National Trust café staff timed to speed up service

As National Trust cafes try to get a move on, staff say they are being infantilised

James Beal | The Times | 2 April 2023

National Trust staff will be put through tests to see if they can make three coffees and a hot chocolate in two and a half minutes.

Servers at some of the charity’s 280 cafés say they will be timed by bosses to see if they can make a series of hot drinks in 150 seconds, as well as deal with a question about allergens. The test will be repeated after a month to check for any improvements.

One worker at a trust café said her manager told her she would be timed on how quickly she could make two lattes, a soya cappuccino and a hot chocolate.

The trust said there would not be any disciplinary action linked to the test and that it was a way to ensure a “better experience” for visitors.

But a source at Prospect, the union that represents National Trust staff, told the Mail On Sunday: “We would not support any form of assessment based on the speed of coffee production. Anyone being judged on this basis should contact their rep for advice.” CONTINUE READING


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National Trust cafe staff incredulous as bosses tell them to make three coffees and a hot chocolate in just two and a half minutes in bid to tackle queues