Barista Training - More Important Than Ever
Written by Steve Slark, Chairman, The Beverage Standards Association
We have a new government, and it has been recently announced that public sector workers including doctors have been offered 22% in pay increases. I am loathed to comment in political terms, but it brings into question the worth of employees.
If a job - especially and almost traditionally in hospitality - is seen as an “anyone could do it” job then low pay is often expected, even if the work is long and hard and often in challenging conditions.
This is where I have found that qualifications can tip the balance and there is not normally any qualification without training, study or hard work.
The hourly rates for Barista’s seemed to have peaked after increasing sharply in the last few years since a good deal of them have left the UK since Brexit, and recruiting has become harder.
This situation contributes to the employer costs and then on to the consumer which we have all witnessed in the price of our favourite beverages. Sure, ingredient costs also play a part as do rents and other factors.
Where am I going with this? Well, I would rather be a trained person looking for a role or looking at employers who offer coordinated training.
Investing in people has always been a long-term commitment but ultimately has a measurable payback, which is proven to improve both the offer to the customer and the quality of any company.
We are proud at the BSA to offer a range of courses for Barista Skills in isolation or in partnership with our member training centres up to and including City and Guilds level, still the only fully accredited course in the sector which the BSA founded.
With twelve Approved training centres around the UK, and 14 Accredited trainers offering BSA City & Guilds Level 2 and BSA Level 1 courses we are well prepared to support you. Our training Manager Martyn Herriott has all the skills and knowledge required to guide you on your Barista training journey. He can be contacted at training@beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk or 07500 858763.
I hope you enjoy this latest issue and remember “you are in good company” with the Beverage Standards Association.
To contact me you can either email chairman@beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk or message me at 07711 087662. You can also join our vibrant Beverage Support Hub WhatsApp group.
