The Perks of Canterbury’s Online Coffee Training

What fuels Lenka Bohorova’s passion for teaching people about coffee? “I love when I share some new information with my trainees and I see their faces as it all comes together,” says the longtime barista trainer, who is Canterbury’s Coffee’s Training Manager, and creator of the company’s online coffee-training courses—Barista 101, Coffee Brewing, and Drip Coffee. Now that Canterbury is providing online training, she doesn’t always see these transformations face to face. But it’s still rewarding to know they’re happening. 

Lenka joined Canterbury Coffee six years ago, overseeing training for employees, salespeople and customers countrywide. “We had all these branches across Canada, and to deliver training to everyone; to support salespeople and their education, was sometimes challenging,” she recalls. 

One thing quickly became clear: some type of online training—available on participants’ preferred schedule—would be a huge benefit, for employees, operators and trainers alike. The concept was in the early planning stages when COVID-19 came along, pushing the task to the top of Lenka’s to-do list. “It was really the perfect time to do something like this,” she says. A survey of potential platforms led her to Thinkific, a Vancouver-based online training provider.  

She got to work, and the Canterbury Coffee Thinkific site took shape—in impressively short order. She started by setting up three essential classes, catering to distinct segments of the company’s customer base: Barista 101, Coffee Brewing and Drip Coffee. A fourth course, Latte Art, is in the works. 

Thanks to the flexible platform, the courses are self-paced, and a breeze to work through on a mobile phone, tablet or desktop computer. Each one leads off with fundamentals about coffee beans, growing, and regions, before launching into specialized units, customized for the different audiences. Lessons break down into bite-size segments, packed with detailed guides, interactive quizzes and video tutorials. While the courses are enriching on their own, they also form a solid base for future, in-person training, if operators want to go further, Lenka adds.  For larger clients, she can also take the extra step of creating a tailored training package, wrapping in specific brand menus, equipment and recipes.  

The thing with the coffee industry, it’s constantly evolving. Something we used to teach 5 or 10 years ago has changed and we don’t do that anymore.

But for most Canterbury customers, the Thinkific training has proven to be a valuable perk, especially when it comes to staying on top of the latest industry developments, she says. “The thing with the coffee industry, it’s constantly evolving. Something we used to teach 5 or 10 years ago has changed and we don’t do that anymore,” she says. “Instead of going through the process of organizing in-person training sessions for every new development, it can be much quicker and easier to reach your audience this way.” 

This primer covers everything a new barista needs to get started with making espresso, and serving espresso beverages. By the final lesson, participants will be fine-tuning their burr grinders, pulling shots like the pros, and steaming milk to frothy perfection. Along the way, they’ll trace the coffee journey from farm to cup, learning how to use and care for all the necessary equipment, and how to prepare the essential range of espresso-based beverages: Americano, latte, cappuccino, cortado, macchiato. And, of course, how to do it all while delivering an exceptional customer experience. 

This course is a deep dive into everything you need to brew the perfect cup of coffee, using almost any method—from the Aeropress and Moka Pot to the humble-yet-mighty drip machine. After an introduction to coffee production and choosing beans, participants delve into fundamentals of brewing, such as optimal grinding, contact time, extraction and water temperature. A comprehensive guide then walks participants through each brewing method in detail, with step-by-step instructions for mastering the process, and achieving consistently delicious results every time. 

A classic method for brewing tasty coffee, the drip machine is a surefire method for achieving a highly drinkable cup of the good stuff, with minimum fuss. Batch brewers produce large volumes of coffee, fast, by pouring hot water over ground coffee, through a filter and into a thermal carafe—achieving great and consistent results every time. Trainees will come away with a deeper understanding of coffee-brewing principles, commercial drip-brewing equipment such as BUNNServe machines, and essentials for keeping coffee as fresh as possible. 

If your business is already a Canterbury partner, our training is ready and available to you: sign up here.  If not, get in touch—we’d love to share what we know.