Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 58

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magazine SEPTEMBER 2013 ISSUE 58

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

Give your customers something to smile about…

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Welcome!

CONTENTS

At this time of the year, it has become customary for us to look at food trends, and this issue is no exception with previews of lunch!, Speciality & Fine Food, and a feature dedicated to views and market research on the topic.

We also provide some insight into how you can improve your own coffee knowledge and look ahead to November’s European Coffee Symposium that is set to take place in Paris.

NEWS

ARTICLES

4 Costa appoints director of brand and innovation.

44 A world of coffee – Jim Olejnik of United Coffee UK & Ireland talks coffee from around the world.

Clare Benfield - Editor Editor Clare Benfield, Tel: 01291 636336, E-mail: clare@jandmgroup.co.uk Advertising Manager Paul Steer Tel: 01291 636342 E-mail: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk Production Manager Jayson Berry, Tel: 01291 636339, E-mail: jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk Subscriptions and Customer Service Tel: 01291 636333 E-mail: tony@cafesociety.org.uk Editorial Address Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 5DB Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: cafe@jandmgroup.co.uk www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk Opinions expressed in Café Culture are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group Ltd or Café Culture. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors. Café Culture is published by J&M Group Ltd. and supports Café Society. It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the café industry. © 2009 J&M Group Ltd

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

5 New food-to-go launches at lunch!

6 Urban Coffee Company to open ‘coolest coffee shop in the world’.

8 A smart lid that changes colour.

EVENT PREVIEWS 28 lunch! 2013.

46 The European Coffee Symposium 2013.

58 Speciality & Fine Food 2013.

54 Capital’s coffee enjoys cream of the country – milk from the Goodwood Estate.

60 Food delivery – are you really insured? The importance of the correct insurance.

62 The Food Hygiene Rating Bill – new proposals requiring food businesses in Wales to display food hygiene ratings.

FEATURES 14 Food trends – the latest market research and views on what we’re eating.

32 Coffee class – enhancing your coffee knowledge.

48 Chocolate choices – the beverage with ‘premiumisation’ potential.

PROFILES 56 Paddy & Scott’s – the slow roast, artisan coffee supplier.

REGULARS 64 New products.

66 Checkout.

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NEWS

Costa appoints director of brand and innovation Baguette Express master franchise available for North East England An opportunity to acquire the Baguette Express Master Franchise for North East England has just come on to the market.

The master franchise is currently operating as a going concern with four stores within the Newcastle, Gateshead and Washington area.

One of these is a profitable company-owned store and the other three are franchisees. A further two territories are due to open as soon as suitable premises are found. There is potential for up to 50 stores in this region, say the company, which also includes Carlisle and Gretna, by using the various business models Baguette Express has developed (kiosk, concession and retail models within busy shopping centres, high streets, business parks and bus stations).

Owner Wasim Arshad comments: “Our north east operation has proven an interesting and fruitful journey to date. Being your own boss and recruiting franchisees who will represent the brand is part of the challenge. The financial rewards are potentially huge so what you put in effort wise will be rewarded over time.”

Baguette Express (www.baguette-express.co.uk) is an award-winning franchise success story with more than 50 outlets throughout the UK providing fresh, healthy, high quality baguettes, sandwiches, paninis, salad boxes, baked potatoes and more, in prime town centre locations catering for the breakfast, morning coffee, lunch and early evening trade.

The company currently has master franchise licensees in London, the North East England, Lancashire/Leeds/Preston/ Blackpool, Greater Manchester, Birmingham, the Republic of Ireland and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The investment level for this regional master franchise is in the region of £225,000 plus the working capital required to promote and develop the brand in this region (for further details, contact franchise consultants Platinum Wave on 0131 664 1218).

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Costa has appointed Carol Welch as brand and innovation director, reporting to managing director, Christopher Rogers.

In this newly created role, Carol Welch will be responsible for continuing the development of the Costa brand as it expands globally and ensuring that Costa remains at the forefront of innovation.

Carol Welch joins Costa having held senior marketing and innovation roles at PepsiCo, Cadbury Schweppes, Green & Blacks and most recently, Associated British

Foods, where she lead the successful brand turnaround of both Jordan’s Cereal and Ryvita brands as marketing and innovation director for the Jordan’s & Ryvita Company.

Commenting on her role, Carol Welch said: “Costa is a fantastic brand and a young and vibrant business. Brand growth has come through staying ahead of customer needs and delivering innovative solutions with excellence. I’m very excited to be part of the next stage of Costa’s journey.”

The Hummingbird Bakery flies into general retail Authentic American-style baking brand, The Hummingbird Bakery, has announced its plans to extend into new product categories through licensing, working with leading global brand licensing agency, Beanstalk.

Building on the company’s reputation in the UK cupcake and American-style bakery revolution, Beanstalk says that it will be looking for best-in-class licensing partners across a range of food and non-food items including ice cream, chocolate, biscuits, cake decorations, syrups and flavoured teas as well as authentic American bakeware, kitchen textiles and kitchen appliances.

Known for its freshly baked cupcakes, pies and other Americaninspired treats, The Hummingbird Bakery offers a unique visual and gourmet feast that has captured the hearts and taste buds of UK consumers since the opening of its first London branch in 2004. Grounded in the nostalgic notion of quintessential American baking, the company is as well-known for its indulgent product

offerings as for its decorated bakery branches.

The brand has gone on to become an authority of American-style baking in the UK, as evident in the popularity of its five London bakeries as well as the success of its three chart-topping cookbooks (The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, Cake Days, and Home Sweet Home, which have collectively sold over one million copies in the UK alone).

“Following the success of our cookbooks and with the ever increasing popularity of our stores, consumers are now asking us for new ways to enjoy the brand and for the authentic materials to try our recipes at home.

Through licensing, we will be able to offer customers Hummingbird Bakery branded products to create their own Hummingbird experiences, as well as being able to enter general grocery stores with new and exciting food categories that build on The Hummingbird Bakery’s most popular flavour profiles,” said Tarek Malouf, founder and managing director of The Hummingbird Bakery.

Good causes share in cash windfall thanks to Caber Coffee Five charitable organisations are sharing in a £1000 cash windfall, thanks to Aberdeenbased Caber Coffee (www.cabercoffee.com).

Community Food Initiative North East (CFINE), Restart Orkney, Childcare@home Aberdeenshire, Create Aberdeen and Ochil Leisure Enterprises have all shared in the payout which has been made possible thanks to the generosity of people enjoying Caber Coffee’s products.

Ethyco is Caber Coffee’s ingredient range which takes the benefits of Fairtrade to a new level, say the company. As well as supporting the communities where the product is grown, a percentage of the revenue generated by sales is re-invested in UK-based social enterprise projects.

“Ethyco is an increasingly popular way of people doing their bit for good causes, simply by enjoying a cup of coffee,” said Caber Coffee managing director Findlay Leask. “We are delighted to help these worthy causes and look forward to hearing from organisations who would like to benefit from the next round of donations later in the year.”

Findlay Leask of Caber Coffee.

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NEWS

New food-to-go launches at lunch!

Attendees to this month’s lunch! trade show (26-27 September), at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, will be treated to a wealth of delicious new food products from some of the food-to-go industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers.

Now in its sixth year and featuring 290 exhibiting companies, lunch! is firmly established as an essential event for buying teams from across the UK’s retailing, hospitality, snacking and catering sectors.

With recent research revealing substantial growth in the tortilla wraps market, Mission Foods will be showcasing their versatility at this year’s lunch! Delice de France will introduce its unique and delicious Salted Caramel Muffin to the market, and GFT Retail will be launching new ranges of Patak’s and Blue Dragon snacking products to the on premise market.

Specialist of specialities – panescofood.com - will be showcasing products from its range of Patisserie, Viennoiserie, Traiteur and Boulangerie (innovative new additions include pre-filled snacks, brioche buns, gluten and lactose free sliced bread blister packs, and indulgent Parisian Macarons).

First time exhibitor Odysea Ltd will be presenting an extensive range of meze products based on traditional Greek recipes, along with handpicked olives and authentic Greek pita bread and Tom's Pies will be showcasing (and sampling) its new range of tray bake desserts.

Fast food will go gourmet with hot dog company, Rollover Ltd, showcasing their original line-up together with a selection of new Gourmet Hot Dogs and a range of new premium toppings (they will also be hosting an iPhone giveaway on stand U221). “lunch! was a great show for us last year and we met some great buyers from a variety of sectors – and we got some really exciting listings off the back of it. It certainly attracts the right kind of crowd for our product, so we’re hoping for more of the same this year!” says Adam Sopher, co-founder and director of Joe & Seph’s Popcorn, another exhibitor at this year’s show.

For further information and to register for a free trade pass, visit www.lunchshow.co.uk (www.eventdata.co.uk/Visitor /Lunch.aspx?AffiliateCode=LU NPR2) and use priority code LUNPR2 where prompted.

Coffee licensees back Fairtrade’s big two week coffee campaign Coffee brands, retailers, out-of-home outlets and contract caterers are signing up to take part in the Fairtrade Foundation’s two-week consumer coffee campaign this autumn called Finding Hannah, and there’s still time to get involved!

Confirmed campaign partners so far include Cafedirect, Starbucks, Greggs and The Co-operative, for the innovative promotion which will run from 30 September to 13 October. It will take consumers on a ‘bean to cup’ Fairtrade journey, with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a Fairtrade coffee origin country up for grabs.

