New company - Coffee Standards Australia

coffee_standards

Hi All,

I have developed a company called Coffee Standards Australia. Here's a bit about us:

Coffee Standards Australia Pty Ltd is an accreditatory body that certifies establishments that serve impeccable quality coffee to its consumer base.

Our mission is to identify, certify and market coffee serving establishments that meet the standards of producing excellent quality coffee.

The process involves:

Identifying coffee establishments: Representatives from Coffee Standards will be visiting caf

askthecoffeeguy

Hi Chris, Thanks for posting and welcome to the forum!  I must admit that I'm intrigued about a coffee accreditation process and would be keen to know how that takes place, and what are the judgement criteria etc I've taken the liberty of removing your contact details except for the link to your website as Crema has an approval process for managed content - feel free to contact admin to discuss site sponsorship Good luck with the accreditation process and keep us informed of your progress! Many thanks, ACG

Unknown

Standards...ok. Procedures...???. If we as coffee professionals know, there really are no standard procedures to this industry, and the coffee product. Sounds a little Specific to me. And how much does the accreditation cost??? I smell scam. Customers are the accreditation certificate. The only true valuation of your product are the cups in hand, and a truely unbiased review from a critic. The website didn't offer that much either. Just the same dubious claim expounding to promote you as a quality assured venue. By them. SURELY at a cost. Scam scam scam scam scam

askthecoffeeguy

I don't necessarily agree that its a scam but I do agree that customers or lack thereof are the greatest evaluators of a business Which still doesn't explain why Foxy was crammed to the rafters on Sunday and then relatively quiet today! Acg

Unknown

I agree it may not be a scam. But it has a very dubious claim, to have a superior knowledge about coffee. And I thought if I wrote scam a few times, it would make people think before having a paid review/accreditation. Punters are unpredictable, and your spot is a little out of the way. You make great coffee, so who cares if you have a quiet one. Except your bank balance I guess

coffee_standards

Thanks for your replies so far. I agree with both of you that the customer is the true accreditor of any coffee establishment venue. Hence why, as a customer of coffee of many years, and also being the server of coffee, have decided to create Coffee Standards Australia. We have not made a claim to have superior knowledge on coffee to anyone else, and I would like to know where that was stated? Our accreditation process covers the basic procedural and non-procedural aspects of ensuring that a cup of coffee is the best it can be from the fresh beans it is made. Now, as coffee lovers, what we are trying to do is to distinguish places that are not doing the right thing (eg. using stale beans, having a 16 year old fresh out of school making coffee for some cash in hand with no experience at all, using old milk, using a machine that has not been serviced, or not even having the beans ground properly) and the places that are. Now you get my drift? The biggest scam out there is the coffee drinker (us) paying up to $5 for a coffee and it was utterly crap and undrinkable. This is an opportunity for establishments to stand out from the dodgy guy next door to people who are not regulars or local to the cafe'. Quite honestly, I know where all the good places are in my local area. I also know where the crap ones are too. But I had to try a crap coffee before I knew not to go back there. What this does, through our shop window sticker and instore certificate, it will let the coffee drinker know that this place will have decent coffee, and remove the fear of "Ohh no, I'm not sure about this place". Or worse, walking away with dissatisfaction from a place where you spent $20 on coffee's for you and your mates, with the topic of conversation being how crap the coffee was. Coffee Standards Australia is being marketed on both sides of the market. To the establishments and to the consumer. Through universities, local newspapers and business directories. There is a yearly membership fee that is involved yes, and this is not a handout to every Joe Blo who wants to sign up regardless of how their coffee is. No offence to the Coffee Guide book either, but cafe's pay premium prices to be in that, and I don't agree with half the reviews in there. Also the consumer shouldn't have to carry a book  in their back pocket to know where they can get a good coffee from. They should be able to visually identify one effortlessly. You may not be onboard with me on this, but I must admit, at least someone is trying to change how the customer is affected in this easily scammed industry, where a cup of coffee costs $0.32 cents to make. Coffee is meant to be enjoyed, not left behind or thrown away.  

askthecoffeeguy

agree with the above but I have to differ on the cost of coffee to make: a coffee at my joint means 20g basket standard of premium beans which means 60c for the coffee (includes wastage) plus premium biodynamic unhomoginised milk = 40c (includes wastage) = $1 for a cup of coffee more if that coffee is takeaway - premium coffee definitely comes at a price but I still only charge $3.4 for a regular cup of Joe which represents much less margin than I would say 90 per cent plus of the market place yes there is always room for improvement and maybe places which are rated but dont pass muster could be given some pointers or a fact sheet to keep them on track...

