Meet the speaker

• 
  John Richardson The Café Experts

  Read biography : John Richardson

  Founder of The Cafe Experts and author of the UK's three best-selling coffee shop books, including Wake Up and Smell the Profit.

  Born and raised in Belfast through the Troubles, John opened his first businesses in a city where a bomb scare could empty the tills mid-shift. He started his sandwich business at 26, and by 28 it was the largest in Ireland, with a factory producing 7,000 sandwiches a day. By 29, a partner's bankruptcy had taken the lot. He rebuilt: Ireland's best fish and chip shop (Irish Times), a Michelin-starred restaurant turned profitable pizzeria, and a retail and cafe group where he built sales past £3 million. Across his trading businesses he employed nearly 1,000 people and sold over £40 million in goods and services.

  Since selling out in 2007 he has advised more than 1,000 coffee shop owners worldwide, helped build Coffee #1 to a record exit-multiple sale, turned a £20 million-turnover catering organisation losing £1.8 million into a £700,000 profit, and served as Channel 4's coffee shop advisor alongside Gordon Ramsay. He co-created Caffe Insights to put 35 years of that experience on stage.

Meet the speakers

• 
  Kieran John Fitzpatrick Coffee Trainer (AST) · Well Grounded

  Read biography : Kieran John Fitzpatrick

  As for my experience, I first started working as a barista and roaster at a micro-roastery 10 years ago. I then pivoted to an education company for a few years, before deciding I wanted to combine the two, and came across Well Grounded. I joined in 2019, and have worked in a number of roles, from progressions to coffee training, and now leading our North Academy in Leeds. I also spent some time working as a FOH manager at a large cafe in New Zealand during a 12 month break from Well Grounded (rejoined in 2023).

• 
  Marzia Viotti Coffee Excellence Manager · Dalla Corte

  Read biography : Marzia Viotti

  Marzia Viotti is Coffee Excellence Manager at Franke Coffee Systems / Dalla Corte UK, leading training and education, product demonstrations, events, and quality standards for baristas and café teams across the UK. She holds Q Grader and Q Grader Instructor certifications from the SCA (December 2024), and is an Authorised SCA Trainer for Barista Skills, Brewing, and Sensory Skills. Italian by background, with hospitality and specialty coffee experience spanning Italy and the UK, Marzia combines technical rigour with hands-on training expertise. Because she is not busy enough, she enrolled Uni and currently studying Management at Birkbeck, University of London. She is the proud mother of a 13 year-old boy who doesn't like coffee at all.

• 
  Natalie Hodgkinson Director · Boss and Brew Academy C.I.C

  Read biography : Natalie Hodgkinson

  Natalie is the founder of Boss & Brew Academy, a social enterprise using specialty coffee to tackle youth unemployment in Cardiff. Through a drop-in project backed by Skylark Roasters and the wider Cardiff coffee scene, she's built a genuine community where young people gain skills, confidence, and connections that open doors to work. Boss & Brew is a fierce supporter of the indies and collaborates with industry and third sector organisations to confront a hard truth, that coffee's future won't be inclusive unless we actively make space for the communities who've been left out of the conversation.

• 
  Hosted by Jon Townsend The Institute of Coffee

  Read biography : Jon Townsend

  The Institute of Coffee, Founder & Certified AST Trainer

  Jon has previously held roles at Worldwide Barista Academy, the Head of Training for an independent wholesaler, a Brand Ambassador, a Certified Speciality Trainer and an all-round coffee connoisseur.

  Inspired by influential coffee trainers, Jon attained the most prestigious accreditation AST in 2019, leading him to start his own freelancing & consultancy business The Institute of Coffee.

  Driven by a passion and desire to connect others, Jon has taken over a decades worth of experience in the hospitality industry working with established catering, food to go, and restaurant services and packaged that into a professional service for those seeking education.