Designed to both educate and connect coffee lovers to the farming communities who grow their favourite beans, the campaign ‘journey’ will be fronted by a celebrity whose name will be revealed when the campaign goes live. The celebrity will present a series of filmed clues, accessed by a special promotional code, that will slowly reveal the country they are visiting. At the end

of the two-week promotion, one lucky consumer will win the ultimate holiday prize to the exotic location. The campaign will be widely publicised and advertised in prominent public places as well as via social networks such as Facebook and twitter.

Whilst primarily aimed at consumers, the Fairtrade Foundation is also using the campaign to encourage businesses along the whole supply chain to better understand and communicate the impact of Fairtrade to their trade customers. The Fairtrade Foundation has produced four short business-tobusiness films, in which farmers themselves talk about the benefits of Fairtrade. The films are themed around the role that businesses play in choosing Fairtrade and what that means for farmers in terms of environmental, economic and social impact.

The campaign will also be the first outing for The Power of You message to consumers, encouraging them to use their purchasing power to bring about

positive change in the world. Fairtrade has produced generic campaign marketing materials such as posters for commercial partners with this messaging (to find out more go to http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/for_busine ss/business_resources/events_campaig ns.aspx).

Fairtrade works with more than 580,000 smallholder coffee farmers globally who grow their coffee on farms of two hectares or less. Last year, Fairtrade Premiums of approximately €28.9 million (£23 million) were paid to coffee farmers around the world for investment in their businesses or community development projects like clean water or education.

Coffee was one of the first Fairtrade products to be launched in the UK in 1994 and next year is the Fairtrade Foundation’s and the category’s 20th birthday. Recent research by Globescan showed that it had the highest consumer recall of any Fairtrade product at 70%.

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NEWS

Urban Coffee Company to open ‘coolest coffee shop in the world’ Plans to open Birmingham’s biggest coffee outlet in the heart of the city centre have been unveiled.

Located in the Beneficial Building opposite Paradise Forum, Urban Coffee Company is to open its fourth emporium at the site, forming part of a £16 million hotel development (the building is being transformed by Gethar Ventures, led by well-known former Wragge & Co lawyer Anthony McCourt).

The 161sqm ground floor space, with seating available upstairs, will enable Urban Coffee Co to dramatically expand their food proposition with specific breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, with full bar service also available. The 16sqm kitchen will also be used to offer room service to the proposed hotel above.

Customers will be greeted by a 62.5sqm mezzanine area which will allow them to see into the kitchen through a steel mesh decorated with flowers and

First Milk tap into chilled drink category First Milk Foodservice, the dedicated foodservice division of First Milk, the UK’s only 100% British farmer owned dairy business, is to launch a new fresh milk and fruit based drink for the out of home and wholesale markets.

The Lake District Dairy Co’s Frumoo (www.firstmilkfoodservice.co.uk) uses a blend of natural ingredients mixing fresh British whole milk and real fruit to create a healthier and more wholesome alternative to other flavoured milks, milkshakes and carbonated drinks currently dominating the market, and taps into the growing consumer trend for more natural and nutritious dairy products.

Available in Raspberry & Blueberry and Strawberry & Blackberry flavours, the creation of Lake District Dairy Co. Frumoo was followed by extensive consumer research, which found the concept was positively received by consumers, who described it as ‘better than a milk shake’, ‘a good blend of flavours’, ‘natural tasting’ and ‘not to thick, but still has body’.

The Lake District Dairy Co. Frumoo will appear in multiple retail from 16 September, and will be available to First Milk Foodservice’ clients from the same time. The retail launch will be supported by a communications plan encompassing shopper marketing such as sampling and couponing supported by digital and PR campaign activity.

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How the Urban Coffee Company’s new site in Birmingham is expected to look. artwork. Raw materials such as concrete and painted brick will be used for work surfaces, whilst a graffiti art feature wall can lead to hours of gazing. A ‘green’ wall filled with plants and flowers adorns the wall at the foot of the staircase. Upstairs, a 50sqm conference room is available to hire, with an entrance to the hotel also

located on the upper level.

Anthony McCourt, director at Gethar Ventures, said: “Urban Coffee Co was the obvious choice for us. Often hotels use the usual coffee shop chains, but we wanted an independent option to give guests something a little different. It’s one of Birmingham’s most vibrant brands with an unrivalled coffee offering.

“We have been impressed by their entrepreneurial skills from the get-go.

They introduced the first of the ‘third wave’ of coffee emporiums here in Birmingham and pioneered the flat white coffee in the city.”

Simon Jenner, owner and founder of Urban Coffee Co, added: “The recent explosion in the independent coffee scene has been fantastic and it gives the consumer so much choice within the sector. As a result, we’ve had to stay right at the top of our game and work hard to stay ahead.”

Ringtons scoops deal with a fellow family business Family firm, Ringtons, has whipped up a deal to supply a chain of eateries owned

by Italian ice cream entrepreneurs, the Marcantonio family.

Headed up by Nigel Marcantonio and his father Peter, they own a chain of ice cream parlours, including the brand new Parlour at Blagdon, Sweet Sensations and Sweet Sensations in the Village at intu Metrocentre (the Marcantonio family firm was established in 1902 when Nigel’s great grandfather Antonio travelled to Newcastle to sell his Italian handmade ice cream and the family still have kept the production of traditional Italian ice cream at the heart of their business).

As part of the contract Ringtons Beverages, the food services division of Ringtons, has installed traditional espresso machines, on demand grinders and filter equipment throughout the chain and will also supply its premium tea and coffee products, as well as

offering ongoing barista training and support to the three businesses.

“We are thrilled to be supplying another North East-based family business with such a strong heritage as Ringtons,” said Stephen Drysdale, head of division at Ringtons Beverages.

“Coffee is such an important element of the gelato experience so it was key for Nigel and Peter to secure a supplier which they were confident would provide them with the best possible product and with the tools needed to ensure their team of baristas are able to brew constant quality drinks every time.

“Over the past two months we have been working closely with Nigel to understand the specific requirements of his family’s business to ensure we are able to offer a tailored solution and as a result we have been able to provide a dedicated one-stop solution that encompasses a wide selection of our products and services.”

DairyStix to exhibit at lunch!

Based on the edge of Dartmoor, DairyStix will be attending lunch! on stand 39 in the Innovation Zone, and report that they are now sourcing all their milk locally from West Country farms, making it the only 100% British farm assured UHT milk portion pack, claim the brand.

Since its re-brand, the company has secured its first national listing with Booker

Wholesale and is quickly re-entering the market. The product is currently available in two different varieties - whole milk and semi-skimmed milk - and contains only milk with no additives or preservatives included.

Owing to the way in which they pasteurise the milk, a great taste is achieved with a long-life ambient distribution, say the company (www.dairystix.com).

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From dealing with issues on legislation to providing advice and help to support members, The CafĂŠ Society is an exclusively retail focused body which aims to encourage and promote excellence across the cafĂŠ/coffee bar sector.

tel: 01291 636333 web: www.thecafelife.co.uk/cc57 QUOTE: CC57

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NEWS

A smart lid that changes colour

Go crazy for cupcakes!

National Cupcake Week (16-22 September) is approaching and to help bakers, coffee shops and food retailers boost their sales and raise more funds for charity, the European inclusions specialist, Pecan Deluxe Candy (Europe), has produced a handy guide to creating mouthwatering cakes that will fly off the shelves at any time.

“There’s no excuse not to create truly scrumptious cupcakes, as bakers and manufacturers now have access to fabulous fillings and innovative toppings such as bake-stable fudge pieces, pralines and naturally-flavoured sugar pearls which can be used in almost infinite combinations,” said Pecan Deluxe commercial director, Graham Kingston.

“Over 30 million cupcakes were bought last year and National Cupcake Week is a great way to raise much-needed funds for cancer charity CLIC Sargent. We’re confident that, given the right ingredients, the most tempting cupcakes will give consumers a fantastic new taste and texture experience – all in a good cause.”

Pecan Deluxe report that their top three cupcake tips are Bake-Stable Ginger Fudge pieces and Lemon Sugar Pearls for a zingy tingle, Choco Cookie Crunch with Almond Pralines for chocolanutty texture and Honeycomb Pieces that will melt in the mouth (for more details on National Cupcake Week, related events and competitions visit http://www.nationalcup cakeweek.co.uk).

The Australian packaging firm - Smart Lid Systems – has introduced its awardwinning takeout coffee lids through the café outlets serving Foxtel Australia, News Limited, The Royal National Park, and the Museum of Sydney.

Spread over the Sydney metropolitan area, the first outlets to stock the Smart Lid are operated by the Toast Food Group, with more independent outlets signing up daily.

The Smart Lid is like no other cup lid, claim its creators, as it undergoes a change in colour when it is placed onto a cup of hot coffee or tea, ‘screaming’ look at me to those around.

As the drink cools you will see the packaging return to its dark colour.

Anthony Bayss, director of Smart Lid Systems explains: “Any business or customer relationships are based on communication and interaction. The Smart Lid grabs the coffee drinker’s attention and creates an instant rapport with the café staff.

“The Smart Lid was invented by café owners,

for café owners and we have applied decades of combined café and barista service to develop a product that places coffee house owners and consumers at ease regarding the safety concerns of hot beverage spillages.”

Smart Lid Systems (www.smartlid.com) is a multi-award winning foodservice packaging development company.

Based in Sydney, Australia, they specialise in heat sensitive technology for disposable containers servicing cafes, foodservice outlets, airlines, and healthcare operators. After the idea was conceived, the Smart Lid journey has developed with the collaboration of Australia’s largest foodservice plastics manufacturer, Rema Industries with R&D occurring in Japan, France and USA.

