The Blend November 2017 by Eljays44

November 2017 Issue 6

TO BOLDLY GO

Exclusive interview with Bold Street Coffee REGIONAL FOCUS

CREAM

BREW BAR SPECIAL

The coffee community in Leeds

Seasonal style in Shoreditch

Add value with hand brewing

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New festive cups! Eco friendly Christmas jumper cups with a lining made from plants, not plastic. Available in green 8oz, red 12oz and blue 16oz, matching compostable lids available.

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WELCOME

“WE’VE REALLY ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW THE INDUSTRY AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE RISE AND RISE OF THE GREAT COFFEE MOVEMENT”

elcome to the November issue of The Blend, our sixth issue since launching earlier this year. It’s been so exciting for us; we’ve really enjoyed getting to know the industry and the people behind the rise and rise of the great coffee movement. Since going to print with the October issue, we had a fantastic time at the lunch! Exhibition, held at the ExCeL in London. We were invited to host a panel session on the seminar programme, and we pulled together an excellent panel of experts – Peter Dore-Smith of Kaffeine, Steve Hawkes of Tina, We Salute You, David Abrahamovich of Grind, Fabio Ferreira of Notes and Henry Ayers of The Gentleman Baristas. Each member of the panel spoke about their rise to the top, how they drove their business to where it currently is and where they think their

Issue 6

businesses will be going in the future. It was very interesting to see how important a role alcohol and the café-bar concept played in the creation and development of these well-known coffee shops. In this issue, we’ve spoken to one of the North’s best coffee shops. Sam Tawil of Liverpool’s Bold Street Coffee discusses combining caffeine with culture, in a city well-known for its fashion and music. We’ve also got a feature on a coffee shop in Suffolk, Applaud, which relies heavily on its fantastic branding; it uses Instagram to fully exploit this aspect of the business. We talk to a host of board game cafés about why good old-fashioned games are at the heart of their businesses, and take a trip to Leeds to talk about the creative world of coffee shops in the Yorkshire city. We’ve also got the latest in brew bars, grinders and Brazilian coffee, and plenty more. Have a great month,

Eljays44 Ltd

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Editorial Managing Editor – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Features Editor – Abbie Dawson abbie.dawson@eljays44.com Editorial Assistant – Max Dodd max.dodd@eljays44.com Production Production Editor – Charlie Cook charlotte.cook@eljays44.com Subeditor – Kate Bennett kate.bennett@eljays44.com Design – Mandy Armstrong Sales Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Brand Manager – Michelle Molloy michelle.molloy@eljays44.com Sales Executive – Craig Savelle craig.savelle@eljays44.com Management Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com

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Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK The Blend is published 10 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2017 subscription price is £95. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts. Whilst every eﬀort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine. We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS 06

NEWS Our roundup of all the latest industry news

TO BOLDLY GO We speak to Sam Tawil, founder of Bold Street Coffee in Liverpool

CHOP AND CHANGE Cream tells us why it makes a point of frequently switching up its menu

OPENINGS We profile five exciting new coffee shops opening around the UK

OUT & ABOUT Keep up with what The Blend team has been doing this month

CAFÉ SOCIETY How Australian-inspired Kaffeine maintains its Antipodean feel at its London locations

STANDING OVATION Discussing good design and Instagram with the owners of Applaud Coffee

UPGRADE YOUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY How to assess your employee offer and make your business an attractive prospect

BOARD GAME INSPIRATION With board games an increasingly popular way to draw in customers, we speak to four cafés about how and why they offer them

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LATEST PRODUCTS Our pick of the best grinders and Brazilian coffees

MEET THE ROASTER We talk coffee sourcing and roaster nicknames with Extract Coffee Roasters

MARKETING: THE BASICS It’s crucial to the success of any business, but what exactly is marketing? We break it down

www.theblendmagazine.co.uk

SPECIAL: BREW BARS In this month’s special, we look at how adding a brew bar to your business’s repertoire can boost profits, as well as rounding up some great hand brewing products

IMPROVE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE The second of our three-part series on taking your customer service to the next level

REGIONAL FOCUS: LEEDS Taking a tour of Leeds’ community-minded independent coffee scene

TRADING WITH: FRACINO Behind the scenes at coffee machine manufacturer Fracino

LITTLE INTERVIEW Quick-fire questions to the people who make up our industry

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NEWS

EWS

BENUGO’S OWNER DINES OUT ON DOUBLE-DIGIT SALES GROWTH

he firm behind Benugo coffee shops, Hix restaurants and the Gherkin’s bar rode the wave of rising leisure spending to deliver double-digit sales growth last year. WSH International Investments posted a 12% rise in revenues, taking £732m, while underlying earnings jumped by almost 13%, to £62m. The cost of a refinancing meant pretax profits shrank by a third to £5.8m. WSH now has access to a £240m loan, its latest accounts show. Benugo’s turnover topped £100m for the first time in 2016 as the coffee shop spread

across London and beyond. The business also includes the oyster and champagne specialist Searcys, a joint venture with the restaurateur Mark Hix, and a catering operation. Dividends of £6.5m were paid to the firm’s former owner-managers, although they have agreed to take smaller payments in future as part of the recent refinancing. www.benugo.com

STARBUCKS INVESTORS PRESS COFFEE CHAIN FOR CHANGE ON UNEQUAL FAMILY LEAVE

tarbucks has been told that baristas, fathers and

adoptive parents have grounds for complaint over benefits for corporate employees. At the

PAUL HOLLYWOOD AND SSP OPEN KNEAD AT EUSTON STATION

annual meeting of Starbucks shareholders in March, executives were

he collaboration of SSP UK and Paul Hollywood saw

confronted by a barista who demanded more

Knead opened at London Euston rail station on

paid family leave for new mothers like her.

Saturday 23 September. Knead will be open to travellers and

This month, a group led by Zevin Asset

passers-by every day – 7am to 10pm Monday to Friday, 8am

Management announced it would pressure

to 10pm Saturday and Sunday.

