What Makes a Good Barista?

According to the government, despite the fact that the economy is currently in a stall, employment throughout the country has in fact risen by 154,000, meaning that in 2012, 584,000 people found employment.

But, this is a little strange, and according to an article by The Guardian, people in Britain are simply drinking their way into jobs; creating a new generation of baristas.

Of course we all love coffee. Whether we drink it at home, at work or on the go; it’s important to know just which machines, or outlets suit you. Although there are companies like Coffechino, who offer office coffee machines, being an actual barista is no easy thing.

In fact, just getting the job itself can be hard enough as it was announced that one coffee branch in Nottingham received 1,701 applications for just 8 jobs.

But why did so many people apply for one job?

Of course, the idea of being a barista can be quite appealing. The name is exotic, being of course Italian in origin and the image that most people associate with a barista is that of young hipsters, so why not?

The truth is that coffee and the surrounding culture is now firmly rooted in British culture. In fact, the first coffee house was set up in Oxford in 1652; so it’s had a little time to settle.

Another bonus of a job role is that there is also job security. According to Lee Bendictus:

“Today, the coffee shop market in the UK is worth 10 times what it was in 1997, with 15,273 outlets currently estimated to be doing business. As they have joined our daily lives, so has a new kind of expert: the barista.”

There’s also varying wages. Although some are paid minimum wage, which is of course to be expected, Starbucks for example, offers shares and at Pret, a skilled Barista can earn at least £8.05 per hour; a lot of money if for example, you are under the age of 18.

So what makes a good barista?

According to many, making a good coffee is an art form, and to many of those who do the job, it is.

There are even Barista competitions such as the Thrive Studio and Café Barista Compatition. David Snyder, an organiser of the event says that:

“The goal of the Chattanooga Coffee Throwdown is to connect baristas and coffee aficionados in the area. We hope to foster an environment where coffee professionals can learn from each other.”

If that isn’t enough there’s also the World Barista Championship where talented Barista’s from all over the world compete in what in coffee terms, is considered to be the Olympic Games.

But do you have what it takes?

Although pouring a beer may be relatively simple (and too a cup of tea), mastering the craft of a skinny latte, Frappuccino or Latte Macchiato whilst looking after twenty or so customers, clearing up the same amount of tables, and making sure the till is correct, is anything but simple.

This article is provided by Coffechino, a UK company specialising in commercial coffee machines and coffee ingredients. 

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save