The Peninsulist Meets The Hej Man
Mathew Keech, co-founder of Hej Coffee tells us why Swedish coffee breaks inspired his vision for neighbourhood coffee across London, why he’s invested in a 56 year-old milk flat, and which non-dairy substitute works best in lattes. Hej Coffee, London’s small, perfectly conceived cafe chain and roastery, has come to the Jetty, and no one is more pleased than Hej’s chief operating officer, Mathew Keech. The New Zealand-born coffee geek fills us in on his Nordic-themed coffee venture, his battle against plastic waste, and why he tolerates grumpy customers.
You're originally from New Zealand, but you're now based in London. Where did you first get into coffee?
Back in NZ. I came to London 2000, but I first became hooked on coffee by spending time at cafes in Wellington. They had exciting food, amazing design, great people and, yes, nice coffee! It was the cafes that pulled me in, but the coffee that kept me going back. I’ve been working in coffee now for about 25 years.
Hej Coffee was inspired by a trip to Sweden, right?
Yes. Jeremy Knight, my business partner and CEO (that’s chief espresso officer), was on a coffee tour in Sweden with a large Swedish roaster and was inspired by the simplicity and efficiency of the Scandi culture. He loved how coffee had a special place as a social glue bringing everyone together for the daily “fika”, or coffee-break ritual.
We all know about Italian coffee, French press, or even flat whites, but Swedish coffee sounds a bit more elusive. What sets it apart?
The Swedes drink a lot of black filter coffee, which allows you to explore a broader range of flavours and can really experience the acidity and sweetness of the bean. It’s all about the coffee, and the roaster’s ability to highlight the bean’s potential.
You guys also have a roastery. Was that always part of the plan? What sets your beans apart?
Absolutely, we have a great relationship with our customers and wanted to share the excitement of the roasting coffee, so we built our Roastery in Elephant and Castle to be open and accessible for everyone. We offer roasting experience sessions where you can come down and join us roasting and learn a bit about the process, or you can pop in for a coffee and watch us roast away while you enjoy the fruits of our labour.
