Head Barista

About The Role
As a Head Barista, you will play a leading role in delivering an exceptional coffee experience, setting industry benchmarks, and ensuring every cup reflects our commitment to provenance, seasonality, and transparency. You will drive quality, customer engagement, and operational excellence across the coffee bar, mentoring baristas and upholding Origin’s high standards.
As a key leader within the retail team, you will:• Take ownership of coffee quality, refining and innovating recipes to maintain excellence across all brewing methods.
• Lead the customer experience, creating meaningful interactions and deepening appreciation for speciality coffee.
• Train and mentor baristas, fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development.
• Collaborate with the Education Team and General Manager to drive consistency, efficiency, and excellence in all aspects of coffee service.
This is an opportunity for a passionate and skilled coffee professional to make a tangible impact, elevate the standard of service, and inspire both customers and colleagues alike.
What You’ll Be Doing
Coffee Quality & Innovation• Develop and refine coffee recipes for both blend and single-origin coffees, ensuring consistency across espresso, pour-over, and batch brewing.
• Operate and maintain high-end coffee equipment, including La Marzocco espresso machines and Mahlkonig grinders, troubleshooting technical issues as needed.
• Implement and uphold coffee standards, working closely with the Education Team to maintain best-in-class quality across all drinks.
Customer Experience & Engagement
• Deliver an exceptional hospitality experience, ensuring every customer receives personalised service and insightful coffee recommendations.
• Engage with customers to share knowledge, enhance their coffee journey, and build lasting connections.
• Lead cupping sessions, tastings, and educational events that showcase Origin’s coffee culture and expertise. Leadership & Training
• Mentor and train baristas, enhancing skills in brewing techniques, service, and product knowledge.
• Collaborate with the Education Team to onboard new team members and deliver structured training sessions.
• Inspire and motivate the team, fostering a culture of passion, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Operational Excellence
• Manage coffee bar workflow, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and exceptional service during peak periods.
• Oversee stock levels, proactively coordinating orders to ensure seamless operations.
• Maintain a clean, organised, and well-presented workspace, upholding all health and safety standards.
What You’ll Bring
Values & Mindset• Passionate about speciality coffee, with a deep understanding of brewing techniques and quality control.
• A natural leader, inspiring and developing those around you.
• Detail-oriented and quality-driven, ensuring every coffee meets the highest standards.
• Customer-focused, creating meaningful experiences and building strong relationships.
• Adaptable and solutions-focused, thriving in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
Skills & Experience
• Extensive experience in the speciality coffee industry, with a proven ability to create and refine coffee recipes.
• Strong leadership and training abilities, with a track record of mentoring and developing baristas.
• Skilled in operating and maintaining professional coffee equipment.
• Excellent communication and engagement skills, able to educate both customers and colleagues.
• Experience in stock control, workflow management, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
Everyone is Welcome at Origin
We believe that different perspectives make life richer and more inspiring. At Origin, we welcome everyone with open arms—regardless of race, colour, age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, parental status, or age. Even if your skills or experience don’t perfectly match a specific role, we still encourage you to apply. Your unique experience could be exactly what we’re looking for.
Why Join Us?
Be at the forefront of speciality coffee, leading quality and innovation within a dynamic, forward-thinking brand. Work alongside a passionate team, refine your skills, and contribute to a company that values excellence, sustainability, and community impact.
Ready to elevate Origin’s digital presence and shape the future of speciality coffee? Join us on this exciting journey.
- Department
- Retail
- Locations
- Southwark, London
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Salary
- £14.50 per hour increasing to £15 upon successful completion of probation.
About Origin Coffee
Origin is one of Europe’s leading speciality coffee roasters and we are proud of it. For over 20 years, we’ve been building direct relationships with the world’s most progressive coffee producers, roasting with precision, and championing better coffee experiences at every stage.
But we are more than just great coffee. We’re a certified B Corp, a creative force, and a values-led business that believes in doing things correctly from sustainability and sourcing to design, people, and partnerships. Our community is built on substance, not slogans, and we collaborate with those who share our commitment to quality, purpose, and the long game.
How we work at Origin
Everyone at Origin is expected to:
- Act with integrity, fairness, and respect in all interactions.
- Collaborate across teams, sharing knowledge and ideas.
- Take ownership and deliver high-quality work.
- Stay curious and open to learning.
- Contribute to a safe, inclusive, and positive workplace.