British Coffee Association appoints new chair
Dr Krisztina Szalai. Image: BCA
The British Coffee Association (BCA) has announced the appointment of Dr Krisztina Szalai from Caravela Coffee as the Association’s new Chair.
Krisztina has extensive experience within the coffee supply chain, ranging from her work in the buying and sustainability teams at Taylors of Harrogate, to her current role as Head of Sales at Caravela Coffee – a specialty green coffee importer / exporter specialising in sourcing high quality lots from smallholder producers in Latin America.
Utilising these experiences will be key during her term as Chair, supporting the UK coffee industry at a critical time as cost-of-living challenges, inflationary pressures, and a changing regulatory environment remain key challenges for many businesses, and as the UK continues to develop its approach to international trade, tariffs, and labour movement post-Brexit.
Research published by the BCA shows that the UK has a flourishing coffee industry – the nation drinks approximately 98 million cups of coffee every day, with the industry creating over 210,000 UK jobs. It is the role of the BCA to represent, promote, and support all aspects of the UK coffee trade.
Dr Krisztina Szalai, Chair of the British Coffee Association, said: “I am truly delighted to have been elected to serve as the BCA’s Chair at such an exciting time for the coffee industry.
“The BCA plays a vital role in supporting and advocating for our Members – which include not only the big-name retailers and high-street chains, but also independent coffee shops, roasters, warehousers, and importers.
“We are the key platform through which businesses from every corner of the country can come together to collaborate and tackle those issues which are greater than any individual organisation. Businesses are rightly asking how we can be both commercially successful, as well as sustainable, something which the BCA has been exploring in-depth.
“It is the sense of community I feel that has kept me committed to the coffee industry over the past decade, and I’m passionate about bringing more diverse, independent, and dynamic businesses into the BCA. I’m really looking forward to a busy few years!”
Krisztina follows Andrew Kerr as Chair. He spent two years in the role, which saw the BCA acting as a conduit to greater engagement with the global coffee sector as part of the move to drive a sustainable circular coffee economy.
