Today, our Year 9 Café Program was launched. We are most fortunate to have a number of in-house trained baristas on staff and so 2 staff led the instruction on the use of the barista machines to make a latte. ES staff members Rachel and Travis, provided back ground knowledge about the production of coffee beans, how the different varieties are produced and used, followed by a step by step demonstration of how to make a ‘café coffee’. Rachael and Travis, along with Assistant Principal Maria Farriciello (who was recently trained to use the espresso machines) supported and guided our up and coming baristas.
The students were introduced to a new range of vocabulary too such as crema, tamp and milk wand. The college has a large industrial – sized espresso machine (where 2 baristas can work side by side) and 4 smaller machines allowing the students to practise and learn their newly acquired craft. The Café Program will incorporate not only the opportunity to build barista skills but to also more broadly learn about the skills of running and efficient café business. This will include food handling compliance, the roles of people such as head chef, sous chef, front of house service, kitchen hand, sweet section chef, and budgeting along with menu development.
Our Year 9 students are of course on the cusp of being able to join the workforce in casual or part time jobs as they complete their secondary schooling and these skills are designed to provide a basis on which they may seek employment in the hospitality business.
