Entrepreneurial Alumni

Eion Henderson

Posted 01 October 2015

New York Program

May 2004 Intake

Eion gives the following account of his career path so far; "A business partner and I opened a speciality coffee shop in my home town of Aberdeen and for the following 8 years we grew the business to a second site. The time I spent in New York on the Mountbatten Programme was instrumental in focusing the business and driving it forward; cafe culture there at the time was much more established than here and provided great inspiration. During the years running the cafes, I learned a huge amount about the different varieties and origins of coffee, different brewing methods, and I started experimenting with various ways of home roasting. After I left the business I had the wonderful opportunity to work under the tutelage of Ian Cukrowski at MacBeans, Aberdeen's premier coffee roaster. It was there I learned more about the roasting process on a larger scale. My wife and I moved to Edinburgh in August 2012 and I opened Mr Eion Coffee Roaster in December of 2013. I have been fortunate to see the business grow over these two years and am hopeful to see that continue. Going forward I am looking to expand the business to include a second site and increase wholesale capacity, while maintaining the high standards, attention to detail and personal touch I am known for. The best piece of advice I can give when setting up a business on your own is to not lose your passion. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day details which sometimes becomes overwhelming. Keep focussed and have the courage to follow your passion."
Thank you Eion, and we hope your business continues to grow. Visit Mr Eion website: www.mreion.com.