There's a version of barista training that involves a lot of slides, a written test, and a certificate at the end. You probably know the one. It covers the theory, ticks the right boxes, and sends people back behind the bar with a qualification but not necessarily a great deal of confidence in what they're actually doing.
That's not how we do it.
We've trained over 1,000 baristas now, and the thing that's shaped our approach more than anything else is a simple belief: coffee is a sensory craft, and training should reflect that. You learn it with your hands and your palate, not a multiple choice question.
SCA-Led, But More Than That
Our training is built on SCA foundations — the Specialty Coffee Association's curriculum is the global benchmark for a reason, and we cover everything it requires. Extraction theory, brewing parameters, milk technique, equipment knowledge — all of it is in there, and all of it matters.
But we've always felt that the SCA framework is a floor, not a ceiling. So we go further, layering in a sensory dimension that we think is where the real understanding happens.
Rather than just telling a barista what under-extraction tastes like, we let them taste it. Rather than explaining why grind size matters in theory, we show them what happens to a shot when you change it. Coffee starts to make sense in a completely different way when you're experiencing it rather than just reading about it — and that understanding sticks in a way that classroom learning often doesn't.
What the Training Actually Covers
The full course runs over two days — either back to back or split into two separate sessions, depending on what works best for you or your team. It's structured to build from the ground up, so nobody feels like they've been thrown in at the deep end, but it moves at a pace that keeps things engaging throughout.
Across those two days, baristas get to grips with:
- Coffee from the very beginning — where it comes from, how it's grown and processed, and how those decisions shape what ends up in the cup. Understanding the full journey changes how you think about what you're making.
- Roasting and how it affects brewing — including our dual roasting approach, which is fundamental to everything we do and central to how we train.
- Extraction in practice — not just the theory, but dialling in shots, tasting the difference, and developing the instinct to know when something's right and what to do when it isn't.
- Milk technique — texturing, temperature, and how to get the integration right between coffee and milk for consistently great results.
- Sensory tasting — cupping, identifying flavour, and building a palate that makes you a better barista in every practical situation.
By the end of it, the goal isn't just a barista who can follow a recipe. It's someone who understands why the recipe works — and can adapt when conditions change.
Training for Our Coffee, Specifically
One of the things that makes our training genuinely different is that we're not teaching generic espresso technique. We're training baristas to make our coffee, in our way — and that distinction matters.
Our dual roasting program is at the core of how we train. Baristas learn not just how to pull a standard espresso, but how to work with The Product — our restricted base shot for milk drinks that goes even shorter than a classic ristretto, delivering the body and sweetness that makes our milk-based coffee what it is. Getting that right consistently takes real understanding, and we build that understanding from the ground up throughout the course.
For black coffee, the focus shifts entirely — towards extraction clarity, origin character, and the patience to let the coffee speak for itself. Baristas come away knowing that these are two different disciplines that require two different approaches, which is exactly how we think about it at every level of what we do.
Two Locations, One Standard
Training runs at both our Winchester roastery — where the coffee is made and where we've been training for years — and at our newer academy above our Pavilion Road shop in London.
Both deliver exactly the same quality and depth of training. The Winchester site gives baristas a chance to see the roastery in action and understand coffee from the very point of production, which is a genuinely special context to learn in. The London academy makes the same standard of training accessible without the journey, which has opened things up considerably for our partners and clients in the city.
Wherever the training happens, the experience is hands-on, sensory-led, and built around making great coffee rather than just knowing about it.
Who It's For
The course works for baristas at all levels — people just starting out who want to build a proper foundation, and experienced baristas who want to deepen their understanding, refine their technique, or get properly trained in our specific approach to coffee.
For wholesale partners, it's also one of the most practical things we offer. Getting your team trained in exactly how to make our coffee means the quality and consistency you're paying for actually shows up in every cup, every service, every day. That's the point.
The Bigger Picture
Over 1,000 baristas trained is something we're genuinely proud of — not as a number, but because of what it represents. Every one of those people left with a better understanding of coffee, more confidence behind the bar, and a connection to the craft that goes beyond just going through the motions.
That's what good training does. It doesn't just teach technique — it builds people who care about what they're making and understand why it matters.
And honestly, that's what great coffee depends on more than anything else.
