The Past.
Since my first flat white in Sydney in 2000 I have been completely hooked on coffee. Cutting my teeth in a small café under the Harbour Bridge with views of the Opera House was the best introduction to coffee anyone could ask for. On my return to the UK, I managed a coffee shop in my home town of Stratford-upon-Avon, before embarking on a successful career with a well known Italian brand of coffee......
The role included fixing espresso machines, tweaking grinders, barista training, selling coffee and associated products and managing a team of reps. In my time, I have walked into thousands of cafés and restaurants across the whole of the UK, trained even more baristas and shared and borrowed so many ideas and theories about coffee I feel I am well placed to help existing and start up operations. I have worked with the smallest of independent cafes, large restaurant chains and the main contract caters in the UK.
The Present.
It was at the beginning of 2015 that the idea of creating my own blend and brand of coffee came into my head. I knew the industry well enough and felt that there was a real sea change in peoples attitude towards buying and sourcing products. And so, Wooden Hill came into being, named after the expression "up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire" where we are based.
We roast our unique blend of Fairtrade coffee beans and package them in compostable bags - we have been plastic free since before day one, some years before the documentaries were made! We also deliver to our local customers in reusable wooden crates, eliminating the need for cardboard boxes and for every 100kgs of coffee we sell we plant a tree at the Forest of Marston Vale, a nearby Community Forest. We also supply several Zero Waste shops in the area and deliver the coffee in airtight reusable containers. Thanks for reading this far, but now get in touch to learn more!
The Future.
Hi, I’m Jack the Roaster. I grew up in Ampthill and am a local to the area through and through. I first became interested in the world of coffee when I discovered the true art of coffee in Australia, where they take ‘Barista’ Style coffee to completely new levels. I became a barista, spending two years traveling the country working in various cafes and bars learning my trade. Finishing my time in Australia I worked on a coffee farm on the tablelands in Queensland, learning about how coffee is farmed and harvested.
From Australia, my travels took me to Canada where I perfected my skills in latte art and after two years, I left Canada to travel around South America. During this time, I would seek out as many coffee plantations as I could, learning how different countries farmed different varieties of coffee bean.
Finishing my travels I came home in search of a career, not knowing what I would do. Little to my knowledge, Robin had started the process of setting up Wooden Hill. This turned out to be fate as I met him while I was working in a local coffee shop he was supplying. Having now worked with Robin for just over two years roasting coffee, it has now become a lifestyle as well as a passion!
My experience in coffee ranges over the last 8 years giving me the experience to Roast the best tasting coffee possible. Hope to see you soon either on the road or at our fantastic roastery, Thanks.