Bristol Twenty Single Origin Coffee

Inside the careers at Bristol Twenty

Have you thought about a career in the coffee industry?

This March 5th – 10th marks National Careers week. Highlighting the importance of young people in education choosing the career path that’s right for them.

Explore the full range of tea & coffee

In recent years, there has been a high rate of youth unemployment due to lack of advice and support available.

National Careers Week is a week long celebration of careers guidance and free resources in education. The aim of the week is to provide young people with an accurate picture of what opportunities are available in the career path they wish to take, and to support them in their choices, allowing them to reach their full potential.

National Careers Week is also a fantastic week for highlighting careers young people may never have thought of before. We all know the career paths for becoming doctors, dentists and teachers but what if this path isn’t for you?

Within the restaurant business coffee shops are the fastest growing niche and after crude oil coffee is the most sought after commodity in the world, worth around $100 billion worldwide.

A definitive report from Allegra World Coffee Portal, Project Cafe 2017, revealed that the UK branded coffee shop segment is set to reach 9,400 outlets and make £6 billion annual revenue by 2021. It is predicted that branded coffee chains will continue to perform strongly and continue to meet the intense competition with innovative strategies. With the increasing popularity of coffee shops, it is predicted that coffee shops will become the first choice for British consumers and that coffee shops will outnumber pubs in the UK by 2030.

This is great news for those involved in the coffee industry, like us here at Bristol Twenty. We have a collective total of over 60 years in the coffee and catering industries, so you can be assured we know our stuff. We are constantly striving to be the best we can possibly be, evolving with each year and offering our customers the latest trends where appropriate. Our philosophy is simple we want to help our customers serve the very best range of hot drinks possible.

For National Careers Week, we have rounded up the team here at Bristol Twenty to give you a glimpse into the coffee industry, allowing you to see how each member of the team got into the coffee industry and their favourite parts of the job.

If you like what you hear, why not consider the new role we have available?

Rory Ireland – Sales Director

Rory has been the Sales Director at Bristol Twenty for over 12 years, his father was the founder of Bristol Twenty and he has continued to help run the family business since his passing. When he was younger he wanted to be a Lawyer, instead he has worked in the restaurant trade since leaving school, working his way up the ladder, which has proved incredibly valuable experience for running Bristol Twenty on a Day to Day basis.

I had been working in the restaurant trade since leaving school, from pot wash to operations manager. I was working for a well known Latin American restaurant as there new openings manager, when Roy Ireland (the founder of Bristol Twenty Coffee co & my dad) was diagnosed with cancer. I was working 100 plus hour weeks and desperate for a change. I came back to help dad out for 6 months and the rest is history.

The industry has changed so much since I came into it, and there are so many different roles available. These days you have to get as much experience as possible and decide what area you want to be in. . You also have to have a real passion for coffee and for learning. Even the barista’s role has developed in my time into a real calling rather than something people fall into as a stop gap, which is great for the whole industry.

I’m biased as I designed a lot of them, and it changes with my mood, but at the moment I’m really into our 21TEN blend, not just for the taste but I love the background to it and the links to the Above & Beyond charity.

I’m a purest most of the time and drink my coffee as an Americano. Occasionally I’ll have a flat white if I’m being indulgent, but I really like to taste the original coffee. You can’t beat a traditional biscotti biscuit when you need that sugar hit though.

Learning new stuff, and being creative and when people appreciate the result its a real buzz.

After reading Jeff Koehler’s ‘Where the wild coffee grows’ I’m really interested in lost coffee’s ie wild coffee’s that have almost been forgotten or have fallen out of trend, such as coffee from the Ethiopian cloud forests. I think there must be coffees out there that really haven’t had their day

Oh I could never choose. We like to work with people that we get on with on a personal level, so it’s always about the people.

I’d like to see a slow steady growth and bring as many products as possible in house. It will allow us more control over our products and allow us to ensure our ethical principles are upheld. I’d also like to start discovering some of these forgotten coffee’s for myself and have more interaction with our growers at source.

