The women of Caffè Ernani: Alessandra

Certificates:

• Espresso Tasting Course at Caffè Ernani
• Green Coffee Course at Caffè Ernani
• Course From single origin to Caffè Ernani blends
• Brewing course at Caffè Ernani
• Roasting course at Caffè Ernani
• Coffee course at Caffè Ernani

Hello Alessandra!
You are now a constant figure behind the counter of the historic Torrefazione in Corso Buenos Aires. How did your collaboration with Ernani start?

My collaboration with Ernani dates back to 2012.
This relationship started a little by chance. I worked as a waitress in another bar and restaurant in Milan, but the counter fascinated me more than the table service.
Thanks to a common knowledge, which the owners of the roasting company introduced to me, I finally had the opportunity to be able to deal with a new profession: the barista, who immediately won me over.

Why this preference for the counter?

Partly because I was a very shy girl and being behind the counter made me feel a bit protected and gave me that extra security. But it was thanks to this work that I was able to improve my communication skills and I gained much more self-esteem!
On the other hand, I am a very creative person, graduated from art school, and I have always had a lot of fun experimenting and creating cappuccinos with different, increasingly complex figures, or creating new drinks and discovering different tastes.
I love that part of my coffee machine experimentation work!
Seeing the satisfaction on my customers’ faces when they taste my creations is fantastic, it repays me for all my efforts.

From what I can understand, therefore, another strong passion of yours is art.

Yes exactly! I channel this passion especially in makeup. I also graduated from the make-up academy.
I also recently started a network marketing job as a sales consultant for various products, always concerning the world of make-up.
What I have learned in my second job I am finding it very useful to apply also in Roasting.
For example, I use my aesthetic sense in the display of products or in the creation of the showcase. Or I integrate presentation and consultancy techniques to serve all roasting customers in the best possible way.

Well I see that you are very busy and try to make the most of all situations!
I am curious and I would like to ask you a ritual question: why Ernani? What do you think it has more than other bars or coffee roasters? What do you like most about this company?

It will be a trivial answer: because Ernani is not just a bar!
It is not a place that limits itself to serving customers… Ernani has a history behind it, made up of Milanese traditions, the city to which I belong.
It is a constantly evolving company and it also gives us the opportunity to grow, thanks to training courses and continuous updates that it makes available to us.
The service offered to the final consumer is then only a part, very important, but only a part of this organization. In fact, Ernani is an impact brand, a product with well-defined characteristics. He roasts his products directly and has full control over them.
At the same time it is small in size, so we all know each other very well, we are flexible, we come to meet each other and help each other… we look like a family!

Thanks Alessandra for making me understand how beautiful it is when your work gives you the opportunity to experiment, to grow and to dedicate yourself to your passions.

I will definitely come to visit you again in Roasting to get to know the other team members better too!

Soon!