Almond Breeze is committed to growing Australia’s highly-regarded barista profession with a new brand and invitation to support baristas at every stage of their career.
When Almond Breeze discovered that the barista profession is the 10th fastest growing profession in Australia, according to data from the 2016 Census, it knew it had to develop a platform to support and nurture the approximately 3100 baristas that join the hospitality ranks in Australia each year.
“Almond Breeze is committed to advancing the barista profession and now is the time to really explore what the future holds for Australian baristas,” says Michael McNulty, Almond Breeze Country Manager Australia and New Zealand.
Almond Breeze has developed the BaristasForBaristas brand, built around listening, educating, and providing baristas with essential information that can help build their future. As such, the BaristasForBaristas brand is a new inclusive website platform for baristas in the coffee scene to support each other.
“We’re about building a community from all directions, and supporting baristas in their goals, no matter what they are,” Michael says.
BaristasForBaristas is designed for all baristas – from those just starting out on the scene to veterans who have been pouring coffees for years. Its aim is to provide baristas with the information and support they need to be successful.
This includes business information to guide baristas on how to run a café; trending products and services such as bank providers, insurance, Eftpos machines; a section on featured café owners and baristas to share their stories, ideas and advice; a music section with recommended café playlists that can be downloaded directly from Spotify; an events section listing all the latest competitions, guest speaking events or training opportunities; and information on available barista jobs within the Australian hospitality sector.
“There’s constant movement in the barista community. They have the ability to move around local communities to different states and even overseas, so being able to connect baristas with new opportunities will be part of our support through BaristasForBaristas,” Michael says.
One of the most anticipated sections is the Australian Barista Census (ABC) that will feed into the BaristasForBaristas site and share content and latest findings from research projects.
One such example is an industry survey of 40 baristas to learn more about their profession, passions, and views on the changing state of the coffee industry. The information from this first phase of research will provide quantitative data.
“Baristas are changing the hospitality industry across Australia. They are the ones who are pushing industry standards through the roof, and exploring new trends that are being picked up worldwide. We want to understand why Australia is at the top of its game, and help our industry stay there,” Michael says.
The Almond Breeze team first came up with the idea for an informative barista hub while monitoring Instagram. They saw multiple cafés posting their own adverts for new staff, and questioned if there was a better way to collate job offers and present that to a broader audience. What transpired is the start of the Barista Blend brand.
“Australia’s coffee industry is unique. With over 90 per cent of coffee shops being independent, it really is utopia for the industry,” says Michael. “The barista is a job that people are starting at school, college, or university, and they are the ones who will continue to drive our industry forward. We want to ensure we are supporting them from the start.”
By supporting Almond Breeze’s new BaristasForBaristas brand, the company aims to grow the industry in Australia and set global high standards. The brand has always had barista support front of mind, first creating the Barista Blend by baristas for baristas, followed by having the product styled by baristas too.
“We’re all about building an inclusive community where not matter what stage you’re at in your barista career, you’re supported to harness your hopes and dreams, and have a bit of fun along the way,” Michael says.
For more information, visit www.baristasforbaristas.com