Huhtamaki UK supports Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning This year, Huhtamaki UK will be supporting Macmillan Cancer Support, with a donation of 9oz paper vending cups for the charity’s flagship fundraising event - World’s Biggest Coffee Morning - on 27 September 2013.

Designed in partnership with Kenco, the Official Coffee Partner to the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, the paper vending cups aim to raise awareness of the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning and feature a ‘text to donate’ message as part of the design with all proceeds going to Macmillan. The cups will be distributed to Kenco’s

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customers, including contract caterers and vending operators to support coffee mornings across the country.

“The famous ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ by Macmillan is a fantastic fundraising event. We are really proud to be able to support this campaign for the third year running, by helping the charity to create a bespoke cup for the event. We hope that they raise loads of money again this year,” said John Young, UK foodservice sales and marketing director, Huhtamaki UK Ltd. Zoe Williams, marketing manager at Kenco Professional added: “We are delighted that

Huhtamaki is helping support Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning for the third year in a row. With their help, we want to make a difference and raise as much money as possible for Macmillan to help

them ensure that no one faces cancer alone. The cup features a 'Text to Donate' facility encouraging consumers to donate £1.50 which could fund three copies of The Cancer Guide. This Macmillan booklet can help someone recently diagnosed with cancer, and their families, understand more about cancer, its treatment, and the help available.”

Macmillan Cancer Support provides practical, medical, emotional and financial support and pushes for better cancer care. To learn more visit www.macmillan.org.uk /coffee, or text KENCO to 70550 to donate £1.50 today.

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NEWS

New temporary, architect designed café The Café in the Courtyard - a temporary cafe at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, created

by Platform 5 Architects - has opened to visitors.

Situated between Trafalgar Square and The Strand, the café animates the courtyard at St Martin-in-the-Fields - a rare open space in central London that had been largely under-utilised despite thousands of tourists and workers passing by every day.

St Martin’s commissioned Platform 5 Architects to design a new café to provide a welcoming facility for local workers, residents and tourists as well as to generate income to support the work of the church and the long term preservation of its listed buildings.

The Café in the Courtyard is a small, selfcontained temporary structure in the corner of the courtyard, opposite St Martin’s East Window. Its simple design is sympathetic to its historic surroundings, while contemporary materials are used to provide a pleasing visual contrast and a focus for the site. It is a

Bean-to-cup machines aimed at busier environments Jura (www.jurauk.com), the Swiss bean-tocup technology company, say that their latest machines (the Giga and Impressa XJ Professional lines) can provide twice the performance via various heating and fluid systems that deliver higher hot water output to enable outlets to be able to make multiple cups of coffee.

The Giga line can create up to 30 litres an hour and even produce two speciality coffees simultaneously in as little as 26 seconds, claim the company, making it ideal for busier environments. The Giga X9c Professional and Giga X9 Professional, which have the power of three thermoblocks, also include multiple heating and fluid systems deliver higher hot water output, up to 30 litres an hour. A larger water tank and coffee grounds container allow for flexible and mobile use of the GIGA X9 Professional.

Jura’s Impressa XJ9 Professional and Impressa XJ5 Professional are ideal for studios, exhibition rooms, galleries, boutiques, and catering spaces, say the firm.

The Impressa XJ9 Professional also features a 3.5” TFT colour display, enabling clear user guidance, and the 500g bean container with 4L water tank offer a high capacity without the constant need for refills. The fine foam technology delivers firm milk foam, and the 10 programmable specialities offer perfect coffee to suit varied tastes.

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simple portico structure with a lightweight appearance, with deep eaves that provide shelter or shade during the day as well as a storage area for tables and chairs at night.

As the café only operates during the summer months, it can be easily removed from the site and stored during the winter.

Lightweight yet stylish tables and chairs are used during the day and stored within the unit when the cafe is not in operation. Simple stainless steel roller shutters secure the unit

when not in use.

The café was prefabricated in Italy by Asteco before being installed on site in June and since opening, it has welcomed almost 9,000 visitors and is expected to serve up to 15,000 people by the end of the season (Platform 5 Architects hope that the unit will offer a contemporary and highly functional model for catering or retail outlets elsewhere, particularly in locations with high heritage value).

Allyson Hargreaves, business operations director at St Martin-in-the-Fields Ltd said: “After several years in the planning we are delighted to see the launch of the first season of the Café in the Courtyard. Platform 5’s design has exceeded our requirements by creating a space that not only beautifully suits the environs but also provides a practical work area for our team. As for our customers - they love it - and we are pleased to see some of them returning several times during the week.”

Student designs pioneering ice cube tea University College Birmingham culinary arts student, Sumaiyah Patel, has pioneered an innovative type of tea for the UK foodservice and retail market as part of a product development competition run by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF).

The BFFF competition challenged UK students to demonstrate the potential of frozen within the premium food category, aiming to uncover a creative new frozen product which could be launched onto the UK market.

Unlike other teas on the market, Sumaiyah Patel’s new frozen tea cubes contain freshly frozen fruits and herbs.

Four frozen tea variants have been developed - one inch square ice cubes that chefs, caterers and consumers can put directly into a tea cup, add hot water to, and then drink.

Sumaiyah Patel says her product is designed for the premium end of the market and hopes that people who are into good food and who enjoy a cup of tea will embrace the concept. With an everincreasing focus on healthy food, it is estimated that the fresh and natural frozen tea cube could be a big hit within the UK. “I used to drink a lot of herbal teas, and to be honest I thought that they were terrible,” said Sumaiyah Patel. “You can’t get the flavour out of dried herbs and fruits. They are artificial and tasteless. My frozen tea cubes give a burst of flavour.

They are a tastier and more natural

product. Being frozen they not only lock the flavour in, but also stay fresher for longer.”

Over the last months Sumaiyah Patel reports that she has been working day and night on developing her product, and this September she plans to showcase her product to UK foodservice suppliers and retailers in a drive to get her product stocked (the retailer Iceland has already shown interest).

“Sumaiyah’s iced tea cubes are pure genius. She has taken an old staid product which has existed for hundreds of years, and transformed it into a fresh and flavoursome concept,” commented Brian Young, director general of British Frozen Food Federation. “The process of freezing of her fruit and herb tea cubes is acting as a natural preservative. It means that consumers will taste them at the peak of their ripeness and quality. This brilliance of flavour would be impossible with dried.

“We hope to see her premium teas in foodservice establishments and on retailer shelves very shortly – and hope that the public will love these fresh and tasty products!”

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NEWS

Café owners could claim back tens of thousands of pounds in tax Following the 2012 Finance Bill, Portal Tax (www.portaltax.com), a specialist in the field of capital allowances, is advising café owners that both current and previous installations can be claimed against tax, using capital allowances, but that they should be done before April 2014.

Not just owners of larger cafés, but also those of smaller coffee shops are being told that they could claim back tens of thousands of pounds using capital allowances.

The 2012 Finance Bill introduced a transitional period which runs until April 2014. If a commercial property is sold within this period then it can be treated in the same way it would have been previously (before April 2012 you could choose when, and whether, you made a capital allowances claim on your business). The owner does not have to make a claim for capital

allowances before he/she concludes the transaction, but they will have to agree to the fixed value requirement within two years (the next time the property is sold, even if it is the very next day, then the new rules apply and capital allowances must be considered as if it were post April 2014), say the firm.

If the current owner acts now they can claim the full capital allowances back for themselves, whereas if they do nothing, a future owner of the property may benefit instead, warn Portal Tax. Data compiled by Portal Tax has revealed the top ten items by volume on which tax has been claimed back to include Ironmongery (including closers, latches, locks, etc), Sanitaryware (including WCs, basins, second fix pipework etc.), Power, Data and Lighting Fittings (including sockets, switches etc.) and Floor Finishes (including carpet, vinyl sheet etc.).

Boston Tea Party joins Sustainable Restaurant Association Boston Tea Party has announced that they have joined the Sustainable Restaurant Association, and in addition to becoming members, the independent café group have scored two stars on the SRA’s 3 star rating scale.

Sam Roberts, managing director of BTP, said: “We are delighted to have joined the SRA and to have achieved the ‘excellent’ 2 star standard. As a business we are proud to focus on sustainable sourcing of ingredients and use of green energy. We will be looking forward to working with The SRA to learn how we can improve and hopefully score the top mark of 3 stars next time round.”

Mark Linehan, managing director of the SRA, added: “All our research tells us that consumers want restaurants to operate responsibly and Boston Tea Party is an

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excellent example of a group of cafés that is doing just that, from its commitment to serving free range British meat and eggs and organic milk, to supporting a number of national and local charities, recycling as many items as possible and using renewable energy. Congratulations to Boston Tea Party.”

The SRA Sustainability Rating involves Restaurants completing a rigorous survey, providing answers and evidence to 65 questions across 14 areas of sustainability. The SRA then assesses the results and rates the restaurants accordingly.

The rating was dubbed the Michelin Stars of Sustainability by the Sunday Times, is featured in Giles Coren’s reviews in The Times, Olive magazine’s restaurant reviews as well as in Harden’s and Les Routiers restaurant guides.

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NEWS

SHORTS Swansea to get first Costa drive-through According to the South Wales Evening Post, Swansea will be the location for Costa’s first drive-through coffee shop in Wales. The outlet will form part of a £2million development on the outskirts of the city, with Swansea Council having received a planning application for the latest coffee shop on the city’s Enterprise Park site (it is expected to be built on Heron Way, between the Asda superstore and Premier Inn Hotel).

