Set between Hyde Park and Harvey Nichols, The Berkeley Hotel has perfected a quiet, distinctly English luxury. Guests are greeted by name, some regulars move in. Modern luxury has evolved. And so has The Berkeley.
Today, alongside Cedric Grolet’s first class patisserie and the iconic rooftop pool, coffee service plays a critical role in the guest experience: serving hotel guests, London regulars and high-volume takeaway traffic every day.
To understand how they balance luxury and speed, the UK coffee specialists of Brew It Group spoke with Charley Pope. Charley oversees coffee operations across two leading London hotels where quality expectations are high and service pressure never disappears.
350 Coffees. And That's Just The Café.
The Berkeley Café is a 55-seat outlet offering breakfast and all-day dining. It’s open to both hotel guests and the public. Alongside it sits the Cedric Grolet patisserie serving pastries, cakes and takeaway coffee. Peak volume? “During the busiest times we are preparing about 350 coffees for the café. The baristas then also prepare the coffees and teas for takeaway on top of this – it’s an incredibly busy station.”
Luxury hotel coffee service isn’t just about latte art. It’s about delivering consistent quality at scale.
Before Automation: Manual Steaming Under Pressure
The team operates on a three-group Slayer LP. “We were manually steaming, but with the coffee machine serving two outlets we were finding with our milk alternative options it was slowing down service quite a bit. We started to look at a compatible milk steaming solution."
The challenge wasn't skill. It was workflow.
First Impressions of Perfect Moose
Charley first saw Perfect Moose at London Coffee Festival. “I came for a demo at LCF and was really impressed with the texture created, as well as having different pitchers for different milk types.”
“Once installed at the Berkeley it was super easy to begin using, and the interface is very user friendly for the baristas.” And the team’s reaction? “They absolutely love it and now would be lost without it!”
All milk-based drinks. No exceptions.
At The Berkeley, Perfect Moose isn’t used selectively. “All drinks, and we use the different milk pitchers for milk/almond/oat.” From flat whites to alternative milk cappuccinos, the system supports the full menu.
A Complete Workflow Shift
Has it changed operations? “100% - where we have a lot of alternative milk options, it allows us to be steaming dairy and an alternative at the same time. Equally, during busy times of the year such as Christmas, when we have big groups for takeaway, it's a great way to steam high volumes.”
Consistency in a Luxury Hotel Environment
In a hotel setting, flexibility is essential. Even with dedicated baristas, other team members sometimes need to step in. This is where consistency becomes critical.
“I believe it is just as good as a professional barista. Once I became more accustomed to the settings you can play with the alternative milk textures.”
And perhaps the biggest operational advantage: “One of the biggest advantages to the Moose is consistency. Being in a hotel, although we have a team of dedicated baristas, there are moments where a Sales Assistant or waiter may need to jump on and make coffees. The Moose has really allowed for lateral service which for us is a huge pro.”
Automation here doesn't replace craft. It protects standards.
A Worthwhile Investment?
“Very much so. Now we have used it for so long, it would be very hard to go back to just manual steaming.” And for operators hesitating? “Do it!”
Charley is clear about the biggest win: “the Perfect Moose has opened up the possibility of having other staff, not just baristas, on the coffee machine. With just small trainings on espresso prep and the pouring of milk, we can have coverage of the coffee machine by a selection of staff rather than just the barista team which is a huge help especially during crunch periods."
Luxury is flow
At The Berkeley, guests experience calm. Comfort. Effortless service. Behind the scenes, that calm is engineered. High-volume coffee service. Alternative milk precision. Lateral staffing flexibility. Consistency across shifts.
Extreme comfort requires extreme control. And sometimes, the quietest luxury is a perfectly textured flat white, delivered without delay.
more on The Berkeley Hotel. more on Cedric Grolet. contact Brew It Group for UK moosing
