Born and raised in Christchurch, Michael Pickering has been working as the head barista at Hill House Cafe in Auckland’s Hillsborough suburb.
Having worked at various cafes of all sizes, his love for coffee dates back to when he was the sole barista at a small cafe. He took ownership of the brand behind the cafe and developed his reputation as a barista.
“At Hill House Cafe, we make all the classic coffee orders, but we make them great,” said Pickering.
“I think a great coffee comes down to taking your time to break down each process, from the shot to the milk, to be consistent and made with love.”
He added that no matter how busy he was or how many things he had to do, he would stop everything else to focus on perfecting it whenever he was dropping a shot or steaming milk.
Pickering’s first coffee of the day is an Americano because it stays hotter for longer. He said he needed this because he usually tends to forget to drink it.
The second is a quad shot Americano, usually half an hour later, to jump-start the day. However, he would never say no to a cappuccino if he goes out for a Sunday brunch.
For Pickering, the best part of his job, although he knew it sounded cliche, was the people.
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