It was during one of the lockdowns that the conversation of putting out a magazine came up. Well, it was more of a punk-style zine vibe to begin with, but it was pretty evident from our early conversations that it would escalate to something more substantial. You see, we’re fans of the tangible. The old-school. And this magazine was a way for us to anchor attention away from the digital realm, if only just for a few minutes while you sit back and enjoy your coffee.
One of the big driving forces behind Volume One was discomfort. It’s a theme everyone can relate to in some way or another, and a conduit that we can use to touch on a number of different subjects. Whether it’s the uncomfortable process of going freelance, starting a bike parts brand after a career as a pro BMXer, or as we explore in our title feature, the discomfort of cold water swimming. Discomfort is the glue that holds this magazine together.
Bad Hand Coffee Roasters was born from discomfort. We’re not some VC backed start-up, but a crew that ran cafes for decades before moving across into the roasting side of the industry - another process we’ve spent years in the trenches, putting in hours, pushing our roaster to within an inch of its life, then learning how to fix, repair, and rebuild her when it all got too much.
While this magazine flies the flag for Bad Hand and helps us communicate our ethics and approach to coffee, it’s about much more than the roastery. Our warehouse is actually home to an eclectic community – illustrators, designers, barbers, yoga teachers, videographers and tattoo artists. Community is important to us, and we want to explore the threads that connect us and the wider family that spills out of the yard and out into the local area.
We were crazy hyped to have the support of local legend and surf photographer Gary Knights, who joined us on an icy morning in autumn when the water temperature had plummeted and the chain dives at the buoys took on a slightly stronger challenge. You can see his amazing photos in Volume One, and we’ll be circling back to Gary here pretty soon…
So where can you get Bad Hand Volume One?
The magazine is going out for free, and you’ll be able to sit down with a copy in most of the places that serve Bad Hand Coffee (and some that don't!) Additionally, it's free when you add it to your online orders, or drop in to the roastery and pick one up.