Hi, Jack. How long have you worked in coffee?
About six years. The last three have been in speciality, mostly up north in some pretty remote places, so they naturally became local hubs. You’d see how much a warm space and a familiar face meant to people, and that shaped how I think about hospitality.

And excuse the pun, but I do reckon I’m a bit of a Jack of all trades. I like being on the floor, chatting to people, pulling shots, supervising, and training. I enjoy the mix, it keeps things interesting.

What do you love about being a barista?
It’s a high-skilled job. You’re working with science and a bit of maths, but there’s geography and art in it too. You’re thinking about origin, flavour, extraction, technique. You’re using your hands, you’re tasting constantly, you’re chatting to people. I like that balance of precision and creativity.

How does coffee fit alongside surfing at Lost Shore?
They go together more than you’d expect, especially with the intensity of these cold British waters! People come in off the waves exhausted, freezing and buzzing, so coffee becomes part of their prep or their reset. 

And this place is unique. You can be steaming milk and look up to see someone drop into a wave at the main take-off spot. I’ve watched some brilliant rides while pouring a flat white. It brings a different sort of energy to the day.

What’s it like working here day to day?
If you time it right, you can surf every day before or after a shift - not many baristas get to say that! There’s a real outdoorsy, active feeling to the team, and people look out for one another. It’s a fun place to work.

What part of the job keeps you coming back?
I like aiming for the perfect cup, even though perfection’s impossible. There’s always something new to learn. And I’ve always been drawn to the history of coffee. Coffeehouses have been meeting places for centuries - places where people gathered to talk and share ideas. They offered an alternative to drinking beer all day, so people stayed clear-headed enough to actually think and debate. A lot of change, even some revolutions, began over coffee. I like feeling connected to that tradition, even in a small way, every time I make someone a cup.