Beyond business

I am…

Name: Judd Williams

Age: 38

Nationality: British

Job: Franchise Director, EMEA, Costa Coffee

You've just concluded a regional Barista of the Year contest. Why are these contests important? Producing great coffee for all of our customers all of the time is at the heart of our business at Costa. Making great coffee is all about the four Ms: Miscela (blend), Macinatura (grind), Macchina (machine) and Mano (hand or the skill of the barista). We take extra care in all these areas, but the skill of the barista is the most important part of the jigsaw. Our baristas take pride in what they do. They want to produce the best cup of coffee you can get.

How do these events benefit the consumer? The Barista of the Year competition, together with our Barista Maestro skills training, helps ensure consistent high standards of the coffee served in our stores. We are one of the only international coffee store chains who control our product from 'bean to cup'.

So does this mean we should make unusual demands on your team? Why not. You should ask for your coffee just the way you like it – you're the customer.

You moved jobs from Starbucks to Costa. What's your pitch to consumers to get them to make the same switch? I'll let the coffee do the talking on that one. In a recent blind tasting comparison exercise conducted for us in the UK by a specialist market research company, Costa cappuccino was preferred over the same beverage from the other main coffee store brands. More details are at www.costa.co.uk.

How do you relax when you're not running around tasting coffee and working with franchisees to monitor brand standards? When I'm not travelling I spend as much time as I can with my family. I also do what I can to support my team's efforts raising money for our charity – the Costa Foundation.

What's the most exciting place you've been to for work? Beijing, its vibrant and exciting with a real energy.


I'm listening to…

1. Tower Crane Driver by Elbow

2.My Baby Just Cares For Me by Nina Simone

3. Purple Rain by Prince

4. Back in Black by Hayseed Dixie

5. Anything by Groove Armada


I'm reading…

ISTANBUL

By Orhan Pamuk; it's a fascinating memoir of the city of Istanbul and what it used to be.

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