Vacherin, London’s specialist caterer, has appointed international coffee expert Marc-Pierre Dietrich as its first ever Head of Coffee.
The new, specialist role has been created to drive forward Vacherin’s vision to create and deliver highly engaging, aspirational and customer-centric coffee experiences that mirror and influence London’s diverse coffee scene.
Marc-Pierre’s extensive coffee expertise and enthusiasm includes previous roles as: Board Director at Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) and precursor to the merged worldwide Speciality Coffee Association (SCA); World Coffee Events (WCE) representative; member of the SCA Instructional Design Committee focused on training; World Barista Championship (WBC) Head Judge; WBC Technical & Sensory Judge; creator of the SCAE competition judge training programme that ran across 23 European countries; plus Head Judge for national championships in those same countries including Barista, Latte Art, Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits and Cezve/Ibrik Turkish Coffee.
Through a strong programme of training, development and engagement initiatives, Marc-Pierre will positively shape a rich coffee culture that celebrates the art and science of coffee making, inspiring Vacherin’s barista community, clients and customers.
He will also oversee and nurture strong relationships with specialty and artisan coffee roasters to uphold and drive Vacherin’s commitment to provenance, quality and sustainability.
Key initiatives include:
- Barista Assembles: Monthly barista community gatherings to develop knowledge and skills through external enrichment opportunities that provide insights into brewing techniques and trends; including roaster visits, coffee cupping, guided tours of London’s coffee bars and shops and more.
- Core Competencies – certificated in-house training: Skills investment for all Vacherin baristas to cement the foundations for Culture, Consistency, Quality & Excellence.
- Vacherin Barista Academy: Led by Marc-Pierre as a specialist AST (Authorised SCA Trainer), Vacherin’s first Barista Academy will champion and provide clear and exciting career opportunities for its baristas founded on the SCA’s certificated barista courses of Foundation, Intermediate and Professional. Vacherin’s training programmes and career pathways will range from Trainee and Barista to Head Barista, Master Barista and Barista Coach.
- Coffee competitions: Designed to inspire camaraderie and continuous improvement, Vacherin’s coffee challenges push the boundaries of baristas’ skills and capabilities.
- Crush The Rush – a face-paced, time- and skill-based competition that pits baristas against each other and the clock.
- Latte Art Smack Down – inspiring creativity and precision, baristas showcase their latte art skills.
- Barista of the Year– celebrating Vacherin’s talented baristas.
- Innovation in Flavour: Ongoing coffee concept creation, from traditional brews to seasonal specials and innovative menu development to keep Vacherin’s offer fresh and exciting.
Marc-Pierre comments: “Historically, workplace catering as a business sector was not known for its avant-garde approach to coffee so when I was asked to work with Vacherin, I was intrigued and keen to learn more. It soon became apparent that Vacherin is committed to creating and building an authentic and contemporary coffee culture. Our core objectives are to match and then supersede the high street for the quality of our drinks, the professionalism of our service and to deliver a truly contemporary coffee experience for our clients and their colleagues.
“The team at Vacherin really are a great bunch; superbly professional yet engaging and fun to work with. There’s an extremely strong, vibrant culture of innovation; a diverse client base all at the top of their game and a challenging opportunity to move the needle. I’m delighted to be part of the team and relishing what we can do together.”
Phil Roker, Vacherin’s Managing Director, adds: “Marc-Pierre is a fantastic addition to the Vacherin team and his expertise is perfect to bring the Vacherin coffee vision to life.
“We aspire for our coffee bars to capture the essence of the 5th wave of specialty coffee scene in London. This involves creating a vibe and dynamism that mirrors the diverse coffee culture of the capital and beyond. Through a focus on skills and knowledge development, provenance and consistent excellence, we’ll continue to grow our community of passionate coffee enthusiasts who are dedicated to creating authentic, relevant and exciting coffee experiences for our customers.”
