Barista , livre ebook
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English
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2019
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101
pages
English
Ebook
2019
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Publié par
Date de parution
29 mars 2019
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9781528966719
Langue
English
Publié par
Date de parution
29 mars 2019
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9781528966719
Langue
English
The Barista
James Harrison
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-03-29
The Barista About the Author Dedication Copyright Information Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51
About the Author
The author
James Harrison has nearly twenty years’ experience as an adult educator, trainer and coach. His interests include English literature, writing, reading, Arsenal football club and history. The Barista is his second book and was influenced by him studying the history, business and policies of coffee-making from around the world. He lives in Hertfordshire.
Dedication
For my children, Millie and Oliver. Listen to what we say, and do as we advise, always.
Copyright Information
Copyright © James Harrison (2019)
The right of James Harrison to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528931564 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528931571 (Kindle e-book)
ISBN 9781528966719 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Acknowledgements
As someone who enjoys coffee, I feel it’s important to acknowledge the incredible coffee farmers. These people work very long hours, in sometimes very challenging environments, for very little pay. Without them, our high streets may look very different.
Chapter 1
The constant whistling of the steam wand would probably drive most people mad. Amy and Kylie, however, were both used to it. They had been employed for two years now.
Both of these twenty-something girls perfectly reflected the recession. Both graduated in history and politics within the last three years, but rather than fall into a job with political parties or top multi-nationals, they ended up working in their local coffee house.
They both often cursed their luck. If they had been born five years earlier then, no doubt, by now they would be in their ideal careers. These were their thoughts on a bad day, today however, is an okay day.
Amy and Kylie had been friends since school. Their parents met on the school run, and really from there, they never looked back. They went to secondary school together, completed A-levels and after that shared a flat at university. Even at the ripe old age of 23, they were life-long friends.
Even after they conceded that their dream careers could not be achieved, they still managed to find a job in the same company.
‘Coffee’ was a small, comfortable, cosy boutique-style coffee house in the Shires. The owner, Steve, had bought the shop with his wife, Jody, recently. Initially, it was just Steve and Jody employed in their own company, but to their delight, business had really come on.
There was very little competition, and they were well liked in their village. Originally they were both from London, but decided on new lives and a new start after Jody discovered she couldn’t have children.
Jody still cries about the second she got told. It was a doctor, Doctor Charles, and it was the same doctor who referred her to a counsellor for help and support. This was after she had told Doctor Charles she wanted to kill herself for not being able to have children. It also ruined any hopes of adopting children, as the local authorities deemed her unstable.
They both had large families in London, including nephews and nieces, but they didn’t think it was the same, and after discussing it, they decided to start a new life in the country. They took out a business loan, found a premises and opened their outlet, Coffee.
Initially they commuted from London every morning, but Jody wanted to be at work at 7:00 am to catch the first trade of the day. Jody didn’t really understand why and how her husband couldn’t see this. She convinced him that they needed to sell their home in North London and move to the village. After all, getting up at 4:00 am was making them irate and that summer they moved home to be a comfortable 10-minute drive from work.
Chapter 2
Coffee is very unlike the typical high street chains. There is no standardisation, no name badges, no uniform, not even Wi-Fi. Jody did not want this to be a business-type, chain-style coffee house. She wanted a community-based environment where people could interact, socialise and enjoy a drink with good company. She wanted the shop to be totally independent, and it had worked. Steve wore an apron, took orders and made coffees. Jody was mainly behind the scenes, running the business and the two girls backed Steve up, with one taking orders and one serving.
Really, Jody was the brains in her marriage; she had business sense, selling skills and craft skills. Steve was just Steve. This irritated Jody, though she didn’t say it. Steve had stood by her when there was a rumour at work of her having an affair, and also stood by her when she couldn’t have children. They had only been married a year and Steve, perhaps more than Jody, wanted to be a parent.
They had met at the bank where they both worked; Jody as a business development manager and Steve as a senior clerk. They dated for six months, then Steve proposed. He proposed in a local coffee shop. Jody wasn’t surprised, but would have liked somewhere a little more special, but Steve didn’t think like that, though she said yes, and they were married within nine months.
It was fantastically exciting, they were both young, though. Jody had not yet even had the time to think about anyone or anything else, or more importantly, what her life could have been like had she waited. Though this horrible rumour about Jody and her then manager at the bank, which of course they both totally denied, would not totally disappear from Steve’s mind.
Chapter 3
The coffee shop was being prepared for a busy few weeks. Jody, of course, wrote the staff roster. It was only for the girls and Steve, but she knew when to have all of them on the floor to reflect the business needs, as well as knowing when to plan on staff breaks.
Every morning Steve and Jody were at work by 7:00 am. They worked well together to open up; all the blenders were switched on, coffee and hot drink ingredients were topped up, the float was counted and put in the till, deliveries were placed away, fridges were checked and the shop was laid up. Coffee could sit 40 customers at one time comfortably. The food and drink were good. Jody relied on Kylie and Amy to let them know the stock which needed replacement. Jody did the ordering twice a week.
By 8:00 am Kylie or Amy or both arrived for their shifts, and by 8:30 am opening time, customers would start arriving.
A typical day really started at around 8:45 am, with the first customers. Both Amy and Kylie knew their customers, their customer service was excellent. They knew their regular customers by name and their favourite drink type.
They both had the ability to draw new customers in too, particularly Amy who had devised a marketing strategy. Jody really liked her, she liked Kylie as well, but didn’t see the potential in her.
The morning rush was from 9:00 am until 11:45 am. They would serve two hundred people. Steve mostly served and delegated table clearing to the two girls.
They took breaks between 11:45 am and 12:30 pm, it was quiet then, their lunch menu was very limited, with pre-packed sandwiches only.
Jody wanted a coffee shop only. “It’s not a bloody restaurant!” she once yelled at Steve when he suggested a café-style lunch menu during a team meeting. She later apologised for her outburst, and they laughed about it. They all accepted her apology, as she had been ‘totally out of order’, but Steve, being slightly over sensitive, was hurt. Kylie could see this, and it was then that she started to have feelings for him for the first time.
The afternoon was steady, Steve, Amy and Kylie dealt with three hundred customers between them. They would take breaks themselves, when they could get away, but these were limited to ten minutes each. Last drink orders were at 4:30 pm, and by the time they cleared down, cashed up and left, it was 6:00 pm. Kylie once commented that closing time was the only time they ever saw Jody. She was lucky that Jody didn’t hear, but really, she was only saying what all three of them thought.
By all accounts, the business was going well. Steve wanted to open longer hours and perhaps open on Sundays, though Jody had to keep reminding him that it would come at a cost with staffing and other expenses, as well as the fact that people went to their local or ‘do other things’ on a Sunday. Also, she said that it would be ‘nice to have some us time’.
Steve smiled. “Of course, you’re right, Jody,” he conceded. “We need some time together,” he added. Jody looked surprised, she had never heard him speak like that before.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m okay,” he replied with a smile. They embraced and gently kissed, they both knew, however, that he wasn’t fine.
Chapter 4
Steve and his sister were
