Lavazza partners with Save The Children third year in a row in India by organizing a Barista Training Workshop for marginalized youth in Kolkata

As part of its global CSR commitment with the global coffee training programme “A Cup of Learning”, Lavazza has trained over 30 Baristas in the city in association with the NGO

Kolkata, India, 19th February 2020: Lavazza, Italy’s leading coffee company, in collaboration with Save the Children, conducted a hands-on Barista training programme for 15 marginalized youth in Kolkata, between the 10^th and 14^th February 2020. The 5-day session was led by Lavazza India’s Head Trainer, Abdul Sahid Khan, whose aim was to educate the participants with potent coffee concepts and offer the opportunity to become the best Baristas.

This is the third year that the collaboration has enabled indigent adolescents and young adults in Kolkata to earn employment in the hospitality sector by attending a specific training. Aiming to nurture them with a positive approach towards life by providing them with a better future, the workshop was realized to develop skills and enhance their abilities to work as coffee specialists certified by Lavazza. Including this year, the company has trained a total of 45 Baristas as part of this programme.

“A Cup of Learning” is the Lavazza global coffee training programme established with the direct participation of Lavazza’s training experts, focused on beneficiaries from society’s most disadvantaged groups in search of new opportunities in the coffee market. The first training course held in India in 2017, organised in partnership with Save the Children, was followed by various training courses, benefiting more than 120 individuals in 8 countries, in addition to India: Italy, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Ecuador, Albania and United Kingdom.

In Kolkata the training effectively covered the following:

Fundamentals of Espresso preparation technique

Introduction to brewing variables

Principles of cleaning and maintaining espresso equipment

Presentation and preparation techniques, and awareness around the latest coffee trends

Modules on milk texturing & Latte Art were conducted along with demonstration of different milk-based Coffee recipes specially handcrafted by Lavazza

“We are partnering with Save the Children for more than fifteen years now. Together, we are opening new doors for vulnerable children and adolescents across the globe, and this project in Kolkata is one of significance to us. Lavazza as a brand stands to support youth in ways and means that would help them obtain employment. It is important to see the enthusiasm with which the participants have imbibed the sessions during the training, their eagerness to grow and develop their skills; this further encourage us to give and to involve more and more people”, said Mario Cerutti, Chief Insitutional Relations and Sustainability Officer of the Lavazza Group.

The workshop was concluded with a theory and practical-based exam that assessed their learnings from the session and was evaluated by an external examiner.

Lavazza continues to strengthen its relationship with Save the Children and has been working in collaboration with the NGO for more than fifteen years now. In the past, this collaboration has worked on successful projects that helped fight child mortality through prevention and treatment of malnutrition. In addition to this, they have also effectively reached out to teenagers who live in unhealthy urban districts to provide training and subsequent follow-up employment support.

About Lavazza Group

Established in 1895 in Turin, the Italian coffee company has been owned by the Lavazza family for four generations. Among the world’s most important roasters, the Group currently operates in more than 140 countries through subsidiaries and distributors, with 64% of revenues coming from markets outside of Italy. Lavazza employs a total of over 4,000 people with a turnover of € 1.87 billion in 2018. .

Lavazza, one of the world’s 100 most reputable brands according to the Reputation Institute, is now the ninth business globally for Corporate Responsibility in the 2019 Global CR RepTrak ranking, taking the top spot in the Food & Beverage sector, and the Italian business community. Lavazza created the concept of blending — or in other words the art of combining different types of coffee from different geographic areas — and this continues to be a distinctive feature of most of its products. The company also has 30 years’ experience in the production and sale of portioned coffee systems and products. It was the first Italian business to offer capsule espresso systems. Lavazza operates in all business segments: at home, away-from-home and office coffee service, always with a focus on innovation in consumption technologies and systems.

Lavazza has been able to develop its brand awareness through important partnerships perfectly in tune with its brand internationalization strategy, such as those in the world of sport with the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and those in the fields of art and culture with prestigious museums like New York’s Guggenheim Museum, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage State Museum and Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria.

Companies that form part of the Lavazza Group include France’s Carte Noire and ESP (acquired in 2016 and 2017 respectively), Denmark’s Merrild (2015), North America’s Kicking Horse Coffee (2017), Italy’s Nims (2017), and the business of Australia’s Blue Pod Coffee Co (2018). At the end of 2018, following an acquisition, the Lavazza Professional Business Unit was created, which includes the leading Office Coffee Service (OCS) systems Flavia and Vending brand Klix.

About Lavazza India

Lavazza entered India by acquiring Fresh & Honest Café Limited, India’s leading coffee, vending and retailing company in 2007. Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., with its origins back in 1895, is an international coffee powerhouse, synonymous with all things Italian – creativity, art, passion and of course espresso coffee. The brand is one of the most important coffee roasters in the world – in-Home and Away-from-Home sectors (Foodservice, Vending and Cafes).

Today it has consolidated its presence in the retail branded coffee, café products as well as in the coffee machines segment and has become a leading player in the country.

About Save the Children

Around the world, too many children start life at a disadvantage simply because of who they are and where they come from. Millions of children are dying from preventable causes, face poverty, violence, disease and hunger. They are caught up in war zones and disasters they did nothing to create. And they are denied an education and other basic rights owed to them.

Since 100 years Save the Children has been championing the rights and interests of children worldwide, putting the most vulnerable children first. Organization’s  work saves and improves children's lives around the world. We work to ensure children have healthcare, food and shelter, as well as learning and child protection services when children need it most. With 25,000 dedicated staff across 118 countries, Save the Children responds to major emergencies, deliver innovative development programmes, and ensure children's voices are heard through its campaigning to build a better future for and with children.