One of the hottest markets for coffee these days is in the UK. The past two years have seen a significant increase for the industry. By January of 2014, the UK experienced a 6.4% increase in coffee sales, with over 16,500 coffee roasters and shops open across the country.
In fact, the coffee shop has become one of the most successful business ventures for the economy in the UK. What was once reserved for the English pub, now the English coffee shop has become the social meeting place for the community. The numbers back this up, with coffee drinkers in the UK purchasing 1.7 billion cups of coffee from coffee businesses each year.
It doesn’t appear the trend is going to stop anytime soon. According to a study by the food and retail research group Allegra Strategies, it’s estimated that by 2018 there will more than 20,500 coffee businesses in the UK. An influence for this statistic is the popularity of the third wave coffee movement. Today, British coffee drinkers are more discerning than ever and the demand for specialty coffee is growing exponentially.
Origin Coffee: Independent & Innovative
One of the leaders in the British coffee market is Origin Coffee Roasters based in Cornwall. Founded in 2004, Origin entered the coffee trade with no roaster and no roastery. With a passion for quality coffee, Origin created specialty blends which a local roaster would produce for them. In just a couple of years the Origin brand had established itself as a quality coffee that could be found in restaurants, hotels and cafes all across Cornwall.
Still a small company, Origin stepped into the deep end of the coffee market in 2008 with the purchase of their first roaster. Roasting their own coffee opened the doors for Origin to be the coffee roaster it dreamed to be. Sourcing their own beans and purchasing from reliable micro-lots all around the world, Origin has maintained its roast-to-order business.
… an independent and innovative company who differ from the rest.
Today, Origin Coffee Roasters not only supplies the UK with quality coffee but they have grown into a a full service coffee business. You can visit one of their many coffee shops, which have become destination points for coffee lovers. Interested in making coffee a career choice? Origin also provides a professional barista training course hosted by a SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe) trainer. Having problems with your espresso machine? No problem, Origin also offers engineering services for clients all across the UK.
Origin’s Head of Engineering, Sam Bratton
Heading up the engineering services department for Origin is Sam Bratton. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sam about his responsibilities at Origin.
Sam’s start as a mechanical engineer for Origin was a bit unique. His background and experience was not in tech but in hospitality as a barista. Exactly what Origin was looking for. You see, Origin knew that interaction with the customer was just as important as repairing a mechanical problem. Strong communication and interpersonal skills would be required and who better than a former barista.
Sam was trained by the best and today is the head of engineering for Origin. When Sam started he was handling a couple of service calls per day but with Origin’s growth, their engineering services are now is high demand. With workshops in Cornwall and London, Origin’s engineering department maintains coffee machinery all across the UK.
Start A Career In Coffee
If you are living in the UK and would like to start a career in coffee, Origin in hiring! You can see the full Wholesale Manager job listing on their website HERE. This is a great opportunity to take on a high profile position in the UK coffee market. The requirements for the Wholesale Manager listing at a glance:
- Minimum 3 years wholesale experience in sales
- Excellent written and verbal skills
- Previous experience as a barista or barista trainer with an understanding of coffee profiling, dial in, pour latte art, etc.
For everyone in the USA, take a moment and visit our Coffee Jobs page to find the latest listing in your state. Cheers!