Starbucks to inform shareholders of whether its

Serving handcrafted barista coffee with a bespoke coffee roast, Knead will also be open for breakfast, serving a wide range of breakfast classics including breakfast sandwiches, porridge, pastries and sausage rolls. The lunch menu is focused around hearty handmade pies, mash and gravy, sausage rolls (sold

paid family leave policy – which offers less leave to retail workers than to corporate employees – might count as employment discrimination. “Paid family leave is a huge factor in how

by the inch), deli sandwiches, salads and a selection of grab and go desserts and cakes. All the

well women can stay involved in the workforce

ingredients have been specifically selected by Paul.

after having a baby,” said Pat Tomaino, Zevin’s

Paul Hollywood said: “Knead has been a project I’ve been working on for some time, and I can’t

associate director of socially responsible

wait for you to come and experience what we have created. We have worked really hard to give our

investing. “Women and their families benefit

customers something different, making sure we use the best possible ingredients and give customers

from equal and generous paid family leave – but

the greatest service. Just wait until you taste the difference in my bacon butties and sausage rolls!”

companies do too.”

www.hospitalityandcateringnews.com

www.starbucks.co.uk

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NEWS TORQUAY COFFEE SHOP STOPS SERVING COW MILK ‘BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T WANT IT’

ON THE WEBSITE THIS MONTH - www.theblendmagazine.co.uk -

coffee shop owner says it has stopped

Coffee Shop Bootcamp 2017 report

serving cow milk because there is so little

The UK’s first Coffee Shop Bootcamp kicked off

demand for it.

on 20 September at the Union Hand Roasted

The Kind Grind in Lucius Street, Torquay, uses

campus in South Crescent, London. Hosted

vegan milks made from plants instead. Owner Steffi Rox says it is the first in Torquay to go fully vegan – using no animal-based products.

by Andrew and Claire Bowen, authors of the “When we opened we were offering cow’s milk

bestselling book The Daily Grind, and John

as one of our options to go in coffee, but we have

Richardson of the Coffee Profit Lab, who is

found the demand for it just isn’t there,” Steffi

also the writer behind Wake Up and Smell the

aiming to be as ethical as possible in everything

said. “As an ethical business that cares about the

Profit, the bootcamp was teeming with industry

it does. The inside is furnished with sustainable

environment, animals and health, it just didn’t

knowledge to help educate all the attendees.

and reused material, and it uses biodegradable

seem logical to continue with it.”

The coffee shop opened three months ago,

takeaway packaging. When it opened in June it was the first outlet

Steffi added that vegan milks and lifestyles have become a popular choice, with large

Charcoal lattes demystified

in Torquay to join the global ‘suspended coffee’

companies such as Ben & Jerrys adding vegan

A large segment of the coffee industry seems

movement – allowing customers to buy an extra

products to their offerings. Tesco recently

to gravitate around the latest health trends,

drink to go free to someone in need.

reported that th consumer demand for vegan

and the newest one on the scene seems to

and vegetarian food had soared by 40% in the

be the charcoal latte. Its jet-black latte art

estate agent, with help from her partner, builder

past year.

has sent Instagram into a frenzy, forcing a lot

Simon Savin.

www.devonlive.com

of coffee shops to jump on the bandwagon

The business was set up by Steffi, a former

and begin chalking it up on the menu – but is it really all it’s cracked up to be? The Blend

REBEL KITCHEN BECOMES A CERTIFIED B CORPORATION

unravels the numerous health claims behind the new brew on the block, to find out whether it deserves a spot on the menu.

ebel Kitchen is a plant-based brand

and environmental performance, accountability

that is recognised for its commitment to

and transparency,” said Rebel Kitchen co-

higher standards of social and environmental performance. It is proud to announce that it

founder Tamara Arbib. B Corp certification is to sustainable

Seven handy uses for old coffee grounds Coffee shops across the UK get through a

has been certified as a Certified B Corporation,

business what organic certification is to food.

tremendous amount of coffee, naturally

joining an alumnus of forward thinking

B Lab, the non-profit organisation that certifies

leading to a lot of leftover coffee grounds,

companies, with a combined revenue of $36bn,

and supports B-Corporations, conducted

which are usually thrown out. With

that are using business as a force for good.

a rigorous evaluation of Rebel Kitchen to

environmentally conscious customers easily

“Rebel Kitchen chose to become a Certified B

determine that it meets the comprehensive

swayed into visiting a café with ‘green

Corp so that we could stand up and be proudly

performance standards required to qualify.

credentials’, using leftover coffee grounds can

measured against the highest standards of social

“As a conscious business, we will always be

be a powerful marketing tool.

committed to sustainability in everything we do. We believe in a future where companies not only

Alchemista redefining Norwich coffee scene

compete to be the best in the

Alchemista is the new kid on the block in

world, but also the best for the

Norwich’s expanding coffee scene – an Asian-

world,” continued Tamara.

inspired artisanal coffee brand that is set

Rebel Kitchen produces a

to take the area’s discerning coffee drinkers

range of organic and sustainably

by storm. The Blend speaks with director

sourced coconut-based drinks

Jon Bunning about the new store’s opening,

and snacks, which are sold in

the inspiration behind it, and its work with

more than 20 countries around

Steampunk coffee machines.

the world. www.rebel-kitchen.com

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OPENINGS

OPEN

INGS

FORTYFIVE VINYL CAFE York FortyFive is York’s first coffee shop-cum-record store, offering an extensive selection of new and collectable vinyl, Yorkshire-roasted coffee, snacks and sandwiches. Managers Dom White, Steve McNichol and Dan Kentley Covers 30 seats, or 60 for events Design inspiration Friendly and relaxed Roaster Indy Coffee Roasters Espresso machine None – all done by filter Grinder Fracino C6 www.fortyfiveuk.com

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OPENINGS

BEAR Derby BEAR is a coffee shop, kitchen and bar, providing an all-day dining experience with a passion for great coffee. Owners Craig Bunting and Michael Thorley Covers 75, or 150 standing Design inspiration BEAR encompasses many things, from fresh coffee to fresh ingredients in the kitchen. Outdoor space, natural colour and light have all influenced the style Roaster Own blend of coffee Espresso machine Sanremo Café Racer Grinder Victoria Arduino www.bearcoffeecompany.com

BRICKWOOD COFFEE & BREAD

ALCHEMISTA

CAFÉ MIMOSA

Streatham Green, London

Norwich

South Norwood, London

Brickwood Coffee & Bread is one of the most authentic Aussie and Kiwi influenced cafés in London, with a focus on fresh, creative brunch and full table service.

Norwich’s Alchemista is an Asian-inspired artisanal coffee brand, aiming to offer an exciting experience for the most discerning of coffee drinkers.

Gary Thomas, a father-of-one who used to daydream about owning the perfect coffee shop during business meetings; with Café Mimosa, he has managed to turn his dream into a reality.

