Ep 299 - From Hospitality to Household with Chelsea Ford: Lachlan Ward of ST. ALi on Scaling Coffee into Retail

Kicking off our first ep From Hospitality to Household, Host Chelsea Ford sits down with Lachlan Ward, CEO and partner of Melbourne specialty coffee roaster ST. ALi, reflecting on the brand’s 20-year journey and its role as an early pioneer in Australia’s specialty coffee movement.

From its beginnings in South Melbourne to becoming one of the country’s most recognisable coffee brands, Lachlan shares how ST. ALi built a reputation for quality, innovation and accessibility. The conversation explores how the business selects café partners based on shared values, and why expanding into major grocery retail was a natural step, driven by demand for high-quality coffee at home and the opportunity to reach customers beyond café walls.

Chelsea and Lachlan unpack the realities of entering retail, from understanding sales velocity and shopper data to navigating concerns around cannibalising café partners. Lachlan explains how ST. ALi maintained its premium positioning, resisted discount-driven growth, and instead focused on bringing new coffee drinkers into the category.

They also discuss shifting consumer preferences toward more balanced, milk-friendly flavour profiles, the growing demand for decaf, and the rise of cold coffee and concentrates. Along the way, Lachlan shares insights into gifting-led product innovation, inspiration drawn from coffee culture across Asia, and what’s next for the brand, including expansion into Singapore.

Thoughtful, honest, and commercially grounded, this episode offers valuable insights for founders, operators, and anyone interested in the evolving intersection of hospitality, retail, and consumer packaged goods.

Guest info:

stali.com.au / @st_ali

Host info:

foodpreneursfestival.com / @foodpreneursfestival

chelseaford.com / @chelsea.ford.co

Connect with POH:

principleofhospitality.com / @principle_of_hospitality

For Brand Strategy, Design & Creative Support:

principledesign.com.au / @principledesign