Kenyan coffee is world-renowned for its quality, and baristas are taking pride in showcasing this quality through their craft.
One such barista is Esther Otieno, CEO and founder of Barista Pro Kenya, a school that teaches people how to brew coffee to get the skills to work in coffee shops like Java House and Artcaffe.
This is her journey as told by WoK:
Ester began working in the coffee industry 19 years ago. She became a master coffee brewer from working at Dorman’s coffee company, which pioneered the first barista school in Africa.
Her prowess led to her being among the first Kenyans to be certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE).
Feeling the need to do something new, she quit her job to start her own barista school.
“I rested for three months after quitting my job, then a friend advised me to start my own barista school since I was a very good coffee teacher,” says Esther.
Starting small
The barista business is capital-intensive. For instance, an entry-level espresso machine can cost as much as half a million.
Therefore, Ester started out as a freelancer because she did not have enough capital. Initially, she offered international certification courses as she was a certified SCAE trainer herself.
Her former boss, who ran a coffee shop, graciously loaned her a space to conduct her lessons. Her first class had 2 students, the second class had one student, and she grew slowly but surely.
In 2019, business was so good that she moved to her own space in a commercial area.
Things went sour in 2020 when the Covid pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy and Ester, like many other businesses, closed her shop.
She started doing educational coffee videos on social media just to keep relevant.
Business picked again in 2022 and her classes resumed. However, she had to start again from square one. The class enrolled one student, then two, until there was a steady trickle of them.
Course Outline
The barista course is divided into different modules, the first one being Introduction to coffee.
“Students need to have basic knowledge of coffee before moving into practicals and making it. We even teach how to taste coffee and distinguish coffee tastes from different countries,” says Ester.
Learners are then trained in the basics of coffee brewing, including how to grind the beans, extract the espresso, and steam the milk.
They also learn how to create latte art, which is the art of pouring milk into espresso to create beautiful patterns.
The basic patterns are the heart, rosette, and tulip. Once a learner masters the three, they can be creative with their milk and coffee to create other patterns.
The most used ingredients in her school are milk and coffee. To lower costs, they source the milk directly from suppliers and use lower-grade coffee in training as plenty of it gets wasted during practicals.
The course can last between 2 weeks and one month depending on whether the learner is a fast or slow learner.
The Importance of Professionalism
According to Esther Otieno, Barista teaching is a fairly new concept in Kenya and most people are just doing it for commercial purposes.
However, she says that professionalism is key because students can tell the difference between an experienced barista teacher and someone who is just doing it for the money.
“Quality training will also set you apart from competitors,” she says.
She advises young people to try out various ventures as they have the advantage of time on their side.
“After finding out what you want, don’t go into it right away. Find a job so you can learn the ropes of that profession,” she says.
Barista Pro is located in Mirage, Westlands. However, Ester looks to expand to Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, and Nakuru in the coming years.
