Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Courses

Person using a coffee brewing device with a ceramic mug on a wooden surface.

Learn Coffee the Calm Way

Our SCA-certified courses are designed to help you understand coffee from seed to cup – whether you’re a home brewer, a coffee professional, or simply curious about flavour.

Each course is taught in small groups in South East London for an unhurried, hands-on experience.

We currently offer SCA Introduction to Coffee and SCA Roasting Foundation courses - see below for details.

Person using a coffee roasting machine with 'Roasting' logo above

SCA Roasting Foundation

This one-day course provides a structured introduction to coffee roasting. Designed for those beginning their roasting journey, it builds a clear understanding of roast development, roast profiles, and how time and heat influence flavour. The course combines theory, live demonstrations, and guided practical activities.

UPCOMING DATES:

  • MARCH 2026: 9:30- 17:00 Wednesday 18th March @ The Coffee Centre London, SE23 3JF

Course Details

The Details

Duration: 7 Hours, with a short break

Trainer: Will Whiting (Authorised SCA Trainer)

Class Size: 2-4 participants

Price

£350.

There is an additional £45 enrollment fee to be paid by students direct to the SCA (we will provide details on how to do this). This Fee enables you to register with the SCA, sit the short exam, and earn your official SCA certificate

Course Content

  • Roaster basics: terminology, roaster components, airflow, and heat transfer
  • The roasting process: physical and chemical changes during roast development
  • Critical roast events: charge, turning point, first crack, development time
  • Roast profiles: recording, interpreting, and using profiles for quality control
  • Roast degree and flavour: how light, medium, and dark roasts differ sensorially
  • Calculating roast loss, volume gain, and development time
  • Safety in the roasting environment
  • Cleaning, maintenance, and preventative procedures

You’ll be roasting, tasting and learning in a calm, supportive setting designed to build confidence and curiosity.

Assessment

After the course you will complete a 20-question online written exam (32 minutes, 60% pass mark).

There is no practical exam but practical learning objectives will be covered in course.

Booking

Upcoming sessions are listed above. For more information, or to book your place, email will@calmcoffeeroastery.co.uk.

You can request enrollment online via the SCA website here.

Person weighing coffee beans next to a sample coffee roaster with text 'Introduction to Coffee'

SCA Introduction to Coffee

This half day course is a calm and comprehensive introduction to the world of specialty coffee - from seed to cup. Designed for new baristas, those starting out in the coffee industry, home brewers, and anyone curious about how coffee travels from origin to your cup, it combines essential theory with hands-on tasting and brewing.

UPCOMING DATES:

  • MARCH 2026: 10:00 - 14:30 Tuesday 3rd March @ Online
  • APRIL 2026: 9:30 - 14:00 Wednesday 1st April @ The Coffee Centre London, SE23 3JF

Course Details

The Details

Duration: 4 Hours, with a short break

Trainer: Will Whiting (Authorised SCA Trainer)

Class Size: 2-6 participants in person, 2-4 participants online

Price

In person: £150.

Online: £125

There is an additional 25 EURO enrollment fee to be paid by students direct to the SCA (we will provide details on how to do this). This Fee enables you to register with the SCA, sit the short exam, and earn your official SCA certificate

Course Content

  • The journey of coffee from seed to cup: farming, processing, roasting, and brewing.
  • Arabica vs robusta – and how species, altitude, and process influence flavour.
  • Guided cupping session exploring flavour and aroma.
  • Overview of roast styles
  • Performing a sample roast.
  • Brewing fundamentals: ratio, grind, extraction, and water quality.
  • Introduction to sustainability and traceability in specialty coffee.
  • Final assessment: short multiple-choice exam (SCA requirement).

You’ll taste, learn, and discuss coffee in a calm, supportive setting designed to build confidence and curiosity.

Booking

Upcoming sessions are listed above. For more information, or to book your place, email will@calmcoffeeroastery.co.uk.

You can request enrollment online via the SCA website here.

SCA trainer Will Whiting wearing a beige cap and white shirt

Your Trainer - Will Whiting

Will is the founder of Calm Coffee Roastery and an Authorised SCA Trainer. A former Chartered Structural Engineer, he brings a rare mix of scientific thinking, sensory focus, and hands-on experience to coffee education.

His passion for specialty coffee began while living near Adelaide Central Market, eventually leading him to Monmouth Coffee in Bermondsey in 2018, where he worked across packing, delivery, as a barista in the cafes and later joined the roasting team. In 2024 he founded Calm Coffee Roastery.

Will completed his SCA Roasting Professional certification with Morten Münchow of CoffeeMind in 2022, training under a rigorous, research-led methodology that shapes his approach to flavour and consistency. Shortly after, he became an Authorised SCA Trainer to share that structured and accessible style of learning.

More recently he also completed his SCA Sensory Skills Professional certification and the SCA CVA for Cuppers, becoming an evolved Q Grader.

As a trainer, Will focuses on making coffee education calm, clear, and enjoyable - blending sensory exploration with practical insight to help learners build confidence and understand the “why” behind flavour, whether at home, behind the bar, or in a roastery.

Why Study with the SCA?

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the world’s leading organisation for coffee education, research, and industry standards. Their courses are recognised globally and are designed to give learners a clear, structured path into specialty coffee - whether you’re taking your first steps or looking to deepen your professional skills.

Studying with the SCA means learning within a framework that is trusted across the entire coffee value chain. Each course is built around rigorous, up-to-date research and delivered by Authorised SCA Trainers (ASTs) who meet high teaching and calibration standards. The SCA Coffee Skills Program is used by roasteries, cafés, importers, and producers worldwide to train staff and develop confident coffee professionals.

By completing an SCA course, you earn internationally recognised certificates that stay with you throughout your coffee journey. These certificates can help you progress through the wider Coffee Skills Program - from introductory courses all the way to advanced levels - and can support future career development in roasting, brewing, sensory analysis, or barista work.

Most importantly, SCA courses give you a solid foundation to understand coffee with clarity: how it’s grown, processed, roasted, brewed, and assessed.

It’s a structured, credible, and enjoyable way to deepen your knowledge of specialty coffee.

Contact Us

Interested in talking about coffee training? Please email us at hello@calmcoffeeroastery.co.uk