Gene’s journey into coffee began with a summer course at Artisan Coffee School, which sparked a passion strong enough to inspire a complete career change. Since then, she has worn many hats in the industry – from barista trainer and cafe owner to participating in competitions, all while championing the community of speciality coffee. Now, she has joined our team as part of the Quality department.
In this interview, Gene shares insights into her professional and personal life, her role at DRWakefield, and the curiosity that continues to drive her in coffee. We are thrilled to welcome her to the team and look forward to the skill, dedication, and fresh perspective she brings.
What first drew you to coffee, and how did it lead to your career today?
My journey into coffee began with a summer course at Artisan Coffee School, which opened up a whole new world to me. I loved the idea of a good brew bringing people together, and before long I was daydreaming about having my own coffee shop. That same year, I left my teaching job, invested our savings, and opened a cafe outside London. It was the first specialty coffee shop in the area, but despite the passion and hard work, I eventually had to close due to rising costs and lack of investment.
The industry, however, kept pulling me back in. Through contacts I’d made at the cafe, I was offered a role in coffee wholesale and training, which paved the way for my move into green coffee. It’s been a journey shaped by community, generosity, and a lot of learning. Before coffee, I’d studied maths at Oxford and taught secondary school, but finding my place in this industry has felt like discovering what I was meant to do.
Black Cat Coffee Club
What does a typical day look like for you now?
Let me break this down for you: A typical day will starts with me brewing myself a nice coffee to kick off the day. First job will be helping to set up cupping table for usually between 10-24 coffees, each with 5 or 10 cups, containing both pre-shipment samples and landed samples. Then we will decide to approve or reject the pre-shipment samples. After that I will send the results and improvement feedback to the producers at origin. I also support our amazing lab assistant Jake with liaising green or roasted samples to send to roasteries in UK, Europe and sometimes beyond! At the moment, I am also learning about green grading from our senior quality analyst Timea, which is my favourite thing about my role so far! Although not part of my typical day, my favourite coffees that I’ve tried so far have been the KCRS washed from Kinini, Rwanda and the Sudan Rume hybrid washed from CGLE, Colombia, which if you have not tasted so far, please speak to your traders NOW!
Daily cuppings at DRW
Your cafe, Black Cat Coffee Club, had a strong community focus, came with memorable moments and challenges along the way. What did that experience give you?
I’m obsessed with bringing people together over a good brew – there’s something magical and authentic about it. At Black Cat, we hosted monthly events like our “club quiz” and “board game café,” which were always popular, and occasionally collaborated with local artists and musicians for special evenings. I also ran brewing and tasting workshops for the community to explore the flavours of speciality coffee. Those moments are still some of my favourites, and many of the locals I met remain close friends today.
Some of my previous students even came to visit me, which was a proud moment – showing them that it’s okay to fail and start again felt powerful. Of course, there were challenges too. The cost of living crisis hit hard, with rising costs and rent increases making it impossible to keep going. Closing the café and letting go of my lovely staff was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I’m proud that I bounced back, and the whole experience deepened my belief in the power of hospitality, community, and resilience.
You’ve worn many hats – educator, barista trainer, cafe owner, competitor. Which role do you think shaped you the most, and why?
This is a hard one! I think they all shape me in very different ways and are all very crucial for me. But one thing that has been consistent is being a competitor – it gives me great motivation to grow in an area. I have also made some incredible friends through competing too. These friends constantly inspired me with their depth of knowledge, humility and kindness. They have taught me to be more experimental and to think outside the box, and so I love learning from them!
Is there anything you like doing in your spare time?
I love collecting coffee drippers and experimenting with water composition for brewing. I can happily be on my own the whole day, just playing around with different brewing elements and tasting the flavour contrasts. This also inspired me to collaborate with Andrew from Cupping Directive to regularly host Brew with Friends –a friendly and inclusive brewing social event open to all.
Outside of coffee, I love going to the gym, especially lifting and currently working close to my 100kg deadlift goal! I also enjoy playing video games growing up – from Gameboy, to PSP/NDS to now Switch. It feels like a good escapism after a long week. Another thing I love is reading murder mysteries, and having read hundreds of them, my favourite author is Keigo Higashino from Japan.
Brew with Friends event at La Marzocco Home Showroom
Are you reading or listening to anything interesting right now?
I am currently re-reading my favourite book by Keigo Higashino, called Newcomer. It was especially therapeutic as it was talking about a new police inspector in the area, like me, just starting a new role! Another book that I am trying to read is Physics of Filter Coffee by Jonathan Gagné, which combines my love of coffee and maths. When I am commuting to work, I listen to podcasts from 5thWave, which inspired me to compete, to look into water in coffee, and how to design my coffee shop!
Do you have a mantra you live by?
Stay curious and keep learning!
How do you take your coffee?
Cold Brew or filter, especially made by me 🙂
What is your favourite origin, coffee variety and processing method?
My favourite origin is Costa Rica; my favourite variety is Sidra, and my favourite processing method is Honey.
