Lavazza opens first Belgian Training and Experience Center in Antwerp

ANTWERP, Belgium – Wednesday, the 25th September, marked marked the festive opening of the first Lavazza Training & Experience Center in Belgium, a significant milestone in the expansion of Lavazza’s global network. The new center, located in Antwerp, underscores the commitment to promoting and sharing the culture of premium Italian coffee with Belgian coffee enthusiasts.

First Belgian Lavazza Training Center

With over 55 training Centers worldwide, Lavazza offers the largest international training network in the industry. The Antwerp location becomes the fourth center in the Benelux and the first one in Belgium, marking an important milestone in the strategic development of Lavazza. The aim is to educate both industry professionals and coffee lovers, enriching Belgium’s coffee culture.

Siebren Nicolai, Marketing Manager Benelux Lavazza said:

We are proud to open the first Lavazza Training Center in Belgium, a nation known for its deep appreciation of coffee. Belgium ranks among the top 10 countries for coffee consumption per capita, and we have seen a growing focus on quality. Lavazza’s expertise, combined with its dedication to innovation and excellence, will undoubtedly contribute to elevating coffee culture in the region.

Strategic partnership with Bluespresso

The achievement is made possible thanks to vital collaboration with Bluespresso, Lavazza’s official foodservice distributor in The Netherlands since 2010 and Belgium since 2019. Bluespresso has been instrumental not only in distributing Lavazza products across the Belgian horeca market but also in facilitating this new chapter by establishing a direct link between the brand and the local coffee community.

Maayk de Poorter, CEO Bluespresso, stated:

Our high-quality coffee can only come into its own if, in addition to the right Lavazza products, we advise the best equipment and ensure that the employees of our horeca relations are also able to prepare the perfect coffee. We offer unlimited and free training during the collaboration to ensure that the employees have the right knowledge and skills to provide their customers with the best Italian coffee experience.

Also, the Training Center is used to organize tasting sessions to support customers choosing the right coffee for their location. This also ensures that we create ambassadors who know everything about Lavazza, Italian coffee culture and coffee preparation methods. All with the aim of serving the perfect Italian coffee to the guests.

The Training Center – set up in Turin in 1989 and now operating in over 55 locations around the world – approaches coffee as a cultural element and the subject of ongoing study. Its two main pillars are the “Coffee School”, which provides professional training on coffee and coffee making systems, and “Coffee Design”, which focuses on researching and developing recipes and tools to offer a unique coffee experience.

In the new Training Center, Lavazza will offer a wide variety of courses specifically designed for the Belgian Horeca sector. SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) certified baristas will lead the training sessions, equipping participants with expertise in coffee cultivation, brewing techniques, latte art, and Lavazza’s renowned “Coffee Design” concept.

Lavazza’s “Coffee Design”, created in collaboration with food philospoher Ferran Adrià in the early 2000s, is an approach that combines a thorough understanding of coffee with disciplines like biology, chemistry, aesthetics, haute cuisine, and the history of culinary traditions, resulting in recipes such as coffee caviar and tiramisu sponge cake.

Marcello Arcangeli, Lavazza Training Center Global Director, said:

“We strongly believe that professional training is the key to delivering the best possible coffee experience to consumers. For over 30 years, the Lavazza Training Center has been a leader in this field, and we are excited to open our first Belgian location here in Antwerp. This brings the Training Center Network to a total of 56 locations. We look forward to welcoming professionals from the hospitality industry and coffee enthusiasts to share the art of coffee making.”