ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Studio Black Coffee: From TV Freelancers to a Mission-Driven Roastery and Coffee Vans
Host Paul Limb welcomes Callum and Toby, two Salford University graduates in their 20s who left freelance film/TV and media work to launch Studio Black Coffee. After exploring a coffee van idea that felt unscalable and too costly, they pivoted to roasting coffee despite having no roasting experience, starting with a 1kg roaster in a spare room and launching in December 2024 while still freelancing. The brand’s purpose grew from firsthand experiences of toxic, high-pressure TV environments and support from the Film and TV Charity, which Studio Black promotes and supports through giving back. Demand rose from online sales to wholesale (including Dock 10), leading to a unit, a Virgin StartUp loan and mentor support, a larger roaster from Turkey, festival success at Manchester Coffee Festival, and expansion into coffee vans for location shoots and large crews, now with one employee and plans to scale community, events, and national reach.
00:00 Podcast Welcome
00:37 Meet Callum and Toby
01:22 Toby’s TV Career
02:58 Callum’s Early Path
05:00 Uni Lessons and Perspective
09:32 From Coffee Van to Roasting
16:32 Launching Studio Black at Home
18:19 The Mission Behind the Brand
25:50 First Sales and Early Growth
28:04 Scaling Pains and Wholesale Leads
29:11 Big Break Wholesale Deal
30:07 Business Plan And Funding
31:37 Mentor Mindset Shift
34:27 Roaster Purchase Leap
36:17 Festival Trial By Fire
38:18 Coffee Roasting Explained
40:08 Coffee Vans And Crowdfunding
41:39 Hiring And Letting Go
45:32 Vision And Community Growth
48:12 Advice And Learning Sources
53:18 Where To Find Studio Black
PODCAST LINKS
Website: https://studioblackcoffee.co.uk/
Callum’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumjacksonj/
Toby’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumjacksonj/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studio-black-coffee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioblackcoffee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studioblackcoffee
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@studioblackcoffee
ActionCOACH Bolton: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton
ActionCOACH Bolton Events: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592
Paul’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/
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