About Us
Learn more about Missing Bean’s story, our core values and the people who make up our team.
Made in Oxford
We became Central Oxford's first independently owned coffee shop in 2009.
Independently run
We are a small team who oversee everything from sourcing, to roasting.
Sustainably produced
All of our coffee is sourced with the highest environmental and ethical standards.
Timeline
Our Story
2009
Opened MB Turl Street
2010
First Event Supply - University College Ball
2012
Opened MB St Cross at the Univeristy Law Faculty
2014
Opened MB Roastery
Roaster: Coffee-Tech Ghibli 15kg
2014
Started Wholesale Coffee Supply
2019
New Roaster: Giesen 15kg
2019
Launched Online Shop
2021
Opened MB Abingdon
2021
Opened MB Banbury
2021
Opened MB Botley
2021
2022
MB Turl St Refurb
2023
Opened MB Bakery
2024
Opened MB Woodstock
2025
New Roaster: IMF 30kg
2025
Opening MB Charlbury
2026
Opening MB Maidenhead
2026
Opening MB Cowley
About Us
Meet the team
Ori Halup – Co-Founder & Director
Ori is one half of Missing Beans founding members. He first got into coffee while studying film in Sydney. Australia was at the forefront of third wave coffee culture and utterly transformed everything he knew about coffee.
Moving to the UK and missing that good coffee and cafe hit, he would fantasise about opening a little coffee shop and letting it run itself, whilst he worked on his film career. Little did he know how profoundly the coffee bug had got him.
14 years later, sourcing, roasting and serving the best coffee he can lay his mitts on is still worth getting out of bed for.
He's created and nurtured an ever growing Missing Bean family. The focus is very much on developing mutually beneficial relationships. Be that Direct Trade with far flung farms or more immediate member's of the team. Provenance and fair treatment are paramount. Along with a good laugh. There have been some rough moments along the way but he wouldn't change it for the world!
In his spare time he represents Oxford and England in the ancient sport of Tambuerello (google it, it's a real thing). He's a keen cook and has a genuine flair for food, drink and conviviality.
Vicky Troth – Co-Founder
Vicky is the other half of the founding members of Missing Bean. Her view of coffee was transformed after arriving in Sydney for her studies.
She was used to well intentioned but poorly made cafetieres, and had assumed she just didn't like the taste of coffee. That all changed when she sampled her first flat white in Oz. Returning to the UK it was hard to find good coffee outside of London.
Setting up a coffee business in her home town of Oxford felt like the right move whilst embarking on a film career. Hoping it would provide an income (and tasty coffee) before there was much film work!
Fast forward 11 years and she now works full time in film and does much of the graphic design for the Bean. She's rightly proud of the business she's helped to shape and grow. It's definitely a real community which is what was intended first and foremost.
In her spare time she's a ceramicist and painter. And man can she throw some shapes - ceramicist chat for being Ace.
Silviu Rad - Head of Coffee Sourcing, QC & Training
Silv is our head of sourcing. He began roasting coffee just after turning 18 - his first job and he loved it! Quickly learning about complex flavour compounds and aromatics of coffee. He found he was hooked on coaxing new profiles out of the beans. He still gets a buzz at the prospect of a fresh harvest arriving.
Coming to join Missing Bean was an opportunity to put into practice everything learned at the previous Roastery and Cafe. Head of sourcing is a dynamic role that keeps Silv focused and motivated. It has allowed him to expand his network across every sector, from farmers and baristas to coffee drinkers the world over.
He loves nothing more than a chat with like minded enthusiasts, be it coffee or his other obsession - cycling. Just beware challenging him to a game of tennis - he will slay you. You've been warned!
Emilie Lambert - Head Roaster & Finanace Manager
Emilie is a familiar face in the Missing Bean family. Having previously worked across our Cafes, Emilie has now evolved into an integral part of our back office team but still finds the time to roast a batch or two of coffee as part of our Roast Team.
Without Emilie we’d be in organisational chaos and her strategic and logical mindset is perfect for us to maintain our service as well as building for the future.
Emilie comes as a two-for-one deal with the loyal Roastery doggo Phrod taking residence at our HQ and keeping guard of our warehouse - her bark is far worse than her bite!
Ben Sankey - Head of Retail
Ben found his way to MB after he enrolled on a furniture making course here in Oxford. One cold winter morning, on the hunt for a cup of 'the good stuff' before a lecture, with virtually no knowledge of his new surroundings, he and a new buddy went on an adventure. Soon happening upon 'the Missing Bean'. Little did he know, it would become an important part of his life, not only as a coffee drinker, but also a place of work, family and fun.
After a stint in Plymouth doing a furniture making degree, working summers for us, he joined Missing Bean firstly as Manager of our Turl St. Cafe, and now as our Head of Retail.
Seek out a cup of his favourite Ethiopian batch brew and stay for a natter.
Olly Wilkins - Marketing Director
Olly joined MB after a spell managing local gem, Oli's Thai. He joined as our Roastery Cafe & Wholesale service began to gather pace and quickly settled in to juggling both aspects.
After establishing our Online Shop in 2019, Olly delved into the e-commerce World for MB and has evolved into our Marketing Director, overseeing what, where and how you see and enjoy our beans!
With his faithful four-legged companion, Albie, never too far from his side, you'll see Olly at our Head Office and out-and-about across our Shops and at our Events. He's also the voice of our socials and customer service, so if you're ever in need of a hand, he'll be sure to lend.
Jess McHugh - Head of Food
Jess is an Oxford legend in the Cafe & Cake scene. Having operated her own businesses, with great success, for many years in the form of Oxford and Silvie, Jess joined our Bakery team in 2024 as our new Head of Food.
Jess oversees our menu choices, product development, and keeps our Bakery team in check! Despite being infamous for her cakes, Jess's overall knowledge and understanding of food makes her the perfect leader of our Cafe food offering, including pastries, bread, sandwiches and so much more!
We're so lucky to have Jess as a key part of our Missing Bean Management team, and she'll play a huge role in our growth going forward.
Victoria Lipscombe - Wholesale Manager
Vicky came to Missing Bean via academia, studying International Relations and Business Management at Oxford Brookes.
She joined us back in 2018, initially starting at Turl Street and rapidly developing a love and appreciation for good coffee and the cafe culture surrounding it. She went on to become Assistant Manager at our Turl street Cafe, then Manager of our Roastery Cafe.
She very quickly became a vital part of our backroom team when assisting with the logistics of both the Cafe's and the Wholesale, before settling into a well deserved Management role overseeing our Wholesale coffee family of well over 100 UK buisnesses.
Her morning go-to is an Oat flat white - after a stroll with Ember of course!
Brian Gray - Production Roaster & Roastery Assistant
Brian found his way to coffee through books. Once upon a time, he spent all his free time in bookshops (living the dream, Brian) after which he would peruse his purchases in a coffee shop. One thing led to another and Brian ended up working in a bookshop cafe which in his own words 'was wonderful'.
After stumbling upon a speciality coffee publication, he became instantly captivated by the art, science and dedication involved in crafting the perfect cup. Brian loves Missing Bean for its fine balance of hitting the sweet spot between informal and professional.
'You are celebrated for your individuality and are pushed to thrive.'
Our favourite bookworm is part of the MB furniture and his loyalty and dedication over the years hasn't been missed. Brian's role, like many others, has evolved over time and he's now a key part of our Roasting & Production team.