Meet the speakers

• 
  Oscar Wooley Suki Tea

  Read biography : Oscar Wooley

  Director, European Speciality Tea Association

  Suki Tea Makers was set up in Belfast on a farmers’ market in 2005 and is now a leading UK artisan tea company known for its high-quality, ethically sourced loose-leaf teas. With a strong presence in the hospitality industry, SUKI supplies cafes, restaurants, and hotels, and also reaches customers directly through its online store. The company focuses on innovative blends and sustainable practices, catering to a diverse market that values taste, quality, and authenticity. Current exports to 23 countries predominantly in Greece, Poland, Norway and Japan but most trade is UK & ROI. SUKI is currently working through the application process for BCorp certification. Oscar Woolley is the co-founder and owner of Suki Tea Makers. As a director at the European Specialty Tea Association (ESTA), Oscar also plays a key role in advancing tea education and standards across the industry. As a recreational painter Oscar is passionate about supporting the arts, exemplified by Suki’s long-standing partnership with a local art college, fostering creativity in the community. Additionally, Oscar leads the Grow Tea NI Project, an initiative focused on local tea cultivation to promote community engagement, reflecting his commitment to innovation, quality, and ethical practices.

• 
  Olivia Nottin Matcha and Beyond

  Read biography : Olivia Nottin

  Founder, Matcha and Beyond

  Olivia Nottin is a nutritional therapist passionate about food. It was while she was helping her clients on their journey towards healthier eating habits, that she noticed their overconsumption of coffee and sugar-loaded lattes were particularly detrimental to their overall goal. Olivia recognised many couldn’t cut down on their habitual lattes and after discovering matcha, she felt it was the perfect alternative, with a very delicate taste, texture and many health benefits.

Meet the speakers

• 
  Jess McAllister Director · Jungle Coffee

  Read biography : Jess McAllister

  Jess McAllister began her coffee career at Boston Tea Party in Exeter in 2008 before spending more than a decade developing her skills within speciality coffee. She founded Jungle Coffee after converting a horse trailer into a mobile coffee business. Since then, Jungle Coffee and its team have travelled throughout the UK serving coffee at festivals, events and film productions. Her journey reflects both entrepreneurial determination and a commitment to building a business on her own terms.

• 
  Saskia Blum Director · Batch Baby

  Read biography : Saskia Blum

  Saskia Blum has worked in coffee for approximately 15 years, beginning in cafés on Australia's Gold Coast before developing her career through Oxford, Barcelona and London. In 2021 she launched Batch Baby and has since grown the business whilst maintaining a strong connection to coffee service and hospitality. Her experience spans both operational and leadership roles across speciality coffee, making her well placed to discuss growth, independence and long-term business sustainability.

• 
  Michaela Cimprichova Co-Founder · Intermission Coffee

  Read biography : Michaela Cimprichova

  Michaela Cimprichova is the co-founder of Intermission, an independent London-based speciality coffee roastery and café. Over the last six years, she has helped build the business around quality, care and people. She believes coffee has a unique ability to create meaningful connections and community. Her work focuses on creating opportunities for staff, developing positive workplace culture and ensuring success is shared across the wider business.

• 
  Hosted by Grace Talbot Sales Manager · Mió

  Read biography : Grace Talbot

  Grace Talbot is a UK-based coffee professional with experience across wholesale, education, events and community engagement. At Mió she focuses on accessibility, inclusivity and collaborative approaches to value creation within the coffee supply chain. She has emceed major international coffee competitions including the World Barista Championship at World of Coffee Milan, the World Cup Tasters Championship in Bangkok, World Coffee in Good Spirits in Brussels and the UK Barista Championships. Through her work with Mió she explores climate-responsive blending, sensory science, client experience and more inclusive approaches to flavour and coffee education.

Meet the speakers

• 
  John Richardson The Café Experts

  Read biography : John Richardson

  Founder of The Cafe Experts and author of the UK's three best-selling coffee shop books, including Wake Up and Smell the Profit.

  Born and raised in Belfast through the Troubles, John opened his first businesses in a city where a bomb scare could empty the tills mid-shift. He started his sandwich business at 26, and by 28 it was the largest in Ireland, with a factory producing 7,000 sandwiches a day. By 29, a partner's bankruptcy had taken the lot. He rebuilt: Ireland's best fish and chip shop (Irish Times), a Michelin-starred restaurant turned profitable pizzeria, and a retail and cafe group where he built sales past £3 million. Across his trading businesses he employed nearly 1,000 people and sold over £40 million in goods and services.

