Discover the journey of Bryan Marcos, a latte art enthusiast who has won several awards for his creations!
- Hello Brian! Tell us, who are you?
- What is your background ?
- What triggered your desire to be a barista?
The passion for this job came during my 3 month trip (Erasmus) to England where I worked in a traditional coffee shop. They made me discover the world of coffee, latte art but also a special atmosphere in the team that I immediately liked. It was then that I said to myself that this was the job I wanted to do when I returned to France.
- What do you like best about your job as a barista today?
What I like best about this job is customer relations, especially at the airport, where we have customers from all over the world.
What I also like is the transmission of my knowledge to new baristas during their training with me. It reminds me of the English baristas who passed on their knowledge to me.
- What is latte art?
Latte art is the act of embellishing a latte coffee by adorning it with a design made from frothed milk. There are different types of latte art, more or less complicated to make. For a barista, latte art is a bit like a painter in front of his canvas, he gives free rein to his imagination, except that latte art is an ephemeral "work".
- How did you learn this Art?
I learned this art thanks to the English baristas who gave me the basics of latte art. Then, by becoming a barista in France, I continued to practice and watch videos on the networks to improve over time.
- Do you have examples of creations to show us?
- What shape do you prefer?
My favorite latte art to make is the swan because I find it graceful and beautiful to see in a cup of coffee.
- What has been your biggest challenge as a Barista?
My biggest challenge was to participate in the French Barista Championships. Of a shy nature, I had to overcome my shyness to be able to expose and talk about my passion in front of an audience and a jury.
- Can you ask for a latte art at any Starbucks?
Yes you can ask for a latte art on your drink (of course only if it is possible to make one). Our baristas are trained to make at least one heart in latte art on each of our lattes.
- Any advice for people who want to become a barista?
Yes, the advice I could give is to taste different types of coffees (blond, amber, brown) from different coffee-producing regions (Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific). This will allow you to master your puck at the different cafes.
- Can you share with us a recipe made with our butterfly pea powder?
I made two recipes:
The first is a hot drink. A latte in which I replaced the coffee with the butterfly pea powder and adorned it with a latte art for the finish.
The second recipe is a cold drink. A Frappuccino in which I mixed butterfly pea powder with cold milk and ice cubes. Then, I mixed it, it gave a blue granita and I added whipped cream as a finish on top.
- Where can we find you?
I am currently at Starbucks in terminal 2F (public area) at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, but I will soon be at Starbucks in terminal 2D (in bond) which will open in April 2021. Otherwise I am on Instagram too, here is my page: https://www.instagram.com/baristabryan/?hl=fr
Thank you Bryan for sharing your journey and your passion for latte art with us!