Hello, my name is Jacob and my relationship with Cafeology goes back to 2014 when I was studying at Sheffield Hallam University. I worked part time for Cafeology in their coffee pod at Decathlon in the city centre. Years later, and with a background in marketing I reapproached Cafeology about re-joining them full time. Now, I am the newly hired Marketing and Customer Development Manager and 2 weeks into the role. I’ve written a quick summary of my first couple of weeks on the job below:
My first day consisted of a warm welcome and induction by Steve Hampshire, Cafeology’s very own Head of Coffee. It was imperative we covered off Covid-19 protocol and general health and safety in the workplace, alongside other various bits of housekeeping. I rounded off my first day with a positive customer meeting at Cafeology HQ, where we tasted several different blends we believed would suit her customer base.
Over the next few days I had the opportunity to juggle important online learning courses with getting hands on in the warehouse. As the customer orders started to come in, I was tasked with picking and sorting them ready to be loaded onto the van. It quickly became apparent that the warehouse was incredibly well organised so finding stock was easier than first thought. When dealing with numerous orders, it’s crucial everything is accurate which meant asking lots of questions and triple checking the items were correct.
In order to fulfil my role as Marketing and Customer Development Manager, not only do I need to understand our products, but meeting the customers we deliver to is essential. Luckily, on the Friday I was given the opportunity to join one of our delivery drivers on a run. It was lovely to meet our fantastic customers ranging from small coffee shops to Universities. Being able to hand deliver our product maintains that personal relationship we have with our customers.
I kicked off my second week with a fantastic “Barista Workshop” with Anthony (roaster and superstar barista). I’m proud to say I wasn’t too shabby and have retained parts of what I learned at the coffee pod. I learned that ensuring the espresso is dialled in correctly and milk is silky is far more important than the latte art. As they say in golf, drive for show, putt for dough.
The majority of my second week involved spending time In the roaster with Roastology. Getting stuck in with packaging, labelling and destoning the coffee beans has been very beneficial. I have now seen the product change from green bean form to a finished roasted product ready for sale. Alongside the knowledge of coffee my colleagues possess at Roastology, their passion to roast and produce high quality blends of coffee is second to none.
So here I am after 2 weeks at Cafeology HQ and can happily say I’m loving it! The environment is incredibly warming and I’ve been made to feel welcome in all aspects. Every member of the team has a real desire to be the best they can be in their role. Blend this with an unreserved passion for coffee and you get Cafeology.
Right, enough from me… I look forward to updating everyone after my first full month on the job!
Jacob Buckle
