Founded in 1889, The Vancouver Club is one of Canada’s most prestigious private members’ clubs. Renowned for its elegant dining, world-class wine and spirits programme, and exceptional hospitality, the club has been a cornerstone of Vancouver’s social and business scene for over a century.
To continue delivering exceptional experiences to its members, the club partnered with WSET to expand its team’s expertise beyond wine and spirits, empowering staff with the WSET Level 2 Award in Beer, staff gained the tools and confidence to engage members with a deeper understanding of beer styles, production and pairings, further enhancing the club’s reputation for expertise and excellence.
“The training has opened up a new world of knowledge for me. I now feel confident discussing beer with members, whether that’s flavour profiles, serving temperature or food pairings. It’s made a real difference in the way I approach my role.”
– Alesandro Marin, Bartender, The Vancouver Club
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The challenge
The Vancouver Club’s team excelled in wine and spirits knowledge but faced a gap when it came to beer. This limited their ability to answer detailed member questions, make informed recommendations and fully integrate beer into dining and event experiences. Recognising the need to uphold its reputation for premium hospitality, the club set out to bring its beer knowledge up to the same high standard as the rest of its beverage offering.
The solution
The WSET Level 2 Award in Beer provided the structured, globally recognised training the team needed. The course offered a blend of theory and tasting, covering everything from beer ingredients and production to styles and food pairings, all delivered by WSET’s expert educators. Studying together fostered a culture of continuous learning and helped connect team members across departments through a shared enthusiasm for beer.
The results
Since completing the course, The Vancouver Club has seen:
- Greater staff confidence in discussing beer production, styles and flavour profiles with members
- Improved guest experiences through more informed recommendations and engaging conversations
- A stronger beer programme, with new selections introduced that reflect the team’s enhanced expertise
- Increased team motivation, as staff take pride in applying their learning across service settings
"WSET training has empowered our team to feel far more comfortable explaining and talking about beer. They feel more in control of our beer products and that confidence translates directly into better service.”
- Ellen Keegan, Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, The Vancouver Club
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