A class
Attendance
Ten separate lessons can still leave a student waiting to be told the next move. Attendance is not the same as developing judgement.
Cottle Coffee Academy · Professional Roaster Development
Build professional roasting judgement through ten coached Sundays.
An apprenticeship-like mentorship for working and aspiring roasters—built around repeated roasting, rested-coffee evaluation in the intended finished beverage and direct decisions with Tristan about what to change next.
RM10,900
Ten rolling Sundays · Maximum six active students · Petaling Jaya
Mentored directly by Tristan Creswick27 years of Australian coffee-industry experience.
Two-Day Coffee Roasting Fundamentals required. Four-Week Development is useful preparation, but it is not compulsory before Ten-Week. New to roasting? Start with Fundamentals.
10
10 rolling Sundays
Repeated development rather than a short intervention.
~3 hrs
Coached roasting each Sunday
Approximately three hours of individually coached roasting.
6
Active students maximum
Individual targets and feedback in a small lab.
Direct
Directly with Tristan
One mentor follows the development process.
From making roasts to making decisions
Professional development is not one perfect profile. It is learning how to respond when the coffee, target or result changes.
The mentorship develops the student’s ability to define what the coffee is intended to become, make and record a deliberate roasting decision, observe what happened, evaluate the rested coffee in its intended finished beverage, use cupping for quality control and comparison, explain what should change next and why, and repeat that process across more situations. Completion does not confer professional status by itself; the work is to practise, interpret, compare, reason and improve.
Ten cycles
Coached decisions
Each Sunday closes a loop: roast, rest, taste the intended beverage, analyse, receive coaching and choose the next experiment.
Who the mentorship is for
Built for serious development at different starting levels.
Working roaster
Already roasting, and ready to examine the work
For someone already roasting who wants coached examination of their decisions, targets, evaluation and next experiments. The lab is not a beginner recap; coaching meets the student’s current level.
Aspiring professional roaster
Building deeper judgement after Fundamentals
For someone who has completed Fundamentals and wants deeper repeated practice before or while moving toward professional work. Outcomes are not identical to those of a working roaster; the method is the same, the starting point is not.
If you work behind the bar
A barista moving toward roasting responsibility
Ten Sundays give room to practise roasting decisions with coaching, rather than collecting another short class.
If you will roast in the shop
A café or roastery owner who will personally roast
Develop judgement for the drinks you intend to serve, with individual targets inside a small laboratory.
If Four-Week is complete
A Four-Week graduate ready to continue
The full RM4,490 already paid is credited. Remaining balance: RM6,410. You do not pay again for the same four Sundays.
If teaching is later
A future roasting trainer completing this stage
The Coffee Roasting Trainer Program follows completion of this mentorship. It is a later capability, not this offer.
A business owner primarily needing business model, equipment selection, premises, workflow, costing and launch planning should consider Launch Your Coffee Roasting Business.
Someone beginning with no roasting experience should start with Two-Day Coffee Roasting Fundamentals.
Someone wanting only an official SCA credential may choose the relevant standalone SCA course.
Depth comes from more complete cycles
Ten Sundays create room to investigate, correct, compare and consolidate.
These are the developmental qualities ten cycles make possible. They are not a guaranteed, identical Week 1–10 syllabus, and they do not replace the repeatable Sunday laboratory format below.
- 01
Establish
Identify current habits, goals and beverage targets.
- 02
Observe
Connect roast decisions to physical and sensory results.
- 03
Question
Distinguish assumption from evidence.
- 04
Experiment
Change one meaningful decision.
- 05
Compare
Evaluate rested coffees and competing approaches.
- 06
Refine
Improve control and clarity of intent.
- 07
Adapt
Respond when coffee or service target changes.
- 08
Explain
Articulate why the next decision is appropriate.
- 09
Consolidate
Recognise patterns across repeated work.
- 10
Continue
Leave with a method for further development.
The practice loop
Every Sunday closes one loop and opens the next experiment.
1
Discuss
Q&A and a timely technical or industry topic.
2
Taste
Review rested coffees from previous weeks in their intended finished beverage.
3
Connect
Lunch and community time.
4
Roast
Approximately three hours of individually coached roasting at each student’s own level and target beverage.
5
Check
Short quality-control cupping of the newly roasted coffees.
6
Decide
Review the result and choose the next experiment.
Espresso, milk drink, filter, iced black or another defined service format—the intended finished beverage is the primary feedback loop. Cupping supports QC and comparison, but the finished beverage determines whether the roast is doing its intended job.
One lab. Different levels. Relevant next steps.
Students enter when they are ready. Coaching follows the student, not a numbered lecture.
Each Sunday completes the same full development loop. Students enter after Fundamentals when suitability and space are confirmed. Students can work at different levels because targets and coaching are individual. Shared tasting and discussion expose the group to more coffees and decisions. A maximum of six active students protects the quality of coaching. Tristan follows the student’s developing reasoning across their Sundays.
The rolling model is deliberate. Real roasting work does not arrive as a perfectly ordered textbook sequence. Rolling entry is not unplanned teaching: the laboratory method is fixed; the student’s experiment is personal.
