Sodexo UK & Ireland has launched Barista Collective, a structured training programme designed to build barista skills and career pathways across its contract catering operations, in a move that positions internal skill development and a peer-led delivery model as the foundation of its hospitality workforce strategy.

The Grocer reported that the programme brings together more than 20 coffee champions from across Sodexo's business, each of whom has completed an intensive Train the Trainer course, equipping them to deliver new Level 1 and Level 2 barista training across the organisation.

Level 1 provides a foundation for both new and existing baristas, covering essential skills and operational excellence. Level 2 builds on this, exploring bean selection, processing methods, roasting, sensory development, and advanced brewing techniques.

In what Sodexo described as an industry first, the company has partnered with HIT Training, an apprenticeship and training provider for the UK's hospitality, catering, and retail industries, to launch a Barista and Hospitality Excellence apprenticeship. The eight-month programme combines technical barista expertise with service excellence, professionalism, and the skills needed to build a career in hospitality.

Julian Weresch, head of coffee and franchises at Sodexo UK & Ireland, said the programme represents a structural shift in how the company views barista training. He said: "The Barista Collective is much more than a training programme. Built around three core pillars, craft, collaboration and community, the programme has been designed to support and empower our baristas. It represents a shift from viewing coffee training as a technical requirement to recognising it as a critical part of the guest experience, helping turn everyday transactions into meaningful, personalised interactions and memorable experiences for our guests."

Sodexo serves more than nine million cups of coffee annually across 300 client sites in the UK and Ireland. The Barista Collective is being rolled out across this network, with the coffee champions acting as the delivery infrastructure across a geographically dispersed operation.

The Train the Trainer model at the centre of the programme carries direct relevance for HR practitioners and L&D teams in large hospitality and facilities management organisations. Investing in a cohort of internal expert trainers, rather than outsourcing delivery entirely, creates a scalable, cost-efficient mechanism for rolling out structured skills development across high-turnover, multi-site workforces. It also creates a visible career development pathway for experienced frontline employees, positioning training delivery as a form of internal progression rather than an external cost.