Whangārei barista students brew coffees in op shop window

Gold Star's Ingrid Sa'ena-Brown and Family Stores manager Nick Garforth at the back, students Michayla Kennedy and Tahleah Green making the coffee, and barista trainer Britanny Cox.

''Control, surface tension and lovely contrast of cream and foam'' is not a phrase usually served up to describe goods in an op shop.

They are words a trained barista or a coffee fanatic would be familiar with, though, and they'll be heard often in the Salvation Army's Family Store in Whangārei's Vine St over the next five weeks.

During that time, a coffee ''cart'' will operate in the store's front window, with high school students working for level two and three NCEA credits doing a barista course offered by Gold Star Training Ltd.

Two students a day from different local high schools will undergo the hands-on training, with passers-by as well as store customers and staff able to order their favourite coffee style for a minimal charge.

The students will be taught by Gold Star's's barista trainer Britanny Cox, who has 10 years' barista experience and four years as a trainer.

''The point of difference with our course is the practice the students get,'' she said.

''They are learning in a practical working environment, not just theory, but it's not as busy as a commercial cafe.''

Cox is an award winner who was among the top six finalists in the 2018 National Barista Competition and won the Latte Art section.

Not one to stick to the silver ferns or hearts that adorn the cream on many a coffee, Cox's speciality is swirling portraits of customers on the coffee's surface.

The first two students in the Family Store's scheme were Michayla Kennedy and Tahleah Green, in Year 12 at Tauraroa Area School, who in their first morning's lesson made the coffee so glowingly described above.

Both girls said they were doing the Gold Star Training course to learn useful skills, not as part of a career plan.

Gold Star's managing director Ingrid Sa'ena-Brown said while as well as turning out trained baristas, the course would go toward preparing workers for the hospitality and retail industries and offer part time work skills for tertiary students.

''Students wanting to work part time in cafes would already have the qualification. This is a good start for them.''

Gold Star ran retail and other customer service training courses, she said.

Nick Garforth, area manager for Family Stores, said the scheme also raised the store's profile with the younger market.

''We want younger people to come through our doors, not just as customers. We're targeting them as volunteers and even eventually for careers in retail.

''We run very modern shops and we want to bring more young people in,'' Garforth said.

''Having the students here doing this barista course and selling coffees is a win-win for us.''

The price of the students' coffee was to cover the Salvation Army's part of the five week course's costs, with no intention of competing with other businesses, Gardord said.