The variety of the job. One day I can be roasting, the next I’m training half a dozen teenagers and trying to get them passionate about coffee, some days I’m tied to my desk and others I’m driving through the beautiful Cotswolds. It changes constantly and always keeps me on my toes.

When someone isn’t passionate about coffee and just wants to make money from it, I find it hard to encourage that and it can be disheartening.

It was an accident, but one I never regret.

There is no such thing as normal around here.

I’m a country boy now so like to get out into the country, somewhere like the Cotswolds or the Wye Valley

Katie Ireland – Finance Director

Katie has been the Finance Director at Bristol Twenty for over 8 years, her father was the founder of Bristol Twenty and she has continued to help run the family business since his passing. When she was younger, she wanted to be a special FX Make-Up Artist however, she joined Bristol Twenty in the family business due to the expansion of the company.

I was working in Finance at the time and Dad was looking to take a step back in the business, Chris and Rory had already joined the company and were expanding so ask me to come on board to concentrate on the coffee orders and finance for the business

Be passionate and always be open to learning

I am a big tea drinker, so don’t drink alot of coffee during the week, but I fell in love with Formula 442 when helping a customer working at a festival

I was a sucker for a Latte, but when I was in Australia I started drinking flat whites and I think they are the front runner now

All the different products on the market now and finding new products for our business

Coffee Cocktails

Like my mother says there is never a favourite, every place is different so there are different things to love

I would like the business to grow at a steady pace, we have alot of fun here at Bristol Twenty and have a great team, we all get along I would like this to continue, and hopefully bring some more like minded people on board

When a customer tells you how happy they are with our service or compliments one of our staff, makes us appreciate that we are doing a good job

As I work in Finance its got to be when people don’t pay their bills on time!

I am office based so I don’t get out to see customer sites and different set up very often, it would be nice to meet some of our lovely customers and put a face to the people I speak with on a weekly basis

Weirdly working with my family

Each day is different so I couldn’t tell you what normal is

I love to visit the harbourside and wapping wharf especially on a nice dry day, sit out by the water and watch the world go by

Chris Ireland – Technical Director

Chris has been the Technical Director at Bristol Twenty for over 15 years, his father was the founder of Bristol Twenty and he has continued to help run the family business since his passing. When he was younger he wanted to be a Bike Mechanic however, he joined the family business to help with the workload and has never looked back.

I was working as a Unix Systems Administrator in the IT sector around the world when dad was taken Ill. at that time he was a sole trader and was struggling to keep up with his workload while undergoing chemo therapy. I handed my notice in and agreed with my employer in London that I could go for training at all of the major machine importers while working my notice. That was 15 years ago and I never got round to going back to my proper job.

Do your research. There are so many facets to the industry, all with different skill sets. Look at what part of the industry you’re interested in.

Has to be Formula 442 never get bored of it

Whilst sitting in an Italian Piasa, in the sun with a book and a glass of water.

Coffee and lots of it.

I’m interested to see how people deal with the need to reduce packaging in the supply chain.

Sheppy’s Cider. Mostly for the surroundings and the cider.

I’d like to see us still where we are. Working with people we like and providing products we love.

The variety of the job and the people you meet.

Have to pronounce a coffee machine DOA

It wasn’t a choice, things rarely are when you working in a family business.

There is no such thing as normal around here.

There are loads of great places in Bristol. I like the original pubs and cafes. Baristas is a Bristol institution or the the Highbury Vaults.

Aaron Garland-Tahrikehli – Engineer

Aaron has been an Engineer with Bristol Twenty for over 2 years after joining the coffee industry at the tender young age of 12. When he was younger he wanted to be a Fire Fighter instead, he has been heavily involved in most aspects of the coffee industry.

I joined the coffee industry at the age of 12 helping my family provide coffee for events around the UK, from there on every job I have done has been in a coffee environment from using coffee machines to tearing them apart!

The only advice I could give is to learn the industry before taking the beast on! The coffee industry in always growing and changing so take your time to learn about everything even try work with someone already in the industry before doing anything on your own.

