Latte Art Training

Krishna has been a dear friend for some time now. He and I did the Pokhara Street Festival together back in December and we have grown to have a deep appreciation for one another. He and his wife have become good friends and his pugs have become friends of my children.

Krishna started Coffee Craft, his cafe, some years ago. It was built on his neverending passion for coffee excellence. What began as a dream 10 years ago has grown into Artisan Craft Coffee Pvt. Ltd., a premier coffee roasting company in Pokhara, that produces arguably the best quality coffee in the city. He also conducts a Barista Training School that offers premier coffee education.

His techniques and knowledge of the coffee industry are forever expanding, He is known throughout the country for his knowledge and skill. What few people know, however, is that Krishna was the National Latte Art champion of Nepal several years ago. This has given him tremendous clout both with his design skills but also his frothing technique, something that I wanted to have instilled in my staff.

So, in early August, I hired Krishna to do a three-day class at the cafe to teach my baristas Advanced Latte Art. The baristas were so excited to learn from him and their expanded knowledge and skill were instantly observable.

Part of the vision for this cafe was to develop our staff in a unique manner that other companies simply do not do. Development is not a common thing here and often results in workers leaving for better opportunities or even leaving the country. I wanted to change this with the creation of this cafe and this was a first step. It honored the hard work of a Nepali whose skill is unprecedented and impressive and it honored my staff by providing a development opportunity.

In the coming weeks, some of my baristas will compete in a Latte Art Competition due to the skills they learned under him.

In the coming months, we want to expand our coffee selection into the Specialty Coffee arena, something that Krishna is certified in and whose expertise is clear. We will be working together as we train our baristas, expand our menu, and bring a new taste into the Lakeside market.