Barista
Baristas make and serve coffee in cafes, coffee shops, restaurants and hotels.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a barista, you would:
- prepare the premises or outlet ready for opening
- welcome customers, take orders and process payments
- prepare and serve coffees, hot snacks, sandwiches and cakes
- clean and tidy work areas, equipment and coffee machines
- check and order new stock
Working environment
You could work in a coffee shop.
Your working environment may be noisy.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a store manager, then regional manager, with a coffee retail chain or franchise.
There may also be opportunities to move into:
- barista staff training
- equipment maintenance
- coffee tasting and buying
- product development and marketing.
You could become self-employed and open your own coffee shop
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to sell products and services
- the ability to work on your own
- excellent verbal communication skills
- a good memory
- the ability to work well with your hands
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
- training with a professional body
Although not essential, you could do a college course that would give you some of the skills needed for this role. Courses include:
- barista skills
- food and beverage service
- retail skills
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
More Information
You can apply to do a Food and Beverage Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
This will usually take 12 months to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and time spent with a college or training provider.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More Information
You can apply directly for jobs. When you start, you're employer will put you through training in barista skills and product knowledge.
Some employers may prefer you to have experience in customer service, retail sales or catering.
You could train in barista skills with a professional organisation, for example the Specialty Coffee Association.
Career tips
Skills such as teamwork, flexibility and good customer service are highly valued by employers, along with a positive outlook.
Related videos
Suggested videos
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.