June 19, 2006

Crème de la Crema - Barista Certification

You’re a good Barista but are you certified? Maybe not, but Australia may be moving in that direction soon. Fed up with arrogant baristas who are turning out sub-par cups of espresso, the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association is starting to explore a certification program that will set standards for what baristas need to know form coffee knowledge to customer service standards.

From The Australian:

‘The AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association says those who qualify for the barista licence will require plenty of specific knowledge, including how to treat customers, something lost on many of the nation's coffee makers.

The association's conference next month, "Beans and Machines: Real Coffee in an International Context", will launch a national licensing program set to change the dynamics of Australia's burgeoning coffee scene.

Chairman Robert Forsyth, an international coffee judge, said Australia had evolved in 15 years into one of the most sophisticated coffee-drinking societies in the world and licensing baristas was the logical next step….

"Yes, Australia has reached a mature market in terms of espresso-based coffee drinking, but we have to take one step further and make it more consistent," Mr Forsyth said. "That comes through training. The licence will be based on the judgment of internationally recognised experts.

"The customer will be certain that the person behind the machine knows exactly what they are doing; the cafe owner will know they are hiring someone whose work is consistent with world standards."’

Via Aldo Coffee -
ReadMore at the Australian