A group of young budding baristas are hoping to meet the demands of a growing band of coffee lovers in Brighton and Hove, thanks to a new groundbreaking project run by a local charity and some of the city’s leading independent cafés.
The Professional Barista Apprenticeship in Speciality Coffee, set up by One Church Brighton, Taylor St. Baristas and Small Batch Coffee Company is the first of its type in the country, and offers unemployed 16-24 year-olds the chance to develop a career in an increasingly skilled and sought after profession.
Brighton’s high spend on coffee
The new apprenticeship, which is also supported by Portslade Aldridge Community Academy, comes after a recent study into the UK’s coffee drinking habits revealed that people from Brighton and Hove spend more on coffee than anyone else in the UK. The research by Stirling University found that the city’s residents spent, on average, £177 per person on the drink in 2014.
Much of this coffee is consumed in the city’s ever-expanding network of independent cafés and coffee shops where demand for speciality, quality coffee made by professional baristas is increasing. One of the aims of the government and EU funded project is to help the cafes address the issue by providing them with trained, qualified professional baristas at no cost.
Year-long apprenticeship
An under-used city centre church, which has been transformed into a hub for local social action projects, is the unlikely setting for the year-long apprenticeship. Part of the building on Gloucester Place has been turned into a barista school where the group of 10 apprentices receive weekly practical training on state of the art equipment and learn about the history and principles of coffee production. They spend the rest of the week on placement at nine local cafes where, after completing the apprenticeship, they are expected to take up permanent positions.
Brainchild of Ben Szobody
The project is the brainchild of former US political journalistand coffee enthusiast Ben Szobody. The project development manager with One Church Brighton said:
“I wanted to bring together my two passions – quality coffee and engaging people in the community throughfood and drink. What I needed was the space to do it and the expertise and support to help make it a reality. When I talked to Taylor Street and Small Batch they really bought into the idea of giving young unemployed people access to a potential career in something completely different and supporting the unique and thriving cafe sector we have in the city. One Church offers a brilliant building and a willingness to use it for the city’s needs.”
Ultimately, we want to grow the apprenticeship to engage with more local unemployed young people and more cafes not just in Brighton but across Sussex.”
The project is funded by the European Social Fund and the Skills Funding Agency and is also supported by UCC Coffee and CoffeeHit, who have given or loaned coffee making equipment.
Cafes in the apprenticeship program
Taylor St. Baristas – Brighton,
Small Batch Coffee Co – Brighton
Redwood Café – Brighton
Café Coho – Brighton
Silo – Brighton
Nelson Coffee Co. – Eastbourne
Proper Cycling & Coffee – Hassocks
Harris and Hoole – Horley
To find out more about the apprenticeship e-mail brightonbarista@gmail.com or follow @probaristas on Twitter.