It was serendipity at work this week as a cafe and barista skills training course at Hoskins Uniting Church coincided with tree trimming works at the site.
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The crew was more than happy to be taste-testers for the VERTO trainees, who were partway through their five day course when the Mercury caught up with them on Thursday morning.
To finish off the training, the crew will be running a free cafe serving morning tea on Friday, September 13 between 9.45am and 12pm. People are welcome to come along, but VERTO trainer Robin Marshall asked people who planned to drop in to call ahead on 0409 111 885.
Ms Marshall said VERTO was one of the few organisations to receive government funding to run the course, which was delivered at multiple sites in the Central West.
"We aim to simulate the way the industry works," she said.
"There's a lot more to it than knowing how to make a piccolo latte."
Participant Craig McNeilly said he was taking part in the program to pick up interim work as he pursued study options.
He said he appreciated the opportunity to learn how to make a great cup of coffee.
"I think the most surprising thing to me was that there was no great mystery to it all," he said.
"There's really no excuse to mess it up, especially considering what you pay for it."
If you're heading through the Hoskins grounds over the coming days, make sure you take note of areas sectioned off for tree works. There may be branches coming down.
Sixty per cent of trees in the Hoskins grounds will be trimmed during the operation under way at the site, including thinning and lopping works ahead of the garden party of open day events coming up next month.
Some of the operations happen from quite a height, so the crew was happy to come down for a well-earned break.
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