Safeguarding the Costa Brothers’ secret recipe

by Gennaro Pelliccia, Costa’s Master of Coffee

As Costa Coffee turns 50 this year, I think it is fair to say that I don't just have a professional connection to the business, but due to my family ties with the Costa family, I feel a massive responsibility to safeguard the recipe that Sergio Costa personally entrusted to me and my family. This secret recipe is our Signature Blend Mocha Italia 112, used to create the distinct taste of Costa Coffee for 50 years.

I first started with Costa Coffee 30 years ago, but it was before that that my family’s connection to the business began. It all started with my mother, who in 1983 worked for Sergio and Bruno Costa. Then, my sister and I started as baristas, working in Costa Coffee stores, at that time still owned by Sergio Costa. I still remember today the crash course Sergio Costa himself gave me on the coffee machine, teaching me how to make my very first perfect espresso coffee. I started full-time in 1991 at the London Gatwick airport store, it was a time of growth for Costa… not quite the scale of today, though!

Quite often, people ask me what it means to be Master of Coffee. Well, it’s relatively simple. As Costa’s Master of Coffee, my team and I dedicate our time to ensuring that our Signature Blend meets the same quality standards and taste profile developed by the Costa brothers those 50 years ago, wherever it may be enjoyed, anywhere in the world.

It took a lot of hard work, dedication, and training for me to hone my tasting skills. I did my first espresso course when I started at the Roastery in Lambeth in 1998-99. It was then I started to understand the vast spectrum of flavours there are in coffee, and realized how special it can be … I opened up the magical world of coffee!

The future is great for Costa Coffee. For example, through our partnership with Coca-Cola HBC - now in 14 markets - we moved at scale into a multi-channel distribution outside the UK, becoming relevant in many more occasions for our consumers to enjoy great coffee at home, on the go and at work. After the acquisition by The Coca-Cola Company in 2019, the possibilities for growth got really exciting! Continuing Bruno and Sergio’s legacy of great coffee quality, together we now offer more than 20 different combinations of blends and formats such as Single Origin, 100% Arabica blends, light and dark roasts, Ready To Drink Coffee and decaf.

I'm very proud of our journey so far and looking forward to many more years to come. I think, after the year we’ve all had, we need a bit of positivity. Costa brings that spirit to life and can act as fuel for optimists. I’m definitely one of them!