Owner Jayke Mangion and Andy Bell Covers 55 Design inspiration Australian and New Zealand coffee shops Roaster Caravan Coffee Roasters Espresso Machine La Marzocco Grinder Mazzer Robur www.brickwoodlondon.com

Owner Dennis Bacon Covers 40 Design inspiration Steampunk with an Asian influence Roaster Union Espresso machine La Marzocco Linea Grinder Mythos One and Mazzer Major www.bearcoffeecompany.com

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Owner Gary Thomas Covers 30 plus Design inspiration To create a welcoming, relaxed environment for everyone Roaster Coburg Coffee Company Espresso machine Coburg Coffee Company www.cafe-mimosa.co.uk

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OUT & ABOUT

O ut & about

HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE

It’s been a busy month for The Blend team. We exhibited at this year’s lunch! show, where we got to meet the people behind some incredible food and drink brands, as well as hosting a panel with some of the industry’s finest. We also met the team at Espresso Solutions, took a trip to Bristol to discover what’s going on in the city’s coffee scene, and, as usual, consumed a lot of caffeine.

Coffee and cake at Café Coho, Brighton

Meeting the team at Espresso Solutions

The Little Treats Bakery

Press Coffee, Fleet Street

Abbie at lunch!

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Waste fighting snacks!

Union Coffee

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OUT & ABOUT

Our wonderful panelists at lunch!

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs

Max tries cold brew at Coffee Shop Innovation

We met Mat North at Full Court Press

Coffee at Caravan

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A visit to Tincan in Bristol

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16/10/2017 15:05

BUSINESS

MARKETING: THE BASICS How exactly would you define marketing? Mark McCulloch, founder and CEO of WE ARE Spectacular, breaks it down

he marketing guru Philip Kotler defines marketing as “the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires. It defines, measures and quantifies the size of the identified market and the profit potential. It pinpoints which segments the company is capable of serving best and it designs and promotes the appropriate products and services.” Marketing works. I would say that, wouldn’t I? However, I do believe it, and dedicate my life to proving it does. The simplest way to prove it really does work is to do nothing (and I mean zero) and measure your sales, then do something and measure your sales again. I do wish it was as simple as that. With marketing, there are so many variables at play, which is why it’s never a sure-fire thing. It is a series of assumptions, ideas, plans and executions that should always result in a positive return on investment (ROI). Marketers can tell you what they like but sales are the only metric, so don’t be distracted by anything else. The factors that can affect any campaign are insight, strategy, ideas, creativity, spend, chosen media channels, length of campaign, bespoke execution across all channels, energy and team engagement. The issue is that our industry’s definition of marketing is different from its true purpose and this will affect the ROI from any marketing. Marketing is usually seen as promotions or communications for short term gain. Clients come to us and ask the classic question: “Can you raise our sales by £5k per week, please?” Yet they have a budget for three months’ activity and expect a shot in the arm to then help sustain the sales gap forever. However, if you revisit the fundamental definition of marketing, this can help you to focus and reset your thinking. Instead of seeing marketing as a sales booster (short term discounts or promotions), look at everything as a whole. Kotler’s ‘four Ps’ – Product, Price, Place and Promotion – are still relevant today and this is where I would start. I would also add some more Ps in there for good measure. Often the issue lies in at least one of the following...

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Product: Talk to your customers and examine the market to find out if your product is good enough, or if a competitor has leapfrogged you. Price: Look at your pricing – you may even be too cheap. Reengineer your pricing to ensure an upsell for every visit. Place: If you are miles off-pitch, then you are going to have to do a lot of work to make your business a destination. It’s not impossible – but next time, do better. Perception: Reviews, word of mouth and what people think about you. If you are scored 2.3 on Google reviews or TripAdvisor then forget doing a 50% off promotion or a new type of coffee. Fix whatever is wrong first. People: Make sure you have aces in places – living and breathing brand ambassadors. Never scrimp on this. Hire slow, fire fast. Promotion: Once the other parts are in place, then you are in a position to promote all of your USPs and the great things about your business.

Mark McCulloch Founder & group CEO of WE ARE Spectactular Mark has 15 years’ experience in brand, marketing, digital, social and PR. He worked in agencies before working clientside at lastminute.com, then moved to senior positions at Barclaycard, YO! Sushi, Blinkbox Music & Pret A Manger. WE ARE Spectacular has worked with leading pub, food, beer and wine clients including Fuller’s Inns & Hotels, IBIS hotels, Small Batch Coffee & Bill’s. www.wearespectacular.com Twitter/Instagram: @spectacularmark

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BUSINESS

UPGRADE YOUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY Focus on what your business offers potential employees, and on diversifying the ways you look for them, says Jay Staniforth of Vacancy Filler Recruitment Software

working environment, but competitors might also have that. Pay, conditions, flexible working, training, holidays, company culture and working hours are all important, but your reputation and profile also have a part to play, particularly on social media.

actors such as a potential post-Brexit immigration cap, the national living wage and the apprenticeship levy will probably continue to make recruiting a challenge for the foreseeable future. By focusing on two key areas, however, businesses can improve their chances of finding the right employees. The first thing to look at is the ‘employee offer’ and strategies around retention. Though your recruitment needs may often be for temporary seasonal workers, ensuring that previous tried-and-proven candidates return when needed can save you time. The second area of focus is your recruitment strategy. Experimenting with different options and widening the pool of people you look for can all help. Don’t forget that assistance is available from the government by way of recruitment advice and even finding employees. The employee offer What is it that makes your coffee shop stand out? It might be in an attractive building and good location, with a good

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Company profile Social media can be really important for recruitment, but before you can target candidates, you need to build up your profile with an informative and interesting company page and up-to-date activity and content. Do you have a good website, regular blog postings, an attractive Facebook, Linked In and Twitter presence? Does your brand stand out? As well as encouraging more customers to visit and local media to include you in their ‘local amenities’ roundups, a wellpromoted brand identity can help candidates to feel confident that they are applying to work for an organisation that cares about its profile, and, by extension, its employees. In addition, use apps that enable you to keep in touch with past recruits, to keep them up to speed with what you are up to and when you are hiring. These employee engagement apps can be inexpensive and easy to operate, and ensure you stay connected with your staff, past, previous and potential. Recruitment strategies Apart from shop notices and advertising in the local media, online recruitment systems can be very effective. Even small businesses can use these on an ad-hoc basis to post on multiple job boards at the same time, and it helps you sift through candidates, acknowledge their applications and even invite them to interviews, all through one system. An added advantage is that you can encourage quality past candidates, whose details you can keep on the system, to apply again. Finding the right people can be a challenge, but also exciting and rewarding. Using a combination of these methods may just help you find those people who will be key to your success. Jay Staniforth is marketing director at Vacancy Filler Recruitment Software. www.vacancyfiller.co.uk

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16/10/2017 09:02

BUSINESS

IMPROVE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE In the last issue, we looked at why it is important to know what you’re currently doing in terms of customer service. The second part of our customer service guide moves on to staff involvement

It’s vital to capture customer comments and the results of mystery shopper exercises so you can understand which areas you need to improve in. Your next step is to get your staff involved, to really take your customer service standards to the next level. Here’s how to do that. Involve and empower team leaders and managers Ask team leaders and managers to review your plans for customer service training. Provide an overview of the training session, so that they reinforce the learning with follow-up coaching and support. In addition, ask managers to provide you with feedback on the changes they have observed following the training, and to share information on the overall progress made. It’s important to ensure your team leaders and managers are well equipped to solve problems and can overcome most barriers to resolve customer service issues. For example, you could get a senior manager to introduce the first training session, to explain why it’s so important. Willing managers may even support you with practical demonstrations and knowledge sharing.

