No two days are the same for Riley Grey as Head Barista at Mister D Dining in Napier.
Originally from Wellington, Grey became a barista after completing ‘Front of House’ study through Weltec. The job attracted her as a means to travel and see the world, and she quickly fell in love with coffee making.
Grey’s defining features of a good coffee are a strong aroma and flavour. Her personal favourite coffee blend is from Allpress. At Mister D Dining, however, she enjoys using Supreme coffee, finding Supreme to strike a good balance in the strength of their beans.
“I love being able to give the customer a great coffee!”
Mister D Dining is “a little bit country and a little bit rock & roll” - a funky place known for its cinnamon-sugar dusted donuts served with homemade sauce. The team cares about giving great service, using fresh, local produce, and keeping the coffee coming.
In her time as a barista, Grey has seen numerous trends in the coffee world. Whipped coffee, an instant viral phenomenon just as the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread worldwide, saw people refraining from going out and seeking creativity in their coffee making at home. Grey has also seen Snapchilled coffee become popular recently - a process that takes coffee from hot to very, very cold in mere minutes. Usually, cold brews are made using cold water for extraction but by brewing coffee hot and chilling it afterwards, baristas are better able to enhance the coffee flavours.
Plant-based milk alternatives have also been on the rise over the last few years, notably in the time that Grey has been coffee-making.
“When I first started making coffee, the options were just blue top or trim milk.”
Grey’s go-to coffee is a simple flat white in a tulip cup - “the stronger the better!”
www.misterd.co.nz/
