We interviewed a number of our previous students to feature their endeavours in the coffee industry and how the training at Melbourne Coffee Academy has influenced their barista journey. We couldn’t be prouder of what everyone has achieved so far and continue to look forward to seeing how our training has helped people achieve their goals in the coffee industry!

We have updated this list to include some more recent students.

AMELIA

We had the pleasure of Amelia joining us at MCA at the end of 2024 and we immediately knew she would be an incredible asset to any cafe — it’s exciting to see her now working at one of the busiest and best coffee shops in Melbourne.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
I decided to take the full barista apprenticeship course that spanned over 4 days of training, which included a simulated cafe service period.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
I had previous experience in a cafe, but wanted a refresher as it had been a while I was out of the industry. I was also curious about the Melbourne specialty scene and so the training was very useful in showing me standard practices of brewing within the coffee capital. The trainers are highly experienced and great at explaining everything you could ever need to know. I was sure to ask lots of questions and came out feeling very sharp and confident to enter the job market.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
I’ve fallen in deeper than I knew possible for myself… currently working at Dukes Coffee, one of the best specialty cafes in the city. I regularly catch myself using phrases like “silky mouthfeel”, or “anaerobic washed”, and smiling after poking my nose into cups on a daily basis. It’s brilliant.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
I aim to absorb everything possible from the Melbourne coffee scene while I’m here. Coffee will forever be a very important ritual in quality and sensuality for me. Though eventually my career will take a new direction as I go on to take studies in design next year.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲?

I couldn’t narrow it down to just one as there’s such an abundance of really great places, and a seemingly infinite amount of discovery for me still going on. If pressed to choose, at the moment my favourite spots are Dukes (of course), Path, Thieves and Maker.

MARTIN

Meet Martin — he came to us for training back in Jan 2024 and followed that up with a clear and actionable plan towards opening his own business and cafe. What a legend! Seriously one of the nicest guys around and someone who lives and breathes hospitality and good times.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
The Basic Espresso with Charles and the Barista Apprenticeship and Advanced Espresso Courses with Justin

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
The Barista Apprenticeship gave me the perfect mix of knowledge and real-world experience, providing the confidence I needed to open my own cafe. The learning environment was incredibly open and supportive, and the mentorship from Justin and Charles has continued long after the course finished.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Seven months in, my businesses— Kai Urban Retreat and Coffee by Kai —are going well! Running a small business has its challenges, but I get to spend every day doing what I love: making coffee and connecting with customers.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
Personal: To keep learning and growing as a barista and manager.
Business: To build on our early success, focus on sustainable growth, and find new ways to evolve our brand.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲?
Levi Melbourne in Murrumbeena. Great food, great coffee, and it’s dog-friendly! My family and I love it there.

KEVIN

Kevin did our Basic Barista Package, which is a combination of our 3 most popular short courses. Already a massive coffee fan and avid home brewer, Kevin came in to refine his skills and translate them to a commercial cafe environment. So happy to see him working at such a great new cafe!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
I did the basic and advanced espresso course, and the latte art course.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
I started my first barista job at the small corner cafe in Sandringham.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
The training for the basic and advanced espresso course helps me develop a better understanding of coffee extraction, tasting and dialing in. The latte art course gave me a foundation of milk texturing with a commercial machine, milk splitting and pouring. I gained hands-on experience of operating a commercial la marzocco machine, grinder and the EK grinder that familiarised me with the workflow of coffee making, what are the good and bad habits.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Now I am working in Sana Coffee Co in Cheltenham.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
I am planning to continue pursuing my dream to be an Architect while working as a barista.
I hope to continue mastering my pour over skills, so that I can express and represent the coffee I brew.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
As a home barista, the best place to drink a coffee on my day off is my home!
I would visit Code Black Coffee for the wide range and great consistency of great coffee they have to offer. In terms of filter coffee, the Flour Melbourne offers rare microlots and great delicate representation of that coffee.