  Since selling out in 2007 he has advised more than 1,000 coffee shop owners worldwide, helped build Coffee #1 to a record exit-multiple sale, turned a £20 million-turnover catering organisation losing £1.8 million into a £700,000 profit, and served as Channel 4's coffee shop advisor alongside Gordon Ramsay. He co-created Caffe Insights to put 35 years of that experience on stage.

• 
  Ruth Philips

  Read biography : Ruth Philips

  Ruth spent eighteen years in marketing, finishing as National Director of Marketing for a FTSE 350 business with a team of 50 behind her. But her real passion was always food… so in 2009 she moved back home to Lancashire to build something of her own. She opened a coffee shop, bringing her love of food and coffee together with everything she'd learned running a business.

  It boomed. Then Covid closed it. The shop sat within a closed transport hub, so there was no way to keep it going through the lockdowns. By Christmas 2020, Ruth was selling from her home kitchen to a social feed that had gone completely flat.

  John Richardson, whose private coaching group she'd joined, told her she needed a story. So lent on her marketing skills and told the one about her grandma naming the shop. The orders instantly dramatically picked up..

  What followed was over 400 hours of live calls with John and the Cafe Experts members - working through real numbers, week after week, with businesses just like hers. As costs climbed, Ruth got obsessive about her own too, and took 30% out across the board. She sold the business in 2025 to focus on food full time.

  Now she works with councils and community businesses, teaching people to cook healthy meals from scratch on a budget. She's also lead menu consultant for The Cafe Experts - tracking food and drink trends and the psychology of menu design, and obsessively helping clients focus on profit in addition to creating delicious food and drinks.

Meet the speakers

• 
  John Richardson The Café Experts

  Read biography : John Richardson

  Founder of The Cafe Experts and author of the UK's three best-selling coffee shop books, including Wake Up and Smell the Profit.

  Born and raised in Belfast through the Troubles, John opened his first businesses in a city where a bomb scare could empty the tills mid-shift. He started his sandwich business at 26, and by 28 it was the largest in Ireland, with a factory producing 7,000 sandwiches a day. By 29, a partner's bankruptcy had taken the lot. He rebuilt: Ireland's best fish and chip shop (Irish Times), a Michelin-starred restaurant turned profitable pizzeria, and a retail and cafe group where he built sales past £3 million. Across his trading businesses he employed nearly 1,000 people and sold over £40 million in goods and services.

  Since selling out in 2007 he has advised more than 1,000 coffee shop owners worldwide, helped build Coffee #1 to a record exit-multiple sale, turned a £20 million-turnover catering organisation losing £1.8 million into a £700,000 profit, and served as Channel 4's coffee shop advisor alongside Gordon Ramsay. He co-created Caffe Insights to put 35 years of that experience on stage.

• 
  Hovig Yardim Owner · Tag Drinks

  Read biography : Hovig Yardim

  Hovig Yardim is the owner of TAG, the award-winning independent community café in Eastcote, West London, and creator of the patented TAG Tea Latte. A former UCL Biomedical Sciences student and Costa barista, he runs TAG like a lab: test, measure, repeat.

• 
  Ed O'Brien Founder · Brikly

  Read biography : Ed O'Brien

  Ed O'Brien has run a bakery and two cafes for 17 years. When supplier price rises kept eating his margins faster than he could track them, he built the tool he needed himself: Brikly, smart software made for independent operators, not chains.

Meet the speakers

• 
  Caroline Ottoy Managing Director · WatchHouse

  Read biography : Caroline Ottoy

  With nearly 30 years in the hospitality and retail industries, Caroline has a proven track record of scaling high-street restaurant brands across London and beyond. She began her career at ASK Italian when the business had just three sites, working closely with founders Adam and Sam Kaye to expand it nationwide. Together, they grew the portfolio to include Zizzi and other brands, navigating two venture capital buyouts. Her passion for operations led her to Tasty, where she collaborated with the Kayes once more to expand the dim t and Wildwood brands. She played a hands-on role in everything from menu development to restaurant design, ultimately helping grow the estate to 60 restaurants, supported by a central production unit. In 2018, Caroline transitioned into retail as Operations Director at Planet Organic, where her most challenging role was steering the brand and its stores successfully through the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2023, she joined WatchHouse as Managing Director. Since then, the estate has more than doubled, including the expansion of the business into New York City and with franchise in the UAE. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth across the hospitality and retail sectors.

