Being with Mark Jonathan Buley, the regional product and development manager of Costa Coffee for Mena (Middle East and North Africa region) and India, is like being with a human dynamo. It makes perfect sense that he is one. It would be hard to swallow that the man who heads a coffee company would be anything but fast and furious in the way he thinks, acts and achieves.
Is there a word that he believes describes him well? Yes, and the word is ‘right brained'. "I am most definitely right brained," he says.
As one of the top executives of Costa UK in the region, Buley's main task is to come up with concepts for the brand that continue to please their patrons and create new customers - through innovative presentation and packaging of tried and tested products. His commitment to his task is total. He says, "A brand or label is nothing without a quality product. No sizzle without the sausage..."
The sizzle factor has been pretty much evident in his life - even as a boy. The younger of two boys, Buley grew up in his native Cardiff (Wales) and his happy childhood was rich with fun and mischief. "I was like William Brown (from the book, Just William)," he says of those days. His teachers had a hard time disciplining him at school as he was always restless, had a short attention span and earned himself the distinction of being a star member of the naughty boys' club in school. "I also had a bit of a problem with my weight. I wasn't obese, but I always seemed to be slightly heavy," says Buley with a grin. To this day, it is a struggle to keep the extra pounds off even though he now exercises regularly. "I love to eat. Plus, I was trained to be a chef - so you do the math."
At a very young age, Buley developed an attachment for food - its origins and preparation. "Our family holidays to St Ives [Cornwall] were trips I always looked forward to," he recalls. "There we did mackerel fishing and ate on the boat. The fish would be prepared and ready to eat in a matter of minutes! It tasted heavenly. We usually caught about a hundred of them during a three-hour trip."
Buley says his creativity and sense of innovation stems from his love of food. "At the age of four, I was already preparing salads from vegetables grown in our garden. I remember helping grandpa dig up potatoes from our backyard and making soup at the age of seven. By the time I was ten, I learned butchery and made brawn (a Welsh delicacy making use of very specific meat cuts) with grandma. Then at 15, I worked as a kitchen porter in a hotel - doing odd jobs in the kitchen and helping in thefood preparation.
"My love for food and awareness of the importance of ingredients from a very young age drove my interest to know more and learn how to handle the great produce of the earth. When I worked as a kitchen porter, I sought every opportunity to get involved in the process - even if it was just to clean and prepare the vegetables. I used every moment to observe and learn. I was especially keen on watching the chef prepare sauces and a host of other stuff. It wasn't an easy job, but all that went on in the kitchen fascinated me."
I
I cannot imagine life without its simple pleasures... a cup of coffee; an ice-cold drink; a walk on the beach; a quick run around the park… nothing big or expensive. The little things that make us happy or things we may not think we need, but still find enjoyable. It may be a very light or intense experience that fulfils us in a way and adds to our joie de vivre.
I would really like it if I could improve a person's life or make someone happy every day... I know it's nothing as grand as achieving world peace (though that would be so great), but I like doing small deeds - tiny acts of kindness that nevertheless make a difference in a person's day. Maybe helping a child or an elderly person cross the street, or giving my seat over to a woman and her baby on a bus. It's the small things that matter.
I am mystified by people who live without a desire to achieve anything... I cannot understand how people can go on without any motivation or passion, or why some people seem satisfied with mediocrity. We only have one chance at life, so why waste it on the mundane?
I am happiest when I am eating!... I know it seems overly simple, even funny, but I am. Eating is one of the most pleasurable activities I partake in life. I enjoy dining in the finest restaurants (The Fat Duck - a restaurant in Berkshire, England) and eating street food in a place like Delhi or Mumbai to experience new food pleasures and broaden my culinary horizons. Right now, I would love to eat kacang panjang (Bali, Indonesia), jasmine spare ribs (Shanghai, China) and golgappa (India).
I feel for people who are oppressed… people who are pushed down and aren't given a chance to succeed; and people who are not given an opportunity to reach their full potential - especially if it is because of other people, circumstances or institutions that impede their full development. There must be so many people out there who, given a fair chance, can achieve more than you or me. It's a tragedy, really, when people are born with unequal life chances.
I find it difficult to control my enthusiasm. Sometimes people get scared of the energy I exude... They feel overwhelmed, and who knows, maybe even annoyed? It's just that when I get excited over an idea or a project, it keeps rolling around my brain and gathers more moss so to speak, and I find it difficult to contain it. I always have to find a way to execute or test it.
I can't live without my running shoes and a coffee cup... Wherever I travel to (mostly on business), I always have my running shoes with me. Exercise is a priority since it is the only way I can keep myself fit and trim. Even when my work comes with a lot of pressure, going to the gym or just running helps me let off steam and de-stress. As for the coffee cup, I do love coffee. I should, right? Being in this business, it helps that I love coffee - so I know great coffee when I taste it.
I find it interesting to watch people and learn about their behaviour... Human beings are such interesting creatures. I have done quite a lot of travel in my career and at times, if I'm at the airport waiting for a taxi or a plane, I end up just observing people. Sometimes I get to talking to a stranger. It's amazing how people can easily relate to someone they don't know and talk about their most profound memories or life stories.
Me
Me and Welsh cuisine...
Food from Wales is not as popular as, say, that of Naples, but it has its own unique qualities that make it both wonderful and exciting. Welsh cooking is characterised as fresh food from the land and sea. My country is blessed with an abundance of seafood, meat and fresh produce. Some rare ingredients coming from the wild are used in Welsh food like acorns (used for making bread and coffee); nettle tops for a delicious soup; and cobnuts that are used as ingredients in some starters and desserts.
