Barista of the Month - Sam, The Naked Baker - October 2025

Meet Sam from The Naked Baker, our Barista of the Month for October!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐟é?
My favourite part is connecting with customers and seeing their smiles after that first sip. It’s also satisfying to make each drink look and taste perfect.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭?
Know your milk! Use fresh, cold milk and steam it to a silky micro foam, then pour steadily from a low height to control the flow and shape. Practice is key, consistency builds muscle memory.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐱 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲?
My favourite is the Poker Face blend, it’s rich, smooth, and perfectly balanced with chocolate and caramel notes. It makes an incredible base for milk drinks and stands out beautifully as espresso too, which is my every morning first coffee.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠?
Each morning, I start by pulling a few test shots to check the espresso’s flow time, weight, and taste. Then I adjust the grind size and dose until the balance of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness is just right.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐝?
I look for the right extraction time and flow, if it’s too fast, the grind needs to be finer; too slow, coarser. The goal is a balanced shot with rich crema, smooth texture, and even flavour.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨-𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠?
An iced oat latte with a dash of brown sugar syrup smooth, slightly sweet, and refreshing without being too heavy.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
I love creating new and interesting drinks. I’m always looking for new ideas to bring a bit of joy to my barista life every day you never know what you’ll come up with from a crazy idea, right?

Head down to @thenakedbaker.au and enjoy a coffee with Sam!