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Welcome to Galway Barista School

Established in 2017, the Galway Barista School is an Independent School set up to facilitate Coffee Lovers at all levels. We are one of the leading institutes for barista training in Ireland.

We are a member of the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) and run SCA Introduction to Coffee and SCA Barista Foundation and SCA Barista Intermediate Courses. These courses are internationally recognised and students are awarded points towards the SCA Coffee Skills Diploma program.

We currently run One Day Barista Basics and Barista Workshops, suitable for students looking to get a Job in the industry, for people already working in a Cafe who would like to upgrade their skills or for people who just have a keen interest in coffee and want to learn more & have a fun day immersed in the World of Coffee. We also run Barista Intermediate & Latte Art for those looking to further their barista skills.


Ideally located in the centre of the West of Ireland, we are approximately an hour from Westport, Castlebar, Ballina, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Athlone, Limerick & Ennis.

If you’re a coffee lover then we’re not too far away.

Our courses

Testimonials

I attended a one day barista training workshop here and was blown away, it surpassed all of my expectations. An absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. The course was perfectly thought out and delivered. It was more intensive than I had anticipated, we were given lots of time working the machine and steaming/texturing milk. The small class size allows for the trainer to give lots of attention to each student, really getting the best out of everyone. The course was, in a word, flawless.

Tomas Cullinan

It's rare to come across someone as passionate about sharing his knowledge & love of coffee & the industry as Frano & the team at the Galway Barista School. From the history of the coffee bean, to coarse ~ fine & everything else in between including the encouragement that was given to me & all the people on the course excelled all my expectations. As you would say Frano 'Rome wasn't built in a day' but a dream can definitely gain more substance in one. Thank you for being such a legend & so generous with your time today. This is just the beginning thanks to you! Ais : )

Aisling

My son recently enjoyed a one day Barista course at Galway Barista School and he said it was exactly what he needed to kickstart his interest in coffee. He would highly recommend it to anyone young and old.He is now preparing his CV for TY work experience and intends to look for work mainly in coffee shops and this course will take him anywhere with the excellent training given on the day.
Thanks again It was great!

Marka O Flaherty

I did the beginners course and I absolutely loved it. It completely surpassed all of my expectations. Frano was a brilliant trainer, he’s super passionate and that really shines through in his teaching! I learnt so much in such a short amount of time. I will definitely be doing a second course as soon as I can. Can’t recommend them enough! Thanks guys!

Eva Shaughnessy

From the minute we walked into the Galway Barista School, Franno made us feel at ease with his friendly down to earth approach to teaching us barista basics. While challenging us with various tasks he kept us engaged throughout the day with a hands on, practical approach to learning which I found really beneficial. I would recommend anyone taking their first steps into the coffee industry to give the lads a call at the Galway Barista School, you won't regret it.

Jonathan Plunkett

Had a blast at this course which was brilliant from start to finish. Frano was an excellent teacher and made the experience very easy to understand. His approach to becoming a barista was very hands on which was the best way to be taught this talent. His knowledge, skill and experience in the industry was second to none and I will most definitely be recommending him to my friends in the future.

James Grealish

I would like to recommend this workshop, it's absolutely great, i arrived there without knowledge about coffee, about it history or flavors and now not just know about the culture of coffee even i want to continue learning it and improving my new skill.

Geraldine Carmona‎

Hands on, perfectly paced and very helpful. I had the best time at Galway Barista School and learnt so much ! You will leave feeling confident and full of coffee knowledge. You get to work with the machines, practice as many times as you want until you feel it’s just right and learn so much about the trade. Trust me , if you’re anyways interested.. try this out !

Dylan Breen

Fantastic direction given with true expertise from the field, this course will give you a sense of direction and a foundation in barista work that would otherwise require years of trial and error.

Eoin O'Connor

A Couple Of Quick Coffee Facts

Arabica Beans vs Robusta Beans

The coffee plant has two important species - Arabica and Robusta. Ok, but what's the difference?

Arabica beans tend to have a sweeter, softer taste, with tons of sugar, fruit and berries. Their acidity is higher with that winey taste, which characterises coffee with excellent acidity.

Robusta beans however, have a stronger and harsher taste, with a grain like overtone and pea nutty aftertaste. They contain twice as much caffeine as arabica beans and they are generally considered to be of inferior quality.


What is speciality coffee?

Speciality coffee refers to the whole process from farmer to cup using single origin coffee. It refers to the way the coffee is grown and roasted and how it is extracted at coffee shops. According to the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA), coffee which scores 80 points or above on a 100 point scale, is graded as speciality.

Why is there acidity in coffee?

All of our coffees are roasted to give you something to soak in and think about. While roasting we can't add or take awat from coffee. Roasting has a sole purpose of letting the (high quality) coffee bean shine, portraying it's origin, soil, harvest, fermentation and drying process. Once you taste the espresso, give it time, let it cool down a bit and peel off the taste layers. Most people focus on acidity for the plain reason of expecting an espresso to be hot, burnt, oily or bitter. However, there is a huge difference between acidity and sourness. Acidity is natural to fruit, and coffee is a fruit. When you taste an apple, you have an expectation of it's taste. For example, a green apple will give you a different expectation than a red apple. But both of those have the acidity in their bite. The difference is you are used to it and your palette extracts the sweetness you have expected, disregarding the crisp acidity that gives it structure.

With speciality coffee, people often let acidity take over and build a wall in front of it. But trust us, there is a world of taste behind that wall.

Galway Barista School

Unit 11 MG Business Park,

Tuam, Co. Galway

H54 F308 

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