Oxford’s coffee scene is brewing up something familiar with Velvet Ditch Coffee Roasters’ new location. While the vintage-styled sitdown shop just opened at 1316 North Lamar Boulevard last week, Velvet Ditch Coffee Roasters has served Oxford since 2021.
Owner and founder Lesley Vance-Walkington learned to roast in 2019 and started the Velvet Ditch Coffee Roasters brand in 2021 by selling her beans to retail stores around Oxford.
“I just kind of took my time, took a couple of years after learning to roast, perfecting my profiles, perfecting my roast levels and my roasting abilities because there’s so much to learn about it,” Vance-Walkington said. “It’s part science, part math, part artistry.”
Vance-Walkington described the differences between her business and larger coffee companies.
“Commoditized coffee is something like Folgers — roasting on an industrial scale,” Vance-Walkington said. “I am an artisan roaster. I only roast 25 pounds at a time in my San Franciscan roaster here.”
The subtle differences in flavor brought about by slight changes in the roasting method make coffee making a dynamic business that never gets boring to Vance-Walkington.
“I can take this one bean from Guatemala, and I can roast that one bean six different ways, and I will give you six different flavored coffees based on how I handle it in the drum,” Vance-Walkington said.
Vance-Walkington’s love of coffee was only part of what spurred her to start this business, as the entire operation pulses with a love for the Oxford community, too. She cites her talks with students at the University of Mississippi as a major inspiration source, as well, with many students telling her they wanted to stay in Oxford after graduation.
“So my goal here is to build community right now because I’ve watched Oxford since I moved back home in 2013. I’ve watched Oxford just grow and explode,” Vance-Walkington said. “I just want to have a place where people can feel connected, even if they’re an out-of-towner and for locals to just come in and have a home away from home. I wanted my business to serve the community, to offer more jobs for students who didn’t want to leave, and to keep Oxford, Oxford.”
The new Velvet Ditch Coffee Roasters shop sits in a remodeled house from the 1940s, with the shop’s roaster occupying the old garage. Vance-Walkington bought the house and has spent the last year and a half transitioning it into a functional business space. She wanted the renovation to be impressive, while also keeping the original form of the building as a testament to old Oxford.
Kate Hands, an employee at the Velvet Ditch and a junior entrepreneurship major, said excitement for the new business is high.
“We had a soft opening for the first couple days, just family and friends,” Hands said.“And we had a line out the door for the hard opening. That was for hours. It was just so great to see everyone show up for Lesley and all the hard work she’s done. It’s been fun and everyone’s having a great time.”
Customers who visited the Velvet Ditch praised the shop.
“I’m glad that it’s a really comfortable spot, and it’s cozy and it’s a place you could go and hang out with people. But also you go to get work done,” Sydney Avery, a senior management major, said.
Velvet Ditch Coffee Roasters, located at 1316 North Lamar Blvd., is open on Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Daisy Leary contributed reporting.
