Poetti, the Russian coffee brand, has inaugurated its own “Barista Academy” located in the “Oasis” business center in Moscow. In 2022, the brand underwent a significant transformation when the MilFoods company acquired a major coffee roasting plant in the Tver region. After the departure of a foreign manufacturer from the Russian market, MilFoods introduced its own coffee brand, Poetti, and swiftly commenced commercial coffee production, unveiling plans for expansion into new coffee categories.
The newly launched “Barista Academy” in Moscow serves as a multifunctional training center catering to coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals. The total investment in the project reached approximately 50 million rubles. Situated on the ground floor of the “Oasis” business center at 5 Koroviy Val Street, the academy spans 109.8 square meters. It features a lecture hall for 15 people, cupping tables (used in the professional coffee tasting process), and a training room equipped with professional coffee equipment, including automatic, super-automatic, and espresso machines. Students can learn both traditional and alternative coffee brewing methods.
The academy’s instructors include certified barista trainer from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), Daria Soboleva, brand barista group leader at MilFoods, and Tatyana Bursye, senior product development manager at MilFoods. The academy will also host a highly qualified team of Poetti brand baristas. The consulting company NF Group facilitated the deal.
The “Barista Academy Poetti” aims to be an educational platform promoting coffee culture in Russia. The academy, designed in an elegant Italian style, offers training in various areas. Students can participate in professional coffee roasting and traditional or alternative beverage preparation. Initially, international coffee industry specialists, certified SCA trainers Daria Soboleva and Tatyana Bursye, will lead the training and master classes in the “Introduction to Coffee,” “Barista Skills,” and “Brewing” modules. The academy is equipped with a lecture hall, cupping table, and a training room with professional coffee equipment for these educational activities.
Tatyana Bursye will teach students in the “Green Coffee” module about the evaluation of coffee raw materials, while the “Roasting” module will cover the roasting process. The academy features a laboratory-type roaster with a maximum capacity of 1.5 kg of beans. In the near future, the “Barista Academy Poetti” will be open for educational events for other coffee professionals. The training costs range from 1,500 to 24,000 rubles, depending on the level and educational module.
The director of marketing at MilFoods, Mikhail Glukhov, expressed excitement about the opening of the academy, stating that it marks a strategic development for the Poetti brand, providing a direct platform for consumer interaction. He believes the academy will strengthen Poetti’s position in the Russian market and enhance consumer trust in the brand.