Two classes of Year 11 Hospitality students and staff recently visited Yahava Coffeeworks in the Swan Valley.
The purpose of the excursion was to educate students about the varieties of coffees available for purchase and the see the machinery used to roast coffee beans. The students are currently working on preparing and serving expresso coffee. Theory work for this unit has been completed and students will soon be trained to make coffees using the commercial coffee machine at the Swan Café. Once trained, they will be able to make coffees for sale.
The Yahava Coffeeworks manager went through the ‘story’ of coffee, and explained where coffee is produced in the world and the major varieties produced: Arabica and Robusta. We tasted all sorts of coffees; the favourite was the iced coffee mix and some students bought a bag to take home to their families.
After the tasting we were given a demonstration of how coffee is roasted. The original colour of the coffee bean is green and does not have an aroma but once it is roasted the colour changes to a vibrant brown and it has a rich aroma. The roasting of the coffee is controlled by a computerised program that tells the roaster when the coffee has reached optimum quality.
At the end of the tour we all enjoyed a cup of coffee (hot chocolate for some students) and some recess in the outside area overlooking the picturesque Swan Valley.
Mrs Anna Cardillo
Hospitality Teacher
I really enjoyed the Yahava Coffee excursion, which surprised me because I’m not a huge fan of coffee. We tasted various beverages including Mocha, Iced Coffee and Chai Tea before moving on to seeing how the coffee beans are roasted which I found really interesting. My highlight of the trip was having morning tea with my classmates as a warm drink was so amazing on a cold morning!
Amy Britton
On the 14th of June we went on an excursion to Yahava Coffee, which was a rewarding experience for me. I learnt about the origins of coffee. I did not know that coffee is a fruit and that the beans are found inside this fruit. I also learnt how coffee is roasted. This excursion and what I have learnt about coffee, has made me appreciate coffee so much more. And being able to taste the different types was probably the favourite part of this excursion
Tayleigh Smith