to us directly say oh my God, I need, I need much more. Or people that want to taste different coffees every week or every two weeks or whatever they want. And that's the majority of our customer base. They subscribe to the tasting subscription. And literally every week I send them a different coffee or blend that some of them just say, hey, I want to keep rotating that circle of different coffee every time, or some of them just say, oh, my God. The Gautemala is just amazing. And I want to keep that one. And I just want to say that it's really, really important for us that personal connection as well with a lot of people.
Shai: [00:21:35] So we encourage people to send us e-mails, deal with questions, or on Instagram, just message us with any questions they have. It's fantastic to be able to help people.
Catherine: [00:21:46] Well, that's wonderful. I think that's really one of the many reasons that sets you apart, sets your coffee company apart. So I'll put all those all those links in the show notes. But Shai this has been an absolute pleasure talking to you.
Catherine: [00:22:01] Just before we were closing, we were talking with you about creating a house blend to launch our new brunch menu at 28. So I can't wait to pick to that up when everything opens again.
Shai: [00:22:16] Love to do that.
Catherine: [00:22:17] But sending sending love and best wishes to your lovely family. Thank you so, so much. I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Shai: [00:22:27] Yes me too.
Shai: [00:22:28] Thanks very much for your time.
Catherine: [00:22:31] If you'd like this conversation, then please subscribe, like, leave a review and share with all your friends. And obviously, if you want to set up a coffee subscription with Mont 58 Coffee, all the details are in the show notes. Until next time. I look forward to seeing you again on the Giant Pause Podcast.