Taking Five with Jay: Meet Our Wanderlust Brisbane Café Legend
Meet Jay, our Brisbane Café Manager and resident globe-trotter who's mastered the art of balancing exceptional coffee service with epic adventures. From training baristas to serving Hollywood stars, Jay brings energy and expertise to everything he does. We caught up with him to learn about his daily coffee rituals, his current Ethiopian obsession, and those celebrity encounters that come with the territory.
Jack of All Trades
Hey Jay, tell us your role in the Veneziano crew.
"Officially, I'm the Café Manager—unofficially, I do a bit of everything. Some days, I'm behind the machine slinging awesome brews, and other days, I'm in the kitchen making breakfast for our customers. But the best part? Training the team, watching them level up, and making sure we're all having a good time while we do it."
The Daily Grind
What's your morning go-to brew?
"Well, every morning I have to taste all the coffee in the bar to make sure it has been dialled in correctly. But my go-to? A flat white and a single espresso. Throughout the day, I'll usually have one or two batch brews—let's just say I drink a lot of the stuff!"
That's dedication to quality—Jay's palate is basically our quality control system, and we're here for it.
This Month's Pick: Ethiopia Chelelektu
What's your Veneziano pick this month?
"Ethiopia Chelelektu, for sure! With flavours of blueberry, apricot and rose tea it is fruity and refreshing all at once."
This single origin is everything you want in a fruit-forward Ethiopian coffee. Those natural processing flavours hit different, and Jay's got impeccable taste when it comes to picking winners.
Shop Jay's pick - Ethiopia Chelelektu
Beyond the Brew
Any fun facts we should know about you?
"I love to travel. In the past two years, I've hit 10 different countries, including hiking the Grand Canyon and heli-hiking Franz Josef Glacier in NZ. Oh, and I've got a tradition—I get a (small) tattoo in every country I visit.
I also seem to be a bit of a celebrity magnet. In my hospitality career I have looked after Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kylie Minogue—just to name a few. No big deal."
From glacier hiking to serving Hollywood royalty—Jay's life reads like an adventure novel with a side of star power. That tattoo tradition is commitment to wanderlust we can respect.
Veneziano in One Word
Describe Veneziano in one word.
"Perfection."
Ready to taste perfection? Jay's current obsession with Ethiopia Chelelektu is available now while stocks last.