I enjoy so many of them it’s so hard to choose! but if I really had to pick it would be the Brazilian Santos as I’m enjoying experimenting with new single origins!

I most enjoy drinking coffee as a flat white as I really enjoy strong milky coffee and I feel 8oz is just the right amount

It would have to be #Latteart I am really enjoying trying to improve my latte art skills and I love the skill and designs people around the world come up with!

I hope to see Bristol Twenty stickers all over! We have an awesome team here at Bristol Twenty and we all have a lot of fun doing what we do so to carry on enjoying our time with everyone around us and to Introduce new companies to join our adventure would be ideal!

I really enjoy being able to meet new people and build relationships with customers all over. I also have never been able to advance my coffee knowledge and skills until I met Bristol Twenty I hope to be able to carry this one for all the years to come!

There’s nothing worse than seeing dirty coffee machines! We try our hardest here in the workshop to make sure every coffee machine goes out in the best condition to our ability, not cleaning the machines after use will only strain the machines and compromise the taste of the coffee!!

I have recently moved out of Bristol but most of my family still live there so if I had to choose my favourite place it would have to just be back home at the dinner table with a good mum’s cooked Sunday roast.

I could never choose! I enjoy going to all outlets! although I do enjoy to some of the festivals outlets a lot but I’m sure that’s for the music more than the coffee!

Jen Page – Service Desk Manager

Jen has been our Service Desk Manager for over 3 years, if you ring to speak to us, it will most likely be Jen you speak to first. When she was younger she wanted to be a ballerina and trained for 18 years to achieve this unfortunately, she had to give up ballet due to injury and was later taken on by Bristol Twenty.

Bristol Twenty kindly took me on and continue to teach me everything they know. Always more to learn.

Passion for coffee! The coffee industry seems to constantly change with new trends all the time. It fascinates me as the possibilities and i would love to do some more training in the near future.

I like our 442 blend. Not only does it seems to be really popular with our customers but I do love a 442 Americano to wake me up.

Americano, although I miss the pretty latte art.

I find it very inspiring watching how the Ireland Family have grown their business and become the brand Bristol Twenty. I could only aspire to their achievements.

My coffee knowledge is still growing but who knew you could grow mushrooms from coffee grinds?! And have coloured glittery unicorn lattes!?

How could I ever chose? I sadly haven’t had chance to visit them all yet.

Continuing to grow the Bristol Twenty brand. With all the hard work going into roasting our own branded coffee. I am looking forward to seeing it out there on our customers display units.

We are a close knit team who recognises our individual skill sets. One happy coffee family.

It can be manic! Especially during the summer session here, however it’s nice to know our customers trust us enough they want to use our services during their busy periods.

I could use my previous skill set in customer services as well as learning something entirely new.

No day is ever quiet the same. The normal day is always something different.

I love Clifton, I like its quirky character.

Like what you see and fancy joining the Bristol Twenty team?

We are looking to hire a Junior Service Engineer

Reporting into the Technical Manager, the Junior Service Engineer will be performing reactive and planned preventative maintenance on a wide range of traditional and bean to cup coffee machines. This includes machines made by manufacturers such as Rancilio, Iberital, Franke, CoffeeTek.

The Junior Service Engineer will provide a high quality service to all customers and actively contribute to the overall improvements of the business by servicing and maintaining equipment to a high standard. As a Junior Service Engineer your goal is to limit the volume of equipment failure through correct service and maintenance, achieving excellent first-time fix levels. As a Junior Service Engineer your ultimate goal is for the business to receive zero client complaints regarding technical reliability for machines deemed to be within your area of responsibility.

This position would be perfect for someone who is looking for their first step into the world of coffee. The role will grow with the business and could cover other aspects such as barista training and customer service in the future. Being a small team we would need someone who is willing to do what it takes in any area to ensure the smooth and professional running of the business. Full training will be supplied and is on going.

Bristol Twenty Single Origin Coffee

Salary TBC

If you would like to apply or want to discuss the role further, we love to chat! Please call us on 0843 557 4669 or if email is more your thing, we can be reached on sales@bristol-twenty.co.uk

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