FLORENCE, Italy – The Coffee Knowledge Hub partners with leading educators and schools around the globe including Scuola Del Caffè, which is operated by the famed Ditta Artiginale team, located in beautiful Florence.
The school is housed in a 13th century monastery and blends modern design, equipment and exceptional training with history. Here is a presentation of the school provided by the Coffee Knowledge Hub.
Why was the Scuola del Caffè started?
Scuola del Caffè started as a new spotlight in the company’s goal to spread culture and awareness in coffee consumption. Ditta Artigianale has spent several years trying to promote a new idea of coffee, which is partly detached from the Italian tradition.
We also understood that a real change, a real break up, could not come only from changing customer but walking in 3 different directions: professionals, coffee lovers and new generations.
Why is education important and how does Ditta Artigianale benefit?
Training is extremely important. Especially in a reality like the Italian one where the world of coffee is so much loved but equally unknown. Speaking of the world of professionals, much of the Italian reality is characterized by improvisation and knowledge based on empirical experience and word of mouth.
All this is also made possible by the lack of an aware clientele, therefore capable of recognizing quality and demanding it when entering a cafeteria. There are still too many false myths, legends and false beliefs.
Ditta Artigianale can benefit from the action of the School. But more than anything else we see this interaction as a kind of synergy, which benefits both realities. The activity of the Scuola del Caffè is certainly based a lot on internal training for the staff brought to an even higher and more specialized level than in the past.
What courses are you running?
Our training offer runs on different tracks. For the moment, the courses that bring the most enthusiasm are those with the hotel school, because seeing the curiosity and enthusiasm of very young students is an incredible charge. We also cater to professionals, starting courses on espresso extraction, latte art, brewing, equipment maintenance and professional tasting.
We also cater to an audience of coffee lovers or onlookers, with meetings aimed at the domestic preparation of coffee, tasting, conscious consumption and in-depth study.
Who are the courses designed for?
According to our philosophy, a School is by definition oriented towards everyone. And it is precisely for this reason that we did not want to focus our action only on a highly professional audience. Anyone, entering this Ditta Artigianale location, you can see the School from the Cafeteria and therefore can aspire to attend a course or an experience inside it.
What feedback are you getting on courses?
The first feedbacks are very positive. The enthusiasm that our students put in during the training also helps us a lot. The framework in which those who participate in the courses act is based on a reality full of empirical experiences and false beliefs. Going therefore to re-evaluate all their knowledge is something that charges them with enthusiasm and the will to go even deeper into the subject.
How would you like to develop Scuola del Caffè?
We hope that the development of the school will be continuous and increasingly radical. The main development that we hope is the one that goes in the direction of a more in-depth scientific approach to the subject.
Should we imagine Scuola del Caffè in the near future, we would like to see it as an accredited center in the eyes of the industry, a place capable of acting as a beacon in research, in-depth analysis and consultancy for sector operators.