Upcycling?

Little Tree Furniture (www.littletreefurniture.co.uk), a specialist upcycled furniture maker, says that it is looking to collaborate with companies and interior designers to expand its portfolio of commercial projects.

The company’s environmentally friendly range of furniture has been extremely well received by consumers and businesses (some of the range can already be seen in well-known restaurants and hotels across the UK including Turtle Bay Restaurant, Nando’s and a Park Inn by Radisson Hotel).

Christmas your way To help customers prepare for the busy Christmas period Brakes has launched a complete Christmas guide and toolkit, together with a dedicated web site and new product range. The new support package will help enable businesses to stand out from the competition and thrive over the festive months. A dedicated Christmas micro-site will go live in early September where operators can download the Brakes Christmas Your Way guide and also have access to template marketing and promotional material, such as posters and menus, to help establishments promote their Christmas offering.

Lincat launches Giga® Fast Oven Catering equipment supplier, Lincat, has launched the Giga® Fast Oven, a versatile, compact counter-top oven that can cook a fresh dough pizza in 90 seconds, say the company. The secret to the speed lies within the unique airflow cylinders that intensely focus hot air to deliver exceptionally rapid cooking. The Giga® Fast Oven heats up to 400/450°C in as little as 10 minutes, and features an easy to use temperature control and cooking timer for consistent, repeatable results.

Hobart search for an Unsung Kitchen Hero Hobart has launched the second phase of its Unsung Hero campaign – a search to reward those who go above and beyond their key roles in the kitchen, whose efforts have yet to be recognised. The campaign celebrates the contribution of back-of-house staff to the success of many catering operations, while highlighting the key role played by ware-washing equipment in supporting these businesses, and this time around, Hobart will be giving away one of its very latest, cutting edge under-counter ware-washers to the winner (visit www.hobartuk.com, or call 0844 888 7777).

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The exotic flavours of street food are just one of many influences impacting upon the taste buds of consumers.

Food trends Here, we feature some of the latest food trend market research information, thinking and opinions, and highlight some food products and innovations that the sector’s suppliers have created to help café operators meet the latest eating habits of their customers.

Changing demand With a total value of around £5 billion, the sandwich market is acknowledged to be playing a very important role in the overall foodservice market, which currently sits at a value of £79 billion for 2013, observes Simon Stenning, foodservice strategy director for Allegra Strategies (www.allegrastrategies.com).

“In the first half of 2013, lunch was consumed out of home on average 4.2 times per month by UK consumers, a 6.6% decrease, down from 4.5 times per month in 2012,” he reports. “The average monthly frequency of dinner out of home has also declined to 2.5 meals per month, compared to 2.7 in 2012.

“This decrease in eating out of home for both lunch and dinner has been driven by volatile weather conditions, poor or little economic stimulus, and tough comparatives on the events-led 2012.”

Breakfast is a rising trend, however, increasing slightly in the first half of this year compared to 2012, say Allegra, and having reached 1.8 meals per month per person consumed out of home.

“This is all good news for the sandwich

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industry, as, along with traditional cooked English breakfasts, bread-based products are the most frequently consumed items,” adds Simon Stenning.

“The uncertainty in the UK economy has driven consumers to be value conscious, and to scrutinise the value that they receive from each purchase. 55% of consumers tend to look for a meal deal of some sort in order to get good value when eating out. Consumers are, however, starting to feel more confident about the future, and their future income levels.

“Spend levels are rising as operators are forced to pass on some inflationary cost increases, with lunch spend increasing to £7.39 compared to £7.22 in 2012.”

Challenges ahead “There are significant challenges for the traditional sandwich market, on top of the economic pressures outlined above, especially coming from the New Emerging Fast Food sector, with operators such as Chipotle, POD, Leon and Wasabi providing hand-held, hot, great value and interesting food which appeals to many lunchtime consumers,” Simon Stenning continues.

“The coffee shop market continues to thrive, growing at a rate of 10% in 2012, which provides consumers with more options of where to eat, although the main branded coffee chains are still not providing a wide enough range of options from a food perspective. These in turn are being challenged by the independent artisan coffee shop operators who are providing either a full service restaurant offer (as with Ozone Coffee and Caravan), or with a strong food-on-the-go offer such as that seen in Kaffeine and Tapped & Packed.

“The key trend of healthier eating is also laying down a gauntlet for the traditional lunchtime market, either through the health lobby and the government’s Responsibility Deal, or through consumers increasingly demanding free-from products. A recent survey by Allegra on healthier eating found that 21% of the 2,000 consumers surveyed declared that they had allergies of some sort. This will have more of an impact on the sandwich market, for example, especially related to an increased demand for wheat-free.”

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CAFÉ FOOD How Britain eats In its latest report called How Britain Eats (to be launched prior to the lunch! show), Allegra have studied consumers’ habits with shopping, cooking and eating food out of home. The report will update the consumer typologies which have been developed over the past two years, and that currently shows a mix of the following.

1. Aspirational Gourmets – 25% of the population (eats out more frequently and are influenced by new trends.

Freshness of food is critical to them).

2. Pragmatic Foodies – 41% (balance freshness with low prices. Eating out is less habitual and they are not influenced by new trends).

3. Functional Providers – 19% (eating out is more habitual and tends to order their favourite foods, but also eats more ready meals).

4. Disinterested Refuellers – 14% (stick to their favourites, eat out more often, but are not concerned about the food they eat).

“The lunchtime market needs to appeal to each of these consumer types, and needs to reflect the food trends that are having greater influence,” says Simon Stenning.

As consumers look for counter-austerity measures, and operators seek to add greater value through more premium dishes, Allegra are seeing fast food ‘go premium’ as exemplified by FiveGuys and ShakeShack, and at the top end of the market, wagyu steaks in restaurants like Wolfgang Puck’s The Cut are pushing the £80/£90 barrier (premiumisation works for both consumers and operators alike, although the value message must still lead the way to encourage greater frequency of eating out, feel Allegra).

In addition, healthier eating is a macroinfluencer in eating out now, and very much part of the ‘new normal’. Consumers are increasingly looking beyond calories, ingredients, freshness and lowsalt/sugar/fat and focus their concerns instead on allergens. Understanding that some trends are more fickle than others is key for operators, say Allegra. However, free-from products are increasingly popular in grocery and are highly likely to feature as a mainstay requirement for consumers in the long-term.

“Street food is a recent trend that also continues to rise as it provides fast, affordable food, produced very well. Whilst it provides opportunities for small oneman band traders to launch their products, ideas and new cuisine concepts, it provides consumers with a great choice, especially at lunchtime, and that is a real threat to the staple sandwich,” explains Simon Stenning. “Hand-held hot food

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appealing to the discerning consumer is a real winner at lunchtime.”

What’s on the menu?

According to hospitality consultants, Horizons, hot dogs have nudged scampi and chips from their top 20 ranking of the most popular dishes in eating out establishments, as the nation’s love of allthings-American continues to influence British menus.

Their latest Menurama research has revealed that hot dogs, albeit with a gourmet twist, are now featured on 85% more menus than they were last year.

Pulled pork dishes, chicken wings, and ribs have also seen significant growth on menus, as has the use of American descriptions such as ‘black & blue steak’, ‘cobb salad’ and ‘slaw’.

The most frequently listed main course on British menus remains beef burgers, with an impressive 13% growth this year.

Steak is also becoming more popular, with rib eye, rump and sirloin steak all showing year-on-year growth. Traditional favourites such as mixed grills, beef lasagne, Sunday lunch and chicken curry show the greatest decline “We have been surprised by these Menurama results, which show a significant growth of meat-based, American-style dishes across the menus of a broad selection of eating out establishments,” commented Horizons’ director of services Nicola Knight. “Since last year we have also seen a decline in the use of healthy eating descriptions, perhaps as operators steer their menus towards indulgence.”

Previous Horizons research has shown that cash-strapped consumers are eating out more as a treat or a celebration than as an every-day occurrence. The research also reveals that consumers are getting less meat in their meals than they did previously.

Beef burgers are at their lowest average weight since the survey began – 6.35 oz versus 7.69 oz in summer 2010 (a decline of 17%). Likewise, sirloin steak, fillet steak and gammon steak are being served in smaller weights that last season (-8%, -7% and -4% respectively). The average price of a main course burger in pubs, restaurants and hotels is £9.27, with a hot dog averaging £6.12.

“Against a backdrop of rising food costs and squeezed consumer spend, the reduction in weight of key meat dishes demonstrates that operators are having to become more savvy with regard to menu and price engineering. This could explain the huge growth in hot dogs on menus – they are relatively cheap to produce and operators can easily add value to them

enabling them to charge more,” added Nicola Knight.

Menurama analyses the menus of 115 chains including pubs, restaurants, quick service outlets and hotels. Tracking the changes taking place on menus offers a unique insight into food trends and customer preferences. Other findings of Menurama (summer 2013) include the following.

• The top 10 main course dishes most frequently listed on menus are beef burger, pizza, chicken burger, fish and chips, rump steak, roast chicken, rib eye steak, chicken curry, sirloin steak and Sunday lunch.

• Another US export, the food reality TV show Man versus Food, where Adam Richman eats his way across America, is now influencing menus in the UK with examples including (Wo)Man Vs Burrito Your Way at Hungry Horse.

• Gourmet-style hot dogs including a Chilli Dog from pub chain Hungry Horse, with beef chilli, diced jalapenos and mustard mayo. Marston’s menu features a Mac N’ Cheese Hot Dog, with macaroni and cheddar cheese while Wetherspoon’s has a Gourmet Hot Dog with chilli con carne, cheese, onion rings and chips.

