THE Forest’s newest group of coffee entrepreneurs have started work – in a school.

The Big Bean Café is run by students at Wyedean School in Sedbury as part of a BTEC Level Three hospitality course, which is equivalent to an A-level.

All the sixth-formers on the course have been trained as baristas but they tackle all aspects of running a business.

Course leader Kate Lewis said: “If you can give students real life experience, they seem to excel.

“We started doing pop-up restaurants but now they are running a business.

“It runs five days a week and they are maintaining a sustainable coffee shop.

“They’ve all been trained as baristas but they do the opening and closing checks and take it in turns on the front desk.

“They also have to do the orders for coffee, smoothies and food and they’re prepping food – they are getting the complete experience.”

The café is part of the new-look sixth-form common room and was also open for several hundred visitors to the school’s open evening for Year Six pupils and their parents last Thursday.

A business case was put together for the investment in the cafe with equipment being bought from the University of South Wales in Newport.