Reality meets realism: a need for barista visas after Brexit?

By Maria Gomez de Sicart

The clock is ticking and Brexit will soon be a reality. Credit: Jezriel Supang Echo

Death sits in a café looking out the window, sipping coffee. Her teeth become noticeable: they’re golden, like her time. Death looks pretty, primped, watchful. The past two years have barely taken a toll on her. Or him. She or he, we do not know. IT is wearing a black cape. IT is a doomsayer. IT will embrace someone today.

Death now faces the counter. A guy is grinding coffee. He does not look like Death. There are dark stains all over his apron. A Black Spot? Death has chosen him. His name: Josh Tarlo, winner of the UK Barista Competition 2018 and head of coffee at Origin Coffee. Death shuffles to him delicately and touches his arm – tempting him, tempting fate. He looks into Death’s eyes, and he knows. It is her, him, it. Death.

“If we are meant to leave, we should create opportunities like the two years I spent as a barista in Australia. It is a waste that some people who want to pursue coffee as a career won’t be able to stay and continue the career circle of learning and teaching the next generation,” he sighs. And that sigh gets lost into Death’s mouth. She, he, IT sucks Josh’s last breath, and they go away. Alien to their future. Not knowing what or where or how afterwards is.   

Just like Death and Josh, the future of the coffee industry in the UK is blurred by Brexit. The “barista visas”, suggested by Migration Watch UK to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, could be introduced after the UK leaves the European Union to encourage Europeans to come and work in British coffee shops.

The future of the coffee industry in the UK will be affected after Brexit

Follow Maria on Instagram and Twitter for more updates

You can also find her on LinkedIn