• Menurama also reveals the use of a wide range of terms referring to ethical sourcing, responsible production and food quality with homemade and free range the most widely used terms (usage of many others is decreasing, however, with the terms MSC-certified, dolphin-friendly and hormone-free completely disappearing from usage).

Street food in the spotlight Operators looking to tap into one of fastest growing food scenes in the UK – street food - are now better able to join the urban street food revolution, thanks to a new report and recipe book from the British Pig Executive (BPEX).

As a result of its impressive flavours, convenience and sociable experience, some 2.5 billion people (worldwide) eat street food every day and, as BPEX highlights, the trend is important for operators wanting to entice customers who prefer less formal options, but who still want nutritious meals full of flavour.

“Part of the excitement of street food is that consumers are able to taste food from around the world,” says BPEX foodservice trade manager, Tony Goodger. “Our ‘The Word on the Street’ booklet contains nine recipe ideas that are ideally placed to give chefs access to a variety of authentic and popular dishes. The recipes are also designed to deliver in terms of value for money and customer loyalty.

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CAFÉ FOOD “Street food is robust and relies on distinctive tastes so it is important that dishes are packed with intense flavour.

This doesn’t mean that all taste buds can’t be accounted for however; offering a variety of sauces including fiery chilli, sour cream and sweet chilli will give consumers the ability to turn up the heat or cool the dish down.

“All the recipes use readily available and economical cuts of quality assured pork, so chefs can benefit from excellent margins, as well as being confident they are serving nutritious, satisfying and tasty meals.”

Chocolate cupcakes made using Dawn Foods’ cupcake mixes.

“Pork is at the very heart of street food dishes due to its popularity in China, South East Asia, South America and Europe. Cuts such as pork shoulder, cheek and ribs are chosen as they combine great value with meltingly soft meat that diners find irresistible.”

Having spent years perfecting their own dishes to captivate the convenience driven consumer, four street food traders teamed up with BPEX to share their own experiences and passion for the fast-paced food phenomenon.

Mark Gevaux, a street trader in London, emphasises the importance of sourcing quality pork to produce tender, full flavoured meat which he then packs into meat rolls and wraps. Although his hit recipe is a secret, Mark Gevaux explains that the key to a successful street food dish is slow cooked pork generously served with an accompaniment of hot sauces.

The recipes, which all use Red Tractor Assured pork, encourage operators to

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slow-cook their meat to produce deliciously tender fillings perfect for wraps and flatbreads. With street food strong on flavour, recipes for marinades and rubs have also been included to enhance the flavour of pork.

With relatively inexpensive and easy recipe ideas, such as Muy Yum Pork and Pico, Brazilian Balls and Beans, Pork Samosas and Creole Style Ribs, chefs can package the dishes to appeal to customers accordingly – those wanting to eat quickly or just experience different flavours of the world (to view the flipbook visit porkforcaterers.bpex.org.uk, or order a hard copy via info@bpexfoodservice.com).

“There is a real opportunity for operators to be inspired by what’s happening in places with large footfalls and gatherings and to offer their own street-styled dishes. ‘The Word on the Street’ is designed for chefs to take elements of what makes street food so attractive and to include it in their own business,” adds Tony Goodger.

Sweet bakery trends “There are four current trend strands that café operators need to keep tabs on – flavour, format, size and seasonality,” asserts Jacqui Passmore, marketing manager for the sweet bakery manufacturer, Dawn Foods (www.dawnfoods.co.uk). “Keeping up with the latest trends to capture the nation’s attention keeps regular customers coming back for more and attracts new business.”

When it comes to flavour, salted caramel is the latest taste sensation and Dawn has just launched a premium salted caramel ready to serve muffin and cookie (the salted caramel trend started in the US in 2008 and since arriving in the UK has secured a following amongst celebrity chefs and luxury brands). According to Dawn Foods’ own research, salted caramel is predicted to have the biggest impact on the food and beverage industry this year.

Premium brands such as Häagen-Dazs, Starbucks, Hotel Chocolat and Waitrose have all launched salted caramel products in recent months.

“Looking at format trends, cupcakes remain an enduring favourite,” observes Jacqui Passmore. “Offering a good range of tempting cupcakes in a variety of flavours, beautifully decorated and displayed, will ensure that this is one trend that isn’t going to be going away any time soon.

“To help operators make the most of cupcake sales, Dawn has just launched its ultimate baking solution with its complete ‘Cupcake Kit’ product range, bringing together everything you need to create stunning cupcakes. The Cupcake Kit product range includes two brand new Dawn Cupcake Base Mixes in chocolate and plain, a variety of different flavoured Frostings and a new range of Chocolate Decorations and Toppings.

When it comes to the third trend, size, what’s clear is that size matters, report Dawn. Mini treats, already a strong trend in the US, are anticipated to be a key driver for sweet bakery sales in 2013 according to their survey carried out in July, and to help

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Black Diamond Milkshakes supply a brand new of range delicious smooth, creamy thick shakes, available in 7 delicious flavours, Mango, Cherry and Cappuccino, Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla & Banana. A delicious range of toppings are also available.

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Opinion

With the ever-increasing amount of new openings in the popular food/coffee bar sector, it’s hard to know what will be the next trend, feels Frank Boltman (pictured) of Thanks for Franks Bakery Co. Ltd (www.thanksforfranks.com), and a restaurant consultant. However, an artisanal approach is one way.

Distinctive Of course, a lot of the openings are by the major chains, and in general that means more of the same. So if we are looking at trends we should really look at the trail blazing paths that are being created by the brave and pioneering independent operators.

I am going to stick my neck out and say that the current trends in popular foods that are hitting the capital are items that have been popular for a long time. It’s just that now, there’s so much competition in all sectors, and you’ve got to have a product that stands out from the herd. One way to make sure yours does is to make a top quality well thought through delicious product.

This approach may well fit under the heading “artisan” - a person, or company, who makes a high-quality or distinctive product in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods – and some of the food items that are trending at the moment include sandwiches, burgers, roast meats, hot dogs and coffee.

For sandwiches, the trend is towards sourdough breads and rolls, in white, mixed grain or rye flours. These are traditionally made breads using a starter sourdough and not the conventional yeast that most quick method breads are made from.

This slow method of bread making that gives a superb flavour as well as a texture is more robust than just ordinary breads, and is also much crispier when toasted/grilled.

As for fillings, I think it’s easiest to say, look at the range of fillings selling well in your neck of the woods. You can then pick the best sellers and make a test range. See how they sell and which fillings go best then concentrate on those. Sourdough will cost you more, so cost out you products accordingly.

These items are also now being displayed unwrapped and ‘trayed up’ to be put on display. A lot of operators do not refrigerate, and just place on the counter. The benefits are that they look far more appealing un-wrapped because they look ‘just made’. They are also much quicker and cheaper to make as you will not be using any packaging.

These items will fall under the ‘four-hour rule’, however, so you must make sure that they have a date and time they were put out.

But once these are sold, you can put some more out.

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Remember the watch-words for this kind of retailing are “little but often”. That way, it’s always fresh.

The burger trend Burgers are really just hot sandwiches. They are trending for a number of reasons.

Firstly they are very popular, inexpensive, highly profitable as well as being fairly quick to make, and I can offer a a few pointers for outlets seeking to make a memorable burger.

1. Make sure you use a good quality ground beef. The best burger will need a mix of 80% ground chuck and 20% of a more fatty content cut, such as beef rib offcuts or brisket. Remember it’s the fat in the beef that gives the burger its flavour.

2. If you make this yourself, form into a ball say 112g to 140g and flatten with the palm of your hand. Shape into loose balls.

Gently flatten each ball into a 3/4-inchthick patty that’s about 4-1/2 inches around (keeping the burgers thick ensures a nice char on the outside without overcooking the inside.) To prevent the burgers from forming a domed shape on the grill, create a slight depression in the center of each patty.

3. Place a piece of silicone paper between them to separate them and make them easy to pick up. You may want to freeze them or use them straight away.

Remember to label them with the all the info you need to conform to all health and safety requirements.

4. To make the most the most of your delicious burger, you will need a seasoned mayo alongside the salad content. Try using a slice of vine ripened tomato and some leaves of butter lettuce or it is also known as round lettuce. For Cheese try some sliced aged Gruyere or Gouda. Place the whole thing on an Artisan Sesame seeded Brioche or a Granary Sunflower Seeded Bun. Roast meats Nothing new there you say, but there is. What are new are the methods of roasting. Slow roasting at a low temperature will ensure a

moist result, plus you will have the added bonus of less shrinkage resulting in a much more delicious product, and more yield for you.

There are many recipes for slow roasting.

You may want to make a marinade to pour over your meat; this will need normally 24 hours to become effective. You then need to apply a rub.

That is a combination of seasonings and spices that you apply by hand to the meat. This will give the meat even more flavour, as well as giving the natural juices that come out of the meat, extra taste should you decide to make a gravy. There are many recipes for slow roasting/marinades and rubs on the net for you to choose from.

Although hot dogs have always had a down market image, that is beginning to change now as there are a number of makers who are making a much more up market product with a much higher meat content, and a natural casing.

You could, for instance, make a Mexican Dog with chili con carne, grated cheese and salsa. A New York dog served with sauerkraut, mustard, and tomato and onion relish. A Chicago dog with sweet pickle relish tomato wedges chopped onions and spicy pickled peppers. Couple these with a terrific Artisan brioche Hot Dog Roll with seeds or without, the result is a quick easy popular and above all profitable ambassador for your business.

