Meet the Makers: Beach House Coffee

Beach House Coffee began as a shared idea between four family members who dreamed of starting a roasting company committed to sourcing all of its beans from women-owned farms. The group includes married couple Brian Beach and Sydney Zester, as well as Sydney’s cousins, Margrethe Williams and Lee Williams, who are siblings.

“We had the idea back in 2020, but the timing wasn’t right,” Beach said. “We were all in transition, moving, and then the pandemic hit, so we put things on pause. But now, three of us have moved to Wilmington, the timing felt right, and the four of us have really complementary skill sets.”

The team launched sales of their flagship roast, Rip Roar, which features notes of cherry, browned butter and chocolate, in late 2023 and hit capacity almost immediately with their one-kilo roaster.

“We were really, really humbled to basically be at capacity almost as soon as we launched,” Beach said.

Now, Beach House Coffee has moved into a new industrial space in Leland and added a five-kilo roaster, opening the door to more wholesale accounts and direct-to-consumer sales via their website.

“The first year was like bootstrapping, getting off the ground,” Beach said. “But now we’re moving into a spot that’ll allow us the stability we need to grow.”

In addition to Rip Roar, Beach House also produces Somersault, a single-origin Ethiopian blend with notes of tangerine, pomegranate and vanilla bean. They also have a half-caff blend in development, which will be called Daydream.

The name Beach House has a double meaning as it’s not only Beach’s last name, but Zester and her cousins, the Williamses, spent summer vacations together at beach houses along the Outer Banks.

The decision to purchase solely from women-owned farms was inspired by a close friend and agricultural sustainability expert, Dr. Sarah Eissler.

“Sarah has her doctorate in sustainable agriculture, and she focuses on chocolate and coffee,” Beach explained. “Her findings have concluded that women make up between 70% to 80% of the global workforce in coffee farming.”

Beach said that collectively, the founders felt supporting women-owned farms was something they could easily do to support the global industry.

The team works with over ten international importers, and each Beach House blend is carefully developed, with Lee Williams and Beach leading the roasting process.

“We take a lot of pride in our bean selection,” said Beach. “For any given roast, we’ve probably sampled at least 20 beans.”

Beach explained that team cupping sessions are an essential part of the development process. A cupping session is a professional method for evaluating coffee’s quality by focusing on its aroma, taste and body. It’s a structured process, often involving multiple coffees, that helps assess aspects like aroma, acidity, flavor and aftertaste.

While most operations are based in Leland, Margrethe, who lives in San Francisco, is helping lead Beach House’s direct-to-consumer and online expansion. The team sells beans locally through retailers and coffee shops, with big plans to grow along both coasts.

“We envision a bi-coastal brand that still feels small and connected,” Beach said. “We definitely want more places serving our coffee.”

Beach House coffee is served at Folkstone Slow Bar, Little Loaf Bakery & Schoolhouse and Salita Pizza. It can be purchased at Local Shade, Edge of Urge, Fred & Mary’s and The Veggie Wagon.