Ever wondered what Singapore Airlines cabin crew do when they’re not in the sky? For some, besides running errands and catching up on well-deserved rest, it’s back to school. All cabin crew are encouraged to attend free self-directed courses. Besides language and culinary classes, workshops on financial management covering life insurance and investments are available too.
Popular among coffee lovers is a Speciality Coffee Course. In seven hours, instructors take the crew through the beverage’s history, bean-producing regions around the world, roasting processes, terminology, and various blends used on flights. From bean to brew, what follows is a hands-on session on the technical know-how of handling espresso machines and creating simple latte art (above).
Vincent Lim, an instructor from the Barista Training Centre at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West, explains that the course is customised to equip the crew with basic knowledge of coffee that will come in handy during inflight service.
Perhaps the most pertinent part of the course, the coffee-tasting session, also known as cupping, teaches cabin crew how to identify the aroma, body, acidity, and finish of the blends available onboard.
“During the cupping session, they get a better understanding of how to appreciate and talk about coffee character. With that, they can explain to passengers what they will experience when drinking a certain type of coffee,” says Lim.
Flight steward Vignesh Naidu, who used to work as an airport firefighter, loves his job as it allows him to travel around the world and interact with people from all walks of life. In addition, he gets to attend a course like this that not only complements his passion for coffee art, but also prepares him for his next posting.
“I will train for Business Class soon, so this knowledge will be useful when I start working there. I will be better equipped to recommend the different kinds of coffee we have onboard,” says the 29-year-old.
Experience a career beyond the ordinary! Visit singaporeair.com/cabincrewcareers to find out how you can join us as a cabin crew member.
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This article was originally published by Singapore Press Holdings.
