#212 - Hospitality Meets Will Corby - Brewing Change and World Class Coffee

I love coffee.

That is all, bye!

In all seriousness, I was beyond thrilled to sit down with Will Corby, the coffee connoisseur extraordinaire and Director of Coffee and Social Impact at Pact Coffee. From thrilling tales of gangland encounters to the intricacies of brewing the perfect cup, this episode is as much a caffeine kick as it is a heartfelt chat. Oh, and did we mention it’s full of laughs too? Dive into Will's journey from being a coffee hating mechanical engineer to a coffee aficionado, and learn what makes Pact Coffee not just a brand but a movement.

Key Takeaways:

• A Sliding Doors Moment:

Will's coffee epiphany happened with a cup that tasted like Werther’s Originals. One sip changed his life direction.

• From Engineering to Coffee:

Discover how Will's background in mechanical engineering surprisingly aids in creating the perfect roast profile for Pact Coffee.

• The Americano Debate:

Will’s disdain for the term “Americano" and his preference for long-brewed coffee. Learn why he believes this common coffee term should be banished forever.

• Brewing Espresso Like a Pro:

Insight into the meticulous art of brewing perfect espresso and its meditative nature for Will.

• Social Impact and Farmers:

How Pact Coffee works directly with farmers to produce some of the best coffee in the world, improving lives and building communities.

• Adventures in Risky Places:

A heart-pounding tale from El Salvador involving armed gang members and a lucky escape.

• Collaboration Over Competition:

From barista competitions to business, Will underscores the importance of sharing knowledge and the collective improvement that results.

• Decaf Done Right:

The shift in the decaf coffee landscape, with Pact Coffee leading the charge to offer high-quality decaf options that taste just as good as the real thing.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Acts of service are a love language.” - Will Corby
• "If I was to bring you a bottle of wine from the best estates in the world, you'd be talking about that wine costing thousands and thousands of pounds a bottle." - Will Corby
• “I love brewing espresso; it’s almost meditative.” - Will Corby
• “The best want to share everything. There’s no real hiding because collaboration breeds innovation and growth for everybody.” - Will Corby

Conclusion:

Don’t miss out on this episode packed with fascinating insights, valuable lessons, and plenty of laughs. Will Corby’s journey and his passion for coffee and social impact are sure to inspire, educate, and entertain you from start to finish. Whether you’re a coffee enthusiast or just love a good story, this episode has something for everyone.

The Guest

Will Corby, Director of Coffee & Social Impact at Pact Coffee. His role is to go and find farmers in 9 Countries across 3 continents who have the capacity to produce the best coffee in the world, incentivise and inform practices for it's cultivation and processing with local agronomists. He then imports that coffee to the UK where Pact develop individual roast profiles based on each coffees unique chemistry and ship them to one of the tens of thousands of home subscribers around the UK, Cafes, Hotels, Restaurants and Offices. Pacts goal is to improve the quality of every cup of coffee consumed in the UK, and use that as a way to engage the public with paying a price for that coffee that allows them to pay a prosperous price to coffee farmers around the world.

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