Barista of the Month - Shandi, Café Central - November 2025

Meet Shandi from Café Central, our Barista of the Month for December!

What’s your name and where do you work?
My name is Shandi and I work at Café Central in Darwin.

What’s your favourite part of working at the café?
Working with a great team, building relationships with customers, learning from people of all ages, and exploring different coffee origins and recipes. The barista community and the coffee itself bring us together.

Do you have any tips for perfecting latte art?
Steam consistently to create silky, shiny microfoam, know the pattern you want to pour, use the right amount of milk and foam, watch your cup, and control your pour.

What’s your favourite Paradox blend or origin, and why?
Poker Face, since we serve it at the café. It’s smooth, bold and great for milk. For single origins, Colombia is my current favourite because of its potential to develop flavour across different varieties.

How do you dial in the coffee each morning?
I adjust grind size and tweak the dose to find the best recipe for the day. I avoid changing the yield unless necessary and always taste to make sure the shots are where they should be.

What do you look for when adjusting the grind?
Temperature and humidity changes, how the shots are running, whether a new roast batch is in the hopper, and always tasting after adjustments.

Do you prefer filter or espresso at home, and why?
Filter. I can take my time, enjoy the complexity, and develop my palate with no rush. The flavour changes as the temperature drops, which makes it feel like meditation.

What’s your go-to coffee order when you’re not working?
It depends on the day. Coffee has so many faces depending on roast, process, origin, water, and the person making it. One cup holds so many stories.

What’s a fun fact most people don’t know about you?
I’m easy-going even with a poker face, and I’m not as organised outside of work because I like being lazy. And even as a barista, sometimes I just want to be the customer and enjoy a coffee made by someone else.

Thanks to Shandi for sharing her story and passion for coffee. Visit her @cafecentraldarwin