Culture: Coffee column - From little acorns grow . . .
Paddy and Scott’s company ethos is ‘fuelling ambition’. Our coffee is for the doers and the driven; for everyone who wakes up in the morning and starts the grind. If you have a dream, an ambition, and the drive to conquer it; well, we can provide the fuel for you to see it through.
Put simply, we champion the grafter. We love to see people achieve which is why we were so delighted to hear the news that Kit, our barista trainer’s hard graft had been rewarded with a prestigious Acorn Award for the brightest prospects, under 30, in the hospitality industry.
Kit’s job sees him travelling the length and breadth of the country sharing his passion for a decent cup of coffee with our many concessions. There’s no better fellow for the job. His knowledge is unrivalled, his enthusiasm is infectious, and his energy is relentless (that’ll be courtesy of all the coffee he drinks). He is, as we affectionally call him, a thorough ‘coffee nerd’.
Our resident ‘coffee nerd’ offers technical support for coffee machines but most importantly is responsible for making sure every barista serving Paddy and Scott’s coffee does so with passion and flair. It is important baristas understand the science behind a great cup of coffee and to make sure they’re doing justice to our renowned coffee.
Behind every cup there’s a team of Paddy & Scott’s heroes involved in growing, picking, roasting and serving our coffee. We take a real pride in growing our own coffee in Kenya and ensure every bag of Paddy & Scott’s Meru Farm coffee purchased is helping to deliver real change, entrepreneurial spirit, and a better quality of life for the farming families.
Kit has travelled to the farm, worked alongside the Muchcomba family, experienced the farming methods, and has a true understanding on the importance of provenance and sustainability.
Added to that he’s passionate about training and his YouTube training films have gathered 16,000 subscribers, which gives you an idea of this guys’ presence and ambition.
The Acorn Awards seek to recognise the brightest prospects in the hospitality industry and are awarded annually to 30 rising stars under the age of 30. Naturally, we thought Kit was the perfect candidate so put forward his nomination with a glowing testimony.
It goes without saying when the results came in we were incredibly proud and not the least bit surprised to find he had won.
Kit began his Paddy and Scott’s career as a barista in our Bury St Edmunds café. His passion, winning personality and talent for coffee have driven him through achievements and promotions to become our ‘Head of Coffee Excellence.’ His task is to find and nurture the next generation of barista talent who, like him, have dreams of becoming mighty oaks.
Scott Russell
CEO Paddy & Scott’s
Paddy & Scott’s Abbeygate Street, Bury St Edmunds
paddyandscotts.co.uk