If you get your staff members involved, each one of them will feel that they are a valued member of the team. You may even motivate them to come up with some ideas on how to improve what they are doing. When you allow staff to own their ideas, you can guarantee they will be more passionate about them.

“IF YOU GET YOUR STAFF INVOLVED, THEY WILL FEEL THAT THEY ARE VALUED MEMBERS OF THE TEAM”

Involve staff in the ongoing development of training Create a survey for staff to ensure you are focusing on their needs and can incorporate their ideas – and ensure you give them feedback on their ideas for improving customer service. In addition, after the training, ask staff how they would like to keep the momentum going afterwards. For example, you could set up customer service forums, and incorporate customer service refreshers into daily briefings and team meetings. Reward excellent customer service Reward good service through your usual performance reviews, as well as considering a reward scheme – your high scoring employees could win a customer service excellence award each month. Successful schemes usually involve nominations from staff themselves, as well as from managers and team leaders who monitor customer feedback.

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1/19/17

3:39 PM

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INTERVIEW

TO BOLDLY GO

Established by Sam Tawil in 2010, Bold Street Coffee was Liverpool’s first speciality coffee shop. The Blend caught up with Sam to find out more about the business and how he combines caffeine with culture

am Tawil worked in restaurants and bars while at university, and fell in love with making coffee. In his spare time he researched the industry and discovered ways to make better coffee, before going on to work as a manager at a local chain. “I went to get a job so that I could learn more,” he tells us. “That was back in 2004, so it certainly wasn’t speciality coffee, but it was good for the time.” After a while, Sam decided it was time to work for himself, and so set up a coffee machine in the back of his Volkswagen transporter van. “Putting a coffee machine in the back of the van was more achievable for me as the first stage of running my own business. My sister and I toured around, going to events and festivals. Lots of people do that now, but at the time there weren’t many who did it.” During this time, Sam started to look for somewhere to open a coffee shop, and the one that he used to work at on Bold Street suddenly closed. While the premises were a little more expensive than the others Sam had looked at, he had the confidence to go ahead with it because he knew that its predecessor had had a loyal following. Bold Street Coffee opened in May 2010. Early on the scene and the first of its type in Liverpool, Sam admits that at first, he did get people ➝

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INTERVIEW

asking for larger, hotter drinks. “We we’re selling loads of lattes, but we had a brew bar and gradually more people started having a filter coffee and getting into the flavour. Now, we sell loads of flat whites – more than everything else put together.” Sam took inspiration from Flat White in London, but knew that at the time in Liverpool the customers wouldn’t react as well to a specialist offering of coffee, croissants and cakes. Instead, Sam created a broader offering to suit his varied clientele, curating a simple food menu. A modern menu “I wanted the menu to be accessible, simple and not that expensive. It’s something which we’ve developed over time and we now do a 50/50 food split,” Sam tells us. “We’ve only got a tiny kitchen, so we can’t do loads of different dishes. We sell a lot of scrambled eggs and we have a more modern brunch menu now, which we serve until 4pm.” Sam also puts a lot of effort into ensuring that Bold Street Coffee caters to those who require a

“I’VE ALWAYS TRIED TO MAKE THE SHOP EASY AND FRIENDLY. WE’VE GOT REGULARS WHO WE KNOW WELL”

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healthier option, as well as those adhering to vegan and gluten free diets. Promoting the brand Before Instagram became such an excellent tool for promotion, Sam created a buzz around the business by documenting the step-by-step process of the development and fit-out on a blog. “I think now it would be easier to promote a new business because Instagram is so good, but when we opened it was Facebook and the website,” he says. “The website got a lot of hits and people liked seeing the story from start to finish. I also put an advert into a local music magazine.” Coffee & culture Liverpool is known for its music, and Sam pays homage to this by playing only vinyl records in the shop. He has a large collection himself, and customers are welcome to come in and play their own. Because of this, the music in the shop changes genre regularly – which Sam believes reinforces that the shop is accessible to anyone. “I’ve always tried to make the shop easy and friendly. We’ve got regulars who we know well and they all come in and create such a nice atmosphere. We try not to be pretentious. At first we really wanted to push the coffee, but some people really don’t want that. If they do, we’re happy to talk about it, but if they don’t we’re not looking down on them.” As well as music, Bold Street Coffee has various pieces of art displayed, which are changed monthly; one of the employees takes control and selects a different artist each month. Sam explains that this ➝

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INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

“IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT THINGS HAVE A POINT”

has gone down well with customers, and that Bold Street now has a waiting list for exhibitions, meaning that they can be more selective. The plain white walls and generous space allow for the artist’s work to be a key focal point, something that Sam considered when designing the shop. He worked closely with an architect friend to create a minimal, simplistic look that he could embellish with purposeful things. “I’m no expert but I do enjoy art, and it’s important for me that things have a point,” he explains. “I don’t like things to go up for the sake of it. The guy who curates the exhibitions does a great job, and having the one person pick every time gives it a little bit of continuity.” Staff training Bold Street Coffee currently employs 10 members of staff, though this number changes depending on how many are working full and part time positions at a given time. All staff are trained on-site and work up to head barista level – they begin working front of house, serving tables and taking orders, and then move on to tills before learning to make coffee. “It’s important that they know what we’re selling before they

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start making coffee, working with a more experienced barista at first,” says Sam. “It takes a while to get people to be able to do it both to a high standard and quickly for our busier times. They might be able to make one coffee but they can’t make three flat whites, a latte and an Americano straight away.” What lies ahead Sam admits that he’s wary of expanding in terms of taking the same model elsewhere, because he wants to have the best coffee shop – and it’s much harder to have two of the best. He currently works with a local bar and music venue, as well as a nearby bakery, providing their speciality coffee offering, and that’s something which takes up a fair amount of his time. Despite this, he’d never say never when it comes to the idea of opening another coffee shop. “I would like to do another one but maybe somewhere a little bit different, somewhere that isn’t a city,” he tells us. “I wouldn’t mind helping to create a market somewhere. If something really good came along I’d definitely think about it.”

