Where coffee meets science

A  coffee journey that started with a ‘yes’ and a six-month-old baby!

I’m a big fan of two things: saying yes and drinking coffee. And let me tell you, those two passions have taken me on some wild rides. As a chef for almost all my life, I’ve worked in some seriously odd kitchens and been offered some downright strange jobs. Looking back now, it all makes sense. Having ADHD meant that I would quickly get bored of one job and move on to the next! I’m still  very much a ‘yes’ man, because I believe it can take you down some incredibly fun and adventurous routes.

But what does this have to do with coffee? Well, there was an email that changed everything. Rewind six years, and I’m sitting at home when an email pings into my inbox from Doug McMaster the Jedi master of food waste and owner of Silo, the world’s first zero waste restaurant. It read… “Martyn, short and sweet: two weeks cooking on a boat. What are you saying?” I immediately said yes.

Then reality hit me like a splash of cold brew to the face. I’d just agreed to leave my wife alone with our six-month-old baby in the middle of a pandemic. Perhaps not my finest moment of decision-making! So, I sadly declined. But then I asked the question that would spark an obsession: “What’s the cargo?” Coffee and chocolate, came the reply.

My brain spiralled immediately, imagining the wild journey it would have been guzzling coffee and eating copious amounts of chocolate while sailing across the ocean. Ho hum, it wasn’t to be. But I did connect with the coffee company behind it all, Yallah Coffee.

And honestly? That connection turned out to be just as good as the voyage itself.

I would like to welcome you to Yallah, where coffee meets conscience. Let me properly introduce you. At the heart of Yallah is a small crew with a love for exceptional coffee, roasted in their barn in Falmouth, Cornwall. Their values are strong, their approach lighthearted and their commitment to doing things differently is absolutely inspiring, but here’s the kicker! In 2025, Yallah successfully shipped coffee by sail for the fifth year running, sailing from Guatemala to Port Navas, Cornwall. No cargo ships belching diesel fumes, just wind, waves and dedication.

For Yallah, sailship isn’t just a quirky marketing gimmick. It’s a marker for transparency and ethos, a keystone of their entire business. They’re serious about decarbonising their supply chain as much as feasibly possible and they want control over who they spend company funds with. This journey brings together a community of people, farmers, sailors and buyers, all dedicating their lives to more sustainable and fairer business, putting people and planet first.

And Yallah doesn’t just talk a good game; they live it. Plastic-free packaging; zero single-use cups in their cafés; a roastery that runs on renewable energy; deliveries made using electric vehicles. They’re composting over 50% of their food and coffee waste on-site at Argal Home Farm and work with trusted partners throughout their supply chain to guarantee honesty and traceability, believing that coffee and business can be a force for positive change. Their Coffee Buying Standards framework builds relationships with coffee producers all over the world, putting people before profit.

And the best part? You can experience all of this right here in Cornwall. Yallah operates from their barn in Falmouth and their cafés are scattered across the Cornish landscape – places where you can sit down, sip exceptional coffee and know that every bean has travelled thousands of miles in the most ethical way possible.

So, while I never did get to cook on that boat, saying ‘yes’ to curiosity led me to something just as special: a coffee company that’s proving you can build a business around adventure, sustainability and doing the right thing. And that, my friends, is worth raising a cup to.

LAGOM CHEF
LagomChef
The Lagom Chef
lagomchef
www.lagomchef.com