Joey Marteniz, barista at Heritage Coffee, is a Canadian who has lived in New Zealand for almost four years and loves it.
"I'm originally from Toronto and started working in hospitality in 2010, waitressing and bartending," said Marteniz.
She continued that working in hospitality was convenient while studying or working on other hobbies, so she stayed in the industry. After moving to Vancouver, Marteniz got a job as a barista in her local cafe and fell in love with the cafe life.
Here, she developed her taste for a good cup of coffee, describing it as a double-edged sword as learning what makes a good coffee both made enjoying a high-quality cup more enjoyable and lowered her tolerance for a sub-par cup, which she added was common across North America.
As a self-described coffee snob, Marteniz said that working in the early morning hours as a barista was another aspect of her work that she preferred.
Marteniz said that cafe culture is fun and that working within a close-knit team made coming in every day an enjoyable, easy, and rewarding experience.
"Getting to know the regulars and their coffee orders and making genuine connections with people is an enriching part of the job. It's also rewarding to continually discover more about coffee and improve as a barista."
For a coffee to be great, Marteniz looks for it to be well-balanced. Strong but not overly bitter, and to be able to taste the featured flavours of the roast. She emphasised that not burning the milk or the beans was also a significant factor that impacted taste.
Marteniz's coffee order often changes as she enjoys experimenting. Currently, she is inclined towards americanos with a splash of milk or a cappuccino with a sprinkle of chocolate.
When Marteniz is not at work, she spends much of her time creating artwork, drawing, painting, going for walks, and tramping.
Marteniz continued that she felt genuinely grateful to have the experience of working in a cafe in New Zealand.
"The coffee here really is some of the best, and the people tend to be rather awesome."
