Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
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ROASTERS REALM BY MARCUS YOUNG Training tips to protect your beans and up your value to clients s a professional roaster, you no doubt spend plenty of time perfecting profiles and tasting new coffee options. But how much time do you devote to training wholesale accounts? Teaching others the coffee basics might not be your passion, but it's vital that your company has a quality training program in place. Wholesale training, after all, ensures that roasters' efforts at sourcing and roasting delicious coffees are well represented. Coffee's complex supply chain distinguishes it from other prod- ucts we imbibe. Unlike the makers of wine or craft beer, those who produce coffee—farmers, agronomists, seasonal pickers, mill managers, exporters, importers and roasters—have little insight into the final consumer experience. It's up to the roaster—and his or her training program—to act as quality control for the baristas and shop owners at the end of the chain. Training topics could range from espresso preparation and milk texturing to equipment maintenance and barista certification. Roasters should identify what their wholesale customers need in the way of training, convey to them the importance and value of incorporating training hours into their labor budget, and present a curriculum that meets these goals. IDENTIFYING TRAINING NEEDS Begin any training by articulating educational goals and the 64 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com steps and benchmarks students must meet for success. As retailers understand these goals, they take ownership of their obligation to fully represent the quality of your coffee. No matter a roastery's size, familiarity with the various opera- tions of different clients is key to creating successful trainings. Some wholesale accounts will need little more than a site visit to check their quality and cleanliness. At the other end of the spectrum are entrepreneurs entering their coffee careers, and these individuals often have little experience working behind an espresso machine or preparing coffee. Most fall somewhere in between and employ baristas with a range of experience. Discussions about these shops' business goals, equipment and current preparation methods will yield important informa- tion about the level of training they need. Before delving into training, visit customers and taste their coffee. Trainers knowl- edgeable about specific customers' needs teach more effective classes. Even the most skilled and tenured baristas will ben- efit from a well-designed training program. At a minimum, training provides an opportunity to revisit best practices and to experience a coffee's range of flavors. Ideally, classes will showcase new and improved technique, increase efficiency and workflow behind the bar, provide tips for reducing waste, and introduce baristas to new brewing methods or espresso techniques. continued on page 66 CAROLYN SKYE