Meet the team - Bianca Cosma
Our team is what makes Over Under a great place to be. We have so many wonderful people from all corners of the world working at OU, including Italy, Finland, Romania, Brazil, New Zealand, Canada, and of course the UK. This week we decided to celebrate our wonderful team by speaking to our Operations Assistant & Coffee Trainer, Bianca. She tells her story and what she enjoys about being part of the Over Under team.
Bianca, thank you for speaking with us. We’ve just got a few questions, don’t worry we’ll go easy!
Tell us a little bit about you
Well, as you know I’m Bianca, I’ve been in London for 9 years now. I moved here from a small city in Romania called Moreni. I moved to London because my mum was already here, so my sister and I moved over together.
I already knew quite a lot of English when I first moved as I’d learned it from an early age, but I had never really spoken it so some of the phrases were new to me. When a friend told me “see you later” I thought she meant she was coming over later, but I learned that’s just how people say ‘bye’ in the UK.
My first job in London was at Nandos. I didn’t know anything about hospitality when I started, I didn’t even know how to hold a plate. I worked there for a while but got tired of working late nights and long hours.
That’s when I started to think about moving into coffee as it was early mornings and I liked the idea of having the rest of your day to yourself. After I made the move that’s when I fell in love with the world of coffee. I’ve been working in specialty coffee for 5 years now.
What interested you in working for Over Under?
I wanted to work somewhere that focuses on coffee rather than just growth. I liked the story behind it and the values of the company. That’s what made me apply. I saw the pictures online for the Ladbroke Grove store and at first, I thought it was too fancy for me, but the General Manager role kept showing up so I took that as a sign.
I applied and got a call a few hours later. I interviewed with Ed and Gina and then three days later I got offered the job. I started with Over Under in June 2021.
Tell us about your first day?
I started out as General Manager of Ladbroke Grove and I remember getting up extra early and heading to the store. As I’d worked in coffee before, the machines and setup were similar so that came second nature. But because we had the kitchen for food and delivery, that was definitely new for me, so I had to learn that all over again.
What do you like most about working here?
It’s 100% the people! I love the whole team, but I’m especially fond of the amazing team we have built at Ladbroke Grove. It keeps me extra motivated to get everything right for them and knowing I’m going to see their smiley faces just makes me very happy.
What does your typical week look like?
At the moment it’s very unpredictable, sometimes I’m on the floor in the morning then I’m doing my operations work in the afternoon. I can be ringing suppliers, maintenance, or helping Ed with the systems.
Then other days, I’m building up a coffee training plan and training the newbies. No two days are ever the same and I enjoy the variety. It keeps it interesting I always joke that I’m the face of Over Under as I always want to get involved with the marketing too. I can’t help that the camera loves me!
Finally, we want to know, what is your go-to coffee order?
It’s either an iced oat vanilla latte or a flat white with two sugars. I have about 5 - 6 coffees a day but the first coffee always depends on what the weather’s like.
Thank you for your time Bianca and for telling your story. We’re very lucky to have you as part of the OU team. You can keep up to date on what the team is up to by following us on Instagram. Or if you’re interested in joining the dream team, check out our latest vacancies and get in touch today.