Chairman Robert Forsyth, an international coffee judge, said Australia had evolved in 15 years into one of the most sophisticated coffee-drinking societies in theworld and licencing baristas was the logical next step.

“I certainly think there are too many people behind espresso machines with far too much arrogance,” he said. “To make one good coffee is not hard, but for a cafe owner to work with a professional barista and build the cafe’s business, this is rare and takes years. Licencing could give cafe owners the confidence to determine whether the person walking into their cafe is any good.”

COFFEE aficionados know that it is not just the blend but the barista driving that hissing, grinding machine which guarantees a decent cup.

Now the industry, alarmed by the rising number of people who purport to know how to make a half drinkable latte, wants to licence baristas so that the serious business of feeding the nation’s caffeine habit comes with a guarantee of quality.

The AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association says those who qualify for the barista licence will require plenty of specific knowledge, including how to treat customers, something lost on many of the nation’s coffee makers.

The association’s conference next month, “Beans and Machines: Real Coffee in an International Context”, will launch a national licencing program set to change the dynamics of Australia’s burgeoning coffee scene.

Chairman Robert Forsyth, an international coffee judge, said Australia had evolved in 15 years into one of the most sophisticated coffee-drinking societies in theworld and licencing baristas was the logical next step.

He said the crackdown on drink driving, the introduction of poker machines in hotels, thereby turning them into unappealing gambling dens, and the relaxation of council rules allowing tables and chairs outside cafes, were driving the boom in coffee shop numbers.

“Yes, Australia has reached a mature market in terms of espresso- based coffee drinking, but we have to take one step further and make it more consistent,” Mr Forsyth said. “That comes through training. The licence will be based on the judgment of internationally recognised experts.

“The customer will be certain that the person behind the machine knows exactly what they are doing; the cafe owner will know they are hiring someone whose work is consistent with world standards.”

Scott Callaghan, 25, an employee at Morgan’s Handcrafted Coffee who last month won the World Latte Art Championship in Switzerland, said licencing could add credibility to the industry.

“I certainly think there are too many people behind espresso machines with far too much arrogance,” he said. “To make one good coffee is not hard, but for a cafe owner to work with a professional barista and build the cafe’s business, this is rare and takes years. Licencing could give cafe owners the confidence to determine whether the person walking into their cafe is any good.”

Also published on news.com.au