Service 04 · Barista Training
BARISTA
Trainingstandards your team will actually hold
The difference between a café that consistently produces excellent coffee and one that does not usually comes down to one thing: whether the team has been trained to a system, or just trained to follow the person who hired them. The first survives shift changes and staff turnover. The second does not.
We build layered training programmes that start with fundamentals and build toward a team capable of maintaining standards without supervision. Every programme includes documentation your whole team can reference — not just on day one, but on day three hundred.
What's Included
Foundations Training
Machine operation, grinder management, dose and yield, extraction theory. The fundamentals every barista on your team needs to understand — not just the head barista.
Milk Science & Technique
Steaming technique, texture calibration, and the science behind why milk behaves differently at different temperatures and fat contents.
Espresso Calibration
How to dial in a grinder, read a shot, and make the right adjustment. A systematic approach rather than learned intuition — so anyone on your team can do it.
Service Standards
Workflow during service, queue management, handoff protocols, and communication standards. The operational layer that determines how training translates to the customer experience.
Training Documentation
Written standards, calibration guides, and reference sheets your team can use ongoing. The documentation that makes consistent quality independent of who we trained.
Assessment & Sign-Off
A structured assessment at the end of the programme that confirms each team member has reached the required standard — and identifies anyone who needs additional support.
In Practice
Client
North Quarter Coffee
Specialty café · Edinburgh
Before
3.8
After
4.7
Before
Weekly
After
Rare
Before
45 min
After
12 min
The Situation
The owner had trained his team himself, and the coffee was excellent when he was on bar. When he was not, it was inconsistent to the point of complaints. There was no written standard, no calibration process, and every barista had slightly different technique.
The Outcome
We built a two-day foundations programme, produced a written calibration guide for their espresso recipe, and introduced a weekly dial-in log. Consistency scores on Google reviews moved from 3.8 to 4.7 over the following three months.
How It Works
Skills Assessment
Half day on-site
We observe your team in service and run a short skills assessment. This tells us where the gaps are and what the training programme needs to prioritise.
Programme Design
1 week
We design a training programme specific to your team, equipment, and coffee. Including a session plan and all documentation.
Training Delivery
1–2 days on-site
Hands-on training with your full team. Theory and practical, with time for questions and individual coaching.
Investment
Per session
From £800
A single foundations training day for a team of up to six starts from £800. A full layered programme — including skills assessment, two training days, and all documentation — is typically £1,800–£2,800 depending on team size and location.
Travel costs apply for locations outside London and Bristol. Group discounts available for multi-site operators.
Common Questions
How long does training take?
A focused foundations day is typically six hours. A full programme covering foundations, milk, calibration, and service standards is usually delivered over two days, with a follow-up assessment session two to four weeks later.
Do you train teams who are already experienced?
Yes. We work with experienced baristas as well as newcomers. With experienced teams, the focus often shifts to standardisation and calibration — getting everyone doing the same thing consistently rather than teaching fundamentals.
What coffee and equipment do you train on?
We train on your equipment, with your coffee. This is intentional — the goal is a team who can dial in and maintain your specific espresso recipe, not a generic technique that may not transfer to your setup.
Can you train us to SCA standards?
We can build training programmes that are aligned with SCA competency frameworks. We do not ourselves deliver SCA certification courses, but we can prepare your team for external assessment.
Related Services
More covers, less chaos
Bar Flow Design
A well-designed bar reduces unnecessary movement, eliminates bottlenecks, and lets your team work faster with fewer errors. We audit your existing layout or design from scratch — mapping every step from grind to handoff.
Menus that make money
Menu Engineering
Your menu should do commercial work, not just list drinks. We build pricing models based on your real costs, design seasonal rotation schedules, and ensure every item on your menu earns its place — both for margin and for experience.
From green bean to finished product
Roastery Setup
Roastery launch is a different challenge to café launch — equipment selection, space planning, roast profiling, cupping protocols, and team training all need to align. We've been through this process and guide you through every stage.
one day can change everything
RAISE YOUR
team standard.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll talk through what you're building, what stage you're at, and whether there's a fit. No pitch, no obligation.