A cuppa with… Exchange Coffee Company

We’re excited to announce that we have partnered with a fantastic local supplier, Exchange Coffee Company and thought this would be the perfect time to sit down and have a cuppa with Tom, who is the Production Manager and Barista Training Lead, to learn more about Exchange Coffee.

We recently visited their site and saw firsthand their roasting process, the variety of beans they use, and their commitment to producing high-quality coffee. Their coffee has won several Great Taste Awards, including their special women’s coffee project blend. Exchange Coffee prioritises green initiatives such as the Rainforest Alliance, Women’s Coffee Project, and Bird Friendly Coffee Project.

You have 100 words to describe your role, go…

My role at Exchange Coffee Company as the production manager is to ensure all areas of the production run smoothly and to ensure a level of quality and consistency is carried out to the best of our ability, to lead the barista training sessions with customers and liaise with customers to ensure their needs are met. And my favourite part of the job… roasting the coffee!

Describe how you support Horizon Leeds.

We supply coffee machines that produce smooth, quality drinks from our fresh coffee roasted by us here at the Old Baptist Chapel Roastery!

What do you love the most about working in the coffee industry?

I enjoy creating a quality product, learning and adapting to a constantly changing environment from the latest trends and processes in the coffee world. Coffee and tea are staples in most people’s lives daily, and something that brings people together. We take pride in being able to provide people with the foundation for an enjoyable coffee experience.

What makes you stand out from your competitors?

Here at Exchange Coffee, we pride ourselves on producing fantastic coffee still roasted in a traditional artisan way – controlling the roast in every step by sight, smell & sound. We use our smell to recognise how the coffee is developing, we watch to see how the colour of the bean changes & how the surface smooths, and we listen to the cracks of the development stages; this process is different across our various coffees as each coffee has its own characteristics & roasting profile. The business dates back to 1979; we hope our longevity in the industry gives us the experience, knowledge & passion to ensure our customers get the best and freshest coffee we can deliver to them.

What is the next big trend in coffee?

Some trends are hard to predict or see coming, however, I think that in regards to an overall trend, I think it’s great that as a coffee-consuming country, our expectations and awareness of what a good coffee is has improved, and it is great to see! We have seen a switch to lighter roasted, single-origin arabica coffees being demanded by our customers as well as an ethical stance with seeking coffees through organisations such as Rainforest Alliance, Women’s coffee and shade grown; it’s nice to know we supply coffee that supports these practices. Hopefully this overall trend continues and more people seek these speciality, life-changing & ethical coffees.

Here at Horizon Leeds, we are passionate about ESG. How do Exchange Coffee Company approach ESG?

We are constantly looking to reduce our impact on the environment and how we can improve. In 2021, we fitted 8 Solar panels to the roof of the Old Chapel Roastery and purchased two Nissan electric vans (some of the first released to the UK market) – we have since purchased another 2 larger vans, which we have now added to the fleet. As above, we are a producer of Rainforest Alliance coffee, which provides support for the local people & communities as well as the wildlife. We also roast coffee from agroforestry farms, which means it is grown under the canopy of native flora to provide habitat for the fauna within the coffee plantations. We also source the majority of our coffee from single estates, deal directly with a family farm and are sourcing more of our coffee, cutting out some of the middlemen, meaning more traceability, and this ensures more of the profits go to the farmer and their families.

What’s your favourite Exchange Coffee Company product?

Personally, I love our coffee from El Salvador due to its nutty, soft and easy drinking flavour, I believe the best way to enjoy a coffee is still brewing as a filter coffee, which gives a nice clean taste. However, in winter I’m quite partial to a good hot chocolate.

If you didn’t work for Exchange Coffee Company, what would you do?

My previous role was working in mental health, which I found rewarding and challenging. I would most likely work in a similar profession; however, when the chance came up to work for Exchange Coffee, I couldn’t resist!

We look forward to working with the team at Exchange Coffee and keeping our delegates (and staff) at Horizon Leeds energised with their delicious coffee.