Bar for the course

With service standards a key issue, beer, wine and spirits are taking staff training to the next level. Ben McFarland explains.

What with it being February already, it's a good bet that those New Year's resolutions designed to improve your mind, body and soul are beginning to run out of steam. Never mind that the belly may still protrude more than it should or that the gym membership is worth nothing more than a fancy plastic card because the most important muscle to exercise is the rather strange looking one in the head.

Philosopher Francis Bacon, who had eaten a few pies himself, once said "knowledge is power" and never has that maxim been more appropriate for licensees than now. With an increasing number of consumers choosing to drink at home, licensees are under pressure to cajole them into their pub with what the marketing folk call a "premium experience" - and that means knowing your onions with regard to the drinks behind the bar.

There is more to be gained than an extra cheese in a game of Trivial Pursuit. Knowledgeable staff can give customers confidence, encourage loyalty, get them to try new drinks and persuade them to trade up to a more profitable tipple as well as make the whole visit a richer, more engaging experience that they will want to repeat.

For that reason drinks companies are forever banging on about the importance of training and education, and the vast majority are able to provide bespoke courses aimed at improving the look of the pub's profit and loss sheet.

But, in addition to the likes of Diageo's all-encompassing "Every Serve Perfect (ESP)" initiative, Bacardi-Martini's "Pourfection" scheme and the numerous cellar management and education courses offered by regional and national brewers, licensees are now able to take their own knowledge, and that of their staff, to the next level.

Across wine, spirit and beer, the trade has donned its gown and mortar board, sharpened its pencil and dusted down its notebook in an attempt to improve not only the knowledge, but also the passion, of those who work behind the bar.

Beer​

Beer lags way behind wine in terms of education. While it is deemed highly aspirational to be in the know with wine, the same cannot be said for beer. OK, changing a keg, tapping a barrel and being able to spot a dodgy pint are all useful skills but passion and enthusiasm about beer is not as widespread as it should be.

With this in mind, the Beer Academy was set up in June last year in an attempt to provide Britain's drinks professionals and consumers with the first ever comprehensive series of courses on beer.

In a refreshing departure from the individualistic approach that has undermined previous efforts to raise beer's profile, the Beer Academy has received financial and logistical backing from all quarters of the trade. It has raised more than £200,000 and since October 26 patrons, including brewers and trade organisations throughout the UK, have given their financial backing to the establishment of the Beer Education Trust (to be known as the"Beer Academy") .

Following a trial run and hugely positive feedback, the courses are being fine-tuned and the release of a brochure is imminent.

"We cover all styles of beer and the different types of barley and hops," said Rupert Ponsonby, one of the initiators of the scheme. "What we're trying to do is arm publicans with anecdotes and quirky facts that they can take back to the bar."

The founder patrons are trialing the new course formats including the two-and-a-half-hour introduction course, the one-day foundation course and the three-day advanced course. The results will be incorporated into a full launch in the spring.

Wine​

With wine in such growth, the thirst for knowledge has spread beyond the domain of the wine buff to everyday drinkers.

With pubs and bars especially in mind, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has recently launched the Level 1 Foundation Course in Wines (Hospitality) designed specifically as an ideal starting point for licensees and barstaff looking to extend their skills beyond the basics.

The course covers everything from grape varieties to health, safety and legal issues and culminates in a multiple choice paper of 30 questions, a food and wine matching exercise and a portfolio of tasting notes. "It's a fun, interactive course that's designed to give confidence to frontline staff," said Ian Harris, chief executive of the WSET.

• The qualification is part of the national qualifications framework set up by the Department for Employment and Skills and the day-long course will set you back £98.

Spirits​

The WSET has recently launched the Level 2 Professional Certificate in Spirits which intends to provide a basic level of product knowledge of the spirits and liqueurs of the world.

"We did some research and found that people were lacking basic spirits knowledge such as the difference between a brandy and cognac, or a single malt and a blended whisky," said Ian Harris, chief executive at the WSET.

The curriculum is an entertaining and informative whistle-stop tour of brandy, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskies and liqueurs. It covers raw materials, the production process, alcoholic content, tasting, factors affecting the taste of spirits, commercial factors and no small number of impressive anecdotes to charm the pants off drinkers.

"Barstaff can trigger the decision-making process and need to be able to explain why a Tanqueray gin is better than an own-label," Ian added.

• The first WSET course starts on February 17 running every Tuesday evening for seven weeks and costs £269.