Hi, I’m Erin Cuthbert. Founder of Ruby Alba and Professional Footballer for Chelsea and the Scotland National Team. It’s a bit crazy to be writing that I have my own business now and it’s something I am so incredibly proud to have built from the ground up.
The coffee journey first began back over 10 years ago when I found myself drinking coffee to survive long tactical team meetings. I hated the taste – spat it out immediately! Slowly, I began to acquire the taste and like everyone I know, went from caramel lattes to now being able to drink coffee completely black. I found myself using coffee as a way of socialising, having moved from Scotland to London solo at 18 with just big dreams not realising how hard it was to actually make friends and socialise outside of my job. Coffee was that – studying in coffee shops, having meaningful catch-ups or just a place to people watch and not have anywhere to be!
I’m lucky enough that football has taken me all over the world – and with that has come some brilliant coffee along the way (which you will now join me on that journey!). I’ve been able to sample a vast array of flavour profiles along the way, and all my team-mates call me the coffee geek because I just love all things coffee - all the brew methods and all the correct temperatures and ratios – it’s one big maths equation to me! With that in mind I thought “what better idea than to make my own?” and something that I was truly proud to call mine. And with that, Ruby Alba was born.
“Ruby” originates from my gemstone month July and Alba means “Scotland” in the Gaelic language. Everyone who knows me will know how much I love my country and how much I miss my family and the Scottish “patter”, and now having a taste of home in every cup somehow now just bridges that gap slightly. I work with an amazing roaster in Scotland who has brought the whole Ruby Alba idea to life and shares the same passion for coffee as myself and I am genuinely excited to where we can take the brand together.
From a performance lens, coffee has become part of my pre-training and pre-match routines. I use coffee to fuel my performances and even time them from kick-off to make sure I am in an optimal condition to do what I want to do on the pitch. Great tasting coffee puts me in a good mood, and I feel ready to tackle anything that the day has to offer. That’s why I’m obsessed with Ruby Alba, the consistency in each cup is second-to-none and I know what I’m getting every time I make a coffee – no hassle, no fuss.
But anyway, I truly want you to give it a try and let me know what you think. I’ve tried to make a flavour profile to suit everyone – from your daily flat white to a delicious Ethiopian pour-over blend. I do hope you like them – I’d suggest giving the bundle a try and finding your favourite ones!
Again, thank you for getting this far and reading my story and following my journey - it truly means the world supporting my business, especially at this early stage.