SCA COFFEE SKILLS PROGRAM

Learn the practical skills you need behind the espresso bar: learn how to set your grinder, milk techniques and latte art, health and safety, customer service, and basic business practices

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Barista Skills can be studied at three different levels:

1. Foundation* is for those new to the coffee industry and focuses on the key skills required to set your grinder, brew espresso and foam and texture milk for cappuccinos.  No previous barista experience is required for this course.

2. Intermediate* provides a deeper understanding of the coffee itself and builds on the practical skills learnt at Foundation level. Milk techniques, including latte art, are introduced as well as health and safety, customer service and basic business. This course is suitable for people already working as baristas;

3. Professional level is suitable for baristas with considerable experience who have also completed the Intermediate qualification. It takes both a scientific and managerial perspective to coffee and making espresso-based drinks

Learn about the variety of methods for brewing coffee and the brewing variables that affect quality. The Brewing module provides hands-on learning on grind profiles, brewing methods (from V60 and siphon to clever dripper and French press), measuring coffee strength and charting a coffee’s extraction.

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Brewing can be studied at three different levels:

1. Foundation* introduces the beginner to the different ways of brewing coffee, from V60 and siphon to clever dripper and French press;

2. Intermediate* is very much a hands-on workshop where you will learn to analyse your grind profile, match your grind to your brewing method and to scientifically measure coffee strength and chart a coffee’s extraction;

3. Professional takes the scientific knowledge a stage further, covering the impact of temperature on brewing, acidity levels during the brewing process, the impact of water quality on coffee brewing and flavour and understanding how to chart espresso and brew within a given extraction percentage.

Learn about the essentials of sensory evaluation in a practical and interactive manner. Sensory Skills investigates the way we perceive what we taste, how to evaluate coffee’s natural characteristics, and implementing this knowledge in business.

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Our Academy offers Sensory Skills at the following levels:

1. Foundation* covers the essentials of sensory evaluation in a practical and interactive manner. It investigates the way we perceive what we taste and how to apply this knowledge when evaluating coffee’s natural characteristics. It also offers an introduction to identifying speciality coffee qualities, as well as an overview of how to implement this in business;

2. Intermediate* is ideal for someone already working in the area who wants to develop their knowledge of sensory skills. It is broken down into three areas: How we taste, perceive and interpret; Running a cupping session and tasting the diversity of coffee; How to set up sensory skills in your business.

3. Professional prepares you to be a Sensory skills leader in a coffee business by raising your tasting skills to a professional level.

Learn about the roasting process, including roast cycle, roast levels, identifying defects, the physical changes that beans undergo during the roasting process, as well as workspace management and lean production.

Our Academy offers SCA Roasting Skills at the following levels:

1. Foundation* gives a basic understanding of the roasting process, including the roast cycle and how to control sensory aspects of the coffee by roasting light or dark;

2. Intermediate builds on the basics covered in Foundation and covers roast defects, the physical changes that beans undergo during the roasting process, as well as workspace management and lean production.

3. Professional gives you the skills and knowledge needed as a manager to plan and execute quality control, create a product range to meet different preferences, calculate production costs and ensure efficient production

Learn about the key concepts surrounding green coffee: production, processing, grading, shipping, storage, arrival at destination, as well as coffee contracts and portfolio management.

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Our Academy offers SCA Green Coffee at the following levels:

1. Foundation covers the key concepts surrounding green coffee, from growing the plant, through processing, shipping, storage and arrival at a roaster.  It includes an introduction to cupping and coffee grading;

2. Intermediate looks at green coffee in greater detail and builds on the core vocational skills needed by people who work with green coffee on a daily basis.  It is broken down into three areas: Principles of coffee growing and processing; Introduction to green coffee grading; Coffee contracts and green coffee portfolio management