Carluccio’s and Sainsbury’s to trial coffee shop in St Albans store.

SCA UK Latt e Art Championship confi rmed for Caff è Culture 2021

The Specialty Coffee Association UK Chapter (SCA UK) has announced plans to host the 2020 UK Latte Art Championship at Caffè Culture Show 2021, the premier event for the UK café and coffee bar industry scheduled to take place 2-3 September 2021 at the Business Design Centre, London.

The two-day event, which has been rescheduled from the 2020 competition season, will see 20 ‘rising star’ baristas compete to become the UK Latte Art Champion by showcasing latte art skills and pouring matching pairs of drinks with the most complex and visually appealing designs possible.

Whoever claims the UK title will go on to compete in the SCA World Latte Art Championship scheduled for the end of November in Taipei, Taiwan.

Rob Ward, SCA UK National co-ordinator said: “We’ve been incredibly keen to get a date in the diary for Latte Art as it’s one of our most popular competitions and we are really looking forward now to reconnecting with the coffee community in September.

“Latte art seems to ignite a real passion in people. From the moment we open the competition with the eagerly anticipated ‘fastest fi nger fi rst’ to crowning the champ, there’s an infectious buzz which spills out into the competition and this explains why it’s so well supported by the industry.”

The SCA UK recommend checking the website https://scauk.coffee and social media channels to keep up to date with news as planning for the event gets underway (Note: Dates are subject to change in light of COVID rules, and the competition will be run in accordance with COVID hygiene guidelines).

Carluccio’s and Sainsbury’s to trial coff ee shop in St Albans superstore

Carluccio’s and Sainsbury’s are teaming up to test out three new in-store concepts for the fi rst time.

The fi rst format will be a coffee shop in Sainsbury’s St Albans superstore, offering customers eat-in as well as takeaway options (Caffè Carluccio’s will open on 3 June 2021, and will be the fi rst Carluccio’s to open in a supermarket).

The 900 square foot coffee shop will have space for up to 45 customers to sit and enjoy the brand’s signature real Italian coffee, iced coffees, Cremosa blended drinks and granita fruit ices alongside all-day breakfast foods and light-bites, including freshly made ciabatta sandwiches, toasties, fi lled croissants and pastries. A range of Carluccio’s retail products will also be available including biscuits such as biscotti and cantucci, ground coffee and gianduiotti chocolates.

In addition, a Carluccio’s Counter will also launch in June in the Sainsbury’s Leamington Spa superstore, offering the brand’s trademark deli products and pizza. Deli products include pasta, olive oils and sauces alongside chilled stone-baked pizzas. Hot ready-to-eat items, including made-to-order pizza and rotisserie chicken will be available to takeaway, as well as for delivery via Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat.

The third concept being trialled is the Restaurant Hub, a multi-brand offer with grab-and-go and delivery options from brands including Caffè Carluccio’s, GBK, Slim Chickens, Harry Ramsdens and Ed’s Easy Diner. The Restaurant Hub will open in July in Sainsbury’s Selly Oak superstore.

Carluccio’s was acquired by Boparan Restaurant Group in May 2020, and Sainsbury’s and Boparan Restaurant Group say that thy will listen closely to customer feedback in all three stores before deciding any next steps.

Satnam Leihal, managing director at Boparan Restaurant Group, said: “Our customers tell us they love our brands and would like to access them more regularly and be part of their family home occasions. This trial with Sainsbury’s allows us to bring our range of high quality products to more customers, more often, in varied formats.”

Supporting the brand will be Carluccio’s fi rst app, allowing ordering, delivery, menu access and location fi nding as well providing users with a loyalty mechanic.

Lavazza Professional prepares for the return to work

The complete re-imagination of Lavazza Professional’s Flavia® brand is now complete, say the iconic brand, with the arrival of a brand-new drinks machine - the Creation 600 - together with the introduction of a new range of drinks, and meaning that an authentic Italian coffee experience can now be offered in the offi ce or the boardroom.

The arrival of the new Flavia® Creation 600 has even been spoken about as ‘the single biggest step change Flavia has ever accomplished’ report Lavazza Professional, their latest machine able to prepare coffee-shop style drinks aimed at making the C600 stand out as a new benchmark in offi ce coffee services.

It’s versatile, too, thanks to the machine’s ability to use soya or almond, as well as cow’s milk, Lavazza Professional point out, thus making it the perfect choice for vegans and those with medical conditions such as lactose intolerance as there’s zero risk of cross-contamination, claim Lavazza Professional.

The launch of the C600 also coincides with Lavazza Professional’s introduction of a re-imagined drinks menu which will be bringing some of Lavazza’s best-loved coffee products to the UK workplace for the fi rst time.