Barista Stories: Alexa Elizabeth Lee of Moonstruck Cafe, London

by on 1 month ago

Meet Alexa Elizabeth Lee, born in Seoul, raised in Singapore but chose London as her home. Alexa in just a bit over 3 years became a seasoned coffee professional. We are sure that the background, soft skills and patience that came with her previous chapter as a primary school teacher highly contributed to her fast-developing coffee career. Alexa is currently the Head Barista at Moonstruck Cafe in London.

In 2024 Alexa won the National Cup Tasters Championship and represented the United Kingdom in the World Championship in Chicago. She also became an SCA Championship judge and has further, exciting plans to grow and contribute to the coffee community.

Barista Stories are sponsored by PUQ. Photo by SCA UK.

Alexa, what is your first memory with coffee?

Growing up in Singapore, my grandmother would brew up Singaporean Kopi (dark roasted robusta, usually served with sugar, condensed or evaporated milk) every morning with a sock filter. I recalled thinking that it looked absolutely disgusting but smelled strangely good. I think I was around 6 years old when I first insisted on trying some. After throwing a massive tantrum, my grandmother gave in and served it with a generous amount of condensed milk. I loved it and was offered it as an occasional treat but really I was stealing sips of it from the grown-ups’ cups on the sly when they weren’t looking.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the coffee industry, and how did you get started? What did you do before coffee?

I was a primary school teacher before starting in coffee. I was planning to take a year off but never went back to it as I discovered coffee.

I got to know the staff at My Little Cup in Ealing during my year of teaching and I truly admired how passionate they were about coffee. Their enthusiasm rubbed off on me and I ordered myself a home brewing kit and started learning more. I loved the community and cafe culture in London and endeavoured to get a job in specialty coffee.

I was unsuccessful for a while, plenty of places required ‘specialty experience’ to begin with. I was then given a chance to work at Hagen. It was a small but super busy coffee shop in Chelsea and a great starting point as I learnt to multitask and work under high pressure. I went on to manage Carbon Kopi, where their coffee-focused setup allowed me to grow and develop more in coffee brewing.

Alexa at hyperspeed went from an enthusiast to a coffee professional and champion.

Tell us a bit about the place you work at. What is your role there?

I currently work at Moonstruck Cafe. We opened about 6 months ago in South London. We serve espresso-based drinks and pour-overs from our house roaster, Plot Roasting as well as guest roasters on rotation. The cafe is stunning – it is designed by the owner’s interior design partner and the attention to detail is immaculate. It’s a nice cosy space to escape from city life.

And as the Head Barista, I try my best to match up the beautiful setting with delicious coffee. It is a really hands-on role as we’re a small team of three. My day-to-day involves tasting lots of coffee (not complaining here ahah), making adjustments where necessary and selecting the next coffees we’re putting on the menu.

What kind of experience do you want your customers to have when they visit you at the cafe?

Aside from enjoying great coffee, I’d like customers to leave with a lasting impression of the space as a whole, as well as pleasant interactions with the team.

Alexa brewing coffees together with Liam – the owner of Moonstruck Cafe.

How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep improving your coffee-making skills?

I think I’m pretty competitive with myself, always looking for ways to challenge myself, learn and improve. Particularly so when I’m passionate about what I do, like coffee.

You have some amazing achievements in the championships. Can you tell us more about them?

My first competition was in the UK Barista Championship 2023. I came in 5th place at the Glasgow heats. It was so nerve-wracking, and being someone that’s a little shy, I didn’t think I’d be able to present the way I did at the heats. I came out of it feeling like I learnt a lot about myself and it triggered a desire to want to compete even more.

I went on to do the English Aeropress Championship 2023 (which didn’t go that well) and then won the UK Cup Tasters Championship 2024. Winning that still feels very much like a happy accident. I haven’t been in the industry for a long time and I think there’s still more to learn.

Alexa preparing for the UK Cup Tasters Championship.

How did you prepare for the World Cup Tasters Championship in Chicago?

I involved my friends as much as I could. Training was always more of a social activity, involving learning and then rewarding ourselves with great food and the occasional karaoke.

I tried to design my training sets as a way to learn more about the different variables in coffee brewing and how they impact the brews. We had a Weber EG1 grinder at Moonstruck, so for example, we’d brew coffee with a lower and higher RPM and discuss what the difference was.

In hindsight, I probably could have been more strategic and structured in preparing for the Worlds Championship but it was my first time, and I did what I could while having the best time with my friends and mentors.

Alexa during the World Cup Tasters Championship in Chicago.

How did it feel to compete on the Worlds Stage?

It was a huge honour being up there with all the other National champions. I loved being able to make friends with coffee professionals from around the world and sharing our experiences.

What is in your opinion the most important thing to have in mind when you start to compete in coffee championships?

I think the desire to win is always present, but it’s important to understand that learning and growing should be the ultimate goal for every competition.

You’re also an SCA Judge. How does it feel to be on the other side and what do you like the most about it?

I felt more nervous judging than I did competing. People have put so much time and effort into their routines, and I certainly felt the pressure to take in their performance and be as fair and accurate as I can on the scoresheet. What I like most is surely being able to taste plenty of delicious and innovative drinks when judging.

Alexa while judging the UK Barista Championship.

What coffee challenges are you looking forward to? Any new projects or collaborations?

I will be doing the Arabica Q Grader course sometime soon, it’s been on my to-do list since joining the coffee industry so I’m truly excited to finally achieve that!