Barista at The Shack Raglan, Morgan Jones, originally hails from the United Kingdom, where he first learned to make a coffee, leading to a great enjoyment of working as a barista.
“I have always been a big fan of travelling and seeing the world, and coming to New Zealand has been a great experience being able to see the country and see what life is like on the other side of the world,” said Jones.
When Jones finished school, he was looking for jobs in my area, and he found a specialty shop with positions available and was offered three days of intense coffee training in their HQ in London, which piqued Jones’s interest. Since starting his first job, Jones worked his way up from barista to store manager, learning the intricacies of doing the highest quality coffee and customer service.
The Shack Raglan utilises resources from local suppliers such as Rocket Coffee and Dreamview Creamery, keeping the menu ever-changing and fresh.
“We also make sure we minimise the waste as much as we can, we have a compost where we discard all our food waste, and our coffee is offered to locals for their garden.”
Jones continued that The Shack Raglan sends its tetra paks from plant-based milk to a local company in Hamilton, turning them into construction materials.
The most rewarding perk of his job is when a customer appreciates the coffee Jones has made due to the hard work and effort Jones puts in to ensure he delivers high-quality coffee to everyone. Watching people snap a shot of the latte art Jones makes is a bonus.
“The best thing personally is the regular customers you serve and create good relationships with.”
Jones said he feels lucky to work with a team that loves every aspect of their work, which can be seen in the love and care of the food, coffee, and service The Shack Raglan offers.
Making a perfect coffee comes down to crema, according to Jones, as well as the texture of milk and the temperature of coffee when it's served to ensure customers get a full range of flavour with every sip.
For himself, Jones orders a tulip flat white with oat milk to get the taste of the coffee flavour and the creaminess of the milk.
When he isn’t working, Jones said he likes to spend as much time outside, exploring new places, surfing, and drinking coffee whenever possible.
