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SCAE Certified Master Barista

How to become a SCAE Certified Master Barista

The SCAE Master Barista title is achieved through merit, or more precisely through what you have done and achieved in your years as barista. It is a very demanding programme, as is any other master programme.

Here is a brief version of procedure involved:

  1. You sign up for the Master Barista programme, either personally or by mail
  2. You will then receive a form on which you are asked to document previous experience and achievements
  3. You will be asked to present two papers: one will be set, on a given coffee-related subject; the other one will be on a subject of your choice. You can take whatever time you like to choose your subject
  4. You can use a mentor or supporter in the process (and we suggest that you do)
  5. At least nine (9) months later, you will meet with a three-person Master Barista panel for 30 minutes. You will tell the panel when you are ready to present, and we will provide a time, a place and a panel for your presentation. This will be done on demnad, or at SCAE events, like in Copenhagen in June 2008. (The panel will need to receive you papers two weeks in advance, and will ask you questions related to your papers).
  6. After the panel has decided that you meet the targets set, and that the two papers are approved, you will receive your SCAE Master Barista diploma, and your name will be entered on the list of SCAE Certified Master Baristas. If you don't succeed on the first attempt, you will be asked to come back with improvements at a later stage.
  7. The cost for the process is €150 for members. €300 for non-members; this fee is payable one month prior to your Master presentation.

Your mentor or supporter

During your master Barista preparations, you may seek guidance wherever you want, but we would like you to select a mentor for the process. This should be a person you can relate to, and who can guide you through the process, making sure you are on the right track. You will have to provide us with the name of your selected mentor.

The three-person Master Barista panel

The members of panel will change from timt to time, depending the place, the language and the chosen subjects for the papers. However, the panel members be experts in their fields.

Language to be used

  • A list of the most important coffee literature you have studied (at least six examples)
  • A breakdown of your participation and achievements in public speciality coffee life, including:

  1. Serving on national and international boards and committees (at least one)
  2. Speaking, training or co-organising at national or international conferences, seminars or workshops (at least three, with a brief statement of the content)
  3. Participation in any two of the four SCAE competitions at a national level (state with competitions, date and ranking)
  4. Judging or helping with organising SCAE competitions, national or international (at least two)
  5. A list of training practice sessions for other baristas
  6. Copies of articles, reports, blogs, brochures, instructions or similar that you have written (at least three)
  7. A list of travel to other countries for coffee experience (state briefly where you have been and what you have learned)

This may seem a long list, but, after all, you are being asked to prove that you deserve the SCAE Master Barista title. If you have not covered all the demands on the list, you have have a minimum of nine months to meet them.

The papers you must submit:

Paper 1

A 30- to 40-page paper describing or discussing any barista subject relevant to the job, and of genereal interest to the speciality coffee communitiy. The candidate selects his or her own topic for approval at least four weeks after the decision to enter the programme. (Up to 25% of the pages can be made up of photos, illustrations and graphs.) The content can be anything related to barista practices: coffee, roasting, grinding, coffee machines, milk, water, education, health, ergonomics, recruiting and training, marketing, competitions, or anything else of relevance. You may use any sources, as long as you attribute them.

Paper 2

A 20- to 25-page paper strictly limited to given coffee subjects, including green coffee, roasted coffee and brewed coffee. A number of subjects will be given and candidates will have to choose from the list. When a subject is chosen, it will be removed from the list and new one will be added.

Your papers may be written in your local language, but an English translation is required as well. Your papers will be made public on the SCAE website, but only SCAE members will be able to read it.