To commemorate the occasion of World Disability Day, Café Coffee Day, India’s premier and largest chain of coffee cafés today hosted a special in-house coffee making competition called “Coffee Alchemist” for its Silent Brew Masters in the city today. The objective of the competition is to let give these ‘differently enabled’ Silent Brew Masters a unique platform to stretch their creativity and showcase their talent by placing them in a friendly competitive environment.
The “Coffee Alchemist” saw 7 Silent Brew Masters from Hyderabad show their skills in making various coffee beverages and present them as they would to café customers. Prizes were given for various criteria, and to further motivate and cheer them, Café Coffee Day also invited the parents of the Brew Masters to witness the event.
A total of seven deaf and dumb ‘Silent Brew Masters’ from Hyderabad participated in the contest. A two-member Judges panel comprising of Mr. Chandra Shekhar, F&B Manager – Cafe Coffee Day and Mr. Suraj Nair, Area Manager (Operations) – Cafe Coffee Day judged the winners. The participants showcased their skills in making coffee beverages and also their creativity by creating their own beverage concoctions. Ms. Kola Manjula was adjudged the winner; she created ‘Banana & Caramel on the rocks’ beverage. The second prize was won by Mr. Chandraiah, who made ‘Spicy Choco’ and Mr. Mahesh stood third with ‘Atoqauto,’ a coffee and ice-cream drink. The winners were presented with Prizes and certificates.
Café Coffee Day employs about 75 Silent Brew Masters in cities like Bangalore , Chennai, Hyderabad , Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi . Like all other Café Coffee Day Brew Masters, they go through a thorough induction program on how to make classic Café Coffee Day Coffees, beverages and food. The programs are designed to help them use their strong sense of smell , vision and taste very effectively.
Says Shyamala Deshpande, President, HR & Training, “What truly sets the Silent Brew Masters apart is that they value the position that they have been given and do not take things for granted. These employees are seen specializing is this field because they have shown aptitude for ‘brewing’ and not because they can’t work in the direct servicing section. They have a heightened sense of smell , taste and vision and hence deliver the most visually appealing presentation of our coffees. They are excellent quality controllers who can ensure that coffees served are excellent in every way.”
Adds Alok Gupta, Director, Café Coffee Day, “The Silent Brew Master is an integral part of the café environment and we value their talent immensely. We treat them like all other staff members and want to give them several opportunities to hone their skills which is why we have instituted a contest like the Coffee Alchemist. Silent Brew Masters are also very good team players and they quickly adapt and communicate with the staff through sign language. We are happy to see the enthusiasm with which they contribute to bring satisfaction to our customers with their coffee making skills.”