Wavi Coffee at Highcliffe

What sparked the idea to start Wavi Coffee?

A trip to Europe for a month. A love of coffee - and a shared love of the beach, ocean, yoga & surfing and with a heart-led passion for great tasting ethical coffee & sustainable, quality South West food and drink. Put simply.

With a history of food intolerances and gut issues between us, and struggling to find sweet bites our bodies could tolerate and tired of falling prey to false claims and misleading labels, we have taken it upon themselves to learn how to make decadent allergen-friendly treats without inflammatory ingredients or endless gums and fillers, to serve alongside great organic ethically sourced coffee, and more, at events and festivals initially around the South West.

Wavi was founded by a determination that seeking what we enjoy the most shouldn’t compromise on taste or our health or wellbeing - and a belief that coffee can be so much more than a morning pick-up or a caffeine fix.

You kicked things off by serving coffee from a converted Land Rover - that must have been quite the adventure! What inspired you to start that way?

Wavi Coffee started out of a Land Rover, partly because we love the buzz of events and festivals - and partly because we didn’t want to be stuck in one place. We wanted the freedom to move, to travel, and to bring proper coffee with us wherever the vibe felt right.

We’d spent years going to festivals and events ourselves, and more often than not, the coffee was disappointing and the food options felt like an afterthought - especially if you needed something gluten-free. So we thought, why not do it our way, the way we live at home? Make it mobile, make it good, and make sure everyone feels catered for.

Starting from the side of a Land Rover felt right - a bit rugged, a bit different, and built for the kind of adventures we wanted to be part of. It wasn’t about creating a typical coffee van - it was about creating something that felt personal, that could roll up to a field or a wedding or a cliff top and bring a bit of joy with it. That and a personal love of Land Rovers!

What values are at the heart of the Wavi Coffee brand?

At the heart of Wavi Coffee, it’s pretty simple: we care about good coffee, good people, and doing things properly.

We’re big on quality - not just in the beans we brew, but in everything we serve. We work with producers we trust (and genuinely like), and we make as much as we can in-house or in collaboration with small, independent businesses that share our values. If we wouldn’t eat it or drink it ourselves, we’re not selling it.

Sustainability matters to us, but in a real-life, down-to-earth way. We use recyclable or reusable packaging wherever we can, we keep things small-batch and low-waste, and we make conscious decisions about where our products come from — not because it looks good on paper, but because it’s how we live.

We also believe that everyone should feel looked after when they come to Wavi. That means no token gluten-free options, no half-hearted service. We want people to walk away with a coffee they love and a sense that someone’s actually paid attention to the details.

At the end of the day, Wavi is about connection. Good coffee is just the starting point.

We have to ask, what’s your go-to coffee order?

Here’s a funny story… one of us doesn’t even drink coffee.

Kind of ironic, right? But don’t worry, everything we serve has been rigorously taste tested (multiple times, for quality control... obviously). The thing is about 20 years ago, co-founder, Alison, was living off coffee. Proper advertising-agency chaos: long days, even longer nights, deadlines everywhere. Coffee was basically a food group. Fast forward to now, and after a bit of a caffeine detox, Alison tends to steer clear... mostly for the sake of everyone around her. When she tasted one of our espresso shots for the first time, she was bouncing off the walls. Turns out, two decades away doesn’t lower your tolerance.

Amy on the other hand? Absolute coffee obsessive. Double shot flat white, no messing about. Or sometimes a coconut matcha, if it’s that kind of day.

Beyond ethically sourced coffee, what else can we look forward to on the Wavi menu?

We’re all about damn good coffee - but it doesn’t stop there.

Alongside our ethically sourced Origin Coffee beans (which we’re pretty proud of), the Wavi menu is full of bakes, drinks, and extras that are made with care and a bit of creativity. We’re big believers in quality over quantity, so what you’ll find on the menu is intentionally curated, always fresh, often seasonal, and genuinely delicious.

We serve bakes that aren’t just there to fill a gap - they’re made in-house or sourced from indie producers we love, with proper ingredients and options that don’t leave anyone out. Yes, we cater for gluten-free (and it’s not the dry, sad kind). We’re also into small-batch, thoughtful extras - things like our homemade coffee syrups, or the granola we’ve been quietly perfecting for future plans.

On the drinks side, you’ll find our go-to coffee lineup (with the odd wildcard in our coffee lemonade), plus iced options in summer, and cosy specials when it’s cold. We also serve up things like coconut matcha, chai, and the kind of hot chocolate that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

Basically, if it’s on the Wavi menu, it’s something we’d order ourselves - and probably have, many times.

Running a business with family is pretty special — what do you love most about working together? (Don’t worry, we’ll skip the next question!)

It really is special - messy at times, but special.

What we love most is that there's a kind of unspoken understanding between us. We know each other’s strengths, we know when to give each other space, and we’re both deeply invested in what we’re building - not just because it’s a business, but because it’s ours.

There’s trust, there’s honesty (sometimes a bit too honest!), and there’s a shared vision that keeps us going even when things get tough - because let’s be real, running a business isn’t always smooth sailing. But there’s also a lot of laughter, a lot of coffee-fuelled planning sessions, and plenty of “how did we end up here?” moments that we wouldn’t trade for anything.

What are you most excited to bring to Highcliffe?

We’re really excited to bring Wavi Coffee to Highcliffe with a brand-new cafe space - but don’t worry, Wavi “Landy” isn’t going off the road. She’ll still be out at events and festivals, doing what she does best.

This new spot for us, is an extension of what we’ve built on the road - a chance to build on what we’ve started, nurture a great team, and create a welcoming, permanent home without losing the freedom, vibe, and ethics that are core to Wavi.

It’s about having the best of both worlds: the buzz and adventure of events, plus a steady place where people can come for great coffee, thoughtful bakes (including those much-needed gluten-free options), and a sense of community.

For us and for for our lovely new team member Daisy, it means growing sustainably, keeping the Wavi spirit alive, and sharing what we love with more people in a way that feels true to who we are.

All in a truly beautiful and nurturing space at Highcliffe.