Facilitating the diversity conversation in coffee and hospitality

Founded in 2016, Well Grounded is an award-winning social enterprise in London working to develop and empower a diverse talent pipeline for the specialty coffee industry. The non-profit works within the community and with more than 135 hospitality operators to support and progress people who are unemployed and under-represented in the coffee industry by delivering Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) training and accreditation, alongside a mentoring, networking and employability programme. Tobias Pearce speaks to Eve Wagg (EW), Founder & CEO, Darshika Ravindran (DR), Head of Partnerships & Communications, and Aashifa Hussain (AH), Senior Coffee Trainer, at Well Grounded

What barriers do some aspiring coffee professionals face in the industry today?

AH – Many of our graduates lack role models in the hospitality industry, which can be a barrier to career progression. When I started my career, there weren’t many people who looked like me or were visibly Muslim. While that’s changing, and didn’t deter me too much, it can be demotivating.