Re: Barista course...
Bluey, speaking from some experience here with people who dont drink coffee, as you have mentioned you have a few on your staff...
My boss has made it her policy to not teach those who dont drink coffee to use the machine. Which I think is great as those who dont drink it were the ones who were letting down the standards in the first place. They never had any intention of making fantastic coffee, rather they were only interested in pressing the button and getting out from behind the machine. To them, its a long involved process, that requires a lot of attention to detail and then clean up. Hence, we had a messy work space, milk caked onto steam wands, half heated milk in jugs, you get the picture...
Sure, this now puts a bit more pressure on myself, my boss and one or two others but in order to keep up the standard we have now set for our selves, we think that this is a small sacrifice.
I understand it might not be so easy for you to make this decision either. But I do know that there is no way a non coffee drinker is ever going to be up to par alongside a passionate and dedicated barista. Dedicated doesnt mean that they are only assigned to the one job either...dedicated also means that theyre totally committed to perfecting their skills and making it an art form, rather than just doing it as part of a process...
I guess its also telling that the staff who do know how to use the machine, still ask me to make them their coffee! ;D ;D
So, I totally understand when you say how hard it is to get a good team together in this industry and then keep them. Even in my brief stint so far of four years, I have seen many come and go. Actually, Id be the longest running full time employee after the bakers at the moment. It is a great frustration that staff who work in our industry are not always passionate people about food and drink and are only doing it as a job to earn money. But thats what we have to deal with and there isnt a lot we can do about it...except do our best to try and educate them. Enthusiasm for the job sometimes helps to rub off too...
Anyway, hope you get to lift your coffee standards to where youd like to see them and where your customers give you good feedback...
You should go read the "Barista Venting" thread to see what some do to those who want their coffees with the s**t burnt out of their milk.. ;D
Bluey, speaking from some experience here with people who dont drink coffee, as you have mentioned you have a few on your staff...
My boss has made it her policy to not teach those who dont drink coffee to use the machine. Which I think is great as those who dont drink it were the ones who were letting down the standards in the first place. They never had any intention of making fantastic coffee, rather they were only interested in pressing the button and getting out from behind the machine. To them, its a long involved process, that requires a lot of attention to detail and then clean up. Hence, we had a messy work space, milk caked onto steam wands, half heated milk in jugs, you get the picture...
Sure, this now puts a bit more pressure on myself, my boss and one or two others but in order to keep up the standard we have now set for our selves, we think that this is a small sacrifice.
I understand it might not be so easy for you to make this decision either. But I do know that there is no way a non coffee drinker is ever going to be up to par alongside a passionate and dedicated barista. Dedicated doesnt mean that they are only assigned to the one job either...dedicated also means that theyre totally committed to perfecting their skills and making it an art form, rather than just doing it as part of a process...
I guess its also telling that the staff who do know how to use the machine, still ask me to make them their coffee! ;D ;D
So, I totally understand when you say how hard it is to get a good team together in this industry and then keep them. Even in my brief stint so far of four years, I have seen many come and go. Actually, Id be the longest running full time employee after the bakers at the moment. It is a great frustration that staff who work in our industry are not always passionate people about food and drink and are only doing it as a job to earn money. But thats what we have to deal with and there isnt a lot we can do about it...except do our best to try and educate them. Enthusiasm for the job sometimes helps to rub off too...
Anyway, hope you get to lift your coffee standards to where youd like to see them and where your customers give you good feedback...
You should go read the "Barista Venting" thread to see what some do to those who want their coffees with the s**t burnt out of their milk.. ;D

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