COFFEE
text
MARYANNE NJOROGE
KAHAWA
DIARIES
then-owner wanted to leave the
company. So I said, “let me have a
go”. He said “sure, as long as you
commit to one year” and that was
28 years ago! I started out in the
accounts department then decided
it was important to learn about the
quality of our products.
HOW I TAKE MY COFFEE: JEREMY BLOCK
K
enyan-born Jeremy Block
is the Chairman of C.
Dorman Limited. Before he
became involved with the
Dormans brand, he admits
he couldn’t tell the difference
between tea and coffee. Now 28
years into his time at the company,
he is quite a bit more than a coffee
connoisseur having been in a variety
of departments; from accounts to
training under Ellen Dorman herself.
The way he takes his coffee tells
us that he’s a highly focused and
disciplined person who has high
standards for product execution but
also enjoys some down time.
How do you take your morning
coffee?
Straight black or espresso.
Sometimes with cream.
What’s your morning
routine?
I always stretch for about 20
minutes every morning. I have a
dodgy back. I think we all have
dodgy backs - we were meant to
walk on all fours… Probably then
a personal training session at
6:30am. Then all the usuals: shaving,
showering, breakfast and coming to
the office.
What’s your favourite pastry?
I try to stay off pastries actually,
because I have to watch my weight.
Although, once in a while, a really
good croissant is a great treat.
What’s your ideal way to take a
coffee after a meal?
I no longer have coffee in the
evenings. Once you get to a certain
age, it does start to affect your sleep.
So maybe after lunch sometimes, I’ll
have an espresso.
Why did you choose the coffee
industry?
I didn’t choose it. I was really just
in the right place at the right time.
Dormans was having some difficulty
and, as a Kenyan, I took a 50% stake.
So it was just as an investor in the
beginning. After a short while the
What are some of the most valuable
lessons you learnt from working
with Ellen Dorman?
Don’t compromise on quality.
In coffee you have a huge range
of quality. What is absolutely
imperative is that when you promise
to deliver x result, you deliver x
result. You don’t deliver x minus one
or even x plus one.
What are some of the things that
inspire you to keep going every
day?
It’s not a dress rehearsal. You’ve
only got one life, ]