“Like so many others who have found inspiration in Oxford, Mississippi, I draw inspiration from its charm, people and culture, handcrafting small batches of coffee with full-flavor expressions in every roast.”
— Lesley Vance Walkington
Velvet Ditch Coffee offers premium specialty coffee, small-batch artisan blends, and bourbon barrel-aged coffee delivered to your door.
Founded in 2021, Velvet Ditch Coffee is a specialty roaster based in Oxford, Mississippi. We focus on sourcing the finest single-origin beans and expertly roasting them to reveal their unique, natural flavors. Deeply committed to our community and the dedicated farmers behind every harvest, we maintain the highest standards—only choosing beans that score above 80 on a 100-point scale. Our mission is to deliver a consistently exceptional coffee experience that leaves a lasting impression on every cup.
About the Roaster
A Mississippi native, Lesley is deeply connected to Oxford: “Oxford leaves an indelible mark on your heart—you never really want to leave. Its affectionately known as the ‘Velvet Ditch’ because it envelops you in a warm, inviting charm that’s hard to escape,” Lesley explains. “In Oxford, it’s effortless to feel at home. Here, hospitality thrives alongside incredible food, soulful music, and an amazing arts scene.”
“I launched Velvet Ditch Coffee to not only boost our town’s economic success but also to create something truly unique—a community hub where friendships are forged and to offer new jobs for local residents and fresh opportunities for graduating students,” Lesley said. “Given our town’s projected 27% growth by 2030, there’s immense potential to support our community’s future.”
Favorite Velvet Ditch Coffee: “My daily favorite is our Guatemala Cafe (the brown label) with notes of dark chocolate, cane sugar and citrus. But my most favorite is our Kenya coffee with notes of dark chocolate, cola and blackberry. It delivers a dynamic blend of vibrant acidity and rich, fruity notes creating a uniquely memorable flavor profile. Every sip offers a glimpse into the coffee’s origin, combining complexity with a smooth finish that really elevates my daily coffee experience.”
Favorite brewing method: “My love for coffee deepened after my brother, Chris, gifted me with a pour over set one Christmas. He truly inspired my coffee journey. The pour over process brings out additional flavor notes because of the prolonged extraction time of the grounds in the hot water. Making pour overs has been our family’s morning ritual ever since.”
Why roast coffee? “I enjoy small batch roasting because it delivers the perfect balance of quality and flavor. Roasting green coffee beans involves heating them to really high temperatures to trigger chemical reactions—like the Maillard reaction and caramelization—that transform their flavor, aroma, and color before rapidly cooling them to stop the process. Roasting is a full sensory experience.”
Where Curiosity Meets Craft: Driven by curiosity and a lifelong love of learning, Lesley earned her Specialty Coffee Association certification at Boot Coffee Campus in California. She followed her passion for coffee, launching Velvet Ditch Coffee Roasters in 2021 with a focus on sourcing and roasting unique profiles that accentuate the bean’s natural flavor. Velvet Ditch Coffee crafts delicious Specialty coffee that offers a smooth, layered flavor, refreshingly free of bitterness. Specialty coffee is grown at high altitudes, picked at peak ripeness and is known for its quality and consistency.
“Here in the South, we savor every moment spent on the front porch, coffee mug in hand. Velvet Ditch Coffee makes every gathering with family and friends even more unforgettable,” Lesley said.
