Getting to know Ben Sibley - Brand Manager of Assembly Coffee.
What's the story behind Assembly Coffee and how did it all start?
In 2014, recognizing the rapid evolution of the UK’s specialty coffee movement, a group of industry experts gathered the country’s leading independent coffee shops and restaurants to share their experiences and identify how a roaster could most effectively participate in the coffee supply chain.
After six months of conversations, a clear vision for Assembly Coffee emerged: a new roaster that would source the world’s highest quality coffees through the lens of its customers. It had to be innovative, responsive, and dynamic in supporting its wholesale partners as the specialty coffee movement progressed.
In practice, this meant:
- Sourcing coffees that met the needs of its customers rather than for its own gratification.
- Informing the offerings through continuous evaluation of quantitative and qualitative data from across the coffee supply chain.
- Committing to always challenge existing mechanisms of value creation.
- Operating in ways that ensured long-term sustainability.
In April 2015, we launched Assembly as sponsors of the inaugural Coffee Masters competition at the London Coffee Festival.
Can you share more about Assembly Coffee's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
The curation of Assembly’s coffee catalogue is driven by purpose and impact. We source every coffee with the ambition of creating maximum value for stakeholders, while also highlighting more genuine (and therefore more impactful) narratives for the specialty coffee movement. To facilitate this, our partnerships with producers are founded on collaboration at origin through multi-year projects.
What motivated Assembly Coffee to explore the capsule coffee format?
We observed that convenient coffee in the form of capsules often meant a compromise in flavour and texture. By sourcing high-quality coffee specifically for brewing in capsule format and choosing the optimal material to encase it, we believe we’ve achieved the sensory experience an exceptional espresso should offer: prominent sweetness, a velvety texture, and rich crema.
We all have our morning routines, and coffee is often a crucial part of them. What is your morning ritual like?
I wake up, run around my local park, shower, and brew an Assembly Coffee capsule. I brew it short for that rich crema and sometimes even use it as a base for a flat white.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Assembly Coffee as a brand/business?
Working with the country’s leading independent cafes, premium restaurants, and luxury hotels is a constant source of inspiration and invigorates everyone here. We’re witnessing the rapid maturation of the specialty coffee movement in the UK, and we’re excited to play an influential role in it. The future looks very bright indeed.
