Senior service The barista still going strong at 100

Anna Possi answers the phone in the cafe but immediately asks to call her back.

- By Angela Giuffrida ROME

"I have a customer," she said.

It's mid-afternoon and Possi, who owns Bar Centrale in Nebbiuno, a small town overlooking Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, has been serving coffee since 7am. She usually finishes at 7pm.

It's an average working day for a barista in Italy, but Possi is in one key respect far from the average barista: aged 100, she is the country's oldest. The centenarian, who was recently given the honorary title of Commander of the Republic, is a familiar face to regulars who have lived their lives alongside the cafe as it has matured from cutting edge to vintage. "I'm always working - Sundays, Easter, Christmas. I'm never on holiday," she said.

This has been Possi's routine since 1 May 1958 when she opened the bar with her husband, serving espressos and cappuccinos to customers.

Alcoholic beverages were added to the menu in 1971 when the couple purchased a licence.