www.theblendmagazine.co.uk

16/10/2017 08:57

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16/10/2017 11:15

FEATURE

“YOU’RE NOT JUST GOING UP TO THE BAR AND HAVING THE SAME AVOCADO TOAST AS EVERYONE ELSE”

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www.theblendmagazine.co.uk

16/10/2017 09:08

FEATURE

CHOP AND CHANGE

Cream is a food-led speciality coffee shop in Shoreditch, offering an everchanging food and drink menu. The Blend speaks to co-founder Magnus Reid

et up in 2015, Cream’s menu incorporates daily alterations to allow for changing seasonal produce and factor in what is available fresh and locally at a given time. High quality food is at the forefront of the business, as is offering something different to the other coffee shops in Shoreditch. “When we opened, we consciously wanted to offer both the safer side of a menu and more interesting dishes that weren’t typical of a coffee shop,” says Magnus. “In the beginning, we changed the menu daily. It’s more relaxed now, but it changes enough that there’s something different every day. It’s constantly evolving.” Magnus decided to change the menu daily because he and his friends in the industry found that they never went to cafés for lunch, finding the food offerings dull. They wanted a café that could be used more like a restaurant – a concept that is common in Magnus’s native Australia, but that they hadn’t found in England. “I like the idea of having table service and being able to sit down and have a couple of bits to share or have a main each. There’s more of a formality around eating at Cream – you’re not just going up to the bar and having the same avocado toast as everyone else.” Another benefit of a changing menu is that it encourages conversation between customers and staff. Magnus suggests that the unique dishes give someone an excuse to ask questions, meaning they interact with the staff about the menu, rather than just ordering their food. “Once you open a conversation, you’ll get loyalty from a customer,” says Magnus. “You’re giving them something extra.” To source fresh ingredients, the team at Cream uses the main markets around London, as well as importers from the French and Italian markets. They develop the menu based on what’s available

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seasonally at the markets, working closely with suppliers and occasionally buying their ingredients direct from farmers and day boats to get the best and freshest. In terms of coffee, Cream serves Dark Arts coffee and rotates a single origin into its offering on a weekly basis. It buys the coffee in 25kg batches, and offers filter, cold brew and espresso options. Customers react well to the regular changes in both food and drink. “Customers know the vibe and the regulars are excited about new things,” says Magnus. “You get people hassling you to put something that they haven’t seen for a while back on the menu, but that’s fine because, again, it encourages interaction with the customer, which you might not get if you had the same menu every day. “For the staff, working in a café can be quite monotonous because you do see the same people every day, and changing things up a bit just makes it interesting for people. I don’t want our chef to get bored, so we give him a lot of free rein and he is good at creating things that are interesting.” In terms of cost, Magnus says that the fresh food costs the same over the course of the year as if he were to order repeat produce. There are variations throughout the year, with some produce being more expensive, but he finds it levels out overall. The team changes suppliers depending on who’s got the best offering at a particular time, which varies because of where the season starts. This also means that the produce lasts longer and results in less waste. “If the food hasn’t had to travel far, it will stay fresh for much longer, and you’ve got a lot more time to use it in various dishes when you compare it to something that has been in transit for almost a week and only has a couple of days left,” says Magnus. “That’s when things are wasted.”

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FEATURE

CAFĂ&#x2030; SOCIETY Is the UK coffee scene on track to become as big as that of Australia? The Blend speaks to Peter Dore-Smith of Kaffeine to get his opinion and to find out how he maintains his Melbourne roots in his central London coffee shops

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FEATURE

“

came to London for the first time in 1995 and stayed for a few years, and when I went back to Melbourne I noticed that there had been a change in the café culture,” Peter tells us, remembering his early contact with the Australian speciality coffee scene. “They had places that were architecturally designed and food-led, and they’d found a way to make coffee taste a bit better.” When Peter returned to London in 2005, a few speciality shops had opened and experienced a degree of success. He saw that there was a market for a hospitality-led coffee shop that was reminiscent of the places he’d seen in Australia, and decided that he could fill that niche. “I knew that there were Australians living in London, as well as people who’d travelled to Australia and experienced that café culture and wanted to experience it again,” he says. Good food and good service The coffee scene in Australia is part of the country’s culture, with people going out for coffee with their friends from a young age. Many cafés are fooddriven and allow for all-day eating, with food cooked to order and table service. Coffee shop owners put a lot of effort into serving great ingredients that are sourced properly – locally where possible, and sometimes even foraged – in order to create a highquality offering.

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“We use a lot of that influence at Kaffeine,” Peter says. “The main thing is creating a happy place to be. When we opened we knew that we could make a difference by offering fast, efficient and friendly service. What you’re trying to do is create a space where people want to hang out. People want to sit back, relax and be looked after, and get nice food and nice coffee at the same time. “What we can’t do at Kaffeine is cook food to order; all our food is made on the premises and displayed. That’s the main difference between us and the cafés over in Australia – but we do try to bring in nice, fresh, seasonal produce.”

“PEOPLE ARE GOING OUT TO DRINK COFFEE INSTEAD OF ALCOHOL”

On the right track With the rise in both the number and popularity of speciality coffee shops, and an increased customer interest, Peter believes the UK could be on-track to having a coffee scene as big as that in Australia. “The growth of coffee shops in the UK is just going to keep rising, whether it’s more shops opening or more people going out, drinking coffee, socialising and having that as a part of their daily life. “The UK is clearly heading towards a state where people are going out to drink coffee instead of alcohol. It’s a combination of a new generation coming through, people leading slightly healthier lifestyles than they used to, and the fact that there’s the opportunity to go to all these places now.”

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FEATURE

STANDING OVATION

Opened in 2013, Applaud Coffee is the dream business of sisters Hannah Huntly and Beth Cook. The Blend catches up with Beth to talk events, Instagram, and how food and design can work together to create a successful business

“

“THE TEAM WORKS TO CREATE DRINKS, CAKES AND OTHER FOOD DISHES THAT PHOTOGRAPH WELL”

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y sister and I weren’t happy in our jobs and thought that, with the amount of time we spend working, we should be doing something we love,” Beth tells us. “We’ve always wanted to work together.” The pair saw a gap in the Ipswich market for a speciality coffee shop, and spent a lot of time researching and visiting areas that were already ahead of the game. After about a year, a property became available on their preferred location of St Peter’s Street – a street with great character that is slightly out of the town centre, and one that many of Ipswich’s independent shops choose to set up on. Promoting the brand Hannah and Beth pride themselves on serving homemade, high quality products with excellent customer service. On top of this, they have a strong sense of design and a knack for paying attention to the details. “Our logo is clean and minimal with a hand drawn typeface, which gives us a more personal touch,” Beth tells us. “Hannah studied illustration at university and designed the logo herself.” For Applaud Coffee, Instagram is the best tool for promotion. “We are quite creative, and Instagram is really led by creativity,” says Beth. “Our shop’s design makes it easy to take great images.” The team works to create drinks, cakes and other food dishes that photograph well, carefully considering how everything looks – from the cups and saucers to the blackboard typography to the way the cakes are displayed. “We post on our account a couple of times a day, and vary our posts to keep our customers interested and involved,” Beth tells us.

