United Coffee Barista makes the grade
Lynsey Harley, barista lead at United Coffee UK, is now a Q grader, after passing the challenging Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) course last month.
Lynsey was put forward to the course by Elaine Higginson, managing director of United Coffee.
Becoming a Q Grader involves a rigorous three-day exam, comprising of 22 tests in total. These cover Olfactory (the scents associated with coffee), Triangulation (selecting the odd one out based on coffee origin), and cupping to identify the coffee region. It’s an intense and challenging few days for the students and for Lynsey, the highlight was hearing that she wouldn’t have to repeat the experience.
“The course was really difficult - it’s not the kind of course that you can revise for, so in that respect it was far worse than my degree and A-levels. I wasn’t terribly confident because I knew it was a tough test and I was fully prepared to have to re-sit. I couldn’t contain my delight and relief on hearing that I’d passed first time!” says Lynsey.
Lynsey now has the nomenclature "Licensed Q Grader" as a core competence and can use the Q logo as a professional accreditation.
Elaine Higginson adds: “Lynsey is a truly passionate coffee connoisseur and an asset to our business. I didn’t doubt that she’d pass the exam but having seen the breakdown of the course, I can appreciate why she found it so demanding. It’s great for Lynsey and for United Coffee that she passed first time. Increasing our team of coffee experts certainly puts us a class above our competitors when it comes to recognising quality coffee.”
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