Head Barista
59 minutes ago
London
We are a specialty and artisan café committed to exceptional coffee, consistency, and genuine hospitality. Every drink we serve reflects care, precision, and craft — from well-executed espresso to beautifully balanced milk drinks and hand-brewed coffee. We are building a team of professionals who take pride in quality, understand the details behind every cup, and want to be part of a café culture centred on standards, learning, and community. The Role We are looking for an experienced full-time Specialty Barista who brings strong technical coffee knowledge, excellent workflow, and a high standard of customer service. This role is for someone who is confident behind the machine, understands espresso recipes and extraction theory, and can consistently produce high-quality coffee in a fast-paced service environment. This is not a basic barista position. We are looking for someone who already has solid specialty coffee experience and can confidently dial in espresso, maintain equipment properly, and deliver consistency throughout service. Responsibilities • Prepare and serve consistently high-quality espresso-based drinks, milk drinks, pour-overs, and other specialty beverages, • Dial in espresso daily and throughout service, adjusting grind, dose, yield, and shot time as needed to maintain flavour and consistency, • Demonstrate a clear understanding of coffee ratios, extraction times, and how to correct under-extracted or over-extracted shots, • Texture milk to a high standard and produce clean, consistent latte art, • Work confidently on a La Marzocco espresso machine, • Operate, clean, calibrate, and maintain a Mahlkönig grinder to ensure optimal performance, • Carry out routine cleaning and maintenance of all coffee equipment, including grinders, group heads, steam wands, baskets, showers, and backflushing procedures, • Monitor espresso quality through regular taste checks and ensure drinks meet expected flavour profile and presentation standards, • Maintain excellent workflow during busy periods without compromising quality, • Keep the bar, equipment, and front-of-house area clean, organised, and fully stocked at all times, • Monitor stock levels, report shortages promptly, and support ordering and inventory control, • Follow all food safety, hygiene, and cleanliness standards consistently, • Deliver warm, professional, and knowledgeable customer service, • Minimum 1–2 years’ experience in a specialty coffee environment, • Strong practical knowledge of:, • espresso recipes and brew ratios, • shot timing and extraction control, • grind adjustment and dial-in, • milk texturing and latte art, • coffee flavour balance and consistency, • Experience working with La Marzocco coffee machines, • Experience using and maintaining Mahlkönig grinders, • Ability to explain how and why to adjust a shot when extraction is running too fast or too slow, • Strong understanding of daily cleaning routines, preventative maintenance, and correct equipment care, • Experience with stock control and café inventory management, • Excellent attention to detail and pride in presentation, taste, and cleanliness, • Calm, organised, and efficient under pressure, • Reliable, punctual, and a strong team player, • Good communication skills and a professional attitude, • Food Hygiene / Food Safety certification preferred; this will be highly valued, • Qualifications, • Previous barista experience is advantageous but not essential; training will be provided for suitable candidates., • Knowledge of food safety standards and procedures is desirable., • Experience in serving customers in a fast-paced environment is preferred., • Basic food preparation skills are beneficial., • Good time management skills to handle multiple orders efficiently during busy periods., • Ability to perform basic maths accurately for cash handling purposes., • Strong interpersonal skills with a friendly attitude towards customers and colleagues., • Competitive pay based on experience, • Flexible scheduling, • Ongoing training and opportunities for growth, • Supportive and quality-driven team environment, • Access to premium specialty coffee, • your CV, • a short cover letter outlining your specialty coffee experience, • the espresso recipe or brew ratio you are most comfortable working with, • how you would adjust a shot running too quickly
Alison H.Active 1 hour ago
