MEET THE TEAM - ELLEN PORTEOUS, FOUNDER
Ellen has 20 years worth of experience in hospitality and there aren’t many areas of the industry she hasn’t turned her hand to throughout this time! After growing up in Frome, Ellen moved to Glasgow to study theatre (is it any wonder there’s a theme of theatrical flair throughout her company’s personalities?) and stayed for 4 years working in theatre, hospitality, and eventually ending up in design.
Inspired by the Glasgow speciality coffee scene she decided to become a part of it, most notably being coffee trained by the wonderful Lisa of Dear Green. When Ellen returned to Frome she needed to scratch that flat white itch. Desperate to bring the local coffee scene to life in her much loved home town, Ellen launched her first business, The River House, with the help of some of the finest baristas she could get her hands on. After completing her foundation in coffee roasting at London School of Coffee, and having acquired a 3kg Toper roasting machine, the plan was to create a coffee ‘shop’, serving up great coffee, roasting on the premises and showcasing an array of wonderful speciality coffee roasters through retail sales and guest beans.
When the reality of starting a business at the age of 24 started to hit, and the popularity of the café as a ‘sit in’ venue became apparent, the focus was turned to making The River House a brunch destination, meaning the coffee roasting took the back seat and Geraldine, the lean, mean, green roasting machine, went into hiding at her parent’s garage. During this time, with a focus on food led businesses, Ellen birthed her second business baby, a contemporary restaurant called Fat Radish, creating another on trend venue for the town’s food scene. It was during this time that Anna, one of the original River House baristas, was keen to turn her hand to roasting. Thus Ellen, while overseeing the running of the café and managing the restaurant, kickstarted her third company as Loud Mouth Coffee Roasters.
Born officially in 2018, the company began to grow with Anna mastering the art of roasting, creating incredible blends such as Proper Gobby (the signature Loud Mouth blend) and the session blend – a 50/50 blend of caffeinated and decaf beans, whilst growing the collection of single origins. Ellen turned her hand to the design and marketing of the company, growing the brand through its online presence.
Fast forward two years, and Loud Mouth moves to a larger premises to begin properly expanding the company…mid-pandemic of course. Is there any better time to look at company growth than mid-global crisis?! Yes, it turns out, there is…but that didn’t stop this proper gobby bunch. With the mental health impacts of a locked down world hitting people hard, Ellen decided to make the focus of the company a positive one, by donating proceeds from Loud Mouth to talking charities Mind, and SWEDA.
SWEDA (Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association) is a charity particularly close to Ellen’s heart, and one whose services she has used for the last 15 years. After developing a severe eating disorder aged 18 following the suicide of a close friend, the services and support they provide have meant she was able to overcome a lengthy battle with the illness, and even go on to build an entire career around celebrating food. Having experienced first hand how incredibly valuable the work of this charity is, and others like it, she has embarked on a number of fundraising activities including sponsored hitchhikes, marathons, supper clubs, donations from menus, dress up days, community concerts and, a personal favourite - the naked café calendar. Over the years, with the help of her team, the companies have raised thousands for The Burnt Chef Project, Fair Frome, Mind and SWEDA, and their continued dedication to charity work is far from finished.
With a passion for branding and design, and having years of theatre marketing under her belt, Ellen spent 2022 embarking on a year long design course, helping her to gain the skills she needed to take the 3 companies to the next level with their three unique personalities. Spending the summers catering various weddings and events, Ellen divides the rest of her time between running things behind the scenes at The River House, Fat Radish and Loud Mouth, continuously working on growing the identity and popularity of each brand.
So what does the future look like for Ellen and her career? Another café premises in Bristol is something she is keen to explore, as well as growing Loud Mouth to appear at more festivals and events across the country. With the wedding catering side of things beginning to take off, it hard to know where to start… But with The River House turning 10 next year, it’s safe to say Ellen and her bubble of businesses won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. These names are here to stay!