Barista Magazine is your home for the worldwide community of coffee and the people who make it.
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/284703
its founding by Steinar Paulsrud in 2003. "The idea of [promoting the Barista/Individual Membership] first blossomed regarding a project during COE Rwanda 2013, [during which judges] gathered money for a local school [to buy desks for the kids]," says Marit Toverud, marketing manager for Kaffebrenneriet. The 240 baristas working Kaffebrenneriet's Oslo shops immediately wanted to get involved and support the project in some way. "We have a lot of baristas who wanted to make a dif- ference," Marit says. "We figured out some of them probably would like to sign up for [a Barista/Individual] membership." Steinar's first COE experience was in 2003, when he judged at the Nicaraguan competition. He was impressed by the level of scrutiny with which the other judges—top cuppers from around the world—evaluated the coffees. Moreover, he was blown away by the coffees themselves. Kaffebrenneriet now boasts 12 COE judges on staff (baristas, managers, and department heads), as well as four judges-in-training, and has just purchased its 100 th lot of COE coffee. With such commitment to the program, it's crucial that the baristas are able to communicate how special the coffees are to customers. "Knowledge is key [for a barista to be able to] promote, demon- strate, serve, and sell coffee with confidence," Marit says. "Their trust in the quality of the coffee and the transparency of the pro- gram will benefit both the barista and the customer." The Barista/Individual Membership, however, further develops that passion and sense of ownership. "The private membership gives the barista a closer connection to [COE]," Merit contin- ues. For staff baristas who have purchased Barista/Individual Memberships, Kaffebrenneriet offers extended education, further adding value to participation. "[For baristas with] the private mem- bership, we offer a training program internally for the super-duper coffee-interested crowd. We gather our 'COE Club' for evenings of lectures, roasting, cupping, and tasting." "Employers would benefit from informing their staff about the Barista/Individual Membership, and even offering it as a reward program for excellence on the job," says Anna of COE. "It would serve their company in the end, as the barista would be more knowledgeable about the coffees they're serving. Kaffebrenneriet's enthusiastic support of staff COE members is awesome—but working at a company that is not involved in COE is another reason to consider a Barista/Individual Membership: This is an investment into a barista's personal coffee future. "Our members have revolutionized the coffee world through finding unique quality, rewarding farmers, building transparency, and constructing a global alliance to share incredible coffee sto- ries," says Anna of COE. "It's a really special way for baristas to invest in the next level of their coffee career." For more information, visit www.cupofexcellence.org. —Sarah Allen K30 AIR VENTILATED FOR YOUR PLEASURE www.mahlkoenig.com SEE YOU AT THE SCAA SHOW, BOOTH # 11042 ! Follow us on instragram: mahlkonigusa 19 www.baristamagazine.com B o o k 1 - 4 4 . i n d d 1 9 Book 1-44.indd 19 3 / 1 9 / 1 4 9 : 5 1 P M 3/19/14 9:51 PM