Possibly the best thing about working in the coffee industry is the connections it creates. Most of the time they are fleeting and often seem inconsequential, but over the years I’ve found that these connections have a habit of bringing themselves to the fore at the most unexpected times.

This came to mind as I was approached by Aaron Carter, a barista and trainer from Cork in Ireland. They’d been a regular in FCP for a while whilst living in Bristol before moving on. We chatted in the cafe and probably attended a cupping together at some point, and that for a few years was the extent of that connection. Fast forward a few years and it was a surprise and and an honour that they reached out to me with request for a short interview for a newsletter and monthly community focussed event they were starting called The Cupping Club.

Anyway, I was happy to answer their questions and support a nascent idea and at the same time reminded of the power of those connections we make and how we can use them to support each other.

Aaron has kindly allowed me to re-post the interview here, but you should check out the newsletter anyway.

AC: 2022 has been a difficult year for us all, what have you found the hardest obstacle to overcome this year so far? 

MN: The changing attitudes towards coffee buying. As green prices have risen we’ve seen a lot of ethical and moral stances exposed as roasters move towards cheaper/lower quality coffee. As consumers we need to understand that coffee has simply been too cheap for too long and we can’t expect to pay that little any more.

AC: What producers/farmers are on your radar this year?

MN: Smallholders producing good washed coffees. The trend has been moving away from these normal or “coffee” coffees for soem time and has only been exaggerated as they appear to become poor value as global coffee prices rise. But in reality we’re close to paying what we should be for a quality product that provides a livelihood for millions of producers.

 I’ve nothing against the brand name producers or farms and celebrate their success, but it’s the unheralded smallholders and how the market reacts to their coffees that I will be watching.

AC: What is transparency to you? 

MN: Open and honest dealings across all parts of the supply/value stream. One of my biggest frustrations is the performative transparency we so much of where it is expected to be Upstream only. Is it fair to expect to be able to share a producers income and costs without sharing our own?

AC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into coffee?

MN: Taste, Think, Listen, Read. do all of these with a questioning and open mind and you won’t go far wrong.

AC: If you could go back and tell your younger self from the beginning of your coffee journey one thing, what would it be?

MN: Be prepared for how much work it’s going to be, how much of yourself you will give to others. i’m happy with my journey though, i’ve ended up in the right place for me

AC: Where direction do you see the coffee going in the next 5 years?

MN: We’re at an interesting point, what was new and fresh 5-10yrs ago is now the norm. We keep looking for the 4th and 5th waves, when in reality we’re looking in the wrong places. Each era of coffee has been an evolution of the next, I argued that we’re already in the “4th wave” and called it the information age of coffee, where the internet took 3rd wave ideas and spread them the world over.

5 yrs from now it will most likely look very similar to how it does today. Machines and cafe trends will change, but the basics of it will be the same. 

AC: What do you think we could be doing as a coffee community to strive for a better work environment?

MN: Breaking the cycle of bad people management. This is nothing new and we’ve seen it for generations, once a barista/worker becomes an owner/manager it’s hard to keep the focus on the people and not the numbers and profits.

By accepted standards I was a terrible business person, we made little money and never expanded past one site. Yet I humbly maintain that I was great at running a cafe. Staff were cared for and developed, not just in terms of training, but in life skills. We weren’t a family, but a group of co-workers who cared for and about each other. 

Knowing your rights, unionising, advocacy, these are all good and essential. But remember when you reach a position of responsibility that it means you are responsible for the wellbeing of those who work for you.