This product oriented thesis was commissioned by Hard Rock Café Helsinki. The aim was to develop a system to improve confidence for front of house staff when dealing with wine.

The result was a wine training and tasting event as well as a small pocket-sized reference booklet, the ‘HRC wine buddy pad’ which can be used as a back up to training or a helpful reference guide prior to, or in the absence of training.

The thesis is separated into two main sections. Firstly, the theoretical which explores vari-ous elements. In order to measure the validity of the topic it was necessary to look briefly into wine consumption in Finland. Thereafter, theory behind training and the benefits of training and increased knowledge from the perspective of the employer and employee are examined.

The second section concentrates on a description of the products as well as the feedback that was received. The results were positive.

The training sessions can certainly continue in Helsinki. The buddy pad has already been circulated and its use will be mandatory for bar staff and servers. There is a real potential for the buddy pad to be adopted into use by other restaurants in the organisation.