Food “Food is a big part of our business,” says Beth. “When we started we had a small food offering, and we’ve grown it into something larger. When people go out for a coffee they’ll often want breakfast or something savoury, such as a cheese scone.” The café’s brunch has a large following, and its lunch menu is changed monthly to remain seasonal; salad bowls are served in summer and homemade soups in winter, for example. “We try to make sure that someone who is vegan or gluten free will have breakfast, lunch and cake options,” Beth tells us. “We also offer soya and oat milk – we’re quite mindful of allergies and dietary requirements, and we try to cater for everyone.” Events Applaud Coffee offers afternoon tea, which has proved very popular. “It’s always nice to take someone out for afternoon tea, and it’s a lovely way for us to showcase some of our favourite cakes,” says Beth. “We use pretty teacups and serve the afternoon tea on a board, which fits in with our style better than the typical tea stand.” Hannah and Beth have an event calendar, which they keep up to date with a few events each month. The events include pop up restaurant nights, where a chef comes in to provide the food, as well as creative workshops such as screen printing or paper cutting. There is also a monthly drawing club, with a local artist invited to lead it each time. “Our whole team is very creative minded, and so having these events is really important to us,” says Beth. “It really adds to the community feel, bringing likeminded people together.”

www.theblendmagazine.co.uk

16/10/2017 08:50

FEATURE

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FEATURE

BOARD GAME

INSPIRATION

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The media is increasingly reporting that the café market is ‘reaching saturation’, with a limited number of growth years remaining. Consequently, many coffee shops are trying to find their own niches, in order to turn their stores into destinations. Incorporating board games is fast becoming a fashionable way for a café to carve out a niche in its area, drawing people in with their revitalised popularity and a retro appeal that brings back nostalgic childhood memories. Newer games with strong cult followings, such as Cards Against Humanity, have injected a contemporary feel into the gaming market, helping board game cafés to appeal to a younger audience and working well within a café-bar hybrid offering. Including board games also offers opportunities to increase profits, from cover charges to retail sections to additional sales from prolonged stays. The Blend speaks with four of the UK’s market leading board game cafés to find out how they incorporate board games into their business and how profitable the experience has been.

www.theblendmagazine.co.uk

16/10/2017 08:51

FEATURE

THE DICE CUP

NOTTINGHAM

DAVID JOHN SMITH, MANAGING DIRECTOR How are board games incorporated into The Dice Cup? Board games are the real essence of what we do. We sell board games directly to consumers in-store and offer the space for them to play one from our selection of 500 games – or they can bring their own, after paying a cover charge. Which board games prove to be most popular? It depends on the customer group, which varies at different times of day. People who are newer to board games will commonly pick up more familiar titles such as The Game of Life, whereas experienced players will look for intriguing, lesser known games. In terms of recommendations for new customers, we suggest quick games such as Battle Sheep that can be taught within five minutes, getting them engaged fast. Does incorporating board games improve the café’s profitability? We were purely a game store for six years and then opened the café after going into business with some partners – taking the opposite approach to most board game cafés. As The Dice Cup is a vegan café, we could draw in a larger audience who were interested by this, and some now take a greater interest in board games. Why did you choose to offer customers membership and how successful is this for you? We are still more than happy for non-members to come in and play our games and for customers to simply come in for the coffee and vegan food offering. Our annual membership is beneficial for regular customers as this incentivises frequent visits – they don’t pay the game cover charge and they get discounts on drinks, food and the games themselves. We use it as a way to gain Kickstarter funding for the business.

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JACK STRAWS

BELFAST

LAURA BRIGGS, OWNER

How are board games incorporated into Jack Straws? The board games are a main feature of the café, with more than 500 games lining the shelves for customers to choose from. The games are divided into categories, such as family, kids, two-player, strategy, thematic, cooperative, word games, party and trivia, so that customers can easily find a game that appeals to them. Our knowledgeable staff are there to recommend and teach games that are new to customers. Which board games prove to be most popular? Obama Llama is one of the most popular games – it’s a party and trivia game combined with players having to describe or act out famous people. What sort of clientele does Jack Straws attract? We attract people of all ages! We have an extensive clientele that ranges from families to friendship groups to work colleagues – just about everyone. Does incorporating board games improve the café’s profitability? Not necessarily. We pride ourselves in our home baked desserts, traybakes, lunches and great coffee. Having the board games as a main feature may actually put off customers from coming in for a coffee and a scone or a lunch. People are not pressured to play the games, though – they can enjoy the all the lovely homemade food instead. To give ourselves a wider customer appeal, we stay open late, have games for people of all ages and offer a kid’s menu. We also run meet-up nights and fundraisers.

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16/10/2017 08:52

FEATURE

DRAUGHTS

LONDON

RUSSELL CHAPMAN, EVENTS MANAGER Where did the inspiration for Draughts come from? The owner, Nick Curci, saw that there were a couple of highly successful board game cafés in the UK and liked the way they had become destinations for tourists and locals to visit, so he seized the opportunity to start the business. It was brought together by co-founders who had the separate passions for board games and the café industry. How are board games incorporated into Draughts? We have a library at the back of the café with a selection of 800 games for customers to choose from, plus suitable tables stationed all around the café for playing the games. Customers can help themselves to as many games as they like after paying a £5 gaming session charge per person. Which board games prove to be most popular? The game which seems to be bringing people into the concept of board games is Cards Against Humanity, which has a large cult-like following. Other games such as Pandemic, Catan and Ticket to Ride are immensely popular and start to bring people into gaming. When we get regular customers coming in, our staff suggest new games or ways that they could play, so they leave with a unique experience. Does incorporating board games improve the café's profitability? The incorporation of board games helps us to stand out from the crowd and makes us more of a destination as opposed to a convenient stop. We have made the deliberate decision to not provide WiFi, meaning we attract the right customers, who come for the games or just a great coffee. We really push face-to-face interaction, moving people away from digitalised socialising – that’s something we consider to be crucial.