Artisanal coffee accompaniments Good looking round cakes and loaf cakes like the old favourites Coffee Walnut and Victoria Sponge will always sell with coffee. However you could try some new ones like Mango and Passion Fruit upside-down Cake or Coffee Mocha Walnut.

Tray-bake granola slices in such flavours as Peanut Butter Chocolate and Raspberry Crumble, Salted Caramel or Flame Raisin and Roasted Hazelnut not to mention the Original and Belgium Chocolate Flavours will make a big difference to your average spend when the customer has tried once they will insist on having one with their coffee.

Whatever you do when it comes to following trends, make sure the ones you follow are artisanal and quality-driven. You can’t go wrong! I define a successful trend, as one that keeps the customer coming back, makes money, that’s easy to make and easy to duplicate in a second store.

”

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CAFÉ FOOD bakers and operators capitalise on the trend, Dawn has recently launched a new range of mini cookie pucks in four popular flavours (Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, Double Chocolate and Oatmeal & Raisin).

The company’s new Mini Cookie Pucks come in frozen 28g ready-to-bake pucks that are very simply put in the oven for a matter of minutes and then served.

“Having the distinctive aroma of freshly baked cookies in your premises will tempt consumers to purchase and the choice of four popular flavours will ensure variety and plenty of choice,” says Jacqui Passmore. “We know that consumers are more cost and health conscious than ever before but they still want a tasty treat, both as a snack and as a dessert. The mini format enables them to do this but keep cost and calories down.”

Last, but not least, seasonal products, often offered as a limited edition, are increasingly popular, note Dawn. These can help operators to make the most of sales by offering what the consumer wants at that time of year – strawberries and cream in the summer, apple and cinnamon in the autumn, and so on. In line with this, Dawn have launched two new seasonal frosting flavours, Salted Caramel and Gingerbread.

Rachel Shoosmith, product marketing manager at bakery company, Lantmännen Unibake UK reports that the company’s 2012 Bread Barometer survey offers an indepth insight into the priorities and eating habits of consumers, which caterers can benefit from. For instance, 67% of respondents said that it is important that bakery products are freshly baked, and 79% said they are tempted to buy bakery products when they smell freshly baked bread in the outlet.

The aroma of freshly baked pastries and breads is an invaluable tool in attracting customers and tempting an impulse purchase and in-house bakery facilities ensure that freshly baked products can be offered throughout the day. The bake-off products from Lantmännen Unibake UK can be baked off from frozen in a short space of time, so operators can bake off small batches throughout the day for maximum freshness and to meet consumer demand whilst reducing wastage.

Coffee shops themselves, observe Lantmännen Unibake UK, have also recently identified a distinct ‘on the go’ shopper, who is looking for speed of service. For example, understanding that there is the need for a quick breakfast offering has seen many coffee shops now providing ready-bagged croissants on the counter.

“Outlets should consider the path to purchase a consumer makes in the café,

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Lantmännen Unibake UK’s chocolate croissant.

identifying key decision points and areas of dwell time,” says Rachel Shoosmith.

“These typically become the hot spots and products should be displayed in groupings to aid the shoppers purchase decision.

Point of sale material is particularly valuable in these areas, such as promoting meal deals and offers.

“Foodservice operators should focus on product positioning and cross-selling. For instance, Bakehouse-branded All Butter Croissants are great for the morning period and should be supported with point of sale material to entice consumers to purchase the products – either alone or as part of a meal deal offer with coffee. POS material is a great way for operators to establish the quality credentials of the pastry products to consumers and also to communicate usage ideas such as ‘great with coffee’, ‘a breakfast treat’ or ‘this week’s special’. This will increase the likelihood of impulse buying, as consumers are seduced to pick up a tasty treat throughout the day.”

Regional influences Soup supplier, The Real Soup Company (www.zorbafoods.co.uk), have noticed that consumers across the UK are creating a strong regional pattern of favourite flavours with those in the North opting for heartier tastes and textures while in contrast, those in London and the South East enjoy spicier recipes and the influence of international cuisine.

While traditional recipes such as Pea & Ham continue to top the list of best sellers in the Midlands and the north of England, and Leek & Potato remains a firm favourite in Wales, a trend emerges of a preference in the south of England for more exotic gourmet flavours.

Those are just some of the latest insights from leading foodservice soup manufacturer The Real Soup Company (TRSC), which has analysed customers’ buying trends from across the country.

“The North South divide between soup preferences is clearly demonstrated by regional sales over the last 12 months,” says Marie Gawley, foodservice commercial manager at TRSC. “Further north we are definitely seeing a return to traditional flavours and recipes, while consumers in and around London and the South East are opting for the more international and fusion-influenced recipes.”

In Scotland, TRSC’s year-round bestseller is the rustic Red Lentil, but for special patriotic celebrations such as Burns Night, sales of Cock-A-Leekie and Scotch Broth increase significantly. In London and the South East however, favourite flavours include Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato, Sweet Red Pepper & Coriander, and Thai Chicken.

“Operators should always cater for regional preferences as these will be regular favourites, but it’s equally important to introduce new flavours in order to sustain daily interest in the soup menus, and guard against flavour fatigue,” advises Marie Gawley.

“Try offering a daily soup special, and perhaps combine it with a sandwich for a satisfying lunch combo, or invite customers to taste a small sample of a new flavour each day of the week. Increasing your soup choices and offering a range of flavours will enhance your menu reputation, boost sales and help maximise your profit potential.”

In response to consumer demand for more exciting and unusual flavours, The

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Opinion

Take a walk down one of the major supermarket aisles and particularly in the world foods sections, you will immediately get a feel for some of the exciting flavour combinations making their way from the restaurant table to the dinner table at home. In turn, these offer plenty of ideas for cafés to tap into some of the current most popular flavours and trends, feels Michele Young, founder of Foodservice Support Ltd (www.foodservicesupport.co.uk).

Moving away from traditional Big, bold flavours such as chipotle and harissa owe their popularity to the explosion of global brands in the QSR (quick service restaurant) sector and have already made their way into the sandwich and salad categories. Although traditional flavour sandwiches still remain high in demand, there are some easy ways to innovate and ‘spice up’ your sandwiches using all kinds of sauces, relishes and marinades.

Most operators now offer a selection of cold and hot (toasted or grilled) sandwiches or hand-held wraps, and many of these new flavours work equally well on both. Whilst the staple cheese and ham toastie still seems to reign high in the popularity stakes, obviously depending on the positioning of the retailer and their customer profile, we note a tendency to move away from traditional cheddars or hams and upgrade to more continental style cheeses and meats.

Recently I was lucky enough to be invited

by Bel UK to a master class at the Novelli Academy and I was astounded how much innovation we could achieve using a selection of their continental cheeses like Boursin and Leerdammer which work fantastically well in both hot and cold sandwiches and offer not only a new taste dimension, but also perceived premium value.

Like the filling, the choice of bread carrier is equally as important in creating the perfect sandwich. The rise of the bakery café format and niche craft bakers have led to a much wider choice when it comes to artisan style breads and this is likely to continue with consumers demanding more and more authentic artisan style products, rather than the mainstream and now rather passé sliced white or brown.

Thinking outside the bread has also become increasingly relevant in a crowded marketplace where each operator wants to stand out from their competitive set and ensure that they can maximise sales opportunities all day long, and throughout the year.

Soups, stews, porridge and pastas have all made their way into the coffee shop format in some way, shape or form and there are plenty of manufacturers offering ‘easy cook’ or ‘heat and eat’ solutions which take away the need for kitchen space and additional equipment. If

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you are prepared to shop around you can certainly find solutions that suit your individual style of operation without adding too much extra labour or complexity.

It’s almost impossible these days to offer a range of sandwiches without listing some form of a salad option too on your lunchtime menu. Due to the increased awareness in health and wellness, salads have established themselves as an all-year round option. We are currently seeing much more sophisticated salad recipe builds appearing on menus, moving on from the traditional pure green leaf based options to those with bases of grains and pulses such as couscous, bulgar wheat or quinoa and accompaniments or dips such as hummus or guacamole.

For smaller businesses that don’t have the space or capability to centrally produce or make sandwich fillings or salads from scratch in-house, there are some great quality, readymade products and ingredients available in the marketplace from manufacturers and suppliers such as Ramona’s Kitchen, Leathams, Calder Foods and The Sauce Company, that can allow you to tap straight into these new flavour trends.

Sweet category Cakes, bakes, cookies, impulse confectionery lines, Viennoisserie and patisserie still trend strongly in coffee shops with pastries mainly dominating the breakfast segment and an array of round cakes and tray bakes fulfilling the slot for afternoon treats.

We’ve been reading a lot about the new ‘cronut’ craze sweeping across the US, but they have yet to make their grand entrance into the UK café scene. Meanwhile cupcakes and muffins still have a stronghold on the category with deluxe versions offering a premium pricing opportunity for operators.

Some operators have recognised that customers may want to decrease their portion size or intake and as a result bite-size minis such as mini Danish, mini choux and mini cake bites are also appearing more and more across all sweet categories. A little indulgence goes a long way and still allows the customer to treat themselves on their visit.

When it comes to innovation on flavours there has definitely been a retro theme prevalent across the sweet category meeting

the trend for nostalgic, comforting desserts with classic, indulgent flavours, on offer often during a limited time only. Capitalising on the momentum started from last year’s Jubilee celebrations it’s good to see the traditional afternoon tea has resurged again in popularity with many coffee shops successfully using it as a mechanic to drive visit and average transaction value.

