Barista Klara Rohel and her team at Annandale Water Motorway Service Area are celebrating after a hugely successful night at Roadchef’s annual Heroes of the Year award ceremony.
Klara, 26, took home both the Hero of the Year – the evening’s most prestigious prize – and the Developing People award, warding off tough competition from nominees across the 21 Roadchef sites in Britain.
Klara, from St Ann’s, who works at the site’s Costa Coffee outlet, proved she was the best barista in the world after a series of competitions.
She progressed from winner of the Costa Corporate Final, to then be crowned the UK Final victor, and in January 2016 she worked against nine of the best baristas in the world to win the Global Final.
Roadchef, which operates across 21 locations in Britain, employs more than 3000 people.
The company holds the award ceremony each year to reward and recognise the work of its team members in a variety of areas of the business, including retail shops, hotels, catering operations and support office.
Site director at Annandale services Keith Palin said: “Klara is an exceptional barista, exemplified by her success in the Global Final.
“She has become a celebrity in the local area and people stop in at our site just to experience our coffee.”
He added: “We’re extremely lucky to have her in our team and she has helped train other employees at our Costa, which has ultimately helped us improve the overall performance of the outlet.”
CEO of Roadchef Simon Turl said:“The Heroes of the Year awards give us the chance to reward members of the Roadchef team who have excelled in their role.
“It’s safe to say Klara more than fits this category, demonstrating her outstanding skills and utmost professionalism.
“We are proud to have one of the world’s best baristas in the Roadchef family and I’m delighted to announce her as a worthy winner of this year’s Roadchef Hero of the Year.”
