Meet Chantelle, Head Barista at Colbert

Chantelle, tell us what your job role is and how long you have worked for the company.

My name is Chantelle, I’m Head Barista at Colbert and I have been with The Wolseley Hospitality Group for nearly 7 years now. I started my career at Brasserie Zédel and ended up staying for 6 years – testament to how remarkable it is to work there. I moved to Colbert 8 months ago and I love it here.

How would you describe a typical work day in your role?

I arrive at 06h45 because our guests are here bright and early for their morning coffee. The morning coffee run is nothing short of crazy – we have such a wonderful mixture of regular guests and new faces who visit us every morning. As soon as our regulars walk in, we are there to greet them by name – they don’t have to tell us their order, we already know it and we get it prepared for them straight away. I think it’s these small touches that make us so beloved by so many of our guests.

I spend quite a bit of time cleaning, checking, maintaining and calibrating all the machinery so that our espresso’s are perfect, every time.

And I also help the bar team prepare their drinks - so there is always something to be getting on with. It makes the time fly past.

Tell us how you started your journey in this industry?

Many years ago, a number of libraries which were local to where I lived were shut down. A friend of my mother’s bought some of the sites and my mum being who she is, jumped in to help by opening up 2 cafes in two of the sites. One of these cafes happened to be close to where I lived and being the eldest child, I was roped into helping my mum. So my mum gave me my first Barista training – and after that, I was hooked. She has been a wonderful influence in my life when it comes to really understanding what hospitality really is all about.

What drew you to work for The Wolseley Hospitality Group?

Working at Zédel was unique in that the pace was fast, and there was always something to do – so if I wasn’t not making coffees, I was serving food or pouring drinks behind the bar. I got to learn a bit of everything which I loved, but if I’m honest, I loved making the coffees for our guests the most.

One day when I was working at Zédel I was asked if I could help out at Colbert for a few days. Zédel was well-staffed at the time so I thought it would be a great opportunity to experience one of our other restaurants. I thoroughly enjoyed working at Colbert and after just 2 days, the bar manager at the time asked if I would please stay – she loved my work and my attitude and so I got offered a fantastic Head Barista role at Colbert. I have to say, as much as I will always love Zédel, the opportunity to work with a new team and learn new things has been a real privilege.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love the people – the team I get to work with and the guests I meet make what I do a real joy. There are so many friendships I’ve made in my time here – the people make it special.

What does it take to work in one of our restaurants?

Communication is everything – you are dealing with guests all the time so you must be confident to engage with them. Equally important is understanding your strengths and weaknesses and being able to communicate these with your team so that they get the very best out of you, and you feel supported by them in areas where you are not as strong.

What piece of advice would you give a young person wanting to work in this business?

Everyone should work in hospitality. You learn so much about yourself and about people, and how to engage with people. It will help you grow your confidence because when you work in hospitality, you can’t be that shy person who hides away – it’s like a show and you’re on stage, so it teaches you to feel confident and comfortable within yourself.

Who do you look up to or admire at The Wolseley Hospitality Group?

Everyone is a star in their own right but there are few people I have known for a long time who are simply amazing – they are helpful, kind, supportive and down to earth – they are Michael Johnston (GM of Brasserie Zédel) and Sean Kelly (our Director of Bars).

What is the most popular hot drink on the menu?

In the morning it’s the Americano – it’s big and strong to get your engine going (and ours is pretty special – we do 4 shots in a pot, it’s pretty good stuff). And then later in the day, Cappuccinos are definitely very popular.

Complete the phrase: Coffee is…..

Coffee is a very personal experience to people – everyone has a different experience with coffee and I think that’s pretty special.