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

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(300)

Ep 302 - From Hospitality to Household with Chelsea Ford: Bao Hoang on Building Roll’d from Melbourne to Millions

From a single Melbourne CBD store to 15 million rice paper rolls a year, this is the story of Roll’d.In the final episode of this incredible series, Chelsea Ford sits down with Bao Hoang, CEO of Roll’...

14 Mai 36min

Ep 301 - From Hospitality to Household with Chelsea Ford: Ben Circosta on Turning Nonna’s Tradition into Bippi

From a backyard tradition to one of Australia’s fastest-growing pantry brands, this is the story of Bippi.In this episode, Chelsea Ford sits down with Ben Circosta, founder of Bippi Foods, to unpack h...

23 Apr 48min

Ep 300 - From Hospitality to Household with Chelsea Ford: How Elizabeth Hewson Took Saturday Night Pasta from Kitchen to Shelf

In this episode, Chelsea Ford sits down with Elizabeth Hewson, Australian food writer, cookbook author, and founder of Saturday Night Pasta, to unpack how a personal ritual turned into a nationally st...

2 Apr 59min

Ep 298 — Darren Purchese on Bake Off AU, StudioKitchen and Building a Life in Food

In this episode, Renee Buckingham sits down with renowned pastry chef, author, and Great Australian Bake Off judge, Darren Purchese.From a food-obsessed childhood in the UK to elite kitchens in London...

9 Feb 1h 2min

Ep 297 - From Longevity to Virality: Inside Dilu Kulathungam’s Hospo Journey

In this episode, host Renee sits down with Dilu Kulathungam, co-owner and creative behind Joy Cupcakes, Lulu & Me Cheesecakes and Chrystalla’s.Dilu reflects on her journey through hospitality, includi...

22 Jan 53min

Ep 296 – Building a Bagel Empire: Inside Benjamin Vaughan’s, Mile End Journey

In this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Vaughan, CEO and Co-Founder of Mile End Bagels, to unpack the story behind one of Melbourne’s most beloved bagel institutions.Ben shares his journey from lau...

2 Des 202543min

Ep 295 – Redefining Indian Cuisine: Inside Jessi Singh's Global Ventures

In this episode, host Renee Buckingham chats with Jessi Singh, the creative force redefining Indian dining through his bold and ‘unauthentic’ approach to cuisine. From Melbourne to Miami, Jessi has bu...

27 Okt 20251h