Many of you may not be familiar with us, so allow me to introduce ourselves! I'm Ben Magee, and together with my dad, we founded Lion's Head Coffee. At 23 years old, here's my coffee journey thus far.
Believe it or not, coffee wasn't a part of my family's routine until I turned 15. Quite surprising, right? It all started when a close friend from South Africa jokingly told me that if I wanted to go to Heaven, I had to drink coffee. Funny enough, I started drinking coffee from that day on. Soon enough, I found myself making coffee for guests at our home and honing in on my barista skills.
When I was 17, I embarked on a ministry trip to Peru, which turned out to be a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. It was then that I realized my calling for ministry. However, I had a dilemma—I didn't want to rely on people's financial support for my ministry (and living expenses are not cheap). My dad, the hardest worker I've ever known, instilled in us the value of hard work, emphasizing that you can work and do ministry simultaneously. So, I began seeking God's guidance.
During a moment of prayer at our home in Texas, I had a vision of a coffee bush looking out in my backyard. It was an aha moment, even though I knew next to nothing about coffee. I thought I would start growing coffee in our little acre yard. After some research, I learned that coffee doesn't typically grow in Texas due to specific altitude, temperature, soil, and light requirements. I decided that if I couldn't grow it, I could certainly roast it. I enrolled in a 3-day course at Diedrich Headquarters in Idaho to learn the art of coffee roasting.
Several months later, I had the opportunity to visit a coffee farm in Guatemala with Minister Scott Lee. Meeting the farmers and witnessing the entire coffee cultivation and processing journey was eye-opening. I saw firsthand the challenges faced by coffee farmers and their families, and it deeply moved me.
It was then that my dad recognized my passion and purpose and decided to invest in my venture. We started from scratch, building a climate-controlled room in his shop. No massive investors, just a father-and-son team taking on the challenge. Since then, we've made significant progress: we've shipped our coffee to nearly every state in the US and 14 countries overseas, secured spots in major grocery stores, provided private labeling services, operated our own mobile cafe, and now as of February 21, 2024, nearly 4 years later have finally expanded into our very own 2400 Sq Ft roastery in Royse City, Texas to keep up with the demand.
We have a huge vision and believe without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord's hand is guiding us for such a time as this. Our mission is to produce exceptional coffee while transforming the world. We aspire to introduce people to the life-transforming power of Christ Jesus. If this mission resonates with you, you can support us through prayer and by enjoying our exceptional coffee. Additionally, with every purchase, we support an orphanage ministry based in South Africa and Justice Speaks, an anti-sex trafficking ministry in Los Angeles, California.
May you be blessed.
Ben Magee | Co-Founder