What is a Barista and how do I become one?

What is a Barista?

A barista is a trained professional who specializes in preparing and serving coffee drinks, such as espresso, cappuccino, and latte. Baristas typically work in coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants. They do more than just pour coffee into a cup! They are responsible for operating equipment such as espresso machines, grinders, and blenders, as well as preparing and serving a variety of different drinks to customers. They are also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the equipment and the workspace, and for handling cash and credit card transactions.

How do I become a barista?

To become a barista, you typically need to have at least GCSE qualifications or higher, and some level of training or experience in the food service industry.

However, many coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants offer in-house training for new employees, which can include learning about different types of coffee beans, brewing methods, and latte art.

Breakroom currently has over 1,000 barista jobs advertised with employers such as: Gail's

Greggs

Pret A Manger

Starbucks

Caffè Nero

Coffee art

Some employers offer barista training programs also offer certifications that can help you to stand out in the job market.

Additionally, you'll also need to have excellent customer service skills and enjoy working with people and under pressure.

Are you looking for a job as a barista? You can use Breakroom to find out what a job is really like from the people who actually work there. 

See all barista jobs

We use the responses from the 440,000+ people like you who've told us about their jobs when they've taken the Breakroom Quiz. We include an estimated pay range for all jobs, even if the pay isn’t in the job advert you'll still have an idea of what you'll be earning. 

You can search for barista jobs by visiting HERE. Find the right job by filtering jobs by what matters to you 🫵 Things like do they pay breaks? Are all ages are paid the same? and how much notice do you get for your shifts?

* This ranking is based on employers with over 30 Breakroom Quiz responses from employees at that employer. 

** All reviews, ratings, rankings and job postings are accurate as of the 24th of January 2023

Last updated on 24 January 2023