The real problem with coffee in Italy isn’t just the beans
When people talk about “the problem with coffee in Italy,” the first thing that comes to mind is usually the blends: often cheap, over-roasted and designed to mask defects. It’s a consumption habit and also a value and price question.
But the truth is, there are 3 even deeper issues that we see every day: training, hygiene and service.
An experience that says it all
A few days ago, I walked past a café belonging to a local chain. I won’t name names, but let’s just say I’ve never liked their coffee: a traditional dark roast, bitter and flat.
Still, I noticed a shiny La Marzocco on the counter and decided to give it a chance.
I ordered an espresso. The barista, without saying a single word, turned to prepare it: he ground the coffee on an on-demand Mahlkönig, didn’t clean the portafilter or flush the group head, tamped and started the shot. After 20 seconds, nothing came out. Instead of checking the grind and redoing the prep, he simply stopped the shot and restarted it. The espresso then rushed out, thin and watery. Without hesitation, he served the cup and went straight back to the till.
The result? A terrible experience.
Not just because of the coffee itself, but because of everything around it.
Great coffee can’t save a bad experience
You can buy the most expensive equipment, but without proper training, hygiene standards and service, the result will always disappoint, even if the beans are actually great.
Here are the 3 elements too often missing in Italian cafés:
1. Training
In Italy, many hospitality businesses rely on young seasonal workers with high staff turnover, that makes training challenging.
Too often the real issue lies deeper: poor working conditions and negative workplace culture. When staff are underpaid in non-decent employment and placed in unhealthy environments, no one feels motivated to learn or to serve customers with care.
This is why we believe training should be seen not as a cost, but as an investment in both people and business.
At Peacocks Coffee, we work with baristas to improve and master the skills behind the bar, beyond our specific training modules, we support our partner cafes guiding their team with:
Managing coffee and equipment with confidence.
Keeping grinders, water and tools calibrated.
Being fast without lowering quality standards.
Development of taste skills to understand, appreciate and calibrate coffee.
Without these basics, even great coffee is wasted.
2. Hygiene: the silent deal-breaker
Hygiene is one of the most underestimated aspects of coffee service and one of the most decisive.
It goes far beyond wiping counters or rinsing cups. We’re talking about food safety and proper handling procedures: using clean cloths for different tasks, flushing group heads and steam wands correctly, storing milk safely, keeping grinders and tools free from residue. These are not “extra steps” they are the baseline of running a shop.
But hygiene doesn’t stop at the coffee machine. Restroom conditions, overall cleanliness and the way staff handle food and drinks are equally part of the customer experience. A dirty bathroom, sticky floors, or careless food handling don’t just lower the perceived quality, they put health and safety at risk.
Poor hygiene breaks trust instantly. Once a customer notices a dirty cup, a sticky counter, or poorly maintained facilities, the whole experience is compromised, even before they taste the coffee. And once trust is broken, it’s almost impossible to rebuild.
Hygiene is not optional. It’s the foundation of professionalism, as critical as the beans themselves.
3. Service: more than a smile
Service isn’t just friendliness. It’s about creating trust and guiding customers without overwhelming them. It’s knowing how to explain, when to listen and when to simply let people enjoy their coffee.
Every coffee carries the work of farmers, producers, exporters, importers and roasters. Serving it badly doesn’t just disrespect the customer, it disrespects the entire chain.
Why we care
At Peacocks Coffee, wholesale has never been just about delivering beans.
Training has always been one of our core values and a service we proudly offer to both coffee professionals and enthusiasts.
With over 13 years of experience in specialty coffee, we’ve had the pleasure of training countless baristas and supporting inspiring coffee projects. This has shown us one simple truth: great coffee only shines when the people behind the bar have the right skills, hygiene standards and service mindset.
That’s why we partner with cafés not only to supply high-quality coffee, but to build knowledge, raise standards and help teams deliver experiences that respect the entire value chain.
Because every step matters as much as the coffee itself.
👉 Learn more about our wholesale programme
👉 Learn more about our training programme
Matteo Pavoni