Meet Martha // Our Coffee Shop Manager and Hospitality Champion. Our ever friendly face at Arch 51, visitors to the cafe will know Martha for her warm welcome and mellow manner. It's difficult to believe we've had the pleasure of her company for nearly a year now! While Martha is a relative newbie to our team here, she brings a wealth of experience from her years of working in the wonderful world of hospitality. We caught up and talked coffee, cocktails and a bit of Scandinavian folklore ...

Words by Martha 

I've always loved hospitality, which is probably a good thing, as I've always worked in hospitality! The daily interactions with people are what make it worthwhile and rewarding. I've been lucky enough to work with others who like me were really passionate about making it a long term career, being proud of what we do in this industry.

Working under pressure, face to face with customers and maintaining a positive attitude is a skill in itself; serving perfectly crafted coffees or carefully prepared cocktails at the same time is next level. 

I love any business that is different and interesting. People with passion are inspiring.

Whether it's a relaxed Sunday morning meeting with friends or a pick me up before work, coffee is a ritual, if these times are met with a smiling server, that experience can change your day.

Music at work is so important! It sets the vibe. We play a pretty eclectic mix here, everyone brings their own favourites to the party which makes for great variety. Some of my current favourite music right now is by the likes of James Blake, The War on Drugs and Ben Howard. 

My favourite coffee … my go-to is a flat white made with a fruity single origin and oat milk. At the moment I can't get enough of our Guatemala La Mora - super-versatile. During the summer I always had a La Mora Cold Brew to hand - with a slice of pink grapefruit on the side.

Each team member has a symbol or picture next to their name on our rota here, I have a fox 🦊. Half of my family is Icelandic; in Scandinavia the fox is symbolic of a guru or guide animal - it's thought to help you choose the right path. Just before starting work at Method Coffee I saw a few foxes - I took this as a really good sign ☺️

I like it when people want to pass on their knowledge. The easiest way to learn is from a passionate teacher who knows the value in passing on their expertise to others.

My perfect day is preparing a delicious meal to share with friends. Currently I am cooking a lot of American Soul Food; okra, chickpeas, BBQ ... lots of Cumin!

I know my way around the top shelf. Before working at Method I managed a cocktail bar, one of my favourite spirits is rum - I love a well made daiquiri. Another favourite would be Dick Bradsel’s Espresso Martini. A modern classic in the cocktail world. I like to make mine with Element 8 Cacao Rum, Borghetti Coffee Liqueur, a dash of Cointreau and a Method Chucho Espresso.

I think Simplicity is key in food and drink production. Take the best sourced ingredients, give them to someone who really cares about what they are creating and the outcome is rarely bad.