• 
  James Hennebry CEO · Rosslyn Coffee

  Read biography : James Hennebry

  James Hennebry is the CEO, co-owner/ founder, operator and sometimes barista at Rosslyn Coffee in the City of London. Having previously worked in Live Music events James decided to swap his late nights for early mornings and learnt the craft of specialty coffee on Rosslyn St in West Melbourne. He returned to London in 2015 as Head of Wholesale at Caravan Coffee Roasters before launching Rosslyn in 2018. Now at 10 locations across the Square Mile, Rosslyn remains fully independent to this day and is widely regarded as one of the leading collections of high-volume specialty coffee shops in the world.

• 
  Annie Whone Head of Category & Product · Black Sheep Coffee

  Read biography : Annie Whone

  Annie Whone is Head of Category & Product at Black Sheep Coffee, where she oversees global supply chain, compliance, new product development and communications. She leads the teams responsible for developing and delivering the brand’s product launches and innovations, taking new ideas from initial concept through to their successful rollout across the global estate. Annie joined Black Sheep Coffee more than five years ago as a Cluster Manager, before moving into auditing and progressing through roles including Brand and Compliance Manager and Head of Quality Assurance. Her varied career within the business has given her a broad understanding of the operational, commercial and compliance considerations involved in developing products and scaling a fast-growing hospitality brand. Having joined when Black Sheep Coffee had around 30 stores, Annie has played an active role in its journey to approximately 135 locations worldwide (US, GCC, UK currently). This experience has given her a unique perspective on how products, operational standards and supply chains must evolve as a hospitality brand grows internationally.

• 
  Hosted by Jon Townsend The Institute of Coffee

  Read biography : Jon Townsend

  The Institute of Coffee, Founder & Certified AST Trainer

  Jon has previously held roles at Worldwide Barista Academy, the Head of Training for an independent wholesaler, a Brand Ambassador, a Certified Speciality Trainer and an all-round coffee connoisseur.

  Inspired by influential coffee trainers, Jon attained the most prestigious accreditation AST in 2019, leading him to start his own freelancing & consultancy business The Institute of Coffee.

  Driven by a passion and desire to connect others, Jon has taken over a decades worth of experience in the hospitality industry working with established catering, food to go, and restaurant services and packaged that into a professional service for those seeking education.

Meet the speakers

• 
  Max Frick Mount Everest Tea

  Read biography : Max Frick

  General Manager and Tea Taster at Mount Everest Tea

• 
  Kostas Papatheodorou ohmatcha.gr

  Read biography : Kostas Papatheodorou

  We are a family business, based in Athens, Greece. For over 30 years, tea has been more than our profession, it’s been our passion.

  We have dedicated our career to elevating the tea experience. Through our teashop in the center of Athens and our online shop, tea.gr, we have introduced Greece to an unparalleled variety of over 500 teas, from iconic Ceylon brews to matcha, rooibos, and unique herbal blends.

  What makes us proud is helping shape the Greek tea market. Back when coffee reigned supreme, we worked hard to create a space for tea lovers - offering premium options, educating customers, and partnering with businesses to make tea a staple in Greek homes, cafes, and restaurants.

  Today, tea has a strong presence here, and it’s amazing to have played a part in that journey.

  We are always on the hunt for exciting flavors, rare varieties, and innovative tea trends to bring to Greece and beyond. Whether it’s crafting custom blends for hotels or just chatting with customers about their favorite brew, our goal is simple: to make every cup of tea an experience to remember.

Meet the speakers

• 
  Emma Haines Senior Sales Manager · Algrano

  Read biography : Emma Haines

  Emma Haines is a senior green coffee professional with extensive experience across sourcing, sales, quality and commercial strategy. As a Senior Sales Manager at Algrano, she works with leading roasters and producers, specialising in key account management, green coffee markets and building long-term, sustainable supply relationships. She also founded Caffeina Coffee Ltd, which provides specialist training and coffee consultancy. Known for combining strong commercial knowledge with a practical, people-first approach, Emma is passionate about making green coffee more accessible, building genuine relationships and sharing knowledge.

