Bean feast: Robert Ashton wants a better cup

‘The best business begins with a shared pot of decent coffee.’

'If we want our visitors to return, I think we all need to wake up and smell the coffee!' | Photo: by Ante Samarzija on Unsplash

Coffee has played a key role throughout my career. Deals were struck over cappuccino in hotel lounges; new opportunities grew from chance conversations in conference coffee breaks; and visitors to my office were always offered a fresh cafetiere. I came to judge the businesses I visited by the standard of the coffee they offered. Those where instant coffee was the norm often took a quick-fix approach to their work; those with an espresso machine invariably charged more, but almost always exceeded expectations.

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