Craftbrew Pubs & Staff Knowledge

[Michael]

We see it all around us. Craft beer is taking hold, and the market is responding. Craftbrew pubs are doing well, and a generally better class of beer is finally coming available to the masses.

Having said this, what is the next step? I think it is to build a better knowledge in the staff and craftbrew pubs overall, and to also build better knowledge in the distributorships. (Please note, this is not meant as a slam on any establishment, especially my favourites...you know who you are.)

Too often one goes into a pub looking for a beer that matches his taste for the moment, or wants to pair the right beer with a meal, but the staff cannot adequately give advice. How do we improve this? I have seen certification programs, such as Cicerone, and these look like they can help on the most basic level, but having worked in IT, I am rather jaded on these programs.

Some pubs are very lucky in that they have some people on staff that have a passion for beer. In those cases, the passionate people end doing wonderful, and sometimes the passion becomes infectious with the other staff. This is awesome, but capturing this mentality, and finding the right people must be very hard for a manager or owner. Having said this, if you find these people, snatch them up!

What are your thoughts? How do we take this to the next level? Certainly beer is just as important as wine, if not more so. :)

[Llew Bardecki]

Great post Michael.  This is a subject dear to my heart.

There are now quite a few craft beer bars in Wellington, so we really are spoilt for choice.

And leaving aside location, the main factor that decides where I have a drink is the staff.

If I'm going out for a beer on a weekday evening or a Sunday afternoon, there's nothing I like more than being able to discuss the available beers with a knowledgable barman (or woman) before and after ordering.  (This holds true any time actually, but isn't as practical on a busy Friday night!)

I haven't worked at a bar since I was in uni (and that was only a student run pub) and never in New Zealand, but I reckon the way to go about this is to hire staff based on their passion for the product.  Most of the things that go in to running a bar can be taught, but you can't teach passion.

[Martin Bridges]

I think this is a key issue, not that I claim to have all the answers. There are several components to the issue, I reckon:

- the hospitality industry is quite transitory. Staff turnover is high, so even if you train people they don't tend to be around too long so you have a constant need to re-train

- who should do the education? The brewers? Industry bodies (e.g. the Brewers Guild)? Consumer organisations (e.g. SOBA)? Back in the UK I worked in a Fullers bar, and they ran a training programme for cellar staff which was excellent.

 

I took a look at the Ciccerone programme and it seems a bit over-the-top for our situation here. I'd be interested in what brewers & bar owners think on this one.

[Andrew]

I've been following Brewdogs posts on thier bars in Scotland and the resounding thing people comment on is the passion the staff have for the beers and the knowledge they have. This gets as many mentions, if not more than any beers people tried! I think getting this right would have a much bigger effect than any other single thing any beer advocacy group could do.

[Simon Cooke]

Id have to agree with you there somewhat too...

Ive had both good and bad experiences... (in WGTN btw)
The good experiences usually involve friendly and enthusiastic customer service, happy to serve and happy to let you taste before choosing.
The negative experiences are the next 'tier' down, involving lack of knowledge.
Being a newbish brewer and craft beer drinker myself, one thing i like to do is sample the next beer style I plan to brew. 
(Eg, I recently brewed an oatmeal/choc stout... but had previously not ventured outside Guiness)
Not being able to talk about what Im drinking with the bloke who served it to me is a bit frustrating.

How deep does this go though?... How much knowledge would you find acceptable from a craft beer barman  / woman?

(i.e hops and grains info)

 

 

[Ian Marriott]

An subject close to my heart and one I believe there is no simple answer to. Whilst as Martin correctly points out the industry has a highly transient nature to it , it also fails to attract career hospitality staff because wages and tips are not great in NZ. The major brewers for the most part in the UK have great training regimes in place with certification that is acknowledged within the industry this is not the case here.

 I personally see no substitute for training and development. It is also a fine line between a passionate homebrewer and a good all round bartender with a passion for good service (good bartenders know their product too), personally I opt for the later and try to develop their beer knowledge.

I would at least expect a good beertender to be able to make a suggestion as to what beer I might like based on what style I'd prefer or what I would normally imbibe. I would expect them to give me a basic taste synopsis but as to how the beer was brewed and all its ingredients would be beyond many of both customers and staff.

 

I think it is about a level of professionalism and that should start in house and finding the right people for the right job. My two cents worth.