Hello! My name is Harry and I am the founder of Cracked Coffee. Throughout my childhood, I had just the one aspiration - and that was to become an actuary. I had a natural flair for Maths and so I was always promised some kind of high-flying office job, sitting behind a desk, poring over complex equations and statistics - all in order to achieve... something? Perhaps it was just to further solidify my identity as an actuary. What is an actuary? I'm not entirely sure.
In 2008, with a secured placement to study Maths at University , I paused to consider my path. Was I destined to spend my days behind a desk, crunching numbers? I wasn't sure. My true calling lay in helping others, and I felt a strong desire to make a meaningful impact.
To pursue this dream, I needed to secure some funds. I envisioned taking a gap year, working in a coffee shop, earning enough to travel, volunteer, and make a difference. Fate, in all its serendipitous ways, intervened. I landed a job at a local coffee shop in my hometown of Huddersfield, and everything changed.
My love for coffee and people blossomed. I became fascinated by the intricate details of human connections and the unique bond coffee fosters between individuals. I witnessed firsthand how coffee could break down social barriers and create a sense of community. Through my discovery of the coffee industry, I discovered my true purpose: to share my passion for coffee and create a space where people could connect, share stories, and find solace. And so, I discovered my true identity: I am a barista!
I spent a few years working in the coffee shop, growing my skills and furthering my passion. Eventually I reached the point where I felt that my learning of the industry was beginning to plateau, I had little more to learn from my colleagues and employer - as such I reached out to other specialty coffee leaders at the time, asking what I should do. I was told I needed to become accredited, complete the London School of Coffee Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Course and get my certification. But I couldn't help wonder "but to what end?!" - so instead I booked a flight to Hawaii and spent 3 months working on a coffee farm. I'm sure you'll agree, that seems like the better option.
On the farm, I learned all about how coffee is grown - from handling the seedlings in the nurseries, to diagnosing each bush for potential issues that may lead to defects. I processed coffee, learning all about the incredible flavours that are nurtured from the bean during this integral part. Whilst most of my evenings were spent meticulously sorting the coffee, picking out any beans with signs of damage or irregularity, my days were spent roasting it. The farm had a fluid-bed coffee roaster that had been built by the previous owner from a design by famed coffee consultant and chemical engineer, Michael Sivetz. It was my first real introduction to coffee roasting, I fell in love with the simplicity of the design and the ease with which I could tweak small aspects of my roast.
I shared a little kitchenette with another farm worker and I vividly remember spending several hours standing over so very many cups of coffee, evaluating a myriad of different roasts. I now had a plan for my life. I was going to roast coffee - I wanted to bring the story of these beans back to the people of my town who I'd grown so fond of. To celebrate the many hands that had been involved in their production, to re-tell their story from seed to cup.
In my youth, I was not the most pro-active man, and so - when on returning home with all my aspirations and design in hand to build a fluid bed roaster of my own - I took it readily in my stride that the coffee shop I'd meant to leave behind had bought a coffee roaster and had plans to promptly start roasting coffee. A little more hands-on experience couldn't hurt, I thought. I rejoined the brigade and I worked alongside the owners to build a new company from the grounds up, my role was fairly marginal but any extra experience I could garner was welcome. Together we developed roast profiles, espresso blends, we threw parties and ran cuppings. We showcased our coffee at festivals and events and made an annual trip together to London Coffee Festival to keep our finger firmly on the pulse. The culminating moment for me though, was our origin trip to Ethiopia - arguably the cultural home of coffee. The way in which the people of Ethiopia celebrate coffee is honestly astounding. They have a special ceremony for the daily consumption of coffee, it's done in a special flask called a jebena and they have 3 rounds of brewing. We were told that the first batch, arbol is for your immediate family, the second one, tona is for your neighbours, and the third batch, bereka is for the people of Ethiopia, but at the time we never quite had it clarified what that meant. I was later informed that this definition was incorrect and that bereka is actually "for the road". I am still none the wiser.
Just as I thought I had my life road-map all figured out, fatherhood in all its glory - a kaleidoscope of sleepless nights and overflowing love - cracked my world right open. Moving to North Wales, nestled between family roots, my partner and I set out to paint a vibrant tableau of family life, with the beautiful scenery of Wales as our the backdrop. I
became Head of Coffee at a specialty coffee company in Chester, and there I would stay for 5 years. I had a new coffee community within which to become embroiled, yet again learning about the intertwining web of human lives that forms within coffee shops. But fatherhood had completely changed my outlook on life. I now had something to care for, to nurture and to love outside of a coffee shop. I wanted my children to be a part of what I did, to share their stories with fellow customers, to learn like I did that each person has a story to tell - to grow up in an environment of warmth, friendship and connection. I needed to build something of my own, something in which I could enfold my own family. And so came the creation of Cracked Coffee!
My children weren't just passengers on this journey; they were co-pilots, helping with labeling, design, and even tasting! Cracked Coffee became a family tapestry, woven with thread of love, laughter, and the rich aroma of roasted beans. Join me on this journey, as we turn Cracked Coffee into a beacon of specialty coffee in North Wales with community at its heart - Let's Get Cracking!
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