Head of Coffee - Benugo

The Benugo brand stretches from our own award-winning high street stores to cafes and restaurants within some of the world’s best loved public spaces and visitor attractions.

Find out more about us at benugo.com

We are looking for a Head of Coffee to join the team at Benugo. The Head of Coffee is a senior leadership role responsible for defining, developing and continuously improving the Benugo coffee brand and hot drinks proposition. This role provides strategic and hands-on leadership to the Barista community across the business, ensuring exceptional quality, consistency and guest experience at all locations.

The Head of Coffee will lead, coach and develop all barista teams, build a strong training and performance culture, and create clear structures for communication, audits and operational excellence. They will also oversee bespoke coffee projects, innovation, seasonal development and supplier relationships.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People Development

• Act as the senior leader and subject matter expert for coffee across the business
• Lead, inspire and role-model Benugo values to all Head Baristas, Cluster Head Baristas and barista teams
• Build a high-performance barista culture focused on quality, consistency, pride and engagement
• Develop clear career pathways, capability frameworks and progression routes for barista teams
• Coach, mentor and support Head Baristas to become strong people leaders and trainers
• Identify talent, succession opportunities and development needs within the coffee function
• Set clear expectations and standards for performance, presentation, behaviour and professionalism

Training, Capability & Standards

• Design, develop and continuously improve the Benugo coffee training curriculum, from entry-level to advanced programs
• Ensure all barista training is structured, measurable and aligned to operational needs
• Deliver and oversee training programs that improve technical skill, consistency, speed, quality and customer engagement
• Use coffee audits, operational reviews and performance data to identify training needs and drive improvement
• Ensure coffee audits are planned, executed and followed up in a timely and effective manner
• Drive consistency of drink quality, recipes and presentation across all locations
• Support new openings, refits and transitions with training and coffee setup

Coffee Quality, Innovation & Operations

• Work closely with the roastery, suppliers and operations team to continually improve coffee quality
• Own and evolve the Benugo coffee and hot drinks program
• Research, develop and introduce seasonal drinks and industry trends where appropriate
• Ensure best practice use, care and maintenance of coffee machines, grinders and equipment
• Support troubleshooting, calibration and technical standards across sites

Communication & Organisation

• Maintain strong, professional relationships with internal stakeholders, peers and senior leaders
• Act as the central point of coordination for coffee-related communication across the business
• Provide regular reporting and updates to senior management on performance, risks and opportunities
• Ensure policies, procedures and standards are clearly communicated and understood by teams
• Contribute to strategic projects, brand initiatives and cross-functional workstreams

Professional Standards & Compliance

• Represent Benugo professionally at all times, internally and externally
• Ensure full compliance with company policies, food safety and health & safety regulations
• Attend training sessions, meetings and events as required
• Take ownership of personal development and actively engage in performance reviews
• Promote a safe, inclusive and supportive working environment
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required

Job Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Proven leadership experience within coffee, hospitality or food & beverage
• Strong people management, coaching and development capability
• Confident and credible communicator across all levels of the business
• Passionate about coffee quality, training and team development
• Highly organised with strong planning and prioritisation skills
• Adaptable and resilient, able to work under pressure and changing priorities
• Excellent customer service mindset
• Strong written and verbal English
• High level of computer literacy, including Microsoft Office
• Strong knowledge of social media platforms (desirable)
• Bachelor’s degree or relevant qualification (desirable)
• Experience in social media or brand marketing (desirable)

Benugo has built a culture of inclusivity & progression for all employees. Not only have we retained our family-feel culture, but we also offer a range of benefits including:

• Free lunch on shift
•  Free tea and coffee at any Benugo location
• A monthly allowance to use at any Benugo location
• Competitive rate
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave pay for when your family is growing
• Company sick leave
• Company annual leave
• Opportunity to develop and further your career within a fast growing an exciting company with a very prestigious list of clients
• Employee discounts at several retailers (via Perkbox app) & fitness providers
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme & our trained Mental Health First Aiders

If this sounds like the role for you, apply now!