Barista, that's me! I'm one of the lucky ones. I make coffee everyday, all day. A dream job. What makes it even more perfect is that I have created a charming cafe experience to share coffee education, conversation and cake. I'm a total coffee shop addict. If I'm not making coffee, I'll be drinking it. Not always in Norwich; I love my London café crawls and I am partial to a Scandinavian coffee trip. And if it was possible I'd spend every other weekend in Melbourne!
The best thing about working in what is thought to be 'the world's smallest cafe' is the customer interaction. Purely because The Window Coffee is so small, I get to know each person individually. I now feel my customers are good friends - thanks for being a massive part of my day!
I entered the 2011 UK Barista Championships and I was placed 5th. Not bad for a first go..!
Here I am, on stage talking about coffee to a head judge, 4 sensory judges and 2 technical judges. It's a very odd experience to be on stage making coffee, very different from the cafe environment.
Hayley Draper - UKBC Final Performance, March 2011