Stumbling across a picture of a kettle was all it took for Dundee product design graduate Lewis Urquhart to change his career path.
The 24-year-old from Balmullo graduated from Dundee University in 2020, when there were very few product design jobs going.
So, he kept his part-time job at a supermarket while building his portfolio for the future.
But one day, when creating a mood board as part of a project, he found something that sparked a whole new interest – speciality coffee.
“I stumbled across a kettle called Stagg EKG, it’s quite weird looking. It looks like watering can,” Lewis says.
“I thought it was quite interesting, I clicked on it and then got completely distracted from what I was doing, trying to work out what this kettle is.
“It’s for brewing coffee, but why do you need a kettle to brew coffee? I found out about these things called pour overs, and then fell down the rabbit hole from there.”
From novice to head barista
Elsewhere in Dundee, coffee enthusiast Fraser Smith was in the process of opening his own cafe. In June 2021, EH9 Espresso opened on Perth Road and Lewis became a regular.
Four months down the line, Lewis landed his first ever barista job in the cafe. He says he treated his training with Fraser almost like a university course to learn as much as possible.
“I’d never used a professional espresso machine before, so I took a bit of a backseat when I first started because the calibre of the coffees coming over the bar was so high,” he remembers.
“It wasn’t until about six months in that I actually started making coffees.
“But in that time, I was a sponge for all the little nuances of hospitality that Fraser wanted to get across.
“I was constantly asking questions like what am I doing well, what am I not doing well, working out what needs improved and working on it.”
Soaking up knowledge behind the counter – and quite a bit of googling in his spare time – led Lewis to become EH9’s head barista within a year.
Dundee barista full of curiosity
As well as making coffees and chatting with customers, he’s in charge of ordering coffees for the retail shelf and training staff members.
Using his product design skillset, he chooses which coffees to stock based on their packaging – and of course flavours.
Lewis says: “I do quite a lot of research outside of the cafe into what’s going on in coffee, I then put that back into the team here.
“I spend a lot of time designing workshops and training days, because I think it’s partly my job to feed into other people’s enthusiasm and curiosity.”
According to the Dundee barista, there is no need to be a coffee expert to succeed behind the espresso machine.
“I don’t think it’s the skills that make a good barista, it’s more curiosity, good work ethic and just being friendly,” he says.
“Because no one wants to be served by a barista who’s got a sour face.”
Took Scottish water to London
The young barista took his career one step further last month when he travelled to London to compete in a coffee making competition.
Unfortunately, he was knocked out in the first heat, but it’s not put him off. Next year he hopes to compete in the UK Brewers Cup where the aim is to make the best pour over coffee.
Lots of factors play into how the coffee tastes, like grind, technique and water temperature. Even the water itself can make a difference – so Lewis took Scottish water with him down to London.
Despite not winning the competition, he learnt a great deal about coffee and the industry around it.
He says: “The whole event was really good fun, and an opportunity to speak to people that Fraser and I have held in high regard for a long time.
“We were sharing knowledge, ideas, stupid stories, just talking about coffee. It was really nerdy.
“We’re having conversations that are so niche, but not in a snooty kind of way. The curiosity and enthusiasm is so present.”
Dundee barista top tips
After two years behind the espresso machine in EH9, Lewis is aiming for a career in coffee.
Whether it’s designing equipment, working in a roastery or having his own business he hasn’t decided yet. But he’s taking every chance to learn from people in different corners of the coffee industry.
This is his top tip for aspiring baristas as well, to “be a sponge”.
“Be willing to learn as much as you can, from as many different people as you can,” says the head barista.
“I think a lot of people in coffee will say that coffee comes first, hospitality comes second.
“You’ve got to put as much effort into both of them, because the coffee might be the thing that interests you, but the hospitality is the thing that keeps people coming and keeps you in a job.
“And try not to get stuck in traditions, try things for yourself. So many coffees I’ve made at home have tasted terrible, but I learnt something from it.
“Stay curious and work hard.”
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