Meet your Coffee Trainer | Coffee School

Coffee is my passion. I love all things coffee. Good quality, proper coffee is a beverage to be savoured, enjoyed. It livens up all your senses and is a welcome companion throughout the day.

Background of your Coffee Trainer

I have worked in the hospitality industry all my adult life. For over 27 years, I have been involved in the business of bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels. I grew up in Cyprus, a thriving tourism culture so my experience of working with different people is broad. My wife and I moved to the UK in 2001 and in 2005 we opened a successful tea room which we run for seven years in which time it won several local, regional and national awards
In 2013 came the point of life changing decisions. We had 3 young children and both my wife and I worked in the business but we felt we lacked substance, purpose and most of all valuable time being a family

So, we sold the business, begun home educating our children and I furthered my training with the Specialised Coffee Association of Europe to become an authorised certified coffee trainer. Our new life style enabled us to spend valuable time growing and learning together but also travelling.

We lived in Greece for 2 years where I worked but where also as a family we were involved in volunteering and community work with vulnerable people (homeless, single parents, refugees, Roma and women trafficked for prostitution). Witnessing such desperate need, such destitution and utter brokenness especially as a husband and father, brought me to my knees. I felt I had to do something more and decided to use my skills to help get people on their feet.

A Coffee School for those in need

So, with the help and cooperation of other organisations, I set up a coffee training project in a rundown area of Athens where a non for profit organisation called PIXIDA, is supporting vulnerable people. I also set up a coffee school in the Thiva women’s prison where tragically many of the women imprisoned are victims of human trafficking for prostitution and drug smuggling. http://globerx24.com

Both projects are going very well and it is truly rewarding and encouraging to see these people, once utterly broken, gain a sense of self, a sense of value and to go out into the world with confidence and purpose.

Our Coffee school mission

I am now based in the UK with my family and travel to provide training to clients in cafes, restaurants, hotels, to help individuals gain their qualification as baristas so that they can find work or so that they can start their own businesses. And parallel to that I am building other non for profit projects to help more and more vulnerable people gain the qualification and get on their feet.