DELANDT

For our next student feature, we are featuring Delandt who did our Basic Barista Package late last year — his passion and enthusiasm is infectious and we can’t wait to see his business take off in the future!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔? 

I completed the Basic Espresso, Advanced Espresso, and Latte Art courses.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽? 

The training at MCA was honestly a game changer. The knowledge, passion and real-world insight shared by the trainers was incredible. They equipped us with not just the basics, but the finer details and industry skills that you don’t always find elsewhere. Their support gave me the confidence to perfect my craft and helped me turn my passion into a successful business—Mobile Coffee Enthusiast—I’m so grateful for everything I learned there.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄? 

Things have been going really well! We’ve grown The Coffee Enthusiast into a fully mobile coffee cart that now services events all across Melbourne—and even in regional parts of Victoria. From weddings and school events to corporate gigs and sporting carnivals, we’re booked most weekends and often during the week too.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲? 

We’re looking to expand even further. There’s been so much interest in our unique coffee cart setup—unlike traditional vans or trailers, our cart can access indoor venues and tighter spaces, which people love. Because of that, we’re currently planning to launch a second cart so we can double our capacity and reach even more communities and events. Down the line, we also hope to train more baristas and eventually open a small espresso bar or café when the timing feels right.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲?

I’ve got to name three! First up—my amazing coffee suppliers Roasting Warehouse — The entire team there has been beyond supportive. They’ve answered every question I’ve thrown their way and continue to inspire me with their work ethic, passion, and incredible quality. Their coffee and food are next-level. Second is Warrandyte Bridge Cafe where I currently work as a senior barista. It was my first café job, and I’ve learned so many hands-on skills there that you can only gain from working in a busy café. The owners are an absolute pleasure to work with—and their food? Unreal. And of course, my third favourite spot is our very own cart!

KINGSLEY

Meet Kingsley! He came to us all the way back in 2022 and is now making waves in the specialty coffee industry.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
Barista Apprenticeship Course

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
I worked in a cafe in South Yarra called Boy. I worked there for over a year but unfortunately the owners have sold the cafe.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
I learned how to make a great coffee in a real cafe environment and gained an understanding of the standards for specialty coffee in Melbourne. MCA has a great setup and mindset in training that is quite relevant to Melbourne’s specialty coffee scene. A lot of cafes will do a trial which involves just making one or two coffees to see what kind of habits you have and if you can make a good coffee. And since the setup at MCA is quite common in Melbourne, the training helped a lot during trials. I was taught what the common good habits to have and bad habits to avoid were while making coffee, which I think has stuck with me since the training.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Currently working at two different places - Humble Rays and Tone Coffee! Also previously at Axil Coffee Roasters.

MOE

Next up we have Moe. She came to us from Japan and took the Barista Masterclass as a way of starting her coffee journey in Melbourne. She recently went back home but has returned to Melbourne for a short stint.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
Barista at Warkop in Richmond.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
It prepared me mentally and physically to be a barista. Training with other students on the machine was good practice to learn how to work as a team. It taught me how to look ahead, to know what others are doing and also to read orders ahead so you know how to work efficiently. Even if you personally think you know only the bare minimum compared to people who have worked in the coffee industry for years, it still helped me have the confidence to start working at a cafe as a barista in “MELBOURNE”.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
Drink, love and enjoy coffee for life.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
At home on a rainy day, at a cafe on a sunny day.

HARRY

We’re heading overseas for our next student feature. Meet Harry - word of mouth is he is a jazz guitar genius who moved from Melbourne to Amsterdam to continue his music studies. He’s always made coffee at home but wanted to also work as a barista while he was there, so did a short course with us to get him ready for cafe life.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
Advanced Espresso

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
First job (and current job!) is at Espresso Fabriek - a cafe founded and based in Amsterdam. I moved from Melbourne to Amsterdam mid last year, had a trial shift during my first here, and began working shortly after. It’s a mixture of FOH and switching between milk and espresso stations. This keeps it varied and interesting for me as the shifts are nine hours long!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
I’m balancing my masters study, creative career, and some other part time work so I’m just doing weekends at the cafe at the moment. I’d definitely like to get better at working with different milks and pouring latte art. I enjoy working with my hands and doing something that’s different to music which occupies so much of my other time.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
I generally just drink shitty filter coffees at home to get me through the day. That said, if I feel like splurging on a €5 flat white then Back To Black Coffee in Amsterdam West gets the crucial balance of excellent coffee, cosy interior and genuinely friendly staff right.

