Shrewsbury speciality coffee roaster unveils training videos to support trade customers

The move is to support customers in gaining the best from their staff and ensure that they fully understand all aspects of being a barista and serving great coffee.

Joanna De Rycke, Director at Iron & Fire, said: “Our passion is firmly in the provision of the very best coffee that the industry has to offer, but we appreciate that a great coffee is based on so much more than simply the quality of the beans.

"If equipment isn’t properly maintained and cleaned, it’ll have a detrimental effect on the overall experience that the customer enjoys.

"Likewise, a barista that hasn’t received the appropriate training to understand the nuances of different coffee types, risks damaging the coffee shops’ reputation.

“We’ve long offered face-to-face training to our trade customers at the outset of a contract, but as they take on new members of staff it’s often useful to have access to on demand content that can be used as a refresher.

"We reviewed the areas that we’re most often asked about and weaved this content into a structured training program with new videos being added all the time.

"We currently offer 24 videos split into six modules and listen closely to our customers in terms of future videos they would find useful.”

Iron & Fire launched its dedicated wholesale website last year with a commitment to supporting its customers with more than simply the supply of their coffee.

The new training videos are split into six distinct modules that cover coffee machine cleaning; espresso preparation; the extraction process; milk texturing; advanced latte art; and drinks preparation.

Joanna added: “Customers, whether in a coffee shop, restaurant, garden centre or other location where coffee is served, have become increasingly discerning and demand a first-class taste experience every time.

"When they’re served a great coffee, it’s not only a positive experience for them, it also drives their loyalty to that venue benefiting that business’s revenue.

“Not investing the time to ensure that every barista is fully trained in all aspects of the coffee making process is a significant risk that anyone in a hospitality setting would be wise to avoid.

"We’ve tested our training videos with some of our existing trade customers who provided very positive feedback, so we hope that they’ll be well received by others across the industry.”

For more, see https://wholesale.ironandfire.co.uk/