Meet Stuart Ritson, BG Past Chair, In Conversation with Hylan Joseph
/In collaboration with the Barista Guild, we are pleased to present this interview with Stuart Ritson, the Barista Guild’s Immediate Past Chair. Read Stuart’s Interview with Hylan Joseph on his coffee journey on the Barista Guild Blog.
Stuart Ritson
What drew you to the coffee industry? Were you planning a different career path?
Like many people, I sort of fell into coffee work to begin with, but stayed for the coffee, the passion people around me had for it, and the camaraderie in the industry. Actually, my original career path was pretty different. I studied Chinese language at University and, during those years, I assumed I would use my language skills in the workplace. Towards the end of my college years, I was applying to large accounting firms, finance firms, and other pretty large employers. I’m grateful that none of my applications were successful because I think coffee and hospitality have been really impactful in my life. I can’t imagine my life any other way than it has gone.
What were your initial impressions of the specialty coffee industry?
My first job was working in a small bakery café in my hometown. They had just re-opened and I was part of the new opening team. This was at a time when there still weren’t many specialty cafes in the UK. I was trained by a young Australian girl, which sounds like such a cliché but that’s what happened. I really enjoyed the family atmosphere of working in a quality focused hospitality business. It was exciting that my voice had value in that business and I was empowered to learn more. In my first role, my boss helped pay for a basic roasting course and also an SCAA Barista Training Course! These small things really helped set me up for the years to come. The focus on personal growth and being heard is a really important part of what makes specialty coffee different.
My experience in specialty coffee predates Starbucks’s expansion. You come from a generation of specialty coffee people that have been exposed to a specialty coffee with greater consumer awareness and improved quality. What do you think the differences between the two experiences are?
My first real exposures to café culture and specialty coffee was actually with Starbucks. I used to go there as a high school student to study for exams. My order was always a black coffee and a brownie. A bitter/sweet combination. I think from my generation there is an assumption that large chains are the norm and that specialty stands as the alternative from that. Obviously this isn’t totally true. For generations, small towns and cities have had independent roasters and cafes. With that in mind, I think actually the differences between our generations aren’t that great. We both have been exposed to lots of different versions of coffee culture. However, I do think it’s much more normal for people to be ‘coffee geeks’ now; I meet people all the time that have never worked in a coffee shop, but own all the best gear and have an amazing awareness. That’s for sure more common among my generation than others.
Do you think there are differences between coffee culture in Europe versus the US? Are there apparent differences?
In some aspects, the differences are really clear. For instance, I think that most of the time when Europeans open a café or coffee shop they are really just thinking about the one. I’ve met a lot of people in the US who pursue a mini-chain concept first. Thinking ‘after the first café, two years later I’ll open the second,’ and so on.
Another big difference is just how developed the coffee scene is. This morning I had a well-made espresso in a small brewery in a suburb of Boston. The shop had a state-of-the-art grinder, a volumetric espresso machine, and was weighing each shot. This is a small brewery in the US! That is practically unthinkable in most parts of Europe. I’ve seen how the UK is catching up with the US in terms of desire for specialty and for specialty quality equipment in restaurants and hotels as well as cafes.
It sounds like a cliché, but I would also say that European roasts are typically lighter than US profiles. Sometimes this means you get cleaner cup profiles in Europe, but for every slightly roasty brew I’ve had in the States, I’ve had a grassy sour shot in Europe. It’s interesting to see what roasters lean towards though.
What are the key motivators for you to try to stay in this industry?
When I first started out in the industry, it was two things: the community and the learning. Both of these are really important for me, but these days I’m also really motivated by the idea of changing the industry, improving lives, and making a difference in the world. I’m still crazy motivated by the first two things – I love learning more about coffee, its production, the machinery, and how cafes work and succeed. I’m also all in for the community. I’ve rarely felt such a connection with others as I have through coffee. I can meet someone from a totally different culture and immediately connect with them through this simple beverage.
That said I think the later stages of coffee for me are more centered around how I can help, how I can improve the lives of others, what’s my part in making the industry better. I don’t know what that is but these questions really motivate me.
Where do you think our industry is heading? Where do you think our industry should head?
I think specialty is going to become more and more expansive. What I mean by that is that specialty coffee will be found in lots of different venues, but in that process, it will get watered down more and more. However, the upside will be the creation of really out there, bespoke, unique concepts which can command higher pricing and really amazing coffees as the norm. My one fear with this growth is that the average pricing for coffee per pound (453g) for 80 point plus coffees may actually drop overall. It’s a difficult thing to balance, the need for more high-quality coffee and the need for better margins so we can reach a wider audience.
