Barista students off to work

A MONTH ago most of them only knew instant coffee and some did not even drink that – but as 15 budding baristas from the Red Band Coffee Academy prepared for their work-shadowing yesterday, they were rattling off the names of different coffees.

Whether cappucino, cafe latte, cafe mocha or americano – they can now all make it and each of them has their favourite.

Making 600 cappucinos certainly has not diminished their enthusiasm for their newly learnt art of making coffee, barista trainer Garneth Jaggers said.

The Red Band Coffee Academy, a barista training centre at Father's House Church in North End, was set up with the aim of training baristas and to provide opportunities for the unemployed.

It is being run in conjunction with the Work for a Living Programme. Project manager Ryan le Roux, a former Eastern Province rugby player, said they could not wish for a better start.

Jaggers said he had high hopes for the group of youngsters and was looking forward to seeing them cope during work-shadowing.

"They are very passionate," he said. "We had 15 students and they have been training here for four weeks. Now they will go off for three weeks of work-shadowing."

Jaggers said he was confident the 15 knew more about coffee than most other baristas in town.

"They are passionate and creative. I tell them that the barista is the heart of any coffee shop and that they must be just that."

Jaggers said they had a few light moments during training when students struggled to get the pronunciation of the different types of drinks right.

The coffee for the academy was sponsored by Mastertons and the milk by Woodlands Dairy. Absa provided the start-up costs as part of the Absa Bergzicht programme, an initiative that equips unemployed youngsters with skills that help them find jobs in the hospitality sector.

B Comm graduate Vusi Gcade, 29, of KwaDwesi was preparing to start with his honours degree when he heard about the academy.

"I thought I knew what coffee was all about but I only knew instant coffee. I was so surprised that there was so much more out there."

He said his new favourite was cafe mocha. "It is my dream to teach youngsters in the township about good coffee and open up my own school."

The youngest student at the academy, Athenkosi Sokutu, 19, of Motherwell, said he was very grateful for the opportunity.

"I was just sitting at home," he said. "I knew I had the potential. Now I also know that practice makes perfect. For me, Arabica coffee is the very best. I would love to have my own coffee shop one day." The academy also had four women students who complained that the "boys still left the dishes to us", but also formed a formidable group of aspiring baristas.

"This has given me a new future," Miranda Booi, 23, of Uitenhage said.

Sinesipho Vayise, 23, said she now battled at the weekend as she had to drink instant coffee. "I love real coffee, not the type you have to switch the kettle on for."

Nosibusiso Kate, 23, was working as a part-time cashier at Wimpy before she joined the academy.

"I didn't know much about coffee," she said. Now she loves cappucino and cafe mocha.

Asanda Dakada, 24, said she was not even very interested in coffee when she joined the academy. "We studied a lot. I have learnt a lot about coffee." - Estelle Ellis