Taster & Buyer Rebekah Kettrick passes the tough CQI qualification with flying colours.
Lincoln & York is starting the New Year with a new Q Grader amongst the team. Rebekah Kettrick, Coffee Taster & Buyer at leading UK coffee roasters, has successfully passed her Q Grade certification with flying colours.
The prestigious coffee tasting qualification, awarded by the Coffee Quality Institute, is held by only 44 people in the UK – of whom 23 year-old Rebekah is now one of the youngest.
After completing the rigorous six days of examinations, hosted by speciality coffee importers, Falcon Speciality, Rebekah passed the qualification first time without the need to resit modules – a very rare accomplishment only held by an elite number of Q Graders.
She will be celebrating her graduation from Trainee to fully fledged Coffee Taster with a trip to visit one of the coffee origins Lincoln & York buys from in 2015.
This new acknowledgement further enhances the knowledge and experience within the Lincoln & York team. The firm’s Managing Director and leader of the buying and tasting team, James Sweeting, was one of the UK’s first ever Q Graders when the course was created in 2004. He said of Rebekah’s achievement:
“We couldn’t be more proud of Rebekah for becoming an official Q Grader – it’s an extremely tough six days but we had no doubt that s
he would succeed.
“The Q Grade has become a very recognised qualification in the coffee world and to have another one as part of our team is brilliant. Our customers can continue to rest safe in the knowledge that their products are being developed and quality approved by true coffee experts.”
Rebekah commented: “Having done a law degree, I thought the toughest exams of my life were behind me but how wrong I was! It’s a great feeling to be a qualified Q Grader after almost two years of training. I’m looking forward to putting my skills to further use at Lincoln & York and celebrating my graduation from Trainee with a trip to origin.”
