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c People

As Dale says, in the UK, most people engage with better quality coffee and build a
drink instant coffee and, as he was growing new role in a smaller company.
up, bringing his mum a mug of Nescafe was As he has grown in coffee, Dale has de-
a part of the morning ritual. When he was veloped very specific beliefs about coffee in-
12 or 13, he began dustry, which centre mainly around building
brewing coffee on long term relationships based on quality and
It takes a little a percolator and mutual need. And no wonder that the most
enjoying the smell
exciting part of Dale’s work is people: both
time to understand and the process of through the product itself and the logistical and
economic situation. But Dale thinks that we
freshly ground
that winning is coffee. Over the still have a lot to learn, particularly around
working together to solve very real issues at
next 10 years, this
not the most small thing be- origin and throughout the supply chain to
came the main
maximize the value for every stakeholder.
That is why he focused his presentation
important thing hobby and led to during WBC on connections between the sen-
working in coffee.
about competing. While he was sory experience of a coffee and the actions which
studying history
shaped it at origin. Talking of competitions, Dale
at college, Dale shares that every competition he participated
began working in in taught him a lot about coffee and about
a shop owned by himself: “It takes a little time to understand
the Ben Sherman brand and, as college fin- that winning is not the most important thing
ished, took a full time role there. This pretty about competing – delivering on your vision
quickly lead to a national training role fo- and performing the best you can for 15 minutes
cused on improving service and presentation is an achievement in and of itself.”
standards in stores and helping the staff to Of course it is overwhelming to be the
better understand the brand. “For a short best world barista and the victory brings
time, this made me think I was pretty good along a lot of new opportunities as well as
at sales but later, when I moved to a different more hard work that takes time. Nevertheless,
brand (Billabong) and tried to apply those Dale still finds time for discovering new
skills to my new job, I realized I’m actually things like baking and you can clearly see it
just really good at talking about things I from his Instagram. What keeps him excited
like with nice people.” While he could see is being methodical and refining processes,
the quality of products even as someone deepening his knowledge about fermentation,
who never surfed (Billabong is an active- baking chemistry and keeping leraning in
wear brand), he struggled to engage with general. For now he bakes very simple white
it and it became an unhappy work for him, sourdough loaves but the idea of opening his
so he decided that whatever he did next, it own place, with coffee of course, is always at
would be working with something he re- the back of his mind. Even though tight
ally enjoyed and it was coffee. schedule and bigger responsibilities will keep
Through his fellow managers in the him off some things, there are still a lot of
industry, Dale became aware of an opportu- ideas on Dale’s list for “one day”. Maybe one
nity to work for Costa doing training and day he will go back to school, maybe pursue
machine care, this role allowed him to grow, a degree in agronomy, history or even chem-
including being exposed to competition and istry. “Whilst I feel much older and slower
the beginning of the coffee scene in London. than when I first started working in coffee, I
“I worked for that company for a couple of think I still have a good 30-40 years to learn
years - they were incredibly supportive in new things and have fun as I go!”
allowing me to grow and develop, and again, Staying hungry for knowledge, for life and
I progressed pretty quickly to a head of cof- meeting new people might be the best way to
fee role there. But the nature of a big orga- explain how Dale Harris became the Barista
nizations with very commercial customers Champion. It is the ultimate key to success and
limited my ability to access good coffee.” So Dale’s story shows that no matter where you
when a friend introduced Dale to Steve work and what you do, there is always some-
You can see more of Dale’s
everyday life and baking on Leighton from Hasbean in 2010, he was thing to learn to use this knowledge later when
Instagram @acousticcoffee super excited to have an opportunity to pursuing your dream.

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