In early September we organised barista training for our companions, to help them learn new skills that could help with future employment opportunities. This latest training opportunity was provided by Stuart Summers from the White Label Coffee Co. and covered how to operate a coffee machine, milk texturising techniques and latte art. It followed the launch of our new outdoor café, which opened in June this year at English Heritage site, Archcliffe Fort, where our secondhand shop, accommodation and offices are based.

Stephen Pope was one of the companions (a formerly homeless person now supported by Emmaus Dover) who completed the training. Stephen says: “The training I received was informative and easy to follow from making the perfect cappuccino to a milky latte, this was all finished off with guidance on cleaning the machine and utensils. I really enjoyed the experience.”

Deborah Golden, Community Leader at Emmaus Dover, also joined the session. Commenting on the experience, Deborah adds: “The training was really informative. We were all given the chance to learn how to make a fantastic tasting coffee and each of us had a go at making patterns with the milk.

“Now that we’ve done this session, we’ll have the confidence to serve our customers delicious coffee at our café, hopefully encouraging them to keep coming back for more!”

As well as barista training, we have also organised NVQ study days to help our companions obtain qualifications in warehousing, customer service and English and maths.