In today’s episode, we’re speaking Gabriel Shohet, Co-founder of UK coffee trailblazer Black Sheep Coffee.
Founded in 2013 with friend and business partner Eirik Holth, Black Sheep had a bold vision: to champion specialty-grade robusta at a time when the industry was almost entirely focused on arabica. Since then, the brand has achieved remarkable success, scaling to over 130 outlets across five markets and capturing the attention of a new generation of coffee drinkers along the way.
In this conversation, Gabriel reflects on Black Sheep’s philosophy of challenging the status quo and choosing not to blindly follow industry trends. He also shares insight into the brand’s US expansion strategy – targeting Sunbelt states like Texas and Florida over more well-trodden markets such as New York and LA – to show the model resonates with a broader, more inclusive American audience.
Credits music: “Shock Me” by Gina Zo in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective. Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the show
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