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LUDO LOUNGE

BOURNEMOUTH

STEPHANIE ADAMS, OPERATIONS MANAGER

How are board games incorporated into Ludo Lounge? When we started the concept, we wanted the lounge to feel like a home-from-home for customers, almost like a grandmother’s house. This is shown through our décor and our offering of good coffee, tea and a range of board games to play all day. What sort of clientele does Ludo Lounge attract? The atmosphere changes greatly throughout the day as our customer base evolves. From the morning to early afternoon, there is a large elderly customer base, sipping tea with cake. This progresses to families, including younger children, playing games once the school rush is done. Come the evening, we dim the lights, put the music on louder and attract younger crowds who are out for cocktails and love coming into the lounges. Which board games prove to be most popular? Jenga is by far the most popular game – people go crazy for it! Other classics such as Connect Four are also incredibly popular, as they are in keeping with the ‘old-school’ feel of the lounges. Does incorporating board games improve the café's profitability? The board game concept usually makes customers stay for longer, which then leads to an increased number of purchases without staff having to push people to move along. The relaxed, happy atmosphere we create leads people to spend more, aiding the business’ profitability.

www.theblendmagazine.co.uk

16/10/2017 08:52

FEATURE

La Bottega Milanese

Café 164

REGIONAL FOCUS

LEEDS

eeds is a city steeped in community spirit, and the coffee scene creates both a space for residents and a destination for visitors. The Blend speaks to Agne Rucinskaite from Moments Coffee, Ellie Andrews from Café 164, Alex Galantino from La Bottega Milanese and Dave Olejnik from Laynes Espresso to discover more about the local scene. Setting up Alex set up La Bottega Milanese in December 2009, using the redundancy package from his office job. Having worked in a espresso bars

in his native Milan, he saw an opportunity to create a speciality offer in Leeds when the UK taste for coffee changed and Starbucks arrived. La Bottega Milanese now has two locations, The Light and Bond Court, both within Leeds city centre. Ellie and partner Matt set up Café 164 in 2011, off the back of her dad’s bakery and sandwich shop near Leeds University. Working for her dad, Ellie got to grips with the hospitality sector and learned about the food business; when opening her own café, Ellie was keen to combine her wealth of knowledge with an excellent speciality coffee offering.

Laynes Espresso was opened by Dave in 2011; his concept was for it to be a coffeecentric espresso bar, which he felt Leeds was lacking. Dave had previously worked at Louisa Henry’s coffee shop Opposite, near Leeds University, as well as with Paul Meikle-Janney, who taught him a lot about coffee extraction and processing. “If you want to talk about the names that have turned coffee around in Europe, Paul’s a big name – he owned a coffee training facility called Coffee Community, based in Huddersfield,” he tells us. Agne had worked for one of the coffee chains in Leeds, but dreamed of setting up ➝

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her own coffee destination for many years, Her dream was realised when she opened Moments Coffee in 2014, after years of saving and planning. Early days Dave describes the early days of Leeds’ speciality coffee scene, when he was working for Louisa at Opposite Café, as “existing, but university student-centric”. When he opened his own shop a few years later, there was still only a small crowd of coffee fans. “When I started, people said Leeds wasn’t ready for what I wanted to offer, but I thought, ‘how do you know if the option isn’t there?’ “The first people through the door were the coffee drinking folk, but there weren’t many

of them,” he tells us. “I had to stand out in the street and get commuters to notice us. If they walked past with a chain coffee we’d say, ‘ if you throw that away we’ll replace it for free’.” Ellie admits that in the beginning she wasn’t very experienced with speciality coffee and so wanted to dip her toes into the market. “My dad’s place served dark roast Italian coffee beans, so I didn’t know anything about speciality coffee,” she says. “I knew Louisa as a business neighbour, and she introduced me to roasters to help me get started.” Current scene Today, the scene is maturing as more shops open and the established outlets continue to thrive. “I did an interview a few years ago and

said that the scene would be growing out into the suburbs, and recently I’ve seen that come around,” says Dave. “People don’t just want to be in the city centre – I’m seeing really good places in the surrounding communities.” Ellie describes the current scene as thriving, but does worry that the city centre will become oversaturated. “We have good, positive relationships with the other coffee shop owners but I do worry that there are too many in the city centre,” she tells us. “The scene has just exploded and it’s good to be part of a movement like this, but we have to work hard to keep up our trade and maintain and unique offering.” Alex agrees that the city has perhaps reached capacity in terms of coffee shops,

“THE SCENE HAS JUST EXPLODED AND IT’S GOOD TO BE PART OF A MOVEMENT LIKE THIS”

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FEATURE

calling the scene “mature”. “The city centre is very compact and because of that, I think it’s reached saturation. There are great opportunities in the suburbs and the rents are lower there, too,” he says. “It’s becoming challenging as the scene grows. The biggest names and those who run their business best will survive, anyone else will find it difficult. The rate at which people are joining the speciality movement is not as fast as the rate that new shops are opening, so we’re sharing a lot of the same customers.” Agne suggests that with the growth in numbers of shops offering excellent quality speciality coffee, the customer is becoming increasingly picky about what they’ll drink. “Chains aren’t good enough for them, and I

think those places will start to struggle.” Clientele Leeds’ diverse population means that the city’s coffee shops welcome a varied clientele, from students, freelancers and creatives to business people, office workers and families. Café 164’s location on the outskirts of the city centre means that it gets a slightly different set of customers from the more central outlets, with local companies making up a large portion of its clientele. Situated close to NHS buildings, Yorkshire Dance, Northern Ballet, BBC Yorkshire, the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Leeds College of Music, Café 164 opens its doors to a mix of corporate and creative. “It’s such a diverse range of people that come in. It can be tough ➝

Laynes

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FEATURE

La Bottega Milanese to satisfy all of them because they have very different needs, but it’s lovely when you get a few of each type in.” At La Bottega Milanese’s Bond Court location, the customer is generally more corporate, while at The Light, there is a higher number of those who are looking for a more leisurely experience. At the weekend, the shops sees more students and creatives, changing the vibe completely. Laynes Espresso tries to cater for everybody. “We have business meetings, we have families, grandparents with their grandchildren, we’ve had half of Leeds rugby team,” says Dave. “It’s very diverse and that’s what’s so great about being in the city centre.” USPs When Café 164 opened, having a large exhibition space with a gallery aspect alongside the café was what made it stand out. Now, Ellie admits that a lot of other coffee shops have a similar offering, and so they decided to merge the two spaces and incorporate more tables. “We’ve always found that engaging people with art and culture via food and drink is accessible, and that people are more responsive to exhibitions, art and culture when they’ve got a nice coffee and a sandwich in their belly,” Ellie tells us. “The challenge has been in preserving the integrity and atmosphere of the exhibition space, while making sure that we can seat every customer who comes in.”

