Sodexo UK and Ireland has launched ‘Barista Collective’, a training programme designed to elevate coffee experiences and provide baristas with additional knowledge and skills.
The scheme brings together more than 20 ”coffee champions” from across the contract caterer’s business. Each has completed an intensive Train the Trainer programme, equipping them to deliver new level 1 and level 2 training courses across the organisation.
Level 1 provides a foundation for new and existing baristas, focusing on essential skills and operational excellence. Level 2 builds on this knowledge, exploring coffee as a product and craft, including bean selection, processing methods, roasting, sensory development and advanced brewing techniques.
In what the business described as an “industry first”, Sodexo has partnered with HIT Training, an apprenticeship and training provider for the UK’s hospitality, catering and retail industries, to launch a Barista & Hospitality Excellence apprenticeship.
The eight-month programme combines technical barista expertise with the skills to deliver “service excellence, professionalism and the confidence to build a meaningful career in hospitality,” the pair said.
The increased training comes as Sodexo serves more than nine million cups of coffee each year across 300 of its client sites in the UK and Ireland.
“The Barista Collective is much more than a training programme,” said Sodexo UK & Ireland head of coffee and franchises Julian Weresch. “Built around three core pillars – craft, collaboration and community, the programme has been designed to support and empower our baristas.
“It represents a shift from viewing coffee training as a technical requirement to recognising it as a critical part of the guest experience, helping turn everyday transactions into meaningful, personalised interactions and memorable experiences for our guests.”
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