Another clear trend we are also seeing in the sweet category is the combination of sweet and savoury flavours such as salted caramel which are becoming increasingly popular across the bakery and confectionery categories. I think this is one to watch with more experimentation going on in development kitchens everywhere.

With increasing customer demand for freshly made products, Dawn Foods’ newly launched Scoop & Bake products, for example, are a good solution for café operators to take a step further towards producing a freshly baked product without the hassle of having to create the perfect base mix from scratch. With many operators already having ovens on their premises to bake breads, this is a great way to maximise the use of equipment as well as offer your customers a unique ‘just made and baked’ product, which can be finished according to your own style.

Other considerations Allergies triggered by certain types of food have increased significantly over the last few years thus opening the doors for manufacturers to develop new products in areas such as gluten free and nut free, and as intolerances to certain types of foodstuffs continue to manifest themselves then we are likely to see these types of products becoming a ‘need to have’ option on most menus.

It is always worth keeping one eye on the trend-setters in the market. Players like Pret, for example, have a knack of being able to introduce a new product idea or flavour and creating a mainstream status for it almost overnight. The recent introduction of their chocolate covered rice cakes, for example, is a simple way of meeting the demand for a lower calorie snack yet still with a hint of a treat about it, and it is already being replicated in other food outlets.

”

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THRIVING SANDWICH BAR

SANDWICH SHOP/TAKEAWAY/CAFE

DEVON

MONMOUTHSHIRE

CHESTERFIELD

WIGAN

T/O £81,000 Very well established Superb town centre trading position Scope for deliveries & catering

Turnover £210,296 EPC rating E Outside seating area Minimal competition

Average WT £1,000-£1,200 Superb trading location 20 covers EPC rating D

£40,000 LEASEHOLD

£59,950 LEASEHOLD

REF 41397

WT £1,000 - £2,000 Prominent main road trading location Loyal customer base Superbly presented premises £29,999 LEASEHOLD REF 41468

REF 38112

REF 41176

POPULAR TOWN CENTRE CAFE & TAKEAWAY

£33,000 LEASEHOLD

CAFE & ICE CREAM PARLOUR

ABERGAVENNY CAFE/BISTRO Excellent premises and location , WT £5,000+ , Scope for evening trade, Double fronted period property Ref 35043 £170,000 LEASEHOLD

BRISTOL CAFE Great Location as part of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Large estate and populated area, 24 internal and 12 external covers , EPC rating E Ref 141610 £65,000 LEASEHOLD

CHESTER CAFE/SANDWICH BAR WT £2,500, City centre trading location, High footfall, EPC rating E Ref 41219 £24,950 LEASEHOLD

COFFEE SHOP/CAFE DEVIZES WT £9,500, Immaculately presented throughout, Completely refurbished and modernised, EPC rating D Ref 141866 £350,000 LEASEHOLD

DEVIZES TEA ROOMS & CAFE WT £900, High footfall from surrounding area, 2 Bed owners accommodation with separate access, EPC rating C Ref 141972 £300,000 FREEHOLD

PUBLIC HOUSE & RESTAURANT DORSET WT £6,000, recently refurbished, Close to sea front and town centre, 3 bed owner accommodation plus 2 en-suite rooms with letting potential, EPC rating B Ref 141631 £160,000 LEASEHOLD

EAST LONDON CAFE/COFFEE SHOP A3 licensed, WT £2,500 - £3,500 GP 70%, 12 internal covers & garden, Studio apartment and 2 bed flat £140,000 LEASEHOLD Ref 35065

EXETER CAFE Fantastic location on the main village street, 32 covers, modern facilities, Very well presented throughout, EPC rating C Ref 141871 £40,000 LEASEHOLD

HAWICK CAFE Turnover £45,000, Prime town centre location, 20 covers, Strong reputation, high daily footfall Ref 39133 £15,000 LEASEHOLD

BIRMINGHAM CAFE WT £1,400, GP 70%, Busy trading estate location, EPC rating E, Spacious premises, 28 covers Ref 40940 £29,995 LEASEHOLD

LEEDS

WT £1,850, Prominent main road position, Operated by staff, EPC rating Ref 41365 £33,000 LEASEHOLD

PAIGNTON COFFEE SHOP & CAFE Established over 25 years, Good loyal customer base & fantastic footfall, 12 external covers & 30 internal covers, EPC rating E Ref 141870 £50,000 LEASEHOLD

RICKMANSWORTH CAFE WT £2,000, Excellent location next to train station, High footfall, Good regular custom

SALFORD CAFE Weekly takings £1,200, 20 covers, Superb main road location with high footfall, Strong base of regular customers £20,000 LEASEHOLD Ref 41248

STOKE-ON-TRENT CAFE & TAKEAWAY WT £2,750, Town centre location, Regular customer base , EPC rating D Ref 41538 £85,000 LEASEHOLD

LICENSED COFFEE SHOP / CAFE WEST LONDON Weekly takings £2,000, Prime high street location, 20 covers, recently refurbished, EPC rating F Ref 141915 £89,995 LEASEHOLD

£85,000 LEASEHOLD

Ref 142018

COFFEE SHOP/CAFE

For your free, no obligation appraisal, call us today on:

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0844 38 77 339

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“

As someone who has spent time researching their new café (opening soon) I was very impressed with the information provided by the Café Society. They also made some good connections for us and it was certainly worthwhile joining in advance of opening. Their on-line Hygiene training course was just what we needed to open fully trained.

Pauline Hennessy Croydon

”

tel: 01291 636333 web: www.thecafelife.co.uk/cc57 www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 25

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CAFÉ FOOD The Real Soup Company’s new Tomato & Chipotle Soup.

Real Soup Co has recently added new Moroccan Chickpea, Spicy Bean and Tomato & Chipotle to its portfolio of premium quality, fresh chilled soups made exclusively for the foodservice sector.

Sushi solution A Barnsley entrepreneur with a healthy interest in Japanese cuisine has launched an innovative new product to help cafés and delis ‘roll their own’ sushi snacks and meet the growing demand in the UK for sushi.

Sushi Machines Ltd has designed, developed and manufactured the Roller-35 sushi-making machine which enables novices to create perfect 35mm-diameter sushi rolls in minutes, and the launch of the patented gadget makes Sushi Machines the very first sushi machine manufacturing company in Europe.

The compact, easy-to-use Roller 35 is designed to fit snugly in a small commercial kitchen or behind the counter in an urban sandwich bar or café, say its creators. Every component of the simple, stainless steel machine is manufactured in the UK and is assembled in Yorkshire.

“Sushi making is an art that can take years to perfect, but with our revolutionary new machine anyone can do it proficiently with ten minutes training – we even provide a step-by-step on-line guide,” says company director, Stuart Turner.

Sushi Machines has been supported to develop and market its innovation by Enterprising Barnsley specialist business coaches.

“A couple of years ago, we spotted a growing demand for sushi in the ‘food-togo’ and restaurant market and so decided to develop a product aimed at enabling small catering businesses to add the potentially lucrative line to their menu,” explains Stuart Turner.

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The new Roller 35 has been sold via distributors for about three months now and has already reached customers as far afield as France, Spain, Sweden and even Japan, and the firm plan to promote the product to more commercial buyers at two trade fairs in London later this year. Sushi machines will also launch a smaller roller designed to make 25mm sushi rolls soon and is currently developing a range of other sushi making machines.

Snacking winners and losers According to Snack Foods 2013 (a new Market Update from business intelligence company Key Note), the snack foods industry grew by 8.3% in 2012. This was due to growing demand for premium products, as well as the introduction of new flavours by manufacturers. Not only are snacks popular, but they are convenient and suitable for consumers’ day-to-day lives, and Britons are increasingly snacking throughout the day, report Key Note.

Moreover, snack foods are consumed as a meal accompaniment, generally at lunchtime with foods such as sandwiches.

They are also enjoyed at home by consumers who are staying in to save money during the economic crisis. Thus, there is a demand for both on-the-go and sharing formats in the market, feel the researchers.

Potato crisps are the largest sector in the snack foods market. However, the ‘other snack foods’ category experienced the fastest growth in 2012 due to growing consumer demand for healthier snacks and gourmet popcorn. According to Key Note, the category that is experiencing the slowest sales growth is snack nuts. Nuts are more expensive than cereal- and potato-based snacks, and many cashstrapped consumers are being forced to trade down and prioritise their spending.

In the snack foods market, consumers are buying more economical potato crisps and other savoury snacks. Manufacturers have responded by mixing products with other ingredients, such as dried fruits and crisps, in addition to nuts, to lower their retail value (in 2012, the snack nuts sector grew by 3.9%, say Key Note).

Consumers consider potato crisps and other savoury snacks to be affordable luxuries as even premium products are cheaper than many other foods in general.

Moreover, a high level of promotional activity in the market and the excessive number of products available in the industry has lowered the average price of all products, including quality snacks.

Good value has also helped to boost the industry’s sales.

In addition, manufacturers continue to invest in their products to offer consumers new and innovative flavours, which have also pushed sales. They are keen to market products from a ‘healthier’ angle, including by reducing saturated fat and using only natural ingredients. Despite this, consumers are fed up of dieting - they want to watch their weight, but continue to enjoy their favourite foods, including snacks. This has created a niche in the market for smaller packs, feel Key Note.

Multipacks are not only more economical than standard variants, but also help consumers moderate their calorie intake through portion control. Furthermore, they are handy to carry around as a snack or as part of a packed lunch.

