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TRTYPES OF Other valuable courses AINING Comprehensive training programs cover multiple topics and offer varied curriculum. Classes that only address espresso and milk texturing miss oppor- tunities to showcase your coffee in many ways. An introduction to coffee's complex supply chain pro- vides context for a barista's role as the final step in coffee's journey from seed to cup. An introductory class may also serve as an opportunity to demon- strate cupping; illustrate what's unique about your coffee; and discuss taste, body, texture and flavor, which are important skills for future trainings. Taste and evaluate each extraction—good or bad— with baristas so that stu- dents truly recognize the difference between a suc- cessfully prepared coffee and a failed one. You may encounter baristas who have never tasted espresso or coffee unadulterated by milk or sweeteners. Students whose only experience of coffee comes from flavored lattes need to taste the backbone of their beverages and learn to recognize quality espresso. Training is an opportunity for baristas to experience your coffee prepared by someone who knows it best. Basic espresso training focuses on repeatable steps and prob- lem-solving skills. The goal should be consistently extracted, deli- cious shots of espresso as well as correctly textured milk. Consider tiered classes (beginning, intermediate and advanced) or certifica- tion programs that provide baristas opportunities for continued improvement and education on increasingly advanced techniques (for example, latte art and extraction ratios). Also, don't let brewed coffee be forgotten—it should be an integral part of your curriculum. Whether your customer prepares drip coffee via a batch brewer, plunge pot or single-cup pour- over, it is important that the brew tastes as great as the espresso. Brewing workshops provide a venue to introduce some of the variables that make an impact on extraction (time, temperature, turbulence and pressure). for coffeehouse opera- tors include bar workflow and equipment main- tenance. In a workflow class, baristas learn ways to most efficiently prepare multiple beverage orders. Equipment maintenance courses offer an immediate way for customers to save money on service calls. Teach them how to replace espresso machine gaskets, dispersion screens, steam valve gaskets and grinder burrs. Technicians charge hundreds of dollars these services. Coffeehouses with large staffs or those with fre- quent turnover will ben- efit from a master class in which a lead barista attends a "train the trainer" class. This reviews not only advanced coffee prepara- tion skills but also encom- passes ways to present cof- fee education to others. No matter the type of class, begin with a focus on easily repeatable instruc- tions. Simple steps are easy to remember. If the coffee isn't performing as expected, then the barista will have a model to follow when troubleshooting. WHERE TO START Barista training is adult education. The SCAA Instructor Development Program is based on established principles of adult education and is a great way to improve the quality of your training. The Barista Guild of America's certification provides an exemplary model of successful barista training, as do a number of private barista schools. Your best barista might (or might not) make the best trainer. People who understand educational con- cepts and are skilled at organizing and disseminating information often make the best educators. Plan your curriculum, develop progressively more challenging classes, devote time to writing lesson plans for each course and evaluate baristas as they complete each class. Ultimately, the goal of incorporating wholesale training into your roasting business is to support your wholesale customers' success by ensuring the cof- fee tastes great for every single order. freshcup.com April 2012 67 for CAROLYN SKYE