Press release -
Popstar and MD reveal what it takes to be a Costa Barista
Costa, the nation’s favourite coffee shop has launched a four-part video series today, which goes behind the scenes revealing personal journeys of people throughout the business.
The YouTube series sees I’m a Celebrity star and past Costa coffee barista, George Shelly meet his first boss, new Costa UK & Ireland MD Jason Cotta try his hand in-store, lifestyle blogger xAmeliax meet Costa’s Coffee Tasting Expert and we see one store team go the extra mile for a very special couple.
The new series aims to encourage young people to realise just how important a first job can be for their future. By providing lifelong skills and work experience, a first job can be a fantastic start for their career.
The launch follows new research* that reveals Brits’ true feeling towards their first job. Two in five (30%) employees even admit that they’d like to meet their first boss to show them how far they have come in their career whilst two thirds or (60%) of employees agree that the skill they are most impressed by in employees is the ability to work well in a team.
Talking about his experience, Capital FM presenter George Shelley said, “I actually think a lot of people would like to meet their first boss! Getting to meet up with my old boss is something I have always wanted to do. I’m glad I can thank him for showing me the ropes at Costa and teaching me the skills that I still use today.
“I learnt a lot in my first job and it did fantastic things for my confidence which helped me get to where I am today.”
Jason Cotta, Managing Director at Costa UK&I and star in the series said: “Going back to work in-store for the My First Job series reminded me just how talented our staff are.
“With over half of our employee base consisting of under 25s, we are extremely proud of the fact that every week we give 110 young people the opportunity to start their career. I hope through the new series young people will see the long term career opportunities available at Costa and will be encouraged to pursue a career within the business”
To watch the My Costa Career series and join the conversation follow Costa on Facebook or search for @costacoffee #myfirstjob. You can also find more information about careers and opportunities at Costa at: http://www.costacareers.co.uk
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Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, our quality coffee was the premium choice for boutique hotels and restaurants across the city. Today we continue to roast the original Mocha Italia recipe in Old Paradise Street, London with our 100% Rainforest Alliance certified coffee remaining at the core of our quality coffee credentials.
With over 2,000 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,240 in 31 overseas markets, we are the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK. We’re proud to be the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for six years running (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & December 2015).
Our people are the heart of our business and we employ over 30,000 people worldwide, with a target of 5,000 new jobs in the UK by 2020. Last year, we increased Barista pay by c.10%. Our Pay for progression model was introduced in October 2015, and our training rate of £7.20 was launched well ahead of National Living Wage.
As a popular, mainstream food and beverage brand, we can make a positive contribution towards customer health and wellbeing by investing in safe sourcing, new product development and consumer education. Health and wellbeing remains a strategic business focus area and we will continue to evolve our product offer over the coming years. We are working to reduce added sugar in our drinks by 25% by 2020 and will reduce salt in our sandwich range by a further 5% by 2017.
We care about the communities we operate in with our store teams volunteering over 10,000 hours of their time to lend support to over 900 local community projects.
Looking after coffee growers is extremely important to us, which is why we established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity with the aim to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 53 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.
