Meet the 2025 SCA UK Cup Tasters Champion: Will Greavner

At Butterworth & Son, we’ve always believed in nurturing talent, passion, and curiosity. Few people embody that spirit better than our Head of Sensory and Quality Control, Will Greavner.

Earlier this April, Will was crowned the 2025 SCA UK Cup Tasters Champion during the Glasgow Coffee Festival. This is a prestigious title earned through razor-sharp sensory skills, an exceptional palate, and years of quiet dedication. To win, Will had to identify the odd cup out across 96 bowls, featuring 13 different types of whole bean coffee. No small feat!

With the World Cup Tasters Championship in Geneva just around the corner, we caught up with Will for a quick-fire chat about his journey, his passion for both perfume and coffee, and how he’s training for the global stage.

You’ve mentioned your passion for fragrances and perfumes. So, which came first, coffee or perfume?

When I was a full-time barista, another passion had quietly been percolating alongside coffee: fragrance. I started out collecting perfumes, but soon my curiosity turned to how I could make them myself. I began studying raw materials and experimenting with formulas from a tiny desk in my bedroom. That love for fragrance (and by extension, flavour) has had a huge influence on me. It allows me to make broad, intuitive comparisons and interpretations when tasting coffee.

There’s plenty of room for both in my life. The idea of the perfect cup of coffee is an experience I’m forever chasing: the most amazing pour-over, in the most beautiful place, sat opposite my beautiful girlfriend… that’s my coffee-drinking holy grail.

Perfume, on the other hand, is my addiction. I can’t walk down the street without my “perfume brain” tuning into what people are wearing. I could be sick as a dog and still be found compounding a fragrance formula when I should be resting.

Everything in my life is perfume-adjacent. From the oils in an orange peel, to the fermentation of cheese, alcohol and coffee. I also find inspiration in film, food, music and history. My life is constantly creating renewable energy for my perfume-brain to devour. It is self-sustaining and powerful.  

What sparked your shift from barista to sensory expert?

Looking back, the shift really started when I fell out of love with milky coffee. It felt heavy on the stomach and left an aftertaste I didn’t enjoy. I started getting into batch brew at my workplace at the time, at  Thetford Garden Centre. It was quicker to prepare, lighter, and (in my humble opinion) far more interesting than a flat white.

We served single origin “coffee of the moment” from Butterworth & Son that rotated every month. These coffees would arrive complete with promotional posters, coasters and A6 cards which featured the respective flavour notes. When it came time to change the origin, it became a fun game for me to taste it and see how the notes compared to my own references. With each new coffee, came an increased excitement for what I would be drinking everyday that month. This exposure to many different, great tasting coffees would prove to be incredibly influential and very necessary for my future coffee endeavours. 

The sensory snowball was officially rolling and soon spilt into my personal life. Anything and everything I consumed was constantly being evaluated and logged in my mental portfolio. It was then only a matter of time before I journeyed into a career in coffee and sensory. 

How would you explain coffee cupping in a few words?

Coffee cupping is the practice of evaluating the quality of a coffee. We simply grind a small amount of coffee into 8-oz bowls, add hot water and taste it using a cupping spoon. We use a very simple and repeatable brew method to allow the coffees to be judged evenly. Cupping is used across the coffee industry for a variety of reasons, although mostly concerning the sourcing and purchasing of green coffee.

Ever been surprised at a cupping table?

Honestly, there’s nothing that sticks out really, especially with how frequently I am cupping. That said, I was last surprised by a peculiar coffee I cupped when in London a few weeks ago. It tasted exactly like the lacy, crispy edges of a cheese toasty. After trying it, I enjoyed waiting to watch the reactions of people behind me in the queue. It’s fun to have either a really good or really bad coffee at a table, as cuppings can otherwise become a little routine.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned at Butterworth & Son?

The biggest and most relevant lesson has been a lesson in just how many variables there are in making a good cup of coffee, this is even before it reaches a grinder. From origin to climate, processing, importing, and then roasting and brewing, coffee is at the mercy of so many influences. 

Thanks to this knowledge, I now have an immense sense of appreciation for the work that goes into coffee production at all points of the chain. It is a great privilege that we have such access to the fruits of thousands of other people’s labour. 

As a QC, I have a responsibility to judge coffee as objectively as possible. However, it can be difficult to remain impartial if I know that a particular community/farm has had a tough roll-of-the-dice with the weather or has taken a risk with a new process that isn’t successful, using up their valuable time and resources. 

What’s your secret to winning the Cup Tasters Championship?

Staying grounded. The cup tasters competition relies completely on your senses, so the format is constantly working against you. It’s a new environment, with new sounds, smells and nerves to boot, so it is absolutely key to adjust to your environment as quickly as possible. 

Compete with yourself – what’s one thing you’ve learned this year?

Competing at the UK cup tasters has taught me to stick to what I know. There’s no need to change up your strategy for the occasion. It’s a priority to get as many ‘correct’ bowls as possible. A fast time is very important, however, as it’s my first year competing, I stuck with my strongest attribute, which is my palate.

What’s it like representing Butterworth & Son on the national stage?

It’s a real privilege. I’ve known Rob since my very first job as a barista almost a decade ago. He’s always nurtured my love for coffee and has often encouraged me to take it further. So, to not only compete, but win the UK Cup Tasters Championship this year is a real showcase of how far you can go in the coffee industry with plenty of passion and a little push. We can’t wait for the World Championship in Geneva, Switzerland, later this June!

What did you have for breakfast before the competition?

Ideally, I would say something glamorous like a full scotch breakfast or overnight oats with pieces of banana and kefir, however, the truth is far less pleasing. I cannot stomach breakfast at competitions. My nerves are completely shaken, so my mornings consisted of managing my symptoms as best as I could, and washing that down with a few coffees to get the palate going. I was not the picture of health that weekend. 

How are you preparing for the World Championship in Geneva?

My preparation involves consuming as much coffee as humanly possible. Even in my spare time, I am making the conscious effort to analyse my cup of coffee. Training also involves overcoming palate fatigue. On the day of the Cup Tasters Final in Glasgow, I cupped 72 bowls of coffee over the course of the day, and my palate was absolutely pushed to its absolute limit. So I am training to taste more efficiently by using my brain more than my tongue. This should also speed up my routine. 

Will’s win at the UK Cup Tasters Championship isn’t just a personal triumph, it’s a proud moment for all of us at Butterworth & Son. As our Head of Sensory and Quality Control, Will plays a vital role in ensuring every coffee we roast meets its highest flavour potential. Day in and day out, he leads the rigorous tasting and cupping process that underpins our commitment to quality and consistency. His achievement is a true testament to the care, curiosity, and dedication that go into every cup we share with you.

Next up: Geneva! We’ll be cheering Will on as he represents both the UK and Butterworth & Son at the World Cup Tasters Championship this June. Follow Will’s journey at the World Championship with updates via our social media channels, both on Instagram and Facebook. 

And finally, to all our customers, thank you. Your continued support is what makes moments like this possible.

YouTube: World Coffee Championships