The former Wahaca and Pho executive joined the specialty coffee roaster and social enterprise as Group Operations Director in 2021 and is credited with scaling the business from a single site to seven stores
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Old Spike assists people experiencing homelessness through training and employment at its sites | Photo credit: Old Spike Roastery
London-based specialty coffee roaster and social enterprise Old Spike Roastery has promoted Mathew Heather to Managing Director.
The former Wahaca, Pho and Mitchells & Butlers executive joined Old Spike in June 2021 and is credited as the ‘driving force’ behind the company’s retail, social impact and growth strategies.
In a LinkedIn post, Old Spike said Heather was ‘instrumental’ in expanding its café operations from a single site to seven over the last three years. In June 2024, Old Spike began a residency in London’s iconic Shard building and exclusively serves coffee to the 32 companies occupying offices over the skyscraper’s 28 floors.
Founded in 2014, Old Spike works alongside sister company Change Please to assist people experiencing homelessness in the UK by providing training and employment at its roastery and cafés. The business is seeking to positively impact 250 individuals affected by homelessness in 2024 through its barista training academy.
Old Spike also operates a direct-to-consumer coffee subscription service and wholesale channel. The business achieved 45% year-on-year sales growth for its wholesale operations in 2023 and 81% year-on-year growth across its cafés following the opening of two new sites last year.