SOMETHING’S been brewing at Redeemer Lutheran College, Biloela… After six months of planning, training and preparing, the college now has its very own coffee shop!
Redeemer’s Catering Club members have been training hard and by Friday, October 8, they were “frothing” with excitement at the chance to serve guests at the official opening of their coffee shop, The Daily Grind.
Catering Club Coordinator and secondary teacher at the college, Ms Emma Keegan, explained that the coffee shop would give the students practical experience as well as the opportunity to earn a barista certification to show they’ve had training in operating a coffee machine (which will be wonderful for resumes). The Catering Club members, consisting of 20 students from Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12, will serve coffee and drinks at The Daily Grind, before school twice a week, as well as catering for events like athletics carnivals and the Redeemer Playgroup which meets fortnightly on Fridays. So, if students, teachers and parents are needing a cuppa, this is the place to be!
But coffee shops don’t miraculously turn up overnight, not even with magic coffee beans. They take a lot of work and, most importantly, they need a coffee machine! Now, you might not know this, but proper coffee machines cost a whole “latte” money but a generous Central Queensland business, Coffee of Capricorn, based in Yeppoon, donated an older machine for the Catering Club.
“We buy everything we can through them other than milk,” Ms Keegan said. “We buy the cups and the products and the coffee. And the coffee is locally sourced, and it tastes fantastic.”
Staff from Coffee of Capricorn also came out to the college and provided training on the machine.
“It’s just been fantastic,” Ms Keegan said. “If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
The Catering Club came up with the coffee shop’s name and spent many lunch breaks doing practice, practice, practice. “There are many different ages doing it,” Ms Keegan said, “but they buddy up and they work really well together.”
When the official opening came around, Banana Shire Council Mayor Nev Ferrier there was there to cut the red ribbon and then it was time for the budding baristas to take turns manning the machine as they served coffee, milkshakes and other delicious drinks to those who lined up for a cuppa.
With The Daily Grind giving students valuable skills and experience, and providing a range of beverages to parched patrons, it really is the perfect blend.
Mayor Nev Ferrier (right) with Ms Emma Keegan and students from the Catering Club.
