Transition Year and LCA Students Learn a ‘latte’ New Skills at Barista Training!

By Melissa Foley, TY

This week TY and LCA students took turns attending the Barista Course in Athboy Community School to practise barista skills that they could use at home, or potentially in future careers. Each session lasted approximately three hours, leaving plenty of time to go through everything smoothly. 

First, the participants learned about the different types of coffee beans, and where they come from. The instructor told us about the differences between light, medium, and dark roasts, discussing how the roasting process affects the flavour, colour and intensity of coffee. He also explained how light-roasted beans are less commonly used in traditional espresso, as darker roasts are often preferred for their stronger, more bitter flavour.

The students then learned how to operate a professional coffee machine. The instructor demonstrated the different steps and techniques involved in preparing coffee, introducing students to various pieces of equipment, including the coffee grinder and milk frother.

First, students were shown how to make an espresso. The instructor explained each step clearly, making sure that everyone understood the process, frequently asking if anyone had any questions to make sure that no one was confused or struggling. 

The students went up in pairs to each make an espresso, and then taste test it if they wanted to. Once everyone had made an espresso, the teacher went through how to make frothy milk and pour a heart design on the top. Everyone got the opportunity to practise this technique themselves. 

So now that they knew how to make an espresso, froth milk and create latte designs, they were ready to move on to making lattes. Each participant got a turn to make either a latte, or hot chocolate depending on their preferences. Most chose hot chocolate, because that was the part that everyone was looking forward to the whole time, but plenty of lattes were still made for the teachers to enjoy as well, giving everyone a chance to practice their designs and perfect the art of coffee-making. 

Overall, the course was an enjoyable and educational experience, giving TY students the opportunity to learn practical skills, try something new and potentially consider barista work as a future career.