26 March 2021
Fife College Culinary Arts students have been given a barista masterclass as part of the College’s ‘Virtual Food Festival’.
The masterclass was delivered by an expert team from Aramark, one of the UK’s leading contract catering providers who provide catering, cafe hospitality, and vending services across multiple campuses to support the student and staff experience at the College.
Students from a number of Culinary Arts courses took part in an online demonstration by Aramark, who run Costa franchise stores, including on some of the College’s campuses.
The session, which took place online for Covid-19 safety reasons, was introduced by Aramark’s Fraser Adam who gave an overview of the Costa story and discussed some of the ways the organisation has dealt with the impact of Covid restrictions over the last year.
Rodolfo Sanchez, Barista Manager at Aramark, then demonstrated ‘what makes a perfect coffee’, highlighting the importance of the brand and ensuring the product is always made to the highest standard.
The demonstration is part of a long-standing programme of partnership in curriculum delivery between Aramark and Fife College and is the latest in a number of events being organised for Culinary Arts students as part of a Virtual Food Festival.
Food and drink experts have been carrying out virtual demonstrations, workshops and industry talks with guests including Geoffrey Smeddle from The Peat Inn in St Andrews, Stuart Ralston from the Aizle Restaurant in Edinburgh, and Shona Sutherland from Taystful in Blairgowrie.
With in-class teaching suspended due to the current Coronavirus restrictions, the College wanted to ensure students didn’t miss out on their learning experience.
Fraser Adam, Group Manager at Aramark, said:
“We were delighted to share the art and science of what makes a perfect coffee in our Costa Franchise Store. It’s always a pleasure to work with the hospitality students at Fife College, who bring an incredible enthusiasm and passion to the session – one we look forward to seeing in the industry as they graduate and join the ranks! It was also great that the group were interested and conscious on how as a company we have faced and overcome Covid restrictions.”
Barry Scott, Academic and Quality Lead at Fife College for Culinary Arts & Hospitality, said:
“We are really thankful to Fraser, Rodolfo and all of our other food and drink experts who have taken time to work with our students recently.
“With traditional teaching suspended we were keen to ensure that our students still enjoy the best possible learning experience. The masterclasses have been a great way to do that, and I want to say a big thank you to all of our partners who made them possible.”
For more information about courses available at Fife College, including culinary arts, visit our course pages.
Photograph: Rodolfo Sanchez, Barista Manager at Aramark, demonstrates how to make the perfect coffee during an online barista masterclass for Fife College students.
