Most business origin stories involve a gap in the market, a business plan, maybe a mentor. This one starts with a television programme and a gut feeling.
Nearly 19 years ago, she was working as a legal secretary at a solicitors’ firm in Manchester — straight out of school, no hospitality background, no particular reason to think a career change was coming. Then The Apprentice aired an episode featuring a coffee bike task. Something landed.
“I just thought I could do that,” she says. “And the rest is history. Never looked back once — the best thing I did.”
Building From Scratch
Starting a mobile coffee business with no industry experience is a steep learning curve. There’s no franchise manual, no established playbook. Every decision — sourcing, pricing, events, equipment — gets made in real time, usually while also making coffee.
But that’s also what builds something genuine. Nearly two decades of working through problems, earning regulars, and refining the operation has produced a business that knows exactly what it’s doing.
The Coffee Pod now runs 2 vans and a coffee bike, covering events and indoor venues. It’s a proper multi-format operation — the kind that takes years to build and wouldn’t exist without the confidence to start without a safety net.
The Kit That Keeps It Running
At the heart of the setup is a Fracino Contempo — a British-made commercial espresso machine built for the demands of mobile and event work. Reliable, consistent, and robust enough to perform across different venues and formats without missing a beat.
For a business built on showing up and delivering quality wherever the job takes it, kit that keeps pace matters. The Contempo does exactly that.
Nearly 19 Years On
The legal secretary’s desk in Manchester is a long way back now. What followed that Apprentice episode was a decision made, and then backed — every single day, for the better part of two decades.
That’s what independent hospitality looks like when it works. Not an overnight story. Not a viral moment. Just someone who saw an opportunity, trusted their instinct, and never stopped.
We’re proud to support The Coffee Pod — and the kit that keeps them moving.