Black Sheep Coffee
“ We were flat mates in our university days and had a shared passion for coffee . As students , we used to experiment with new brewing techniques all the time – from ways of increasing caffeine content to ways of creating the widest flavor profiles .
“ After graduating , we went our separate ways – one of us ended up in New York City and the other in Milan ,” remembers Eirik . “ Across the globe , we began working different office jobs ; however , we both longed to start our own business .”
Hands-on approach
Inevitably , given the pair ’ s shared passion , that business was going to involve coffee . “ We missed experimenting with different beans , manipulating the strength and taste of coffee ,” Eirik continues . “ We hosted regular catchup sessions , chatting every Sunday evening to devise a plan , which , after a few months , turned into us quitting our jobs and getting down to business in earnest . It could have turned out to be a pipedream , something we talked about forever without actually doing anything . But we chose a date to make it become a reality , and we went for it .”
After quitting their international jobs , the pair moved back to London with a small amount of savings to tide them over . Looking back on it now , Gabriel admits it was probably quite naïve to do so , seeing as the pair couldn ’ t even afford to buy an espresso machine – which you kind of need when you ’ re in the coffee business …
But they remained unperturbed by financial constraints , and braved life without an income . Gabriel and Eirik were too busy looking ahead , their eyes firmly set on the vision they ’ d concocted each Sunday evening back in New York City and Milan .
“ It would be a long and winding road to make ends meet ,” Eirik says , reminiscing on Black Sheep ’ s early days . “ But we had big dreams and a ton of energy , so we put ourselves to work .
“ First , we got hold of a trestle table ,” he explains . “ Then we rented an espresso machine and applied for street trader licenses . Immediately after , we began making coffee out on the pavement : one day at Brick Lane market , the next on Leather Lane , then Old Street roundabout and Camden High Street . You name it , we were probably there !”
After two long years – and a lot of sweat and tears – running these pop-up shops , Gabriel and Eirik finally scraped enough money together to build their first shop . It was only a few thousand pounds , but it was hard-earned and every penny mattered . As they couldn ’ t afford to hire a professional builder , the budding coffee nuts watched hours of plumbing and electrics videos on YouTube , rolled up their sleeves , and got stuck in themselves .
The result ? The company ’ s first ever shop : Black Sheep Coffee on Charlotte Street , Fitzrovia . “ It was part of a run-down building that was set to be demolished , so the landlord let us trade there for 18 months prior to demolition – practically for free !” recalls Gabriel . “ Admittedly , it did look bare and amateurish , but it certainly had character . We were just happy to have a place of our own . ( And the fact we didn ’ t have to pack up all our stuff , move , and set it up again the next morning !)”
Roast boast
Indeed , much of Black Sheep ’ s brand elements can be traced back to its first shop , where Gabriel and Eirik had to scrape together a variety of reclaimed materials , picked up for free on the outskirts of large construction sites around London , to create some semblance of character . Little did they know , the pair were creating a discernible , industrial-chic aesthetic that now typifies the brand .
“ By this point in time , we ’ d traveled all over the world , visiting coffee plantations in Papua New Guinea , Ethiopia , Brazil , and Peru ,” Gabriel continues . “ We called this ‘ searching for the perfect bean .’ Indeed ,
foodchainmagazine . com 105