ENTERPRISING pupils at Musselburgh Grammar School have made a profit of nearly £800 and secured part-time jobs after developing their skills in the coffee industry.
The ‘Burgh Baristas’ have been providing barista-style beverages at events after receiving support from Machina, a local coffee roaster which supplied equipment and provided training.
They went on to achieve their Level 5 qualification in barista skills, widening their opportunities for employment in the hospitality industry.
The venture was started in August 2022 by Hilary Andrew, business education teacher, and May McElhaney, who teaches home economics.
The pupils in S4-6 took control of the social enterprise, running a coffee cart at break times and during school events such as the Christmas market and parents’ evenings.
The young entrepreneurs soon built up an “excellent reputation”, Miss Andrew told the Courier.
They went on to provide refreshments at a Police Scotland regional event.
Miss Andrew said: “A large part of what we aim to do is give back to our local community, so pupils served drinks during an intergenerational event in school, which we hope to do more of in the future.
“Over the course of the year, the pupils’ profit was £780, which is an incredible achievement and we could not be prouder of our young people here at Musselburgh Grammar School.
“We would also like to thank staff and parents for their continued support this year.”
She added: “None of this would have been possible without the support from Machina, a local coffee roaster who supplied our machine and equipment, whilst providing ongoing training and support for staff.
“During the last year, Machina have been fully involved in curricular areas across the school, including design and technology, science and business education, providing pupils with a holistic overview of the coffee industry.
“Machina’s ambition is to ‘help pupils develop a passion and understanding for quality coffee, teach real-world employability skills and help develop a talent base in Scotland that both benefits the local hospitality and coffee industries, challenging stereotypes about careers in hospitality along the way’.
“We have achieved these aims together as four Burgh Baristas have gained part-time employment in cafes within the local area, through having their Level 5 qualification in barista skills.
“This has widened their opportunities for employment within the hospitality industry.”
The profit the pupils made is reinvested into the project to buy more equipment for the course and make it a sustainable social enterprise.
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