After many weeks of preparation, Friday marked the opening of our new 101 Brook Street Roastery to the public as we took part inDoors Open Day 2025!
In just a matter of weeks, we’ve gone from having an empty warehouse with bags of potential to a space that’s perfect for our needs today and for many more years of Dear Green.
While our roasting space is fully set up, our pubic facing meeting and events space is still a work in progress; we’ve loved taking part in Doors Open Day at ourBarras roastery in years past, so it seemed like a good opportunity to push ourselves to get the place (to an approximation of) shipshape.
What Is Doors Open Day?
For those who don’t know, Doors Open Day is the largest free event of its kind in the country, offering members of the public the opportunity to explore public buildings, historical monuments, and active businesses across the country where the doors may not always be open to the general public. Taking place throughout Scotland every September, we’ve found it to be an excellent opportunity to get closer to our customers and make new connections with those curious about Dear Green and speciality coffee in general.
A New Chapter in Bridgeton
Moving from the Barras and Bridgeton wasn’t just a change of site for us; it also meant, in some ways, a significant change in our identity. Since arriving at our previous roastery in 2014, we’ve taken pride in being part of the hustle and bustle that the local area is known for, championing it wherever possible. We wanted to continue that tradition at 101 Brook Street.
Following our move to Bridgeton, Doors Open Day 2025 felt like the first real opportunity we’ve had to familiarise and embed ourselves in our new home, so we didn’t waste any time; on top of a roastery tour, we also decided to begin the event with a historic tour of Bridgeton to start!
Discovering Bridgeton's Hidden History
Taking us around some of the area’s most significant (and often overlooked) landmarks, we were just as surprised as our guests to uncover its hidden history and the vital role the area’s patrons played in shaping Glasgow’s ever-changing face.
Starting at the iconic Templeton Carpet Factory, we stopped to admire some of the area’s historical landmarks hiding in plain sight (including Greenhead Works – from where the word ‘gutties’ originated!), to some of the most prominent points of interest to be found within Bridgeton today, including the David Dale Gallery, and our good pals at the Women’s Library!
Behind the Scenes at Our Glasgow Coffee Roastery
Before too long, it was time to head to the roastery to show our visitors what we do best. Following a quick coffee break, breather, and a blether, we made our way around the roastery, providing insights into what a typical day at Dear Green looks like and ourclimate-forward practices. We then sat down for a blind tasting and a discussion about the fundamentals of speciality coffee. It’s always fascinating to learn more about the wider public’s perceptions of speciality coffee and the work we do within it, and this occasion was no different.
What’s Next?
We’d like to thank every single guest who joined us for the tour, and for letting us share a little insight into our world. Long live Doors Open Day!
If you can’t wait til next September, don’t worry - we’ll be running more coffee roastery tours, sosign up to the Dear Green newsletter to stay up to date with our latest news, and follow our journey onInstagram,Facebook,Bluesky &TikTok.