Already one of the top five coffee providers, Compass Group UK & Ireland yesterday held its first Hot Beverage Expo for its suppliers and employees, as well as launching for the first time a Barista Apprenticeship Pathway.
These initiatives follow hot on the heels of announcing its recent partnership with the Tolley Brothers, of Taylor Street Baristas, which will see the development of a comprehensive coffee strategy for the food services company.
Taking place at the Madjeski Stadium in Reading, the Hot Beverage Expo had 12 suppliers, including the likes of Costa, Nestle Professional and Twinings, showcasing their product and equipment solutions to over 300 attendees. Through selecting the best suppliers on show, Compass can ensure their offer is always of the highest quality.
Colleagues from the Central Marketing and Foodbuy teams spoke at the event on topics such as choosing the right coffee for different demographics, the size of opportunity offered by hot beverages and tips on increasing transactions through customisation and the addition of seasonal beverages.
The first-of-its-kind Barista Apprenticeship Pathway, launched at the Expo, will offer unparalleled barista training in the industry, due to the breadth of training available.
The apprentices will work towards the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) coffee diploma system (CDS) and accredited tea training with the London School of Tea, in addition to the hospitality service skills training offered as part of the Compass’ apprenticeship programme.
Louise Pilkington, Marketing Director at Compass Group UK & Ireland said, “As one of the leading hot beverage providers in the UK, we are always looking at how we can develop and improve our training for staff and ensure that we have a hot beverage offer that competes with the high street.
'The hot beverage market is expected to double by 2025, and we want to ensure our clients and customers receive the best service and hot beverage, resulting in a positive experience.
“In a highly competitive market place it is imperative we can offer an excellent alternative to the high-street, which can be done by either working with the major brands or continuing to improve our offer through events like the expo.”
Steve Lovegrove, Head of Business Excellence – Central Marketing, commented,
“Launching both our Hot Beverage Expo and dedicated Barista Apprenticeship Pathway demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the hot beverage sector.
'We are working with some of the biggest brands and hot beverage suppliers in the industry and by offering unparalleled barista training for our staff, we can provide our customers with consistent quality hot beverages that exceed expectations every time.”
In March 2016, at the start of National Apprenticeship Week, Compass Group announced their commitment to delivering 1,500 new apprenticeships by 2017.