NEWS
The Roastery become an exclusively certified organic coffee supplier The Roastery, an award-winning small batch coffee roaster based in Wellingborough Northamptonshire, has announced it has become an exclusively organic coffee roastery, buying their coffee direct from a biodynamic, organic estate in Camocim in Brazil to ensure they have not come into contact with any synthetic pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Coffee is the third-most sprayed agricultural crop, behind cotton and tobacco, they point out. The Pesticide Action Network UK reports that acute exposure to pesticides can be toxic to humans, so not only does the environment suffer, so do the farmers who are exposed to a high level of chemicals while spraying the crops. The surrounding communities are also impacted through chemical residues in the air and water. Starting the organic journey back in 2019, the Roastery’s managing director, Marcel Binley, travelled to Camocim in Brazil to visit organic coffee farms. It took 12 months of site visits and surveys for the Roastery to become organic certified. Deciding to make the move to only selling organic coffee was a pivotal move for the small coffee business as it means a significant increase in price of the crops and a dramatic decrease in the coffee they can purchase, they report. Since becoming fully organic, the Roastery has also moved to a completely sustainable coffee packaging, along with becoming members of 1% for the planet.
Commenting on the announcement, Marcel Binley said: “Making the move to selling solely organic evidences our drive and ambition to become one of the major operators within the UK coffee industry. It is an incredible achievement and shows the hard work and dedication that has gone into the production of our award-winning coffee.” The Roastery says that it also aims to continually strive to become as sustainable as possible as it continues to grow.
Van Houten launches ruby chocolate drink powder Van Houten, the cocoa pioneer brand of Barry Callebaut, is launching a brand-new powdered chocolate drink made from ruby chocolate and will be available to the UK hospitality sector. While cafés, bars and restaurants are slowly re-opening around the UK, Van Houten says that it aims to innovate and support the sector in its recovery by launching a brand new powdered chocolate drink made from ruby chocolate. The brand, founded by the Dutch Van Houten family more than 200 years ago and owned by the Barry Callebaut Group since 1998, claims to be the first to introduce ruby chocolate in a powdered form. This innovative new product will initially be offered to the hospitality sector, specifically to baristas and coffee bars enabling them to be more creative than ever before and offer guests a brand-new chocolate drinking experience. 8 CAFÉ LIFE | AUGUST 2021
“The new Van Houten ruby chocolate drink confirms the brand’s status as a cocoa pioneer,” said Freek van der Knaap, vice-president vending & beverages EMEA. “This chocolate drink has all the flavour and colour of ruby chocolate and the powder dissolves very easily in any type of milk, or hot and cold applications. It’s the perfect option for when speed and preparation is important. This is a real innovation for the beverages industry, and we are proud to be the first company to offer this brand new product. Studies have shown that ruby chocolate, with its characteristic colour and aromas, responds to a consumer need that is not met by dark, milk or white chocolate.” In 2017, Barry Callebaut, a manufacturer of high quality chocolate and cocoa products, revealed ruby, the
fourth type of chocolate, and which they describe as an intense sensorial delight. The unique processing of the product unlocks its naturally present flavour and colour tone from the ruby cocoa bean, and no berries, berry flavour or colour have been added to this product, they point out (ruby chocolate is considered as one of the greatest breakthroughs in the chocolate industry in decades and is now available across the world).