JIN

Say hello to Jin - She joined us back in 2022 and has been steadily improving her coffee skills since then.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
I first took the Barista Masterclass course as a newbie in November 2022, then came back to do a refresher course for cafe Baristas followed by the Latte Art and Filter Coffee courses.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
Most importantly, having passionate and encouraging trainers allowed me to stay positive and have the courage to keep on trying. The comfortable size of max. 4 people per course really helped to create a safe and welcoming space for me to ask questions and receive the focused learning I needed. I especially loved that the Barista Masterclass offered the opportunity to serve coffee to tenants of Waterman Caribbean Park, allowing me to get a taste of what working in a fast-paced, high-pressure cafe environment is like. Even after completing the courses, it has been a huge support being able to stay connected with the MCA community on Facebook and share coffee-related information and experiences with one another. It was also memorable when Charles and Justin swung by to where I work to show their support and see my progress!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
The Butlers Pantry in Rowville.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Micah Coffee Brewers in Ferntree Gully with the most amazing team and loveliest community of customers!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
It has been a real blessing being able to work in a specialty coffee environment from a boss who is so knowledgeable and yet so humble and giving. I hope to continue picking at his brain, so I can keep on learning and growing, and maybe.. one day.. reach his level of producing beautiful, quality coffee.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
On my days off, I like to make myself a pourover at home or take the opportunity to explore other specialty coffee spots around Melbourne.

TAKUYA

Our next student feature is Takuya - he joined us for his first course less than a year ago and has worked harder than anyone to get to where he is today. He truly immersed himself in the Melbourne specialty coffee industry through events, cuppings, coffee competitions and most importantly, through connections with so many people... We are sad to hear he is going back to Japan soon but we are confident he will be doing amazing things over there!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
The Barista Apprenticeship Program, followed by the Latte Art, Advanced Espresso and Filter Coffee Courses.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
Barista Position at Le Petite Chateau.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
I had literally no experience working as a barista and never used an espresso machine before taking it. However, the Barista Apprenticeship course provided me with all I needed to know to work in a real cafe situation such as how to take orders, extract espresso, steam and pour milk, and serve a cup of coffee to the customers at quite a fast pace. It was really good to know how to get a barista job in Melbourne because it is following what Melbourne coffee shops do.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
279 & Roasting Warehouse in North Melbourne

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
My goals for now are trying to get Q Graders Certification within a year and join a company of green beans importers. I want to stick with the coffee industry and it would be nice if I could connect people through coffee.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
Maker Coffee CBD, The Flour in West Melbourne and Crimson Coffee in Camberwell … and of course 279 and Roasting Warehouse!!

NIC

Nic did the Barista Masterclass with us at the start of the year. Already a hospo professional, he wanted to level up his coffee skills and dive deep into the world of specialty coffee. What a legend!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
Barista Masterclass

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
I already had a job at Novotel South Wharf but got a second barista job at Fox in the Chamber because of the course I did with MCA.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
Improvement in work flow, better understanding of milk steaming and grind size vs machine pressure for shots.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Novotel South Wharf and Fox in the Chamber cafe.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
Doing more in specialty coffee and potential work with connecting coffee farmers to cafe owners.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
Because I live a fair way out of town, Fox in the Chamber. But, if I’m in the CBD, Dukes Coffee or Code Black Coffee.

