#132 Dream job: Coffee buyer
Our mini-series "Working in coffee paradise"continues - and we start the new year with a job without which coffee simply wouldn't flow at Tchibo. Because before espresso, filter coffee or caffè crema end up in our cups, their journey begins thousands of kilometres away: on volcanic soils, in the high altitudes of the Andes, on small farms in Latin America.our new episode of "5 cups a day" features Theda Behrens as our guest. She is Tchibo's coffee buyer for Latin America and a lot of things come together for her.
Buying coffee means taking responsibility
Theda is a coffee buyer for Latin America. She ensures that the right green coffees arrive at Tchibo at the right time, in the right quality and at the right price. To do this, she regularly travels to countries of origin such as Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras and Peru, speaks fluent Spanish, knows farmers personally - and negotiates with cooperatives, exporters and trading houses.
Coffee is anything but a simple commercial product. It is a highly sensitive natural product, dependent on climate, weather, political conditions and global markets.
"I like the responsibility. I like making decisions - but you have to be very well informed and remain flexible." Theda Behrens
Frost in Brazil, periods of drought, too much heat, currency fluctuations or political developments - all of these influence harvests, prices and availability. That's why Theda not only monitors markets, but also weather developments (often more accurately than some meteorologists).
60 to 150 cups of coffee - every day
A central part of Theda's work does not take place on an aeroplane or in a meeting room, but in the tasting room. When cupping, she tastes between 60 and 150 cups of coffee a day to assess qualities, match blends and ensure that the flavour remains consistent for customers.
Because although harvests, countries and qualities change, the coffee should always taste the same in the cup.
"I get up in the morning, I go to work, but I often don't know what to expect because something unexpected can always happen." Theda Behrens
In this episode Theda also talks about
- why Latin America plays a key role in Tchibo coffee purchasing,
- how quality, price, responsibility and sustainability are brought together
- and what it is like to negotiate as a woman in a commercial world that is still dominated by men.
Listen in now and find out how coffee finds its way from the highlands to Hamburg.
Fancy working in coffee paradise?
Then take a look at the current job opportunities on the Tchibo careers page and for even more insights follow @tchibo_karriere on Instagram.
Psst ... In the next instalment of our mini-series "Working in coffee paradise", we'll be presenting the next exciting job at Tchibo. It's worth staying tuned!
