The title of “Coffee Master” along with its signature black apron remains the most coveted accolade for baristas who take part in the Starbucks Coffee Masters programme.
The programme was first launched nearly two decades ago and those who successfully complete it get to wear the black apron, which signifies a barista’s proficiency and expertise in brewing a wonderful cup of coffee, as opposed to the normal green apron.
The programme was launched in South Africa in its first operational year in 2017.
Since then, the brand has interviewed more than 70 people, successfully inducted and trained 60 and resulted in 35 people being certified.
Starbucks’ central operations specialist, Ishan Natalie, said the interview process to get into the programme was stringent.
“We look for the most passionate partners, dedicated to excellence in coffee, above the already high Starbucks standard,” he said.
“The Coffee Masters programme develops a deeper knowledge of the details and intricacies of the coffee supply chain.
“This includes developing invaluable knowledge behind the scenes of coffee, covering the entire seed-to-cup journey of a coffee bean, fair and best practices that Starbucks has with coffee and coffee communities as well as an elevated level of coffee skill and storytelling.”
All successful entrants need to have a 100% pass rate on the question-and-answer component as well as the coffee activities used to certify coffee masters.
“Not everyone makes it through the interview, and not everyone passes the first time,” Natalie said.
“However, the journey never ends, as we continue to support and develop those who don’t make it through, as it’s both a self-paced, and support structure programme. In time, and when people are ready, they earn their black aprons.”
One of the programme’s graduates, Phuti Mmotla, was recently announced as Starbucks’ best barista for 2022.
Mmotla, who hails from Limpopo, was chosen as the best worldwide.
“It is a dream come true to be a National Barista Champion, as it’s taken me five years of perseverance to get to this level,” he told IOL Lifestyle.
The Starbucks Coffee Academy, an online platform, serves as the programme’s facilitator. The platform is an open-source learning platform that makes learning available constantly and is updated frequently to stay current.
There are three levels within the Coffee Masters programme to go from beginner to expert.
By the first quarter of next year, Natalie said the team aspires to have at least 30 certified coffee masters.
“There are currently more than 100 coffee masters being developed across the country and our vision is to have at least 150 certified by the end of 2023,” he said.
Interim CEO at Starbucks, Howard Schultz, insisted that the Coffee Masters programme be reinstated globally, following in South Africa’s footsteps, after it was retired in some countries.
“The international coffee team’s new way forward for the programme is aligned to Starbucks South Africa’s approach and solidified them as one of the biggest leaders in coffee craft and excellence in the country,” he said.