The other part of this is that I really see more and more importers and exporters entering the market. I’m already seeing this and I am curious to see what sort of effect that has for both coffee producers and the consuming side.
What is the future of the barista, considering the success of the third wave movement, the overall improvement in the quality of coffee, and the drive the improve coffee’s terroir?
I believe that there will be a lot more need for educators and as such the barista will become more and more of an educational role. As more businesses take on high-end coffees, there will be a serious need for more education of bar staff, wait staff, and other hospitality workers. The other side will be the need for baristas to get across to customers the complexities of this industry. It’s a blessing and a huge responsibility that your everyday barista can tell their customers about what’s really going on. That doesn’t mean ‘educating’ or patronizing customers. What I mean is like, baristas can tell their customers about how people in Central America are abandoning farms because they can’t afford them. Baristas can tell customers about how leaf rust has devastated El Salvadorian coffee production and that’s why this single-origin brew costs a dollar more than the Colombian (just an example). Some baristas are already doing this, but I really believe that the barista as educator and communicator is a big part of the future of this role in the industry.
If you were to train and develop people in our industry today, how would you proceed? Where would you send them to develop their skills? What skills would you want them to have? What skills do you think coffee professionals today need?
I always focus on the background of coffee first – giving people a passion for the coffee itself. A passion for just how crazy it is that we get to drink the liquor of a fruit produced from across the world, handpicked, carefully processed, shipped, roasted, and packaged with care. If that doesn’t amaze us then our perspective is off. When we have a real appreciation of just how unique and bizarre this industry is, then we can’t help but want to learn more and share that passion with others.
Speaking practically, I think baristas need a good knowledge of how coffee is grown and produced, how to use brew ratios, grind size and temperatures to achieve different cup profiles, and most importantly, to know customer service. Sadly, customer service is the hardest of these to teach but I think as an industry we need to spend more time focusing on how to connect with customers. Beyond that, I think baristas should pursue learning more about equipment, technical skills, and also roasting depending on what truly interests them personally.
Why did you get involved with the SCA and its guilds?
It’s funny how all of my involvement goes back to one person. I’m not sure how many people will remember Rashel Winn; she was an amazing barista and a big part of the Irish coffee scene. Sadly, she passed away four years ago and I only got the chance to meet her a handful of times, but I took two powerful lessons from her. The first one was to hug people like you really mean it. She gave amazing hugs and I try to do the same. Secondly, to give back. She once told someone that she volunteered with SCA because the coffee industry had given her so much. She was a barista. She didn’t have a huge coffee career, a big salary, or lots and lots of prestige. She was a barista and was loved by the community around her and that alone gave her a desire to give back. When I heard that, I couldn’t help but reach out and get involved in the Barista Guild. Since then it’s been four years of volunteering, helping plan and run events, speaking to baristas, and seeing the Barista Guilds of Europe and America unite and pursue new goals.
What have been some of your most rewarding experiences in our industry?
Hosting CoLab on multiple occasions has been really nice. I love asking questions to some of the leading minds in the industry. It’s just awesome to learn from industry leaders. Otherwise it’s been in the finishing of large projects for roasters – building relationships between farmers and roasters that will last. And the only other things that come to mind are seeing people open their cafes. When you’ve been involved in planning cafes with people, picking out equipment, and training staff, it feels so exciting to see the café actually open.
Where do see your career headed?
I’m currently taking a break. I’m still checking out cafés as I travel and working with the Barista Guild, but this is currently a time when I am reviewing what’s next for me. Maybe I will return to working in green coffee, maybe I will pursue working with a roaster overseeing coffee quality. Maybe it will be something totally different. My career has been a dream come true and I’m incredibly grateful for every step along the way. Now is just a moment to reflect and take stock of what I really want and where I want to be.
Looking back on your experiences, what advice would you offer to someone looking to our industry for a career?
Never overlook anyone. Coffee is an industry based on relationships. Everyone and anyone could become the next James Hoffman, so treat everyone with respect and kindness. Always give people the time of day and you’ll find yourself within months or years, surrounded by a beautiful community of passionate coffee professionals who you can trust.
Other than that, keep learning. Never stop learning. If you think you’ve learned everything about a subject, you haven’t! Keep looking, asking questions to people around you, and pushing in!