DoubleRistretto

Hi there - I think it's actually a pretty interesting idea; do you have any information on the experience/credibility of the reviewers?

coffeefront

Easy question to answer -- What happens if you walk into a cafe, find that its coffee tastes A grade, observe its processes and everything is absolutely A Class, go back a week later (unannounced) and find the same thing ... beautiful coffee, worthy of the highest rating - but afterwards, they refuse to pay your fees. Do they still get (fully) accredited? Because if they don't, then it's no help to anyone.

askthecoffeeguy

Its a tough one with Melbourne Coffee Review and its subsequent 'CoffeeMe' Iphone app (not to be confused with the Coffee Review - Melbourne), Crema's own 'Best Cafe's' section, and many local blogs with generous followings - its already a crowded marketplace - so a new player would need to bring something different to the table in a way not previously considered before - preferably pioneering new technology to appeal to the 'early adaptors' so I guess the verdict is out until we see an end result... ACG

coffee_standards

Here's some answers  DoubleRistretto: The initial accreditation that comes from Coffee Standards Australia will be conducted by experienced representatives who have had more than a decade experience in the industry that are Barista accredited, have owned coffee serving establishments, are passionate coffee drinkers coffee lovers. We will also be introducing a review section on the website that will allow the general public to comment on their experience they have had with the certified venue. So even though we will be initially certifying them, it will be the ongoing positive reviews that venues will be trying to attain from the community. Coffeefront: With the accreditation process, once an establishment is worthy of certification, the annual fee is payable upfront. This enforces compliance so that in a couple months, if their standards decrease, the membership can be revoked until an improvement takes place. ACG: There are many sources out there where, with enough research, good cafe's can be found. Eg. Through blogs and Crema's own "Best Cafe's" section. Which is fantastic, but unfortunately, to the average person walking by, this resource is not easily available. By Coffee Standards Australia having a certification sticker on every venue that is certified, it will allow customers to "pick and choose" between cafe's. Obviously through enough exposure and marketing, the coffee drinker will be looking out for this. Hence why certain target areas and mediums will be marketed to create this exposure. I also think technology plays a huge part in convenience in today's society. It will be possible that we will also have an iPhone application where customers will be able to locate their nearest certified establishment.  All in all, this will take time and we know that. However, I think in the long run, the benefits to the coffee drinker to the establishment and to the industry itself will be worth the wait 

askthecoffeeguy

sounds good I look forward to a visit!

coffeefront

So at the end of the day, if the best coffee places in Australia don't pay up, then they won't get accredited - you only get accredited if you pay - so from a consumer point of view, the crap shoot remains in place. This is a good business model, but it's of zero use to the consumer. If I go to a suburb I'm unfamiliar with and the cafe I see doesn't have an accreditation sticker ... then it's probably because they haven't paid up. Nothing to do with the standard of their coffee.

askthecoffeeguy

most times I'll watch the barista at work and observe the cleanliness of their work environment  - no clean machine and no dose on demand or wipe out of the group handle and flushing the machine combined with fresh quality milk every time = no coffee for me!

DoubleRistretto

interesting report from the SMH - looks like a similar kind of concept, but with respect to restaurant and cafe cleanliness: RESTAURANTS, cafes and takeaway shops across NSW will come under pressure to display a hygiene rating on their door in the most significant improvement to food safety in years. The ratings system, known as ''scores on doors'', will give consumers a new level of clarity when choosing to eat at any of the state's 20,000 registered food outlets. The scheme, which will be trialled across 12 council areas from July 1, builds on the NSW Food Authority's ''name and shame'' campaign designed to expose unclean food sellers. dR

Unknown

My fear is that if an establishments coffee making process isn't in the companies opinion to be the optimum choice. Then the accreditation is withheld.  I assume there would be a basic understanding that if the coffee tastes good today, and again tomorrow, and then in three weeks. that the venue is given accreditation. BUT, the paying idea just freaks me out. Cool if you want this, or feel the need to have this accreditation, go for it. But its my thinking that you're not really that good if you need it. I made 400 coffees today(+tea, choc, chai, etc)...by myself. Several praises, and follow on bean sales, with the question, "What bean are you using today". Which clearly indicates a good cup. Beside the self ego stroke. My point is, we have no accreditations, and have never had a paid review. And we are by far the leading coffee venue in the outer eastern suburbs (Kofi Beans - Croydon). As for Pat, he has the luxury of being the crema moderator. But he's doing a great job over in westgarth. and I know his success isn't based on his internet supeiority. Sorry if this coming off hostile toward this accreditation body. But please make your process transparent, and also how much it costs.

hazchem

I don't understand an accreditation body that is self accredited to begin with. and also makes cafes pay for their accreditation.

on 1269914138:

Here's some answers  DoubleRistretto: The initial accreditation that comes from Coffee Standards Australia will be conducted by experienced representatives who have had more than a decade experience in the industry that are Barista accredited, have owned coffee serving establishments, are passionate coffee drinkers coffee lovers.

Barista accredited? By who? TAFE NSW? pffft.

on 1269914138:

Coffeefront: With the accreditation process, once an establishment is worthy of certification, the annual fee is payable upfront. This enforces compliance so that in a couple months, if their standards decrease, the membership can be revoked until an improvement takes place.

and of course, if their standards fall and they are no longer an accredited member of the CSA program, they'll receive a pro-rata refund of the annual fee, won't they?

askthecoffeeguy

mate social media is the future of accreditation - one false latte and your (any) establishment will be blogged and bagged to the max, and the media savvy tend to have a loyal following which is why quality and consistency is rewarded with regular rave reviews apart from a few initial service issues I'm proud of what my own humble establishment has achieved in a relatively short period of time, and a quick check of relevant social media would tend to confirm this these days most punters are so media savvy that they don't need a sign on the door to poke their eyes out - you wont even get them through the door unless your credentials are plane and evident for all to see - and this means word of mouth advertising, occasional exposure in the broadsheets, and recommendations like those provided from Crema's best cafes section etc...