Girls Who Grind

Fi O’Brien + Casey Lalonde

Girls Who Grind is an all-female coffee roastery owned and run by Aussie Fi O’Brien, and American Casey LaLonde. Their destined paths met over a love of coffee and and their roastery ownership dreams have come true on a farm, in the wildest depths of Wiltshire.

Fi is from Melbourne and so coffee runs through her veins. She started her career in advertising as a creative strategist but a few years into her career felt the urge to open her own cafe utilising her design/brand skills and her love for coffee and cafe culture. As Head of Brand and Customer Relations at GWGC Fi looks after everything brand, design and retail related. As a coffee lover and a sociology student, Casey became interested in both the art and science behind making a great cup as well as the stories of the producers at origin. This led her to a position at a roastery and coffee lab in Vermont where she assisted on Q-grader courses and learned to cup & roast. As Head of Coffee and Head Roaster at GWGC, Casey is responsible for sourcing the green beans and then of course roasting all their coffees. She is always on the search for amazing female producers to work with, building those important relationships and selecting incredible coffees not only for their taste but for the stories behind them.