Illycaffè opens the second branch of the Università del Caffè in São Paulo, Brazil, an information hub aimed at promoting and spreading the culture of high-quality coffee worldwide. The hub will offer hospitality courses to educate coffee producers and consumers.
Customers, baristas and other hospitality industry professionals can choose the courses that best suit their preferences. Participants will be immersed in the history of the company as they learn about the illy blend, from plant to cup and from the industrialisation phase to the growth of sustainability along the entire supply chain.
Practical workshops will also teach the techniques for making espresso and other coffee-based beverages. Specialisation and improvement courses for hospitality workers will be delivered in a controlled atmosphere with equipment for all coffee preparation methods, as well as customised training for customers and partners.
With the inauguration of this second Brazilian branch of Università del Caffè, we want to strengthen our presence in the hospitality sector in Brazil, improving the training of those involved in the transformation of the product.
Brazil has always been strategic for illy, it was the country that gave rise to the Università del Caffè for the producers, initiating the expansion of a training model that is now replicated in 26 countries of the world.
Moreno Faina, Director, Università del Caffè
The Università del Caffè has trained over 320,000 people with the help of its 80 certified professors working in 26 other university branches. With the opening of the second branch in Brazil, Illycaffè hopes to impart knowledge on sustainable quality coffee to a global audience and help all players in the supply chain expand their knowledge.
Founded in Naples in 1999, the Università del Caffè was initiated by Ernesto Illy as a place where people could discuss coffee and describe what happens to the bean from harvest to cup. Later, in 2002, it was moved to the Illycaffè headquarters in Trieste, where around 17 different subjects were developed.
The Prêmio Brasil de Qualidade do Café para Espresso (Brazil Quality Award for Espresso Coffee) was established by Illycaffè in 1991 to recognise Brazil’s high-quality coffee. As a tribute to the late honorary president of the company, Ernesto Illy, it was renamed the Ernesto Illy Award for Sustainable Coffee Quality for Espresso in 2008. The award has already bestowed coffee growers with more than US$4 million.
Illycaffè discovered the potential of Brazil and its coffee towards the end of the 1980s when it was looking for coffee beans for an exclusive blend. The company found a market in Brazil, which at the time sold coffee only as a commodity and was underestimated. The Ernesto Illy Award opened the doors for Brazil to get higher prices for its coffee.
