Chiswick Coffee Roasters Embarking on World-record Journey
Edwin and Magda going in a van to Australia with their young family
The Harrison family by the van in which they will be travelling to Australia
December 15, 2025
Edwin and Magda Harrison — founders of the Artisan coffee shops and the Curious Roo roastery are setting off on what may be the most ambitious “coffee run” ever attempted. They are preparing to drive a single bag of coffee from their Chiswick roastery all the way to Australia, travelling 22,000km across 25 countries by land and sea.
The six-month journey, undertaken with their three children aged 6, 8 and 11, is a world-record attempt for the longest coffee delivery. Their destination is Magda’s mother in Australia, one of the world’s leading specialty coffee markets. Along the way, the family will explore how coffee culture shifts from country to country, meeting growers, roasters and café owners from Europe to Central Asia and China.
Travelling in a converted van, the family will cross borders from Europe into Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan and China before reaching the sea routes that will take them to Australia. Each stop offers a different window into the world of coffee — from Italian espresso bars to Turkish cezve brewing, from emerging Central Asian specialty scenes to the drying beds of Yunnan.
Their children will be home-schooled along the way, with geography, culture and food becoming part of the curriculum.
“For so many of us, life runs on coffee fumes,” says Edwin. “We wanted to slow down and reconnect with the patience, craft and origin behind every cup. What started as a crazy idea while delivering beans to customers quickly escalated into this full adventure.”
Magda adds that the trip reflects a wider post-pandemic shift in how people think about work, travel and connection. “Coffee is a lens,” she says. “It lets you meet people, hear stories and understand a place.”
The Harrisons will also use the trip to raise money for More Than a Dent, their UK-based charity that supports long-term infrastructure projects in communities facing hardship. Previous initiatives have included clean-water access in Ethiopia and recycling centres in Nepal, helping reduce child labour and create sustainable income for families.
The entire journey will be documented on Instagram and YouTube, where the family will share stories from the road, insights into global coffee culture and the realities of travelling long-distance with three children and a single precious bag of beans.
The Harrisons opened the first Artisan café in Stamford Brook in 2011, helping to pioneer the area’s now-thriving independent coffee culture. Artisan quickly became known for its relaxed atmosphere, barista training ethos and commitment to high-quality beans.
As demand grew, the couple launched Curious Roo in 2015 — a dedicated roastery based in Chiswick that supplies cafés, restaurants and home brewers across London. Curious Roo built a reputation for small-batch roasting, direct relationships with growers and a playful, experimental approach to flavour.
Follow the journey: Website: www.curiousroo.com. Instagram: @curiousroocoffeeroasters. YouTube: @CuriousRoo.
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