Sisters are full of beans!

Aug 25 2005 By Jon Griffin, Evening Mail

IT'S a family affair at Starbucks in Birmingham city centre, with sisters Alexandra and Arabella Smith a red hot combination.

The sisters provide a potent brew for customers at the popular Colmore Row coffee house and are making company history in the process.

Alexandra and Arabella, from Leamington, are thought to be the only pair of siblings working at the same Starbucks branch in the UK after linking up together last autumn.

While Alexandra calls the shots at work as manageress of the store, Arabella said the Starbucks hierarchy does not affect their relationship.

"We are a team really - I have learnt so much from Alex. We are different as people but we're also very close," said Arabella.

Alexandra, 23, added: "Working here together was just the way things happened. It was never planned.

"I had worked at Starbucks in Leamington seven years ago for four years and then I went to Coventry University to study business management and continued to work part-time.

"Then I went to Solihull as assistant manager and came here last October as manageress."

Arabella, aged 21, said: "I started at Starbucks in Leamington when I was 16 and then went to college to study Art and Design. I joined Alex here last November.

"As far as we know, we are the only team of sisters working together at any Starbucks store in the UK," she added.