Some popular Welsh dishes are Welsh rarebit, Crempog Las (egg pancake); Tatws Pum Munud (smoked-meat and potato stew); Crempog (sweet pancake); and Pwdin Nadolig (Christmas Pudding). My personal favourite is my mother's Cawl Cennin, which is traditional lamb stew with root vegetables and pearl barley. This was a family favourite and left on the stove for multiple visits - especially from me.
I also miss simple things like what I had in school at lunchtime - baked bean toasties with HP sauce.
Me and my three passions...
I can't explain it, but I have always had this affinity for things that begin with the letter ‘C' - chocolate, coffee and cheese. I have a passion for food and drink that have a story, and these three most certainly have interesting stories to tell - how cocoa pods and coffee beans are cultivated, produced, prepared, graded, roasted, processed and served are most certainly very remarkable points in the production of chocolate and coffee.
The effect of the weather and the pasture on the quality of milk and the cheese produced from particular livestock is, to me, as interesting as the actual taste of the cheese. The intricacies that lie behind the production of these three food types that we consume in large quantities make them unique and popular at the same time.
Me, Chef Ladenis and ‘chefdom'
At 16, I was set on becoming a chef, and I got my first career break. My family was already aware that I was headed in that direction and my friends were not at all surprised. It was actually a source of humour for them. They joked that I liked eating so much it made sense for me to get a job that would keep me close to food all the time. You see, at that age, I actually weighed about 102kg! However, I still tried to keep fit and channelled my energy by playing rugby for Caerphilly Rugby Club in Wales.
It was a source of pride for my family to have a son working in London. Back then, it was a major deal if your job took you to the big city. I was hired as a Commis Tournant (a rounds cook) and worked under a three-star Michelin Chef Nico Ladenis. I felt very inspired to have had the opportunity to work with such an accomplished chef. His standards are exacting and he certainly is one of the best chefs out there.
Do I consider myself a fully-fledged chef? I'd rather be called a cook because I am still learning, and I believe that anyone worth his salt and training to be a chef will keep learning till he feels he has earned the honour of being called a chef.
Me and my other inspirations...
I say other inspirations because I've already mentioned Chef Nico. There are so many people I admire in the world of gastronomy and culinary arts, but one worth mentioning is Jeffrey Steingarten - one of the most interesting and witty food writers I have ever come across. I admire him for his passionate prose and wholehearted dedication to food. Also, Chef Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck, is someone I look up to. His tireless quest for perfection in food at all levels is truly commendable.
Me as a manager and innovator...
‘Empathetic' is the word I would choose to describe my managerial style. I have made it part of my practice to "know" my staff. Nothing too personal, but to make sure I know exactly what each one is capable of doing - weighing the possibilities from their resume and their individual potential. It's my personal belief that every employee is an asset… otherwise, why would we hire them in the first place? If I feel someone deserves a break, why would I not give the person the opportunity to develop professionally?
Being highly involved in our products and the expansion of our business has kept me constantly on my toes when it comes to innovation. We have products traditionally associated with Costa Coffee, which are our top selling products. Product development and innovation is a continuous process.
Myself
If you had not got involved in the food business, what would you be doing now?
I would definitely be into something of equally high-pressure that requires grand energy, enthusiasm and creativity - something equally expressive like acting, design, sports or writing... who knows? Whatever it is, it would have to be right brain/creative and keep me running full speed ahead. I thrive on pressure, delivering results and driving innovation - even in the face of adversity. Right now, I'm enjoying the fact that I get to have a say in the overall appearance and design of our outlets. I do a lot of research and give my inputs, and so far, the results have been far from disappointing.
Why do you think coffee is such a popular beverage?
Perhaps because of its story and the process - such amazing results coming from such a small coffee bean! Its romantic and enchanting properties can be traced to its origins - the plantations where they are cultivated with great care until they are harvested and ready for the whole process, which leads to it being served. Its aroma fills the air and the customer is ready to enjoy a warm cup of this amazing beverage. It also comes in so many flavours, both delicate and strong. Who doesn't appreciate the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning? Even non-coffee lovers appreciate its distinctive fragrance.
What's the perfect cup of coffee?
It's the ‘flat white' hands down! It's microfoam (steamed milk from the bottom of a pitcher) poured over a strong, yet smooth espresso shot.
Do you miss being a chef? Would you consider going back to your culinary roots in the near future?
Of course, I most definitely miss cooking as a profession full-time, but I fuel my addiction for cooking by engaging in new food experiences and home cooking. If I find a recipe interesting, I will try making it.
What is your ultimate goal?
I still see myself involved in an industry where I will be mingling with people and probably still be connected to food. To live, breathe, start and run a global food brand that is sustainable, and improves the lives of people - is one of my dreams. It will satisfy our customers and the needs of people, who directly benefit from the reputation of the enterprise. Through the products, I hope to find a way for the company to impact on recipient communities. Think more on the lines of a food enterprise cum charity - something more than just a food business. Something like this: every time a person or family in Dubai spends on a meal - a family in the Ivory Coast or Bangladesh will receive grain seeds and education for their children… anything to make the world a better place for everyone.
What adage do you continue to live by?
‘Give every task 100 per cent or more'. Never forget people and remember, people make life and business happen - without them, we are nothing.
- Lovely Claire D. Cachuela is a Dubai-based freelancer
