Fable Coffee Stories

Em Herriott (they/them) is the founder of We Are Here in Margate - a queer, disabled owned coffee roastery that has making coffee more accessible and welcoming to everyone, in a multitude of different ways, at the core of what they do.We delve into how Em's journey took them from coffee to corporate and back to coffee again, openly discussing the experiences along the way that really shaped how they move through the world in their life and career today. In this open and honest conversation, we cover a whole host of themes from the importance of safe spaces in real life and online, creating your own coffee business as a disabled person, and the complexities of communicating sociopolitical viewpoints through a brand that feel both safe and authentic.Footage of Fred being stolen - https://www.instagram.com/p/BaG1YpXnrTE/Theme song by Good News.

Esther Hope-Gibbs (she/her) set up Hope Espresso 6 years ago out of utmost necessity when her career plans fell through when the pandemic hit in 2020. Now, with over 15 years experience in the coffee industry, Esther is an authorised SCA trainer, Q Arabica Grader, ESTA Tea Trainer and the director of her own coffee business specialising in sustainable sourcing, quality training and business development. Esther’s career journey is a story of resilience, knowing your own worth and the integral nature of failure in progress as a process. We delve into how Esther continually moves forward as a business owner with open and honest conversations around her experience of imposter syndrome, unconscious bias and ADHD.Theme song by Good News.

Zoe Williams (she/her) wrote in her diary 5 years ago that she wanted to compete in the UK Barista Championships before she was 30. Not only did she hit that milestone, but she came second in the competition the first time she ever competed. At the time of recording, Zoe was working at Clifton Coffee Roasters, where she began her first behind the scenes coffee job packing bags at the roastery, navigating her way to the role of coffee trainer. Since then she has started a new role with Well Grounded as their South West Coffee Trainer. This episode explores the transition from barista to roastery production, and delves into the ins and outs of coffee competition. Where is the best place to start when crafting a competition routine? How can you prioritise focusing on your own progress rather than comparing your progress to that of others? What are some of the key personal barriers to work on overcoming when thinking about competing? Theme song by Good News.

Originally from Canada, Jessie Vandenberg-Molina (she/her) started her coffee journey in Glasgow at the legendary Space Coffee House, becoming founder Connie’s first ever employee and falling in love with coffee through the exploration of taste and curiosity. Most recently, Jessie started working at Oatly as Barista Market Developer almost three years ago, and has since moved into the role of Co-Lead of her team.  In this conversation, we delve into how Jessie’s coffee career got started, and the all-important move to London from Scotland that made her rethink how she wanted to move through the coffee world - including one pivotal conversation where she was asked “What kind of barista do you want to be?” Jessie’s journey is a wonderful, wholehearted representation of what a career moving from a barista role in coffee can look like; and the conversation is full of honesty about the ups and downs of that process.

Gene Ke (she/her) is a certified CQI & CVA Arabica Q-Grader, having made her way into the coffee industry long after she got her degree in Mathematics and a masters in Education from Oxford University. The absolute definition of someone who throws herself into every opportunity - especially when she begins to feel stuck - Gene has been carving out a breathtaking career in coffee since 2020 after spending 7 years teaching Maths in schools. From opening her own coffee shop to trading in the maths education to train wholesale accounts at Curious Roo Coffee Roasters, from competing in numerous national competitions to being integral in levelling up the coffee programme at Joe and the Juice; Gene is a shining example of how to move through the coffee industry and find your place within it. This episode dives into the twists and turns of Gene’s coffee career; how to keep pushing forward when you feel that you’ve hit the ceiling of progress, navigating the transition between independent coffee roastery and global commercial chain, and the similarities and differences in teaching maths in schools and teaching coffee to coffee businesses – specifically the unconscious biases this can bring to the surface.Since recording this episode, Gene has set up her own coffee business, Tribe Coffee Workshop, offering coffee events and education as well as green coffee services.Theme Song by Good News.

Joana Vieiralves Wood (she/her) is the founder of Bristol Coffee Festival in addition to her full-time role as Logistics and Accounts coordinator at Volcafe UK & Ireland.After moving from Brazil to Bristol and working in coffee shops there, Joana felt that the city she had fallen in love with was missing out on something major – a coffee festival. What does a woman like Joana do when she sees something needs to happen? Makes it happen herself, of course. We explore the depths of Joana’s coffee journey all the way up to where she is now; divulging in topics from overthinking as a barrier for self-confidence to navigating your way to find your place in the industry, from the importance of protecting your values and learning to tell people exactly what you need, to pregnancy and being a parent while carving out a career for yourself in the coffee industry (whether it be working in cafes or organising on coffee festivals) and navigating the judgement this can bring. Theme song by Good News.

Natalie Hodgkinson (she/her) is the founder of Boss and Brew - a barista training academy that does integral work in Cardiff, Wales, using specialty coffee as a vehicle to boost young people’s confidence and self-esteem, raise their aspirations and support them in expanding their networks to set them up with the skills they need to enter the world of work. Prior to entering the coffee industry, Natalie was a maths teacher. Since opening her own coffee business, she felt that she could make positive change and impact on issues she saw within her own community in Cardiff, drawing from many of her own frustrations with the traditional education system and advocating for the importance of tailoring training to the individual. This conversation explores a plethora of issues surrounding barriers to entry in the coffee industry; including the issues within recruitment processes in coffee, the immense pressure on young people to know what is right for them so early on and how to negate intimidation and accessibility at coffee events. Theme song by Good News.

Grace Talbot (she/her) has come a long way in her coffee career since her bookselling barista days at Cafe W (the coffee shop concept within Waterstones). From being offered a position she didn't apply for at the coffee roasters Girls Who Grind, to re-shaping how we think about coffee festivals at Cup North, Grace's career has gone from strength to strength, despite multiple hurdles that threatened to stand in the way. Today, she's absolutely smashing it as Sales Manager at Mió, and very recently emceed the World Barista Championships. In this conversation we delve into a multitude of themes, from accessibility at coffee events to the power of people and the extreme importance of encouragement for progression, from imposter syndrome to re-baking the pie and making space for as many people as possible. Theme song by Good News.