MILANO – Matteo D’Ottavio, UK Brewers Cup 2020 Champion and currently barista in London, has put his experience to the service of the coffee sector in a foreign country: a choice that many young Italian trainees are making, in order to enhance and to grow their careers. We spoke with him about his experience and professional growth in the Uk.
D’Ottavio, what has your path been in the world of coffee? We know that you moved to London as a food technologist, but how did you get into specialty?
“My path in the world of coffee started when I was a teenager: I was always thrilled when I had to make the moka at home. My passion for this beverage led me to attend the school at the age of 14. At 15 came my first job as a barista in the summer season at the seaside. Once I graduated, I worked in bars, restaurants and hotels. At 26, my passion for food and coffee led me to attend the Faculty of Food Technology in Cesena.
After 3 years I graduated, concluding my studies with a thesis on green coffee. After graduating I moved to London because I wanted to explore new opportunities and it was there that I discovered specialty coffee. ”
What do you currently do?
“I currently work full-time as a barista at WatchHouse Roastery and in my spare time I enjoy creating content on social media (YouTube, Instagram). I’m also always trying to find and and improve extraction methods, especially in filter and moka.”
D’Ottavio, you have distinguished yourself as champion of the UK Brewers Cup: why did you participate in the English nationals instead of the Italian ones?
“It was actually part of my plan to compete in the Italian brewers cup in 2021, but since I needed to gain experience in the world of competitions, I signed up for the English one in 2020. I signed up first for the English one in 2020, also because registration for the Italian one in 2020 had already closed. Then it happened that I won the English one on the first shot and 9 days later the lockdown started… the rest is history.
As for the competition, in Italy it is high and perhaps even more than in the UK. There are many professional bartenders with very good skills. I definitely want to come and compete in Italy in the next few years. ”
Can you compare the figure of the bartender in the UK with that in Italy? Is it a profession more valued and trained in London?
“Working in the UK is definitely better than working in Italy, not only in the world of cafés and and catering. There are more rights for employees and they are very respected by the owners. Even at the level salaries are very open and some cafés reward baristas with the best skills. At the level of training, it is not far from Italy. It’s not all gold in London.”
And are the prices of espresso in London bars as much a problem as they are in Italy?
“It is difficult to compare Italy with London. Obviously the salaries are different and those who drink specialty drinkers usually earn a lot of money and therefore can afford to pay a higher price than the rest of the cafés that serve more commercial quality coffee.”
And the specialty there is a niche product? How is espresso perceived?
“Yes, let’s say that the specialty is very niche. London is a metropolis with 10 million people, and we let’s say that only 1% drink specialty coffee. In addition, 70% of the British population consumes instant coffee at home without having any interest in the quality of the product. When they are out, consumers prefer to consume in chains like Pret, Starbucks and Costa, where the quality of the product is lower than in specialty coffee shops.
The most popular product is Flat White (a kind of cappuccino from New Zealand/Australia). But we have to say that actually people don’t know what they are drinking, they order Flat White because it’s trendy. The demand for espresso is very low, plus the people who order it have a lot of expectation and expect good quality in a cup, so it’s very satisfying for a barista who wants to serve a good product.”
How are you tackling the problem of staff shortages, with Brexit and Covid?
D’Ottavio: “With the Brexit many immigrants have left the country to return home or move to other capitals in Europe where the quality of life and coffee is increasing. This has led to a high demand for professional baristas. Unfortunately, with rising taxes, a shortage of staff and the decrease in customers due to Covid, some specialty coffee shops have closed or are closing. Now with the removal of the restrictions they are becoming busy again with the hope that the coffee industry will return to high levels of consumption.”
D’Ottavio, do you have plans then to participate in other coffee competitions?
“In May I will again be participating in the brewers cup here in the UK with the hope of defending my title. I will also take part in the coffee masters at the London Coffee Festival.”
Have you ever thought of returning to Italy, to shake things up around the culture?
“I have thought about it many times. It will definitely be in my plans in the future, but for now I am trying to take advantage of the opportunities that are coming up here abroad.
D’Ottavio, any plans in the drawer?
“Definitely continuing to compete in the world of cafeterias and improving my skills. On the other hand, I have a project under development but for now it’s all top secret.”
