Jim Devlin, BSA City & Guilds quality assurance co-ordinator, said: “We are delighted that so many BSA member satellite training centres have been appointed. Every year we re-issue every Centre with an accreditation certificate. It is essential that people are properly trained to become a barista. There is no typical career route.
“Although training does take place, there was no recognised standard until the BSA worked with City & Guilds to develop the Level 2 VRQ in Barista Skills. This qualification is recognised around the world and fits in with the BSA’s aims to encourage and promote higher standards and training within the industry. It is excellent news that so many people are going through this training – over 100 in the last year – and we want to continue to increase this.”
Miko Coffee in Hersham, Surrey is the latest BSA member satellite training centre to be approved. Simon Speed-Andrews from Miko Coffee said: “We are extremely pleased to have been approved as a training centre for the City & Guilds Barista Skills courses. Training has always been an extremely important element of our business and the ability to run the Barista course has only enhanced this. Providing this course can only benefit the industry as a whole and we are proud to be part of that.”
Other BSA member satellite training centres include: Kimbo UK, Chiswick, London; The Coffee Community, Huddersfield; The London School of Coffee, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey; Pumphrey’s Coffee, Newcastle; Coffee West, Devon; Backup Coffee and Service, Battersea, London; Coffee Care, Skipton; Masteroast, Peterborough; Coffeeman Devon, Newton Abbott, Devon; Qualitasse, Basingstoke; Café 2U, Leeds; Coffee Direct, Scotland; Miko Coffee North West, Lancashire; Rapido Coffee Services, Staffordshire and Cornico Coffee, Cornwall.