Baristas play such an integral role in specialty coffee. Without skilled and passionate staff, coffee quality would take a huge hit – and cafés and roasteries would struggle to operate and stay profitable.

But it’s fair to say that baristas haven’t always received the fair recognition they deserve for their hard work. Seen by some as a “stopgap” job, the role of the barista isn’t often considered a career – unlike working in roasting or green coffee trading, for example. Ultimately, this means baristas can feel less invested in compared to their industry peers, which further perpetuates the myth that working as a barista requires fewer skills and experience.

If employers want to contribute to a truly successful coffee industry, however, supporting and promoting proper barista training is an absolute must – especially for younger generations interested in working in coffee.

I spoke to Davide Valenziano, Head of Coffee at Dalla Corte, to find out why investing in barista training is so important.

You may also like our article on how the role of the barista is changing in specialty coffee.

Why baristas are so important to specialty coffee

Unlike other supply chain actors, baristas have a consumer-facing role – acting as the “face” of a coffee shop or roastery. Ultimately, when interacting with customers, it’s down to the barista to represent not only the business they work for, but also the producer who grew the coffee and the traders and roasters who sourced it.

All in all, this is a lot of responsibility to take on. To fairly represent the hard work of their industry peers, baristas must also have a solid foundation of knowledge about coffee production and roasting to share with customers, such as:

• Explaining numerous processing methods and how they influence flavour profiles
• Talking about different varieties, or potentially different species of coffee
• Discussing how roast profiles can influence a coffee’s flavour, as well as how you should brew it

More importantly, however, are the soft and hard skills that baristas need to have to fulfil their main job roles: preparing excellent coffee and providing exceptional customer service.

Davide Valenziano is the Head of Coffee at Dalla Corte – a leading manufacturer of premium espresso machines and grinders.

“The barista plays the most important role when it comes to making great espresso because they are the last link in the supply chain,” he says. “When cafés and roasters serve excellent coffee, they can more easily retain their customers.”

Proper barista training is vital

In order to prepare high-quality beverages, use commercial café equipment, provide stellar customer experience, and disseminate information about the entire supply chain, baristas need to be trained to high standards. Although having a hard work ethic and passion is also key to being a good barista, regular and thorough training is paramount.

It’s a sad reality, however, that baristas don’t always receive the right amount of training. What’s more, as hospitality jobs generally require fewer specific hard skills than other sectors, staff tend to receive less investment from their employers, and in turn, feel less motivated to grow in their roles.

The pandemic also showed us that baristas are highly susceptible to job uncertainty and insecurity – and that their roles are often very physically and mentally demanding. In fact, according to a Wilfred Laurier University study, 68% of surveyed baristas reported shoulder pain, while 73% experienced lower back pain. In many cases, these health issues are the result of RSI, which happens when you perform the same movements over and over again (such as tamping or placing portafilters in groupheads).

To avoid these problems and improve job satisfaction for baristas, effective and proper training is absolutely essential.

How coffee shops can provide excellent barista training

Learning the skills required to prepare a variety of coffee beverages to a high standard can be intimidating at first, especially for those who are new to specialty coffee. But with the right level of training and investment, staff can gradually acquire the necessary expertise.

Perhaps even more important than technical abilities, however, are teaching soft skills, as Davide explains.

“The personal qualities that make an excellent barista are a friendly and helpful attitude, great communication skills, patience, attention to detail, and the ability to work well under pressure,” he tells me. “They must also be able to multitask efficiently, keep their work space clean and organised, and be willing to learn and to adapt to new techniques and technologies.”

From here, teaching hard skills – such as dialling in espresso and pouring latte art – is often the next step. And naturally, it can take many hours of hands-on experience to learn these practices.

“Serving great coffee requires constant study and practice,” Davide says. “Behind every good extraction, there are many failed attempts, as well as a lot of experimenting with different extraction variables.

“Craftsmanship requires technique, practice, and precision, which cannot be improvised,” he adds.

Taking your training outside of the coffee shop

A truly effective training programme must have a solid foundation of in-depth coffee knowledge. Essentially, trainees need to understand why tasks should be carried out as they are taught, and how this impacts extraction and coffee flavour. For instance, when describing how to change grind size, it’s also important to explain the science behind these practices and why we do them.

So given the level of detail this requires, it’s often impractical to carry out extensive training while behind the bar in a coffee shop. In some cases, business operators and managers may decide to conduct sessions elsewhere, including dedicated training centres.

One example is Dalla Corte’s NextGen Barista project, which is organised in partnership with several hospitality institutes in Milan, Italy. As part of the project, Dalla Corte trains young students to acquire a number of barista skills – including bar workflow and customer service – and broaden their coffee knowledge. 

In addition to gaining hands-on barista experience, Davide explains that students can also take part in Specialty Coffee Association-accredited courses and attend international industry events. 

He adds that the NextGen Barista project also concludes with a competition, where students are assessed on their customer interaction, workflow, technical skills, and cleaning practices.

Why engaging with younger generations is key

Just like any industry, the coffee sector relies on younger generations to support its growth and drive innovation. And with the age gap becoming increasingly prominent in coffee production, securing a more sustainable future for the industry is vital.

“Nowadays, it’s hard to find specialised and experienced coffee shop staff, especially in hospitality schools, as most students study to become chefs or pastry chefs,” Davide tells me. “In Italy in particular, there’s a prejudice that the coffee sector is more ‘outdated’ compared to other markets.”

To address these issues and help retain young peoples’ interest in working in coffee, investing in high-quality and effective barista training is essential.

“The goal of the Dalla Corte NextGen Barista project is to train and inspire the coffee professionals of tomorrow,” Davide adds. “We want to raise standards in specialty coffee.”

As more young coffee professionals enter the workforce, the industry as a whole will experience a number of benefits. In addition to driving innovation in specialty coffee, younger generations’ focus on sustainability will also help push for a more resilient and adaptable supply chain.

Investing in formal training not only encourages baristas to learn new skills, but also motivates them to forge new careers in coffee –  thereby supporting the industry as a whole.

Encouraging younger generations to be excited about and interested in specialty coffee is also important. As a result, we can ensure the long-term growth of the coffee sector.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how coffee shops can best manage barista and staff shortages.

Photo credits: Dalla Corte

Perfect Daily Grind

Please note: Dalla Corte is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.

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