GOOD, BETTER, BARISTA
You’ll never drink instant again after one of these courses, writes Shelley Seid
Durban’s Colombo Coffee and Tea, which has been roasting and supplying specialty coffee since 1923, went through something of a renaissance around seven years ago. The premises in Magwaza Maphalala Street now offers the vibrant Colombo Café, a team of young, dynamic staff, a supply of ethically sourced single-origin beans, and arguably the best barista training centre in the country. Here you can sign up for a beginners’ course, an advanced course, a home barista course (popular as a gift for Father’s Day and birthdays), and coffee appreciation sessions.
The man spilling the beans is Daniel Erasmus, a 21-year-old with an impressive resumé. He’s the national champion of AeroPress brewing and will soon be off to Italy to take part in the World Barista Championship. He is also Colombo’s head trainer, who began his career “putting dishes in the dishwasher and pressing ‘on’”.
According to Erasmus the most popular is the beginner barista course, two consecutive days of intense training for a maximum of four people that comprises theory, practice, and tests at the end. “More and more outlets now understand that South Africa has a growing coffee culture and that there is money to be made from delivering good coffee.”
No surprise then that most of the training is of people employed by restaurants and coffee shops. “If I can inspire people to love coffee, it’s a bonus,” says Erasmus. “But if you don’t understand the theory you won’t get the practical element. Last week I had a lady who spent three hours getting the milk texture wrong. I sat her down and explained until it clicked. Then she got up and immediately prepared the milk perfectly.”
Erasmus says some people have a natural talent but everyone can reach the same level of proficiency with practise and passion. He recommends a good grinder, an AeroPress — which he says is easy, versatile and almost unbreakable — and a good scale. “We weigh our coffee and our water. At the last training I made three cups of coffee, each a single gram up or down. Each tasted completely different.” ......................................................