The Simonelli Story – a conversation with Marco Feliziani

In today’s episode we’re speaking with one of the most innovative pioneers within the global coffee equipment market, Kees van der Westen. Since designing his first machine in 1984, Kees has been an industry trailblazer, known for an unwavering commitment to quality, boundary-pushing design and innovation. Today Kees focuses on research and development, while the core business operations are run by his wife and three daughters.In this conversation, Kees is joined by his daughter Yvette van der Westen to unpack the family story behind the eponymous brand and discuss recent growth opportunities in Asia. Kees also shares his design philosophy and the importance of maintaining human touch and craftsmanship in an increasingly automated world.Credits music: "Practice What You Preach" by Russo & Co. in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB CollectiveSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

28 Maj 202431min

In today’s episode we’re speaking with Hans Tietema, Founder of the highly-respected Dutch retail and coffee bar chain Kaldi Koffie & Thee.With over 30 years of experience in the coffee industry, Hans has grown Kaldi from a single shop to a thriving franchise business with 25 sites across the Netherlands plus a recent partnership in Saudi Arabia.In this conversation Hans shares insight on his expansion strategies, the challenges in finding the right franchise partners and his decision to enter the Saudi market. He also highlights the value in cultural understanding when entering new markets and the importance of always staying true to your core concept.Credits music: "Clouds" by PIEN in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB CollectiveSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

20 Maj 202427min

Today we’re rounding off our series on the business of coffee roasting by finding out how leading roasters establish and nurture their wholesale partnerships.We'll speak with Colin Morrison, Managing Director, Small Batch Coffee Roasters, Petr Kvasnička, Owner, Father's Coffee Roastery and Alex Spruce, Sales Director, Löfbergs UK, to understand how they market their brand and generate new business, and the ongoing support they provide their wholesale clients.Credits music: "Měsíc" by David Pomahač in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB CollectiveSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

8 Maj 202432min

In this episode we’re speaking with David Steingard, CEO and co-founder of New York-based coffee business, Laughing Man.David founded Laughing Man in 2009 with his business partners, united by a vision to foster connection, positivity and community through coffee. The company has also set up a related charitable initiative The Laughing Man Foundation and more recently, the content creation space Laughing Man Studios.In this conversation, David shares incredible insight and wisdom from his years building and scaling a boutique business and discusses his upcoming plans for expanding via franchising. He also shares Laughing Man’s mission to improve the lives of coffee growing communities, supporting better housing, education scholarships and women-led cooperatives.Credits music: "Aurora" by Matt Kent in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB CollectiveSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

29 Apr 202426min

Following on from our last episode on the world of green coffee, today we’re releasing the complete interview with John Gibson, Head Roaster at Danish specialty coffee and bakery chain, La Cabra.In this conversation, John walks us through La Cabra’s approach to sourcing green coffee, how he selects growers to work with and the importance of nurturing those relationships at origin. He also unpacks the definition of direct trade, highlighting the need to use green coffee partners to facilitate seamless transportation and logistics and ensure fair prices for farmers.Credits music: "Rise" by The Elidas in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB CollectiveSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

25 Apr 202428min

Today we’re continuing our series on the business of coffee roasting and exploring the world of green coffee supply.We'll speak with Jordan Hooper, Head of Green Coffee Trading, Sucafina and Line Cosmidis, Head of Specialty Sales, Falcon Coffees, to learn more about the green coffee supply chain, the role of the trader and how this has evolved in the digital era.We'll also speak with John Gibson, Head Roaster, La Cabra, about his approach to direct sourcing and why building relationships at origin is so important to the business.Credits music: "Miraculous" by Riya Gadher - the winning song of The Coffee Music Project 2024 Planet Earth competition in association with SEB Collective Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

19 Apr 202440min

In today’s episode we’re returning to our funding mini series and speaking with entrepreneur Ed Barry about scaling and ultimately selling a coffee business.Ed is the former owner of London-based independent cafe chain Over Under Coffee. Ed founded and grew Over Under to a formidable eight-strong chain, plus a franchise in the Middle East, before selling the business to ambitious New York-based start-up Blank Street in 2022.Following the acquisition, Ed has set up hospitality tech platform Edify Systems.In this candid conversation, Ed shares his experience of the M&A process, from preparing the business for sale and lengthy due diligence to managing the transition period. He also highlights the importance of meticulous planning and ensuring continued financial performance throughout the sales process.Credits music: "Cry Don’t You" by IONA SKY in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB CollectiveSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

8 Apr 202431min

The London Coffee Festival 2024 is less than 2 weeks away and with it comes a four-day celebration of London’s vibrant coffee scene and its dedicated community.Since its inception in 2011 , The London Coffee Festival has attracted tens of thousands of hospitality professionals and coffee connoisseurs, fostering deep connections among those with a shared passion for coffee in London.And so in celebration of this remarkable event and to get us in the mood for this year’s festivities, we’re catching up with a few exhibitors and loyal participants about their favourite moments and also to hear what they are excited for this years’ event.We'll speak with Camilla Morgan, Head of Business Development & Customer Relationships, Eversys UK, Alex Spruce, Sales Director, Lofbergs UK, Lori Latham, Chief Commercial Office, Sproud, latte art champion Dhan Tamang, Coffee Masters London 2023 winner Jānis Podiņš and Harry Goddin, Commercial Director, William Reed.Credits music: "Fire" by Ruby Confue in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB CollectiveSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

2 Apr 202439min