Ciro is all about coffee, but, at the Ciro Coffee Academy (CCA); coffee education is what matters most. After all, not even the finest coffee tastes good if not correctly made. this reality, together with a passion for training and skills upliftment in South Africa, drove Ciro to launch the first CCA in Johannesburg over six years ago.
The original academies to open their doors to future all-star barista casts were Ciro Beverage Solutions at the University of Johannesburg’s Design Café and the former Paulshof Ciro Head Office. These two academies were soon followed by training centres in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, East London, George, Nelspruit and Port Elizabeth. Today, not only is the CCA considered the leading coffee training academy open to the public, it is also the academy with the most extensive national footprint.
The CCA courses vary in content and complexity, from introductory courses for the casual coffee-lover who wants to know more about his or her favourite beverage, to more intense courses for coffee connoisseurs seeking full-time careers as professional baristas. There are also courses suitable for the independent restaurateur looking to upgrade staff from average coffee-makers to superior baristas. The internationally recognised Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) Coffee Diploma System, recently introduced at all nine CCAs, further entrenches the academy and its Authorised SCA Trainers as the leaders in coffee training.
Training at the CCA is open to all coffee-brand users, companies and individuals. The end-goal is to raise the standard of all coffee training and service across the industry.
To date, over 6 000 baristas have qualified at the CCA, some of whom have gone on to win barista awards both locally and internationally. CCA alumni also include previously disadvantaged and deaf individuals who have received skills training through the Ciro Barista Upliftment Programme (BUP).
For more information, please contact the Ciro Coffee Academy on 011 287 6700 or visit www.ciro.co.za/training.
