Workplace 18 - Daily Cup of Joe

When I was a kid I used to watch barista's and think they had the coolest job ever. (Not barrister's, I didn't spend time in court. The coffee people, barista's. Google tells me it comes from the Italian word for 'bartender')

They somehow wrangle these huge shiny machines, extract delicious brown coffee from dry beans, heat milk to delicious creaminess... I think for me it was something like what watching an old school blacksmith making a samurai sword would be for little boys. They would move so quickly, and everything would just somehow come together. It was mesmerising.

Finally, I had an opportunity to learn this mysterious art. The location may not seem that glamorous but I was on my way.

The Coffee Club at Taigum shopping centre was my school in all things barista related and the staff there were a close-knit group. Lauren, the manager remains one of my favourite managers ever and I left the job with reluctantly after 6 months. She would call me early in the morning telling me that she was too hungover and that I had to get down there to run things while she slept in the corner. Or pull my hair if I was being too cheeky. This doesn't sound like a good manager but the place was so relaxed and we generally hung out there even if we weren't on shift. There was never any doubt about how you were doing, whether I was doing well or not. I loved the bluntness and encouraging atmosphere. The rest of the girls were great as well, all with massive personalities and the traditional hospitality partying attitudes.

I was taught the various methods of making coffee gradually, first how to froth perfect milk for lattes, flat whites, cappuccinos etc. All similar but different enough.

So you all know, a flat white should have no foam at all, a latte should have about a centimetre and a cappuccino should be heaped and hold it's shape. Every barista has their own opinion and each place does it differently but after working at a bunch of cafes, that's my standard.

After a few weeks of conscientiously frothing, I was allowed to start creating coffee shot disasters. It was awesome! In the meantime ofcourse were the usual tasks of cleaning, serving, heating, chatting and errand running that make up cafe staff life. After 6 months tho I had nailed the skills required and was turning out what I know now to be terrible tasting coffee (Coffee Club blend isn't the greatest) by the dozens. I could froth milk, make shots, I was even getting the hang of little pictures, there was a tip jar and pretty flexible hours. And staff that hung out socially on weekday nights. 

We had regular customers as every cafe does, generally staff from the centre, and we knew them all, not by name, but by what they drank. When discussing them we had to refer to skinny large latte lady or macchiato afternoon guy. And we had two old guys that used to sit in the corner, commenting on the world and trying to charm us every day. 

If you're looking for a job that will keep you fit, give you a new social group united by the hatred of customers who order a half-strength-decaf-soy-latte-with-a-shot-of-vanilla-and-two-pink-marshmellows, not make you a heap of money but will be fun, this is good for it.

If you're more into sitting down occasionally, not dealing with public and maybe not so great at working in a team, people in this industry will hate you. Don't go there. Keep looking.