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Alex believes that La Bottega Milanese stands out among shops in Leeds because it delivers the Milanese lifestyle. “We give you a real experience of what it’s like to have a coffee in Milan through our adaptation of the coffee culture,” he says. For Dave, a crucial factor in the success of Laynes Espresso is the customer service, which is maintained through staff retention. “Everybody that ever worked here, except for three or four, still works here, and with that comes customer service. You’ve got that familiarity with customers.” At Moments Coffee, Agne explains that what keeps customers coming back is her bespoke coffee blend and the made-to-order food menu. She said: “The Moments blend I created myself with a local roaster, and you can’t get it anywhere else. People are very complimentary about the coffee, and word spreads.” Looking forward Alex thinks that the next major challenge for the city’s speciality coffee scene will be the development of Starbucks, as it alters itself to become more like an independent. “They’ve taken the way we dress, the way we set up our shops and our equipment and multiplied it by 10. Although the skills and the coffee are not

quite there and there is a question mark over staff retention, they’ve got better equipment and funding, and they will be able to pay the rent in major cities,” he explains. “Furthermore, the third wave pioneers are selling to the big corporations, so the scene is changing – Nestle buying Blue Bottle is a sign of things to come. The rates are increasing – even some of the big coffee names that came up from London or Manchester have had to close fairly quickly. It’s not that easy and you need to know your city.” Agne is also concerned about the rates increasing in the city centre. “Independent coffee shops will struggle; the rates are the same as for restaurants, but we can’t charge the same prices,” she tells us. “In the city centre, it’s about survival.” Dave is looking forward to the future of the scene and the idea of more shops opening in suburban neighbourhood shops. “I would like to be somewhere with friends four or five miles out of the city centre and there be a really good coffee shop option. I’m sure we’ll see more shops open up in the city centre, but we’ll keep moving out into the suburbs, and I think that’s a really positive thing because then that reach just keeps getting bigger and the scene continues to grow.”

“IN THE CITY CENTRE, IT’S ABOUT SURVIVAL”

Café 164

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16/10/2017 09:20

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BREW BAR SPECIAL

THE BLEND SPECIAL With hand brewed coffee rapidly increasing in popularity, numerous speciality coffee shops are incorporating brew bars. In our brew bar special, we talk to an expert about what they can add to a business, and round up some great hand brewing products

BREW LAB p38 www.theblendmagazine.co.uk

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BREW BARS

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BREW BAR SPECIAL

BREWING UP A STORM The Blend speaks to Brew Lab co-founder Dave Law to discuss his successful brew bar concept and his top tips for boosting profits with hand brewing

ituated on South College Street in Edinburgh, Brew Lab is a café serving speciality coffee, simple brunches and a tasty lunch menu. From the beginning, Brew Lab has offered four rotating single-origin coffees: two brewed on its brew bar as pourovers, and two on the espresso bar. “When we opened, we thought that having a brew bar as well as an espresso bar was a really good way to showcase the coffee that we wanted to serve,” Dave tells us. “Before we opened, there wasn’t anywhere in Edinburgh that had a brew bar. A lot of people focus solely on espresso, but we thought that brewed coffee was a better way to showcase

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the flavours of the single origin coffees that we were serving.” A cult following Dave explains that, in the early days, customers were interested in the process of hand brewing and the visual spectacle it creates; these days, on the other hand, very few people stay to watch the baristas brewing. Dave puts this down to a change in Brew Lab’s focus, telling us that, as the company has grown and developed, it has become increasingly interested in coffee as a product, rather than in brewing methods. Consequently, they try to make the operation

a little more consistent nowadays. “When we started we used to do brew siphons, and they definitely sparked a lot of interest among customers. As we’ve moved on, we’ve shifted the focus a bit more onto the coffee, rather than putting on a display in terms of how we brew it.” As the independent coffee scene gains more loyal customers, the amount of hand brewed coffees that Dave and the team sell has also increased. “We sell a lot more hand brews now than we did when we first started – around 20% of the coffee we sell is hand brewed,” Dave says. “I think that, the way we position it on the menu, it’s the first thing you

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BREW BAR SPECIAL

“WE SELL A LOT MORE HAND BREWS NOW THAN WHEN WE STARTED – AROUND 20% OF THE COFFEE WE SELL IS HAND BREWED”

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see. I think that a lot of the people who come to us know that’s our speciality, and that’s what sets us apart in Edinburgh.” Adding value Dave suggests that having a hand brewed coffee bar can add a lot of value to a business – particularly for Brew Lab, as it’s still the business’s USP, helping it to stand out among the other coffee shops in Edinburgh. A lot of people go to Brew Lab specifically for its hand brewed offering; to keep them coming, Dave and the team work hard to ensure that every coffee they brew is consistent and that everyone serves the same thing. They also pay constant attention to quality checking the recipes and confirming that everything is approached in a methodical way, to make sure that customers are always going to get a high-quality product. As well as serving hand brewed coffee from the brew bar, Brew Lab stocks a wide range of hand brewing equipment for customers to purchase and use at home. It also has a training facility that the public can attend monthly, where staff teach both espresso and filter brewing methods. New technology While the brew bar is a successful part of Brew Lab’s business, Dave admits that if it the business opened a second shop it probably wouldn’t have another hand brewing bar – although it would still offer filter coffee. “Hand brewing is very labour intensive,” Dave explains. "There are amazing automatic filter brewers and batch brewers which you can get now; as it’s become more popular, the technology has improved, meaning that hand brew isn’t necessarily better coffee. We designed the bar around hand brewing and so we’ll continue to do it. Would I recommend it? I’d consider it carefully, depending on what you’re trying to communicate.”

Dave’s top tips for opening a brew bar 1. Keep the options simple, with just one or two coffees on offer. 2. Stick to one brewing method – this will help you to stay consistent. 3. Check your recipe daily. Make sure you brew and taste every day to ensure that your recipe is on point. 4. Ensure that staff are well trained and are all brewing in the same way. Slight variations in technique can cause problems in the final cup. 5. The best way to promote hand brewed coffee is to have the options at the top of the menu, making it the first thing people see when they look at the menu to choose a drink.

“WE THOUGHT THAT BREWED COFFEE WAS A BETTER WAY TO SHOWCASE THE FLAVOURS OF THE SINGLE ORIGIN COFFEES THAT WE WERE SERVING” 40 The Blend November 2017

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