JUNICHIRO

Say hi to Junichiro - We had the pleasure of having him in for a course back in April 2023. We’re so happy he has been able to apply his skills and flourish in the coffee industry all the way up in Port Douglas!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
Barista Apprenticeship

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
It was a drive thru coffee shop. I didn’t have to worry about latte art.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
I was able to work confidently and cope with pressure at my first work place. Also I didn’t get panicked at all even though there were a lot of dockets. To be honest, not so many cafes are as busy as MCA’s cafe setting. I have got everything that I needed to start working in cafes through the course!

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Origin Espresso in Port Douglas.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
I want to join competitions. Opening my own coffee place is a dream too.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
I used to go Ona Coffee or Wood and Co when I was in Melbourne. In Port Douglas, I go to Origin Espresso.

MATT & SAM

We’re heading interstate and overseas for our next round of student features! Let us introduce you to Matt and Sam from Kossies Cafe. They have been on quite the journey over the last year. They had the crazy idea to pack up their bags, leave Melbourne behind and open a cafe somewhere in Europe - when we met them, they were still deciding… but after some research they settled in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
Barista Masterclass in early 2023

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
Hard to overstate! I learnt so much about coffee - where it comes from, how to identify and describe flavour notes and characteristics, how to make it, and of course, latte art!

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Amazing. Sam and I have opened a cafe in Lisbon, called Kossie’s, that is going gangbusters! We owe a lot of our success to the team at Melbourne Coffee Academy.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
To further establish ourselves as a cosy, neighbourhood cafe that provides a warm experience for our customers

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲?
Patricia Coffee Brewers in Melbourne and of course, Kossies Cafe in Lisbon!

CLAUDIA

We are heading to Malaysia for our next student feature! Claudia did extensive training with us in 2023 and we knew right away she was going to be an amazing barista.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
The Barista Masterclass.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻?
Currently Head Barista at Dash Coffee in Sarawak, Malaysia.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
I already had prior experience with brewing coffee in a home setting, but MCA’s course had helped so much with teaching me how to maximise workflow efficiency in a professional setting and helped me set good practices in my coffee making from the get go. It was a great introduction to working as a barista in a cafe setting to someone like me who did not have prior experience in a professional setting and I’m so grateful I got to train with the guys at MCA.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
I’d love to participate in brewing competitions in the future, go into coffee roasting and continue connecting with people in this wonderful industry.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳?
Usually pull out my favourite beans from my frozen stash to brew at home or if I was in Melbourne, definitely Manta Ray Coffee, Small Batch Coffee or Ona Melbourne.

MURTAZA

Finally we have Murtaza - he joined us for a Masterclass back in December 2021. He has been one heck of a coffee journey over the last few years and has joined the MCA team, now working at our Eastland location in Ringwood!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗖𝗔?
The course I took was the Barista Masterclass, a 4 day intensive course with 2 days of real world cafe experience making coffees for people.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽?
My first job following the course was quite an interesting one. I was hired by Industry Beans as an in-house Barista for their partnership with the co-working space Wework. I was mostly stationed in Barangaroo, Sydney. There, I was responsible for everything as the in-house Barista, from taking orders, running shots, steaming milk, pouring coffees and calling out the coffees as well. It was quite an intense role as I was making around 120 coffees in about 4 hours. The Barista Masterclass really gave me the knowledge, skills and confidence to work in a role like this. I was also assisted by Charles to re-program the coffee machine when I was having some issues. Not only did the training help immensely, but I was continuously supported even after finishing the course and being in a different city!

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Since then, I have worked at various cafes. Currently, I work at Padre Coffee at their South Melbourne Market store and the Melbourne Coffee Academy coffee bar in Ringwood.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
As someone who has a unique position in the coffee industry as a green coffee importer SBC Coffee Traders and a Barista, I want to play a role in making Yemeni coffee as a mainstream origin in Australia. I plan to do this by partnering and doing business with roasters, as well as setting up a coffee shop or trailer where I use Yemeni coffee beans in the beverage I sell.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲?
This is a hard one, especially because I haven’t had a chance to visit many cafes since I moved to Melbourne. However, Core Roasters in Brunswick is a place where I know I will be greeted with a warm smile and a tasty brew every single time.