The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is offering a free course to 90 bartenders, waiters or barbacks (aged over 18) to support Scottish hospitality staff that have either lost their jobs or are suffering due to the COVID-19 crisis with an online WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits.
To apply for a place, please contact your employer or, if you are not currently working, email max@themixingclass.com. All applications must be sent in by midnight on Saturday 17th October. Successful applicants will be notified on Monday 20thOctober. The first course runs from 21st – 22nd October and the second course from 26th – 27th October. Dates are still to be finalised for the final third course.
Hannah Lanfear (pictured) of The Mixing Class will be teaching the courses. All teaching will be via video conferencing but will be supplemented by samples allowing students to taste online together.
The initiative has been supported by Diageo, The Morrison Foundation, Aberfeldy and John Dewar & Sons, The Whisky Exchange, Langley Distillery, Morrison Distillers, Chivas Bros and Gordon & MacPhail.
Liam Scandrett, WSET Business Development Manager EMEA Spirits, said, “This is a very hard time for the Scottish hospitality industry and, in particular, for service staff. By using the power of education, we hope that we can play our part in supporting this beleaguered sector through this difficult period, by upskilling hospitality staff with a globally recognised qualification.”
Max Ostwald (pictured) of The Mixing Class added, “Nobody was prepared for the situation that the hospitality industry is facing. We want to do what we can, where we can to give people some hope and positivity during this stressful period. Educating people is what we do and we feel now, more than ever, people need that focus and feeling of personal growth.”
To find out more about WSET’s Level 2 Award in Spirits course, visit WSET Global.