Choose the right depth
Four-Week is a focused development block. Ten-Week is a longer mentor relationship.
Four-Week Development
RM4,490
- Best for
- Fundamentals graduates wanting a focused development block
- Practice
- Four rolling Sunday labs plus final tasting
- Method
- Finished-beverage-led repeated development
- Coaching
- Individual coaching in the Sunday lab
- Progression
- Full RM4,490 credited if progressing
Ten-Week Mentorship
RM10,900
- Best for
- Working or aspiring professional roasters seeking deeper coached development
- Practice
- Ten rolling Sunday labs
- Method
- The same core loop with more cycles for investigation, correction and consolidation
- Coaching
- Longer mentor relationship across ten Sundays
- Progression
- Remaining balance RM6,410 for a Four-Week graduate
You may enter Ten-Week after completing Fundamentals. Four-Week is not compulsory first. It is the appropriate lower-commitment development block for someone not yet ready to commit to ten Sundays.
The roasting lab
Professional development across a real multi-platform lab.
Cottle Coffee Academy in Petaling Jaya is a multi-platform roasting laboratory. Time on a given machine follows the teaching plan for your Sundays—not a guaranteed rotation through every platform.
Platform
Skywalker Cubean Plus
Platform
Kaleido M2
Platform
Aillio Bullet R1 V2
Two valid entry routes
Enter after Fundamentals—or carry your full Four-Week investment forward.
Direct after Fundamentals
Ten-Week Professional Roaster Mentorship
ProgramRM10,900
Fundamentals must be completed first. Four-Week is not compulsory before Ten-Week.
Progressing after Four-Week
The full amount already paid moves forward
Ten-Week Professional Roaster MentorshipRM10,900
Four-Week amount already paidRM4,490
Remaining balanceRM6,410
If you complete the Four-Week Roast Development Program and decide to continue, the full RM4,490 already paid is credited toward the Ten-Week Mentorship. The remaining balance is RM6,410.
What the mentorship develops
The objective is better judgement—not dependence on one recipe.
Define the roast for the drink
Define a roast in relation to its intended beverage.
Plan the experiment
Plan and record experiments more deliberately.
Connect observation to the cup
Connect roast observations with sensory results after rest.
Use the right evaluation
Use finished-beverage evaluation and QC cupping appropriately.
Compare across cycles
Compare results across repeated cycles.
Explain the next change
Explain why a change is worth testing.
Adapt the reasoning
Adapt reasoning as coffee and target change.
Keep developing
Build a repeatable method for continued self-development.
SCA Roasting
Specialty Coffee Association
Optional professional credential
Add official SCA Roasting Professional for RM995.
The mentorship develops practical professional judgement. If the official SCA credential also matters to your goal—and you have completed SCA Roasting Intermediate—you can add the corresponding Professional online course, assessments and certificate during your original enrolment.
Standalone SCA Roasting ProfessionalRM5,990
Mentorship student enhancement+RM995
You saveRM4,995
Combined enrolmentRM11,895
Included with the enhancement
- SCA Roasting Professional online course, completed in the student’s own time; approximately four hours of online learning.
- Downloadable PDF course reference guide.
- SCA Roasting Professional practical assessment, adding approximately three physical hours.
- SCA online written exam completed after the practical assessment in the student’s own time.
- Official SCA certificate after meeting all applicable requirements.
SCA Roasting Intermediate must be completed before SCA Roasting Professional. Intermediate is mandatory. Do not treat Intermediate as merely recommended.
If you are unsure whether a prior credential is eligible, ask Tristan for an individual assessment before treating the enhancement as available to you.
Enrolment preview
RM10,900
Preview: Ten-Week Mentorship — RM10,900. This does not change a cart.
If Intermediate is complete, the enhancement can be selected with the original Ten-Week enrolment: RM11,895 combined. This preview does not validate a credential, reserve a place or accept payment.
SCA Roasting Professional cannot be awarded without SCA Roasting Intermediate. Ask Tristan for an eligibility assessment before assuming the enhancement is available to you.
The RM995 enhancement is available only when selected with the original Ten-Week SamCart enrolment. It cannot be added later at the same price.
The Ten-Week Mentorship includes a Cottle Coffee Academy completion certificate. Official SCA Roasting Professional is an optional credential enhancement for eligible students who select it during original enrolment.
After professional development
Want to teach roasting? Training others is a separate capability.
The Coffee Roasting Trainer Program is a three-day train-and-assess program focused on planning, facilitating and assessing roasting education. The Ten-Week Professional Roaster Mentorship is the prerequisite. It is not an AST credential.
RM4,990
Three-day train-and-assess program after Ten-Week.
Practical information
What you need to know before you apply.
- Program
- Ten-Week Professional Roaster Mentorship.
- Price
- RM10,900.
- Format
- Ten rolling Sunday labs.
- Prerequisite
- Two-Day Coffee Roasting Fundamentals.
- Four-Week
- Helpful but not compulsory; full RM4,490 credited when progressing.
- Group
- Maximum six active students.
