No one is sleeping in this class.
The UCC Coffee Academy has opened an education facility that aims to deepen the Filipinos’ knowledge and appreciation of coffee. And it has none other than the premier coffee guru of the Philippines, Robert Francisco, at the helm as its managing director.
Located at the third floor of the Uptown Parade, beside the Megaworld Showroom in Taguig City, the Academy offers specialized training courses for coffee enthusiasts and entrepreneurs wanting to open their own coffee shop business.
According to Francisco, the first class at the UCC Coffee Academy scheduled on November 10 is a pre-requisite in most of the courses they offer, which is the Fundamentals of Coffee: From Crop to Cup. The rest of the November and December calendar include classes on Alternative Brewing Methods, Nov. 15 – 16; Intermediate Barista Skills, Nov. 20 – 22; Introduction to Cupping, Nov. 24; Advanced Barista, Dec. 5 – 7; and Latte Art, Dec. 10.
“Students can expect that the UCC Coffee Academy will reflect the Japanese way of conducting classes. We begin our classes the way they begin the classes in the UCC Coffee Academy in Japan,” said Francisco, adding that, “Our classrooms are designed to promote an interactive class experience, where students have an enriching exchange of knowledge with instructors and practice with the tools they need to master their craft.”
At the opening of the UCC Coffee Academy, Francisco’s team of professional baristas from UCC café have showcased their brewing skills during a coffee sensory experience such as siphon brewing and hand drip, along with a latte art demonstration.
The UCC Coffee Academy is the newest venture of the UCC Group in the Philippines, the company behind the successful UCC café chain. Entrepreneur Hubert Eric U. Young brought the franchise from Japan in 2000. Over the years, Young developed multiple brands of concept stores under the UCC brand. Today, there are 40 branches of UCC café in the country. The company is also positioned to further grow its business as it opened for franchising this year. Likewise, UCC in the Philippines has expanded to manufacturing, roasting and exportation of coffee through its partnership with UCC Japan. It has also ventured into coffee machine distribution and service provider through the recent acquisition of Allegro Beverage Corporation in order to cater to the needs of hotels, restaurants and coffee shops.
