– Welcome to the Scottish Barista Academy –

The Scottish Barista Academy is Scotland’s only Barista Academy, offering barista training and coffee courses set in a beautiful backdrop in central Scotland.

All our barista courses are accredited by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and provided in our training room specifically designed and fully equipped to meet the needs of our coffee training courses.

We are an Authorised Specialty Coffee Association Trainer, and specialise in providing all 6 SCA accredited courses under one roof:

Our courses have a maximum of 4 attendees, and give you hands-on barista training with dedicated support from our fully qualified and experienced SCA and City & Guilds trainer.

Whether you have a love of coffee and would like to learn more, or want to become professionally trained for a career in the coffee industry, or want to expand your business, we have a range barista training with courses for everyone.

An estimated £30 million pounds a year is spent in Scots coffee shops, and a total of 17 million UK adults visit a coffee shop at least once a week. With the growth of the café culture, there has been a 31% increase in the number of coffee shops in the UK since 2011.

Wouldn’t you like to be a qualified professional in one of the fastest growing industries in the world? Well thanks to our barista training you can!

Advance your career in the coffee industry and choose your course from our courses here.

From booking your course, to finding your accommodation, to picking you up from the airport or railway station, we’ll give you a dedicated personal service to ensure you have the best experience possible.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to call us on 07720 509457 or email us at info@scottishbaristaacademy.com

“I had the privilege of being trained by Jim at the Scottish Barista Academy during May’s 2019 Brewing and Grinding (SCA Foundation) and Barista (SCA Foundation) courses. The pursuit of a career as a barista is a new direction for me, and Jim was very generous in offering advice and providing re-assurance.

The two courses exceeded my expectations, and while I learned so much, I came away thirsty to learn more. This is undoubtedly down to the infectious enthusiasm Jim exudes regarding all things coffee.

I cannot praise Jim highly enough, and would advise anybody interested in coffee and/or a career as a Barista, to train with the Scottish Barista Academy.”
Damien J. Williams

“I’d been running Lochboisdale Café for six years and decided it was time to ‘up my game’ and provide a better coffee experience for my customers. I contacted The Scottish Barista Academy and chatted informally with Jim Watson to discuss my current set-up. He asked lots of questions about how I provided coffee and what I wanted to achieve and helped me decide the course best suited to me to take Lochboisdale Café to be THE place to go to for coffee on the Isle of Uist.

The Intermediate Barista course is not for the faint hearted but with Jims’ positive encouraging and humorous approach, he managed to tailor the course for me and for the other students on the course.

We all learned a lot and it opened my eyes to the wonderful world of coffee. I now understand the importance of a good on-demand grinder. I was previously using a domestic grinder wholly unsuited for the purpose.

It didn’t end there. He continued to provide advice and help afterwards – checking on my progress and giving me pointers to continue to improve.

Lunch is provided and I have to say it was one of the best I’ve ever had on a training course.

And the coffee was to die for!

Definitely an eye-opener into the wonderful world of coffee”
Anne MacLennan
Lochboisdale Café, Isle of Uist

“I have completed training in Barista, Brewing, Roasting and Green with Jim at Scottish Barista Academy. It has been invaluable in helping me set up a new coffee roasting company.

Jim has a huge amount of experience and knowledge across all these subjects. The training courses have been fun, informative and inspiring.

Jim’s passion for coffee shines through. Jim has a great training style and makes sure there’s plenty of time for hands-on activity (and coffee drinking!). His support has gone way beyond the curriculum though.

Jim is a mentor, providing advice on all aspects of coffee roasting, from sourcing equipment to business planning. I cannot recommend him enough. I’m nearly ready to launch Argyll Coffee Roasters and that’s thanks to Jim’s training and support.”
Eve MacFarlane
WestCoasting, Argyll and Bute

“Thank you for your terrific support for the Blue Fax Tea Room over the years of its operation. We have greatly benefited from your careful training and outstanding products.

Roy and Lorraine have run this successful business for 4 years. We had hoped it would continue under new ownership but this has not been possible. We will be retiring later this month and as such, our last full day of trading will be on Sunday 25th February 2018 from 10am – 4pm. If we are able to find that elusive buyer in the near future, we will be strongly recommending that they reactivate your services for their business.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in running this business and wish you and your customers all the very best for the future.”
Roy & Lorraine Davey
Blue Flax Tea Room

Find out more about our courses here.

– COURSE DATES AT A GLANCE –