A coffee break with...
Beth Langley
OOH director, Nespresso Professional
What does your job typically entail?
I’m responsible for leading and growing Nespresso’s business-to-business division and steering the Nespresso Professional UK and Republic of Ireland teams, across finance, operations and supply chain. This means I get to work with a great bunch of people every day, talking about a product I love.
My role provides me with the opportunity to build relationships with businesses across the out of home sector, including restaurants, bars, hotels and cafés all around the country, both with our direct business and our longstanding partner Lyreco. Nespresso Professional provides coffee solutions that are tailored to specific business needs, and we’re always listening to our customers to see how we can support them and supply premium, great-tasting coffee.
How did you get into the industry?
I’ve had an interest in coffee for a long time, having travelled to South and Central America many years ago. A love of the language and the culture of those areas of the world led me to love coffee.
Before joining Nespresso, I spent eight years at UCC Coffee in commercial leadership roles. Being in these roles enabled me to gain strong knowledge and experience of the coffee industry, having worked across the key business drivers including coffee bean procurement, equipment distribution and maintenance contract management, while driving market contribution on global strategic projects.
My passion for coffee has continued to grow over time as I’ve spent more time in the industry, and it’s been really interesting to see how the coffee market has developed in the UK and Ireland in recent years.
What’s your favourite part of your working day?
I really enjoy meeting with people from across the industry and hearing about the organisations they either own or work for. There are so many fantastic businesses out there that we’re lucky to work with, and it’s great to be able to speak with them and gain insight on how we can meet their needs in an ever-changing market.
What’s your favourite food and beverage?
I have a great love of Mediterranean food; olives, bread and wine all tick the box for me. I prefer home cooked over processed, though that doesn’t always happen after a busy day talking coffee. I get quite grumpy if we don’t have time as a family to eat together, it’s a key time for me to re-charge and enjoy the moment. And of course, my morning coffee is pretty sacred – I don’t function well without it!
What is the biggest factor currently affecting the industry?
We know from research Nespresso Professional recently commissioned that the majority of hospitality business owners are concerned about the rising cost of living, and this is likely to continue into 2023. But there is also the topic of sustainability.
Our research highlighted that nearly three-quarters of senior hospitality leaders believe that sustainability has become more of a priority in their business during the last year. As a recently certified B Corp business, we not only recognise the importance of addressing sustainability, but also the challenges that can come with committing to being a force for good.
In line with the B Corp community values, we’re dedicated to helping others across the industry, sharing insight on our experience of the B Corp process to showing how our coffee products can support a sustainable offering.
What one piece of advice would you offer someone working in the industry?
It’s the advice I tell myself constantly: don’t be afraid to make mistakes, don’t try to be perfect and always be kind. These all drive my values. When it comes to the industry specifically, I think it’s a reminder to make sure you get to know coffee – it’s fascinating and we can never stop learning about this incredible product!
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