What makes a great White Horse barista? By Domtron

This is the question that I have asked myself many times over the years. Being the geek that I am, I am often driven by the love of technical coffee mastery, the pursuit of coffee knowledge and the barista craft. It’s from this mindset that I often find myself considering the question, what really makes a great barista?

This past month I worked alongside Caitlyn in our store Eliette at Sutherland, and she made me rethink what it meant to be a great barista.

My heart definitely lies in the realm of technical skills, becoming a master of the espresso machine, understanding the nuances of each and every coffee grinder, manufacturer’s makes and models. Understanding brewing methods, from stovetop to ibrik, from french press to pour over and espresso to batch brew. Being able to brew the perfect shot of espresso, to steam milk to the right texture, and most importantly being able to understand and describe the nuances of different coffee beans, the different growing regions and the many varietals and hybrids. This is what I loved about the barista craft for many years and what I aimed for in my own journey of excellence.

My journey led me to believe in creating wonderful coffee things, inspired by the platform of the world barista championship, and competing in the various competitions that surround it. That passion to experiment with flavour and present coffee in unique ways, I believed would add a special touch to the cafe experience and become a calling card of White Horse Coffee.

Being someone who fell in love with the espresso bar, from the old school era of white linen shirts and black bowties to the modern era of hipsters with tattoos and bearded faces, for me knowledge and passion for the industry were the ultimate attributes a barista could have. To be able to understand roast profiles, brewing methods and combine that with a genuine passion for coffee, for years I believed that this was the ultimate experience for a barista and cafe goer.

This past month I challenged myself to rethink what it truly meant to be an exceptional White Horse Coffee barista, what it means to be able to successfully work at a White Horse Coffee store in a busy team and create memories for the many customers we serve day in day out.

Caitlyn reminded me what I was really searching for in the ultimate barista. Her actions were precise, as were her measurements, her timing of tasks including shot pulling, cleaning and drink preparation. Being able to time things correctly when you are working in a team, and having the simple mindset of “How can I serve my barista partner better?” is the simplest and most thought provoking thing that Caitlyn said to me. 

Having great attention to detail is not about loading shots as fast as possible and doing “my” part of the job, now you do yours…. It's about how we both get these drinks to the customers and work together so all drinks leaving the bar do so in a timely manner. Small variations in how we do things on bar can have major impacts in the customer experience and I just loved the way that when Caitlyn was preparing shots she made everything simple for the person on milk. She helped by organizing and getting the correct milk ready, steaming beautiful milk rather than loading more shots when appropriate, keeping her area clean and helping with replacing chux cloths for the milk person whenever possible.

On top of all of this, Caitlyn was able to maintain a friendly, attentive and efficient service, she was cashing off tables and helping guests. A great barista engages with customers, remembers regular orders, and handles complaints or special requests gracefully. 

One thing that stood out to me was the level of communication that I experienced on that day, which made for some exceptional teamwork. The day ran smoothly, which was extra special as it was a super busy Saturday, and all of the positive clear communication fostered a great environment for the team, from the chefs in the kitchen to the waitstaff on the floor.

Caitlyn was super adaptable, shifting positions when necessary, and knowing “What's important Now?” It made the rush hours of the shop feel like we were in second gear and cruising, she was able to seamlessly shift from shots to juice, from cash-off to order taking, customer service and much more.

So what does it mean to be a great White Horse Coffee Barista? Just ask Caitlyn.