Follow Coffee Celebrates a £200K Investment and Year of Success and Milestones

Owners Lesley and Mark McCaughan have firmly established Follow as a community staple in Ballymena over the past four years, it has become synonymous with quality and excellence. Recently, Lesley and Mark solidified their commitment to the brand's future by acquiring the building, completing the £200K transaction in December 2023. With a total of 22 staff members, they continue to elevate the coffee experience for their loyal customers.

Speaking of the investment, Lesley said: “We are absolutely delighted to be celebrating multiple milestones today; our first birthday of Follow Coast and four years at Follow Ballymena.

“We made a bold decision to invest in the building in Ballymena within five years of opening, so to do this ahead of schedule was a wonderful feeling and one which we are immensely proud of.

“Our growth has been steady-year-one year and really exceeded our goals well beyond our target; in fact, the last 12 months have been our strongest to-date. We have really enjoyed getting to know our customers and have been rewarded with the most amazing staff. I want to thank the local communities in both Portrush and Ballymena for their support and custom over the past 4 years and look forward to a bright future in both towns.”

Follow Coffee Company is continually investing in the future and the business and most recently Jackie Robinson, former head chef in Follow Coast Portrush, was promoted to the esteemed position of Executive Chef across the brand. Jackie will be working closely with local suppliers and chefs to create exciting new dishes that will undoubtably delight our customers. His culinary prowess will be showcased in the eagerly anticipated launch of a new menu in Ballymena on June 4th, 2024.

Jackie said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be the new Executive Chef for the Follow brand. Lesley is a true visionary, and she has created a wonderful business. My goal is that anyone who visits Follow enjoys a unique culinary experience, featuring the best quality local produce, using unique flavours that elevate even the simplest of dishes. There’s a huge amount of thought, flavour and passion that goes into each dish and I want to make sure that is experienced by every customer.”

In addition, owner Lesley’s exceptional leadership has received recognition, earning her the esteemed title of Coffee Shop Manager of the Year at the Institute of Hospitality Northern Ireland Awards in September 2023. This highly coveted accolade serves as a testament to Lesley's steadfast commitment to delivering unparalleled customer experiences in both branches.

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster continued: “Independent businesses like Follow Coast are the backbone of our local communities. To see a business like this thrive is testament to the hard work and excellence of Lesley and her team. I wish them every success in the future.”

For more information, visit Follow Coast's Facebook page.