Barista

Clapham, London | Part-time | 26.5 hours per week | £13.20 per hour

Love coffee? Love people? Want to be part of something that makes a difference?

Based in Clapham, Abbevilles is much more than a café. We’re a new social enterprise combining great coffee, good food and bikes with opportunities for people facing mental health challenges and other barriers to employment to build skills, confidence and experience.

And you’ll be right at the heart of it.

Help us build something from the ground up

This is an exciting opportunity to join us as we launch the café and have a real say in how it develops.

You’ll be able to contribute ideas to our menu, help shape the way we work and put your own stamp on the café, supported by colleagues with years of experience in the coffee industry.

Once we’re up and running, you’ll be opening the café, dialling in the coffee, creating great coffee and tea, serving pastries and making sure our customers leave happy and want to come back.

But there’s another important part to the role.

Over time, you’ll help support our workforce volunteers as they learn the basics of hospitality and develop the skills and confidence they need to take their next steps towards employment.

So, if you’re someone who takes pride in making an excellent flat white and enjoys helping other people learn, this could be a great fit.

What will you be doing?

You’ll have plenty of variety in your day, including:

Helping us finalise our menu and establish the café from the ground up.

Making consistently great coffee and tea to a high standard.

Opening and closing the café and confidently working independently when needed.

Taking orders, managing the till and keeping things moving during busy periods.

Getting to know our customers and creating the kind of friendly atmosphere that turns visitors into regulars.

Supporting and training workforce volunteers as they develop their hospitality skills.

Sharing your knowledge, patience and experience with people who may be new to working in hospitality.

Keeping the café clean, organised and ready for customers and training.

Following Food Safety, Health & Safety and allergen requirements.

Keeping on top of records such as fridge temperatures, cleaning and wastage.

Looking for ways to improve the customer experience, increase sales and help the café thrive.

Is this you?

We’re looking for someone who:

Has at least 1 year’s experience as a barista and strong technical coffee skills.

Can confidently open, run and close a café independently.

Cares about quality and pays attention to the details.

Loves good coffee and takes pride in what they serve.

Is friendly, patient and happy to share their skills with others.

Enjoys working with people from different backgrounds and supporting others to learn.

Is keen to keep developing their own skills and knowledge.

And these would be a bonus...

You don’t need all of these, but we’d love to hear from you if you have:

Food Safety Level 3, or are willing to work towards it.

Experience with basic espresso machine diagnostics and working with external technicians.

An interest in bikes or involvement in cycling – whether that’s clubs, racing, social rides or simply being a cycling enthusiast.

Social media skills, such as creating Reels or Instagram content for our monthly drink specials.

An understanding of mental health or the barriers to employment faced by people experiencing multiple disadvantages.

Don’t worry if you don’t tick every box. If you have the barista experience, the right attitude and a genuine interest in what we’re trying to achieve, we’d still love to hear from you.

What’s in it for you?

We want you to enjoy being part of Abbevilles too. You’ll get:

25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays and a minimum of 3 Christmas closure days (pro rata).

A workplace pension with generous employer contributions.

Staff discounts on food and drinks at our café.

Discounts with our bike suppliers on parts and new bikes.

Discounts on parts and servicing at our car garage in Woolwich.

Discounted theatre and event tickets.

Structured mentoring opportunities.

Paid training and ongoing career development.

Opportunities to gain accreditation in your barista skills and/or as a trainer.

Opportunities to attend trade shows and community events.

A supportive, friendly working environment.

More than just a barista job

At Abbevilles, great coffee is only part of what we do.

You’ll be joining a new café at an exciting stage and helping us create a place where customers can enjoy great drinks, cyclists can connect, and people facing barriers to employment can gain the skills and confidence to move forward.

You’ll have the opportunity to bring your own ideas, develop your career, share what you know and make a real difference along the way.