The hammer, the nail, and the cup: David Gubbin on Sage’s expansion into the Middle East

When you speak to David Gubbin, President of EMEA at BRG Appliances—the company behind Sage, Lelit, and Baratza—you realise quickly that this is a man who’s not only spent decades building coffee machines, but also building the global coffee community around them. With 23 years at the company, Gubbin has helped lead the charge from Breville’s Sydney HQ to Sage’s rapid rise across Europe, and now, the brand’s launch into the Middle East.

Timed with the Dubai debut of the Oracle Jet and Barista Touch Impress yesterday, FLTR sat down with David for a candid discussion about why Sage chose this market, what the Breville vs. Sage story really is, and how the company continues to innovate for everyone—from coffee novices to seasoned home baristas.

Please introduce yourself to our audience.

My name is David Gubbin, and I’m the President of EMEA for BRG Appliances—home to brands like Sage, Lelit, and Baratza, among others.

I’m what you might call a BRG lifer, with 23 years under my belt and many more ahead. What keeps me excited? A lot, honestly. I’m a builder at heart. I started with the business in Sydney Australia working on product development—many of those coffee machines are still on shelves today—and now I’m leading an incredible team focused on market expansion, with the Middle East being our latest frontier after Europe.

What I truly love about this company is our obsession with the result—what’s in the cup. That focus drives everything we do, from innovation to culture. We think deeply about the end experience, and that’s why we call ourselves ‘food thinkers’.

Sage is a familiar name to coffee lovers in the UK and Europe, but the rest of the world knows these machines as Breville. What’s the real story behind Sage and Breville—and why does the Middle East see the Sage brand?

It’s a story I’ve told hundreds of times—and it’s pretty straightforward. Back in the 1980s, we sold the Breville trademark in the UK to a customer, and that agreement covered all of Europe—for all time. So when it came time to launch directly into the UK and Europe, we needed a new name. Sage was chosen—it evokes both the herb and a wise person, which felt fitting for a bunch of Aussie food thinkers.

Sage officially launched in 2013, right around the time I moved from Sydney to London to lead our European expansion. As for the Middle East, even though it’s not part of Europe, we use the Sage brand here for logistical reasons—mainly because of the shared UK-style plug. That allows us to offer a broader and deeper product range than we could under the Breville name.

Your machines cater to a wide range of users—from curious beginners to home baristas chasing perfection. How do you design products that serve people at such different points in their coffee journey?

We start by listening—really listening. We invest deeply in research and try to understand not just what people want, but how they behave in their kitchens. Internally, we group our consumers into two camps: Master Chefs and Time-Poor Gourmets. Both want a great outcome, but one has the time (and passion) to craft it, while the other just wants the result with minimal effort.

So we develop for both.

For example, our dual boiler machines cater to baristas looking for speed and precision, while our new Oracle Jet offers auto dose, auto tamp, auto correction, and auto milk. It’s like having a barista built into the machine—helping you reach that specialty cup, even if you’re not making it all yourself.

The line between professional café output and what’s possible at home has blurred—and Sage has played a big part in that. What’s been your biggest breakthrough in making professional-quality coffee more accessible at home?

That’s a tough one—but if I had to pick, I’d say our thermal control systems. Our PID temperature control technology has become incredibly precise, and our machines can now heat up in as little as three seconds. That’s a game changer—not just for convenience, but for moving seamlessly between extraction and milk steaming.

But what impresses me just as much is how easy it is for beginners to get a great result. Between our automation and built-in guidance, more people are achieving their ideal cup quicker and more confidently than ever before.

You often speak about how a great machine still needs great coffee. The machine is the hammer, but the coffee is the nail. Can you explain your “hammer and nail” philosophy when it comes to fresh coffee and great machines?

That analogy actually comes from our CEO, Jim Clayton. His point is this: people aren’t really buying a coffee machine or a bag of beans—they’re buying the experience of a great cup of coffee at home. The machine is the hammer, the coffee beans are the nails, and the outcome—the “doghouse” in this metaphor—is that perfect cup they’re after.

So it’s not just about selling a machine. It’s about helping consumers find the right beans to recreate their favourite café experience at home, in a way that fits their lifestyle. And that’s why we work so closely with specialty roasters and focus so much on the final cup.

In 2006, the board signed off on the Barista Express, expecting to sell just 6,000 units a year. Today, that number has crossed 2 million. What did you learn from the Barista Express journey—from initial projections to global success?

We learned a lot. First, that there was a huge group of consumers ready to move on from capsules and fully automatics. They wanted to engage more with the process, to craft something special at home. But more importantly, we discovered just how fun and dynamic this category could be. Since launching the Barista Express, the market has exploded—technologically, in scale, and geographically.

Sage is constantly evolving—from solving temperature issues to introducing auto milk, tamping, and now connected grinders. What are you most excited about in terms of upcoming innovations from Sage?

We’ve got some exciting developments in the pipeline, but I’ll have to keep the specifics under wraps for now. What I can say is that the pace of innovation is only accelerating. We’re continuing to push the envelope—whether that’s through smart connectivity, new brewing methods, or more intuitive design. Stay tuned.

Some people love learning the craft; others just want a great cup. How do you balance automation and learning in your machines so they grow with the user over time?

I’ve touched on this earlier, but it’s at the core of our design philosophy. Our machines are built to meet you where you are—and grow with you. If you want to learn, we give you the tools. If you want a shortcut, we provide automation that still respects the craft.

Today, you’re launching the Oracle Jet and Barista Touch Impress here in Dubai. Why is this moment, and this region, significant for Sage’s next chapter?

We’re incredibly excited about the Middle East. We’ve invested in local warehousing, expanded our team to three people, and secured agency partners and retail agreements. Coffee culture here is booming—and not just in cafes. There’s a growing appetite for great coffee at home, especially among those who appreciate quality but don’t necessarily want to be full-time baristas.

Features like auto milk, cold coffee options, and support for alternative milks make Sage a great fit for this market. And as we continue to grow our presence here, we hope our “hammers” help local specialty roasters sell even more “nails” to more people.

The message from David Gubbin is clear: Sage isn’t just building coffee machines—it’s building access. Whether you’re a purist with a scale and refractometer or someone who just wants a café-quality cappuccino with zero fuss, Sage sees you. With the Middle East now firmly in focus, and two new machines launching in Dubai, the brand’s commitment to innovation, user-centric design, and great partnerships with roasters is more relevant than ever.

For anyone still stuck between the hammer and the nail, Sage might just be the bridge between your kitchen and your favourite cup.