Up to my elbows in chocolate! I signed up for a week long hands-on course in making bean to bar craft chocolate. We learned about sensory analysis and chocolate tasting, about roasting, cracking, winnowing, roasting, grinding/melanging, conching, tempering and molding. A lot of effort goes into making a chocolate bar and that's not including all the work that the farmer does at origin. Valerian made the work fun but also made sure we learned. We made six different kinds of bars and had plenty to take home with us. We also tasted an infinity of craft chocolate bars from around the world and had an in depth visit to the Dandelion Chocolate Factory in San Francisco. All in all well worth it and I came away with the knowledge I needed to get into trouble making chocolate at home. Recommended.

Our organization's coffee shop Our organization's coffee shop, Arte del Cafe had the pleasure of having a Boot Coffee Campus consultant (Dan) come to our establishment and work with 3 of our baristas. Everything was done in a professional way, and the baristas learned a lot from him. Being right there with him, was great, they were able to ask questions, and get answers right away. They practiced their skills in making coffee with the consultant overseeing what they were doing. As the overseer of the coffee shop, I myself learned about coffee and how it was made. (I did not know much before we started). I would recommend you get Boot Coffee Campus to come to your establishment before or after you have opened your shop, and also when you get new baristas working for you. Dan knows about coffee, and is easy to work with. Highly recommend!

I attended Boot Coffee for Intro to Coffee, Intro to Sensory, Roasting Foundation and Intermediate course, and follow-on business seminar. I attended Boot Coffee for the Introduction to Coffee, Introduction to Sensory, Roasting Foundation and Intermediate course (including certifications) and the business prep seminar. I truly enjoyed all the courses and found our instructor, Valerian Hrala to be extremely personable and knowledgeable; He made sure we were well prepared to take the SCA certifications and provided significant information based on his wealth of experience in the Specialty Coffee Industry including his time as an instructor. Whether we were working on roast profiles, company branding, brew methods, or discussing technological advances in the Specialty Coffee Industry, Valerian presented current, relevant information. He used fun and creative teaching methods to make the classes interesting, and prepared amazing specialty coffees from all over the world throughout each day, including Finca La Mula Panama Geisha, a delicious and highly rated coffee. Each specialty coffee he prepared included a brief history of the coffee, its farming location, its origins and/or a brief anecdote from his experiences in the Specialty Coffee Industry. The courses opened my eyes to the Specialty Coffee Community and the intricacies involved in evaluation and tasting of what I previously considered a "simple cup of coffee." I look forward to future classes with Valerian and highly recommend his classes to beginner roasters whether they are entrepreneurs or hobbyists. A side note for beginner roasters, take the accompanying sensory course (if offered). The cupping experience is well worth it and can only benefit your journey as a roaster.

Boot coffee class was fantastic Boot coffee class was fantastic! Valerian and Daniel were excellent teachers. I enjoyed the experience immensely. I recommend it to all who loves coffee. And if your interested in the knowledge it requires to bring it to your table. Two thumbs up!

Excellent courses and instructors Excellent courses and instructors. Valerian is very passionate about what he does. The classes were outstanding and very informative. It is at Boot Coffee Campus, where you will learn about the specialty coffee world.