Schooled as a futures trader in the wild commodity markets of the late seventies, Charlie has worked in green coffee since 1986 and has travelled frequently to coffee producing regions in Africa and Indonesia. More recently he jointly ran a coffee importing firm in Poland and managed the London office of a leading shipper of coffee from East Africa.

Having been a devoted espresso drinker since his first trip to Italy 25 years ago, Charlie says the taste is now enriched by knowing the secrets of those blends. His one souvenir of a romantic trip to Florence and Rome in 1982 was a Gaggia Espresso Machine and Two Kilos of Miscela d'Oro beans.

Charlie roasts every bean sold by Hill & Valley Coffee by hand and only buys Green Coffee from trusted sources known personally to him.

He thinks that the Speciality Coffee renaissance is the best thing to happen in the coffee business in his lifetime. Companies such as Hill & Valley Coffee can bring back the true qualities of freshly roasted coffee to the drinker whose taste buds have been dulled by decades of "institutional" coffee.

Debbie Massey can rightly claim to have worked in the coffee business before Charlie, but has taken a long while to come back to it after taking time out to bring up a family and work in Local Government.

Debbie's taste is for Cappuccino, Cafe au Lait and Swiss "Renverse" and although her hand will not be seen on the tiller of the roasting machine, she is the mainstay of the office management.

You can be sure that while Charlie will seek out the finest beans and blend them with care, Debbie will make sure that the order hits your doormat in time to be enjoyed at it's best.