Stephen Leighton is the voice

“I HATE THAT CONSUMERS ARE ONLY DRIVEN BY THE IMAGE OF ONE TYPE OF PRODUCER, A JUAN VALDEZ COOKIE-CUTTER STEREOTYPE WITH A HAT AND NO SHOES. THAT’S NOT A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF THE PRODUCERS I KNOW.”

There are some voices more iconic than others. Actor Morgan Freeman falls into that category, as does Tour de France commentator Phil Liggett, announcer Craig Willis, and Has Bean Coffee Managing Director Stephen Leighton.

Since 2012, Stephen has become synonymous with the World Barista Championship (WBC) – not for his coffee-making prowess, but for his ability to make each barista name sound as important and as elongated as announcing Floyd Mayweather to the boxing ring.

Stephen has emceed every WBC since 2012, including Vienna, Melbourne, Seattle, and Rimini. Whether you see “the ginger from the Midlands” in a live stage arena or via Livestream, his voice is a familiar comfort.

“Emceeing the 2013 WBC final in Melbourne was the most crazy day of my life,” Stephen recalls. “I never had a crowd quite