Starbucks Azerbaijan is celebrating the coffee passion of its baristas who have all qualified as certified Starbucks Coffee Masters. The achievement will see all the baristas serving at the four Starbucks stores in the city of Baku wear a Black Apron, highlighting they have completed their Coffee Master training.

This achievement makes Azerbaijan the first ‘Black Apron’ country in the Starbucks EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region.

Starbucks Coffee Masters voluntarily carry out training to become a source of knowledge in coffee culture, Starbucks coffee sourcing and Starbucks high standards in coffee roasting. By wearing a Black Apron, Coffee Masters are celebrated as an exemplary partner (employee) and encouraged to lead their teams and customers in exploring coffee.

A barista can begin their Coffee Master training once they have worked in a Starbucks store for six months. The training takes place over a period of eight to 12 weeks, to learn about the history of coffee, coffee agriculture and geography, and Starbucks roasting and blending art. Once the training is complete, partners can share their knowledge with customers and proudly wear the special Black Apron.