As the newest bean team member, we all felt it was important that I got to know the product inside and out, so Paddy and Scott signed me up for their unique barista training held at The Bean Barn.

Ben, our Head Barista, was on hand to answer all of my questions and most importantly, to teach me how to make a perfect cup off Paddy & Scott’s coffee.

The course was also open to others learning how to implement Paddy & Scott’s products in their own establishments. It is really important that when you have a quality product the quality also remains in the process of making the coffee.

 

 

I was joined on this particular day by Hilary, Mike and two lovely ladies both named Angela, who came all the way from up North, all were all very keen coffee enthusiasts!

The course started with a brief background on the company, brand and then lead on to how coffee beans are produced, what varieties there are and where coffee comes from.

 

 

I learnt that coffee beans come from two basic versions of coffee plants: either the Robusta or Arabica versions. It was also interesting to discover that coffee actually comes from a plant.

Many people picture coffee as brown, dry beans that grow from the ground and I have to admit that was my own perception until Ben informed us that coffee is a “cherry” that grows from plants that range anywhere from 5-7 feet tall. The coffee bean is actually within the fruit of the plant, much like a pip or a seed.

After learning more about the history of coffee, next came the taste test. Did you know it takes 25 seconds to make a perfect shot of coffee? Anything under 20 or over 30 seconds can spoil the flavour.

Ben gave us 4 sample of coffee poured at different times, as we tasted it really did effect the strength, bitterness and quality of the shot.

The came the fun part, time to try our own shots. First you grind the beans and add this to the basket area of the warmed up coffee handle. After levelling it off, you then compress the coffee with a hand tamper (this is called tamping). If you get the amount of coffee and compression strength wrong this will effect the time the shot pours for.

On my first attempt I hit a disappointing 16 seconds (proof that it is harder than it looks!) however, with some adjustments I reached 22 seconds on my next attempt.

 

Next after perfecting the shot came the milk steaming. You have two different types of texture to add to milk, one for lattes etc. and one for the cappuccinos. The texture is added first and then the heat. The heat must reach approximately 70 oF.

After many attempts and mastering both techniques it is a case of blending them together and suddenly you have yourself one amazing cup of coffee.