Artisan, a group of south west London based coffee shops, has developed its own training programme for baristas, run by a former sommelier trainer.

The aim of the Senior Barista Training Programme is to use flavour as the driving force from which the barista must base their decisions and avoid being process driven.

The training is led by head of coffee Alessandro Bonuzzi who previously trained sommeliers.

“There are distinct similarities between coffee and wine and the discovery of flavours through a similar agricultural process, however baristas are not equally credited or respected for their skill and knowledge in understanding the products’ origin and how best to extract its flavours,” says Bonuzzi.

The programme aims to provide information on the beans’ origin, flavours and training notes in a manner that can be easily communicated to customers.

In addition to six months training as a barista, continuous sessions take place with the head of coffee, before students undertake an exam-like presentation to showcase their knowledge to the senior team. Once training is completed, baristas are promoted to a higher role with increased responsibility and salary as well as personal rewards.

A weekly “Barista Knowledge” check will take place to provide on-going training and support to the team.

Since opening its first location in Putney in 2011 the company has opened another shop in Stamford Brook in January 2013 with plans to open a third in early 2014.