“Coffee isn’t just a transaction but an expression of personal desire.”
If someone likes coffee with milk, then cappuccinos are always a great idea – it’s all based on personal preference. When it comes to coffee, Margarita (Маргарита Амелина) considers communication to be an essential part of the process. This is a lesson that has stayed with her throughout her eight-year-long career, in the coffee industry.
Trained by senior colleagues in Khabarovsk, Margarita started out as a barista in a local coffee shop. Two years into training as a barista, she qualified as a barista championship judge for the barista championships. As time went on, it seemed clearer to her that she was longing for space to share her knowledge and experience – a life-changing realisation that led her to becoming a professional and certified SCA trainer.
Margarita now has her own company Margo Coffee can issue SCA certificates to anyone who is willing to train and grow.
During a recent holiday to Bali with her husband, the happy couple put in place a variety of courses or baristas in Kuala Lumpur. Due to COVID-19, they decided to extend their stay for six months. Their time there taught Margarita the value in finding a balance between both her professional and personal life. More than anything, she learned the importance of making time for herself and her family.
“People are very important. They play a vital role in my life.”
In March, Margarita became the first coach in Russia to organise an introductory online course, titled “Introduction to Coffee”, enabling her to create her own community of coffee friends and mentees.
Once Margarita had fulfilled her dream of visiting a coffee farm, it was time to move on to the next. She claims her present aspiration is to create her own learning space so that she can not only impart specialist coffee knowledge but can also organize competitions for baristas in her region, and one competition already held in China. Events like this in Russia would help boost the level of professionalism, enthusiasm, and dedication of baristas.
“As a coach, I would advise aspiring baristas to never overestimate their coffee knowledge.
No one can know everything. To have enough knowledge, one must constantly be learning and expanding their skill and practice, in the hope of becoming an expert.”
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