Established in 2007, Baristabarbar has been voted one of the best places to undertake barista training in the UK. Based in East London, it is a short walk from Brick Lane and has been at the centre of the New Wave Coffee movement. Ian Sinclair, one of Baristabarbar long-term associates, puts it this way, “when we started in London, we were bringing the coffee culture from Australia to the UK. We were obsessed by brewing coffee to a very high standard.  We were introducing coffee-making as an art, and with it a deeper appreciation of the range of coffee tasting notes.”

Week after week, coffee course people from around the world now come to Baristabarbar to learn how to make the perfect espresso. It has become an iconic place to learn about coffee. It is located at the top of a converted warehouse overlooking Whitechapel High Street.

Recently Ian has noticed a shift in training needs. “The coffee culture has changed enormously in the last decade and there is now a growing demand for baristas to also gain expertise in the roasting process too.”

At the centre of the Baristabarbar Coffee Lab is a coffee roaster and in the coming months this area will be expanded, in an ambitious plan to increase the number of places on the coffee roasting course.With cafes facing increasing input costs, many are making the step to start to roast their own coffee.

Significant training and dedicated practice is required, to initially source appropriate green beans and then to create roast profiles and sampling before going on to create successful batch roasts. Ian Sinclair offers an enthusiastic summary: “We have been taking coffee roasting courses for many years, but we are going to grow the area to double the number taking the course as many cafes are going to become micro roasters in the coming year. It’s an exciting time for coffee roasting.”

To facilitate this demand, there will be more cupping sessions and green bean assessment  barista training. The physical capacity and facilities for coffee roasting and green bean assessment will double in the coming months. Baristabarbar certainly looks well-placed to harness and promote this growing trend in the high-quality coffee sector. and build on its excelllence in barista training.

www.baristabarbar.co.uk