• 
  Laura Meunier Co-Founder · Minga Coffee

  Read biography : Laura Meunier

  Co-founder of Minga Coffee & El Micelio regenerative farm. Laura began her coffee journey as a London-based barista in 2011. Today, she produces coffee in Huila, Colombia, and runs a UK-based green coffee importing company. Having worked across different stages of the coffee chain, she has gained an understanding of how value is created and captured, from the perspectives of both producing and consuming markets.

• 
  Lisa Lawson Founder · Dear Green Coffee Roasters

  Read biography : Lisa Lawson

  Lisa Lawson’s 26-year coffee career spans from Australia to Glasgow, where she founded the B Corp-certified Dear Green Coffee Roasters in 2011. A certified Q Grader and SCA Trainer, Lisa is deeply committed to specialty coffee quality, sustainability, and community. She founded the Glasgow Coffee Festival, the Scottish Aeropress Championship, and the UK Roasting Championships, served on the European Roasters Guild working group, and continues to earn award recognition for Dear Green’s positive climate action.

• 
  Art Gosling Founder · Goose Coffee

  Read biography : Art Gosling

  After 10 years working in the industry, I opened an owner-operated specialty coffee shop on the Isle of Wight last August. Goose is a multi-roaster shop focussed on showcasing independent UK specialty roasters on a monthly guest rotation, with an emphasis on championing newer and less recognised roasters with incredible coffee.

• 
  Hosted by Siala Farani-Tomlin Head of Coffee · Elsewhere Coffee

  Read biography : Siala Farani-Tomlin

  Head of Coffee at Elsewhere Coffee

  A long time barista, I spent a lot of time on the seaside in Brighton before cutting my teeth in the London roasting scene back in 2019. Extremely proud to now be a green buyer whose incredible luck has taken me to some of the most beautiful places on earth in pursuit of meeting producers, to shake their hands and say thanks for this fantastic product we drink daily.

  I'm a huge Mexican coffee enthusiast!! What keeps me endlessly interested in this industry is the people - coffee is a connector! I love the stories of the people who work with coffee, right from the people growing and harvesting through to the barista on bar at your local coffee shop. Baristas always have the best locals tips!

Meet the speakers

• 
  John Richardson The Café Experts

  Read biography : John Richardson

  Founder of The Cafe Experts and author of the UK's three best-selling coffee shop books, including Wake Up and Smell the Profit.

  Born and raised in Belfast through the Troubles, John opened his first businesses in a city where a bomb scare could empty the tills mid-shift. He started his sandwich business at 26, and by 28 it was the largest in Ireland, with a factory producing 7,000 sandwiches a day. By 29, a partner's bankruptcy had taken the lot. He rebuilt: Ireland's best fish and chip shop (Irish Times), a Michelin-starred restaurant turned profitable pizzeria, and a retail and cafe group where he built sales past £3 million. Across his trading businesses he employed nearly 1,000 people and sold over £40 million in goods and services.

  Since selling out in 2007 he has advised more than 1,000 coffee shop owners worldwide, helped build Coffee #1 to a record exit-multiple sale, turned a £20 million-turnover catering organisation losing £1.8 million into a £700,000 profit, and served as Channel 4's coffee shop advisor alongside Gordon Ramsay. He co-created Caffe Insights to put 35 years of that experience on stage.

• 
  Freddie Szydlowski Embargo

  Read biography : Freddie Szydlowski

  Born in Hamburg, Germany, and raised in Poland, Frederick became a professional basketball player at 18 before making a bold move to London at 19 with just a few hundred pounds in his pocket. Starting as a barista at Joe & The Juice while attending Westminster University, he quickly rose to become the youngest Head of Marketing in London’s hospitality industry by 21, working with renowned figures like Guy Pelly and Marc Burton.

  Recognizing a lack of accessible, easy to use digital tools for SMEs in hospitality, he created Embargo to help businesses capture customer data, build loyalty, process payments and drive growth across all sales channels with one plug-play platform.