Le Meridien to train 100 coffee specialists

Le Meridien has launched a new 'Master Barista' initiative which will introduce a dedicated coffee expert at every Le Meridien hotel around the world by the end of the year.

Each master barista will undergo an intensive training programme designed by Le Meridien and will lead coffee-related initiatives at each hotel, while maintaining knowledge of coffee trends and raising awareness of coffee in the local community.

The Master Barista programme will be led by Fritz Storm, who won the World Barista Championship in 2002.

“As a LM100 member and Master Barista, I am thrilled to further bring coffee culture to life for Le Meridien guests worldwide. Coffee is an essential part of the cultural and travel landscape, and I believe that the team of master baristas at Le Meridien hotels around the world will enhance the awareness and appreciation of various international trends and flavours,” he said.

Le Méridien and Westin global brand leader Brian Povinelli added: “Coffee continues to be an increasingly important part of the travel experience, and to develop high impact programming for our Le Meridien guests, it was important that we had an understanding of global coffee trends. The new Le Meridien Master Barista program, derived from key findings from our study, will further bring to life a quintessential European cafe and breakfast culture at Le Meridien hotels and resorts around the world.”