What was your first job? I spent a summer slinging parcels for a parcel delivery company. They rode the coattails of the mail order catalogue revolution (yeah, I’m that old!).
What’s been your worst job interview? MI5. It didn’t go well. I can’t talk about it though, or I’d have to kill you.
What was the first music single you bought? I think it was Björk - Army of Me, which would make me super cool. Or Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex.
How do you describe your job to your mates? It’s tough to explain that you run two coffee companies and two national brands without sounding pretentious. Someone once described me as a “serial entrepreneur”. That wasn’t cool. I was a bit sick in my mouth.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? Definitely the sense of achievement when you nail things. Winning new listings and seeing the brands grow is definitely what gets me out of bed.
What is the least rewarding part? Export documents. They suck.
What is your motto in life? Life is too short for bad coffee. And be nice.
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? My own coffee farm would be pretty rad. I’d also like more free time to go and look after it. And maybe a private jet to get there. This is getting out of hand.
Do you have any phobias? Bad coffee, and spiders.
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? I think grocery retail in the UK is some of the fairest and most diverse in the world, so I can’t complain too much. I guess if I had to pick one bugbear it would be buyers not getting back to you (even when you’re a supplier!).
What luxury would you have on a desert island? Little’s Island Coconut flavour infused coffee, of course! Only joking, I’d go for toilet paper.
What animal most reflects your personality? An ant. They’re pretty resourceful, they help each other out, and they have really freakishly strong jaws.
What’s your favourite film and why? The Big Lebowski. It is cinematic perfection and never stops amusing me. “The Dude abides!”
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Easy: René Redzepi. The guy is one of the greatest culinary talents of all time.
No comments yet