Coffee chain Starbucks is to take on 1,000 new apprentices over the next two years, 700 of which will come in Greater London.

The company is currently accepting applications online for the London-based roles for ‘Barista apprenticeships’ as part of what it calls the Starbucks University.

Baristas will be paid £6.45 an hour, and other benefits include a free bag of coffee each week, as well as more conventional provisions such as company stock options.

During National Apprenticeship Week in February this year, Recruiter reported the comments of skills minister John Hayes, speaking at the launch of Starbucks apprenticeship programme, that the coalition government “has created the biggest and best apprenticeships programme in our country’s history”.