NESPRESSO CONNOISSEUR CLUB

I recently attended a very enjoyable and informative session of the Nespresso Connoisseur Club at the newly opened Nespresso branch at Westfields London in White City. The Nespresso Connoisseur Club was designed to provide Nespresso Club Members with a unique learning experience, especially created for all those who want to develop their knowledge of coffee, understand more about the art of coffee making and how to enjoy it at its finest.

A Nespresso machine – Awesome colour!

There are two types of sessions, both of which are conducted in small groups and last around an hour. One session is known as An Introduction to the Sensory Analysis of Coffee, and this is the session that I attended. This proved to be a fun filled journey where we were shown some of the skills and techniques that the experts use to identify the aromatic profiles of the Nespresso Grand Crus families.

Firstly we discussed personal coffee preferences before diving in to unravel what happens to the flavours and aromas of coffee when we pair it with food. For this we learnt to appreciate three different espressos, pairing them with some unusual food pairings such as jelly beans, and even parmesan and feta cheese! But it all worked wonderfully and went a long way to show how when paired well, the right choice of coffee can go a long way in enhancing the flavour of the food, and similarly how the right choice of food can go a long way in enhancing the flavour of the coffee.

Nespresso Espresso tasters

Coffee and cheese

We also explored the wonderfully complex tastes and fragrances of coffee itself – without any food – in an even attempt to master the art of the ‘slurp’, just like a professional coffee taster would. I really enjoyed the session and found it to be thoroughly informative and useful. It’s ideal for those coffee connoisseurs who want to increase their understanding and enjoyment of fine coffee, expand their knowledge as well as to fine-tune their coffee palate.

The other session is called Making Your Best Coffee Moments Even Better. Although I haven’t tried this one, it sounds just as interesting. For many, the times they drink coffee are the highlights of their day. So this session is all about exploring how you can take the coffee experience even further, not just becoming a true coffee pioneer, but also discovering how you can begin to enhance your favourite coffee experiences.

These sessions are built around sharing the kind of things you love with the Nespresso coffee experts. For example, two classic coffee-drinking moments are breakfast and dinner, and so the Nespresso experts will help you with ideas on how to develop your coffee preferences in new directions and get creative so that you can make coffee and food even more enjoyable.

The Connoisseur Club sessions are complimentary and only available to Club Members and their guests at selected Nespresso Boutiques. Members can sign up online, and places are offered on a first come, first served basis. Check out the Nespresso website.