
Our beloved friend and colleague, Grant Rattray, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday 21st January in Singapore, where he was regional sales manager for Mercanta in Asia
In 2004, a principled and enthusiastic young man contacted Mercanta, seeking to get into the nascent European specialty coffee industry. I signed him up.
Grant worked for Mercanta UK for the next 7 years. Participating at every stage of the growing UK and European specialty coffee movement
Then a spell of three years at Cup of Excellence, returning to Mercanta in 2014, embarking on our new journey in Asia as regional sales manger of Mercanta’s Singapore office
Grant was a warm, charismatic, charming person. He was widely loved and respected.
In the capacity as his boss, I lost an intelligent, popular, professional employee with years of experience at the forefront of the specialty coffee industry.
But so much more than that, I lost a treasured friend of 15 years. We grew up together at Mercanta and few could share the DNA of our company like Grant and I
This noble man will be badly missed, by suppliers and coffee producers across the globe, by clients who trusted his counsel, and by his friends and colleagues at Mercanta.
Our condolences go out to Grants family, partner, and personal friends.
We have lost a Titan, and well before his time
Stephen Hurst
Founder
Mercanta The Coffee Hunters
Specialty Coffee Merchants
Business in Singapore continues as normal, with Aster Lam heading up operations there for the time being. We will keep you updated on any further news.