Overview

Eaton Grove is a new independent food and coffee brand launching at The Conservatory on The Drive in Hove. We are creating a modern, quality-focused café concept built around exceptional coffee, fresh food, organic produce and genuinely warm customer service.

We are now looking for an experienced barista to join us from the beginning and help establish the coffee standards, service style and atmosphere that Eaton Grove will become known for.

This role would suit someone who is confident working in a busy café environment, takes pride in producing consistently excellent coffee and enjoys being part of a small, growing independent business.

Our food and drink offer will include our own-label coffee, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast bowls, fresh juices, smoothies, organic bread and freshly baked pastries. We have a strong focus on freshness and ingredient quality, with particular attention given to organic sourcing and the Dirty Dozen.

We are looking for someone who wants to be part of more than just a café shift — someone who would like to grow with the business and take pride in helping shape it from launch.

This Role Includes

As an experienced barista at Eaton Grove, your main responsibility will be to prepare and serve consistently high-quality coffee while delivering friendly, efficient and welcoming service.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

Preparing espresso-based drinks to a consistently high standard
Producing confident and consistent latte art
Dialling in coffee at the beginning of service
Monitoring dose, yield and shot timing throughout the day
Adjusting grinder settings when required
Texturing dairy and alternative milks correctly
Tasting coffee and identifying under- or over-extraction
Taking customer orders and payments
Serving food and drinks
Welcoming customers and creating a friendly atmosphere
Restocking coffee, milk, cups and café supplies
Keeping the coffee station, counters and customer areas clean and organised
Carrying out daily coffee machine and grinder cleaning
Supporting the wider café team during busy periods
Helping establish and maintain Eaton Grove’s coffee and service standards
The role will also involve general café duties, so we are looking for someone who is happy to be hands-on and help wherever needed.

As Eaton Grove develops, there will also be opportunities for the right person to take on more responsibility and potentially progress into a management role.

Skills Required

We are looking for someone with strong previous experience working as a barista in a busy, quality-focused café environment.

The successful candidate should have:

Previous professional barista experience
Strong espresso knowledge
A clear understanding of dose, yield and extraction time
Confidence dialling in coffee independently
Experience adjusting grinder settings
Excellent milk texturing skills
Confidence working with dairy and alternative milks
Consistent latte art skills
The ability to taste coffee and recognise extraction issues
Experience maintaining coffee quality during busy service
Good organisation and workflow
High standards of cleanliness and hygiene
Experience cleaning and maintaining espresso machines and grinders
Strong customer service skills
A friendly and professional manner
The ability to work calmly under pressure
Reliability and good timekeeping
A positive and proactive attitude
Experience working for established speciality coffee brands in Brighton & Hove or London would be particularly desirable.

We are especially interested in candidates who are passionate about coffee and hospitality and who want to develop with a growing independent business.

Additional Information

Pay: £14.00 per hour
Location: The Conservatory, The Drive, Hove
Start date: ASAP
Hours: Full-time and part-time positions available

We are happy to consider both full-time and part-time applicants, depending on experience and availability.

This is an opportunity to join Eaton Grove at an early stage and play a genuine role in helping establish the business, rather than simply joining an already established operation.

As the business grows, there will be opportunities for progression for strong performers, including increased responsibility and potential management positions.

Performance-based bonuses may also be introduced once the business is established, giving team members the opportunity to benefit directly from helping the business grow and succeed.

We want to build a team of people who care about quality, take pride in their work and enjoy creating a welcoming experience for customers.

To apply, please send your CV and a short introduction outlining your barista and coffee experience to:

peter@jackolivia.com

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About The Conservatory / Eaton Grove

Eaton Grove is a new independent food and coffee brand based at The Conservatory on The Drive in Hove.

Our aim is to create a modern neighbourhood food and coffee destination with a strong focus on quality, freshness and carefully sourced ingredients.

Coffee will sit at the heart of the business, alongside a fresh food offer including breakfast sandwiches, breakfast bowls, juices, smoothies, organic bread and freshly baked pastries.

A key part of the Eaton Grove approach is our focus on organic sourcing, particularly around the Dirty Dozen. Where these ingredients are used, we aim to use organic produce rather than compromise on quality.

Our bread is organic and baked fresh every day, while our pastries are baked fresh on site in the basement bakery at The Conservatory. Our approach is simple: products should be made fresh for the day and sold on the day.

We want Eaton Grove to feel modern, independent and community-focused, with the quality standards of a strong speciality coffee brand but the warmth and personality of a local business.

We are building Eaton Grove with long-term growth in mind and want to create genuine opportunities for team members to develop with us as the company grows.