5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

In today’s episode, we're speaking Gabriel Shohet, Co-founder of of UK coffee trailblazer Black Sheep Coffee.

Founded in 2013 with friend and business partner Eirik Holth, Black Sheep had a bold vision: to champion specialty-grade robusta at a time when the industry was almost entirely focused on arabica. Since then, the brand has achieved remarkable success, scaling to over 130 outlets across five markets and capturing the attention of a new generation of coffee drinkers along the way. 

In this conversation, Gabriel reflects on Black Sheep’s philosophy of challenging the status quo and choosing not to blindly follow industry trends. He also shares insight into the brand’s US expansion strategy – targeting Sunbelt states like Texas and Florida over more well-trodden markets such as New York and LA – to show the model resonates with a broader, more inclusive American audience.

Credits music: "Shock Me" by Gina Zo in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective. Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the show

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What is 5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality?

A forward-thinking interview series examining the business of progressive coffee culture.

The 5THWAVE Podcast is hosted by Jeffrey Young, Editor-in-Chief of 5THWAVE magazine and Founder of Allegra Group.

Each episode features inspiring stories, business lessons, and thought leadership from the entrepreneurs and industry experts blazing trails to success across the world of coffee.

The podcast will delve into the detail of achieving operational excellence, get to grips with green coffee sourcing and seek out the very best of global coffee culture. We’ll also examine the future of e-commerce and coffee at home, the changing face of cafés and coffee shops, and how to hone winning HR strategies – plus much more.

Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify to listen to all the credits music featured the show: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45goieo3qIN1xT9hSGnWeI

Get in touch and tell us what topics you'd like to hear by visiting www.worldcoffeeportal.com/5THWAVEPodcast