Seattle Barista Academy

[dsm363]

Has anyone had experience or know anything about the Seattle Barista Academy? I'm planning on going there but was wondering what people had heard about it. Thanks.

[MattBellissimo]

Our president blogged recently about what to look for when looking at attending a coffee school or hiring a consultant. In full disclosure I am the director of the American Barista & Coffee School and also a consultant for Bellissimo, but feel regardless of who you may hire for assistance, or what coffee school you attend, this blog has some great tips to consider.

http://espresso101.com/blog#1730

Best of success in your planning stages!

- Matt

[Jeff Burgess]

Greetings,

I appreciate the question regarding the Seattle Barista Academy (SBA). Let me first say that I am the Director of the Academy so my answer is going to be biased. However, having said that and having worked with a number of Barista trainers that are now with other training facilities I can say with certainty (and enthusiasm) that our current trainer, Philip Search, is one of the best trainers that I have ever worked with. He consistently gets incredible ratings by participants in our two to four day courses. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable in all phases of barista activities, but he has a unique combination of education, specialty beverage, and food service experience - as well as years of management and training and coffee shop ownership (as well as roasting experience) - that provides the incredible background knowledge quite necessary to effectively train others. In addition, and in a way most importantly, he is really passionate about elevating the barista profession and IQ of coffee lovers.

Let me add that the SBA offers a hands on experience unparalleled in the 'coffee education' world. This is because classes are limited to 7 individuals and there are enough cutting edge grinders and machines to allow everyone to be working and also receive true one on one help. In addition, the cost of training with the SBA is quite reasonable in comparison to other training facilities. The two day course involves learning the fundamentals, with the three day package including drink building and latte art, and the four day package a full day of business consulting. Individuals can opt for the two, three, or four day package. There is also a two day weekend course that includes a condensation of the three day course. One of the unique features of our courses is that they include a visit to a coffee shop to observe and see in action what has been learned in training.

I encourage anyone interested in a truly great training experience to contact the SBA.

Best Regards

Dr. Jeff Burgess

[dsm363]

I thought I'd post a long overdue followup. I ended up going last last May and had a fantastic time. Philip Search is an outstanding teacher and I enjoyed the course overall. Highly recommended.

[Randy G.]

A representative from the academy was manning the booth at the Seattle SCAA exhibition.. I asked a question and then he pulled a shot into a PAPER cup, steamed some (iirc) Pacific Foods soy milk and proceeded to pour latte art into the cup. Amazing and impressive.