It is with heavy hearts this week that we bid goodbye, adieu, farewell and Guidbye for noo to Joseph Walker – Mercanta’s voice of reason, resident wit, and the only one amongst us who managed to regularly cycle to work. He’s off to sunnier climes – Glasgow to be exact. His last day with Mercanta is technically this coming Friday, June 1, 2018; however, he has managed to schedule his last week of work as holiday time…. (well played, Walker). We feel justified in posting this now while he’s out of the office, and perhaps it is better ’cause he’d only blush at all the nice things we have to say about him.
Joseph moved from Nottingham to London in 2009. After graduating with a degree in photography, he worked in art book shops (including the illustrious Tate Modern) and galleries. Although the world of exhibit catalogues and high-end tourist tat was scintillating to be sure, he felt an empty hole where his tastebuds were and decided to move into the equally aesthetically exciting field of specialty coffee.
Joseph joined Mercanta in February of 2014, starting starting as Lab Bod, ascending quickly to Lab God and eventually moving up the ranks to the elevated position of Coffee Hunter and Account Manager. Many of our friends and clients would know him as account manager and coffee advisor to East Midlands, Turkey and various parts of Europe. We know him as one of the best cuppers on the team, a real contender in any ‘guess the origin’ kebab challenge, and resident master of the deadpan stare. He is also a mean shot with a paintball gun.
Over the course of his career with Mercanta, he has spent some 880 hours at the cupping table, cupping over 5,000 coffees from at least 20 different origins. He’s helped managed 12+ tradeshows/coffee festivals and participated in one COE. He has been absolutely integral to our office culture and our team, and his voice and skills will be deeply missed by all of us.
Perhaps most importantly, he was the only person on our team (other than Stephen Hurst) who knows a pea about ‘the football’. This, of course, made him invaluable, as Stephen H. points out, to Hurst’s own pocketbook. Having won 4 seasons of Brentford versus Forest on the bet of who finishes higher, Stephen has emerged £80 richer over the 4 years Joseph worked for Mercanta (4x£20). Of course, Stephen points out that Joseph’s misery at never having won that bet was worth so much more than the 4x£20.
The author of this post does not know what any of the above means.
Joseph takes with him deep coffee knowledge, exceptional cupping skills, a bunch of tiny figurines, and a Go Cart trophy he stole from Jamie. Above all…. he takes our best wishes and esteem with him to his new life in Glasgow. He is irreplaceable, and we already miss him loads.
Lang may yer lum reek, Joseph! (we think that’s a thing that is said in Scotland?)