- Roasting practice
- Approximately three coached hours each Sunday.
- Mentor
- Tristan Creswick.
- Location
- Cottle Coffee Academy, Petaling Jaya, Greater Kuala Lumpur.
- Entry
- Application and fit conversation. Applying does not reserve a place or guarantee acceptance.
- Optional credential
- SCA Roasting Professional +RM995; SCA Intermediate required.
Application
Tell Tristan where your roasting development stands.
This is a serious ten-Sunday commitment. Your answers help Tristan understand your current level, intended outcome and the most appropriate entry route.
Review the WhatsApp message below, then send it to Tristan. Sending does not reserve a place.
Questions
Before you apply for Ten-Week
Do I need Fundamentals first?
Yes. Two-Day Coffee Roasting Fundamentals is the required practical starting point for the Sunday laboratory.
Is Four-Week required before Ten-Week?
No. Four-Week Development is useful preparation, but it is not compulsory before Ten-Week. You may enter Ten-Week after completing Fundamentals when suitability and space are confirmed.
Can an aspiring roaster apply, or must I already work as a roaster?
Both working and aspiring professional roasters may apply after Fundamentals. Coaching adapts to the student’s current level. Outcomes are not identical for both audiences.
How is Ten-Week different from Four-Week?
Both use the same finished-beverage-led Sunday loop. Four-Week is a focused four-Sunday development block plus final tasting at RM4,490. Ten-Week is ten rolling Sunday labs at RM10,900, with a longer mentor relationship for investigation, correction, comparison and consolidation.
What happens during each Sunday?
The Sunday follows six stages: Q&A and a timely technical or industry discussion; review of rested coffees from previous weeks in their intended finished beverage; lunch and community time; approximately three hours of coached roasting, with each student working at their own level and toward their own target beverage; a short quality-control cupping of the newly roasted coffees; then review the result and choose the next experiment.
Is this a fixed Week 1–10 syllabus?
No. This is not a numbered Week 1–10 theory syllabus. Every Sunday completes the same development loop while each student works at their own level and toward their own beverage target.
How does rolling entry work?
Once Fundamentals is complete and suitability and space are confirmed, a student can enter the laboratory without waiting for a numbered module cycle. The method is fixed; the student’s experiment is personal.
Why is finished-beverage evaluation central?
Because the roast is being developed for how the coffee will actually be served. Cupping supports quality control and comparison; the intended finished beverage remains the primary feedback loop.
How many active students are in the lab?
A maximum of six active students.
How much of the program is practical roasting?
Approximately three hours of individually coached roasting each Sunday, inside ten rolling Sunday laboratories.
Does completion automatically make me a professional roaster?
The mentorship is designed to develop professional roasting judgement through repeated coached practice. Completion alone cannot guarantee a job, title or commercial competence; outcomes depend on the student’s starting point, practice, application and continued work.
How does the Four-Week progression credit work?
If you complete the Four-Week Roast Development Program and continue, the full RM4,490 already paid is credited toward the RM10,900 Ten-Week Mentorship. Remaining balance: RM6,410. You do not pay again for the same four Sundays.
Is SCA Roasting Professional included?
No. Official SCA Roasting Professional is an optional credential enhancement for +RM995, selected during the original SamCart enrolment. The independent Ten-Week Mentorship is not itself SCA-accredited.
What does the +RM995 enhancement include?
The SCA Roasting Professional online course, completed in the student’s own time (approximately four hours of online learning); a downloadable PDF course reference guide; the SCA Roasting Professional practical assessment, adding approximately three physical hours; the SCA online written exam in the student’s own time after the practical assessment; and the official SCA certificate after meeting all applicable requirements.
Do I need SCA Roasting Intermediate first?
Yes. SCA Roasting Intermediate must be completed before SCA Roasting Professional. Intermediate is mandatory for the Professional enhancement.
What if I am unsure whether my Intermediate credential qualifies?
Ask Tristan for an eligibility assessment before treating the enhancement as available to you. The preview on this page does not validate a credential.
Can I add the reduced enhancement later?
Not at the same price. The +RM995 enhancement must be chosen during the original SamCart enrolment. It cannot be added later at the same price.
Can I take SCA Roasting Professional separately?
Yes. Standalone SCA Roasting Professional remains available as a three-consecutive-day course at RM5,990 and requires SCA Roasting Intermediate.
What certificate does the independent mentorship include?
The Ten-Week Mentorship includes a Cottle Coffee Academy completion certificate. Official SCA Roasting Professional is an optional credential enhancement for eligible students who select it during original enrolment.
What can I progress to after Ten-Week?
The Coffee Roasting Trainer Program follows completion of the Ten-Week Mentorship. It is a three-day train-and-assess program at RM4,990, focused on planning, facilitating and assessing roasting education. It is not an AST credential.
When can I begin?
Apply for a fit conversation. Confirmed next-Sunday dates are not published here until they are verified.
Ten Sundays. Ten opportunities to make the next decision better.
Tell Tristan what you roast now, what you want to become capable of and whether you are entering after Fundamentals or progressing from Four-Week.