Key Note expects that the snack foods industry will continue to grow over the next five years (overall, it is forecast to rise by 30.5%). During this time period, the main focus in the industry is likely to be on effective marketing campaigns, the development of healthier products, and innovation.

The snack brand, Big D, has recently launched a new range of Crunchy Coated Peanuts in two new flavours (BBQ and Spicy Chilli).

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PREVIEW

Make time for lunch!

Returning to the Business Design Centre, London, on 26-27 September, lunch! 2013 – the award-winning trade event for the food-to-go market – is poised to connect thousands of food and drink buyers with (an unprecedented) 290 exhibitors. Here’s just a taste of what’s on offer for café and coffee-house operators this year.

Innovation Full of innovation and energy, exciting, essential and enjoyable – that’s the verdict from visitors to last year’s fifth anniversary lunch! show which attracted record attendance of 4,403 across two actionpacked days. For 2013 the show promises to be its biggest yet, with an expansion into a new upper feature level at the threefloor venue making way for a further 15% increase in exhibitor numbers.

This can only be good news for prospective visitors, with lunch!’s line-up including big names such as Delifrance, Equip Line, Cawston Press, Delice de France, Cheese Cellar, Rombouts Coffee, Mowers Food Service, Cafe Deli Wholesale, Easy Bean, Rude Health, H.J. Heinz Foodservice, Taylor Davis, Adelie Foods Group, Planglow, The Food Doctor, Magrini, Yeo Valley, Warburtons, Yorkshire Baker, Crown Foods, Luscombe Organic Drinks, Divine Chocolate, Tideford Organics, URBAN eat, Stoats, Asiana and Odysea.

Working lunch! theatre highlights And it’s not just the exhibitors at lunch! promising to draw in the crowds. In addition to the Innovation Zone, the new upper feature level is now home to the popular British Smoothie Championship (sponsored by Magrini), the Innovation Challenge Live! (where participating exhibitors ‘pitch’ their new product innovations and ideas to a panel of industry judges), the Innovation Challenge Showcase, and the Working lunch! Theatre (also sponsored by Magrini).

Notable Keynote highlights for 2013 include essential market updates from Horizons, Allegra and Leatherhead Food Research, plus debut sessions from Manaaz Akhtar (European marketing

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director at Subway), who will be discussing catering for the family audience, and Elliot Cantrell (Adelie Food Group’s senior food technologist and current British Sandwich Designer of the Year) and Mark McCulloch (former head of marketing at YO! Sushi and Pret a Manger). Mike Bond (catering mark manager at The Soil Association) and Andrew Sherick (former senior buyer with M&S Foods) will also be there.

“It's essential to know your market place,” says Andrew Sherick. “That's why lunch! is so key. I think it's the only trade show that's 100% focused on the impulse market.” “lunch! is the premier place for food retailers to get an insight into all the food innovation that is happening across the country,” agrees Andrew Walker, the former MD of Pret.

Drawing on over 12 years of experience working at Pret, including four-and-a-halfyears as UK managing director, during which time sales grew from £223m to £350m and EBITDA doubled to £58m), Andrew Walker will be divulging strategies on how retailers can maximise their sales during the ‘magic two hour (lunch) window’ in his opening day headline Keynote.

New product launches According to key findings in its 2012 Ones to Watch report, foodservice consultancy Horizons says when it comes to food-togo, high quality and wide variety are key growth drivers in the UK’s £14.9 billion lunch market. lunch!’s eclectic menu of exhibitors will be offering plenty of both, say organisers.

Central Foods will be sampling new ready-made pancakes and crepes from Crepe Cuisine, individually wrapped free-

from cakes and slices from Bells of Lazonby, and authentic, hand-finished French canapés and petits fours from Tipiak.

Joe & Seph’s latest range addition is their indulgent Mint Chocolate flavour, available in 32g snack packs and perfect for gourmet snacking.

Karimix, makers of hand-cooked relishes, chutneys, pastes and sauces from South-East Asia, will be launching a new range of pastes for soups and rice.

Artisan crisp maker, Fairfields Farm Crisps, will be exhibiting its brand new, locally-sourced vegetable crisps – available in Sweet Potato, Chilli & Lime and Parsnip varieties.

Muffins now make up 33% (Allegra Project Café Report December 2012) of all food bought in cafés, meaning that innovation in this category is vital in maintaining consumer interest. In response to this, Delice de France is proud to introduce the unique and delicious Salted Caramel Muffin to the market, showcasing at lunch! this month.

Victor Manufacturing will showcase the first British manufactured refrigerated display cabinet to be featured on the ECA Energy Technology List – the Optimax SQ.

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PREVIEW GO IN will launch its new ‘All in One Table’ – a sideways stackable, lightweight table (4.2kg) with a built-in tilting mechanism, integrated anti-theft protection, specially designed for outdoor catering situations.

Tri-Star Packaging is set to break new ground yet again at this year’s show with the launch of an innovative range of ecofriendly food-to-go packaging and disposable tableware.

Chylled Catering Apps will demonstrate its bespoke branded online, mobile, iOS and Android ordering system, and back office reporting, voucher and loyalty scheme.

Award-winning Raging Bull Meats will be showcasing its recently launched MEAT IN A BAG campaign, which puts a fun twist on the already well-established cured meat snack, Biltong.

Biopac UK will showcase 100% compostable cups, cutlery and soup containers that are ideal for delis, cafés, and coffee shops looking for an ecofriendly alternative.

Sun Valley is launching an innovative range of four snacking ‘POTS’ into the coffee/sandwich shop arena, which will be presented for the first time in its finished format at lunch!

The latest Nelson Advantage dishwashers and glasswashers will be shown alongside a range of catering equipment from the popular Blue Seal range including Turbofan convection ovens.

Cafédirect will be sampling the newest addition to its single origin range from Costa Rica – 'Strictly High Grown' coffee, which is available in both 60g sachets and 227g packs.

Award winning pastry specialist Pidy will introduce its new range of spicy and exotic

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canapé cups available in American Falafel, Asian Curry, Mexican Chilli and Southern Pepper flavours. Plus, a pre-baked frozen sweet sable range that allows ease of use and storage and results in a just baked fresh taste.

PANESCOFOOD.COM’s innovative new range additions include pre-filled snacks, brioche bun, gluten and lactose free sliced bread blister packs, and Parisian Macarons.

LITTLE Big Shot will unveil new flavours (apple, kiwi and lime and orange and mango) to stand alongside its awardwinning original mixed berry healthy energy drink, which contains exclusive Deep Ocean Minerals.

Roller Grill will showcase its new ‘business in a box’ (a self-financing crepe or waffle concept, which includes the equipment, accessories and mix).

GFT Retail will launch its new range Patak’s and Blue Dragon snacking products. Including Patak’s Jumbo Peanuts (50g) in Jalfrezi and Tikka Masala varieties, and Blue Dragon’s Jumbo Peanuts and Cashews (50g), available in Sweet Chilli and Five Spice.

Hanpak will launch a revolutionary, fully bio-degradable and compostable, allin-one disposable drinks cup, which replaces the existing cup and separate lid.

Unox UK will be promoting its latest range of Professional Combi and Bake Off Ovens. The Unox Chefs will be cooking live throughout this year’s lunch!, demonstrating The Cafe Solutions Range.

Eltoni Pasta will showcase its latest food-to-go pasta upgrades (with new 10 second countdown timer), now capable of producing over 260 perfect pasta meals an hour!

Taylors of Harrogate’s out-of-home range includes Yorkshire Tea and – unique in the world of mainstream tea – a Hard Water blend. Mainstream tea is treated as a one size fits all offering but those in hard water areas know all too well how it can impact on the quality of your tea.

Maynard House Orchards, the awardwinning Suffolk apple juice producers, will be sampling their new juice – Maynard House Orange and Clementine, a smooth blended Valencian citrus juice (available in 200ml bottles).

Kandula Tea will launch two new pure herbal infusions.

Vanilla Chai Rooibos – an indulgent blend of Rooibos with hints of Ceylon Spices and soft creamy vanilla notes, and Chamomile Rose – a fragrant blend of rose infused chamomile tea, with whole chamomile flowers, rose petals and lavender buds.

Freshfayre Chilled Foodservice will showcase its new bakery range, which includes exclusive retro treats like giant custard cream and giant bourbon biscuits.

Soup can be a huge profit generator, especially if it’s as tasty and heartwarming as Love Soup from Redemption, a comprehensive range of light and funky, hearty and chunky varieties that are handmade in small batches for consistent quality.

Divine will be introducing their newly repackaged range of six 40g bars, including brand new additions Caramel Milk Chocolate and 70% Dark with Ginger & Orange, and exhibiting alongside Cafédirect who will be also showcasing their new Costa Rica Single Origin coffee, as well as their best-selling Peruvian Machu Picchu and smooth Medium Roast blend.

“So many innovations, new trends and suppliers under one roof – lunch! is the essential date in my diary!” says Ketal Patal, procurement category manager at EAT, and just one of thousands of anticipated visitors looking forward to another helping of this vibrant show’s much talked-of buzz.

lunch! will take place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on 26-27 September. For further information and to register free in advance, visit www.lunchshow.co.uk (and quote priority code LUNCC6 where prompted).

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Over half of operators fail to deliver quality coffee s the Beverage Standards Association (BSA) reveals that in recent ‘mystery shopper’ audits, 54% of operators failed to meet acceptable coffee quality standards, Ranald Paterson, honorary president of the BSA welcomes the technological advances that manufacturers such as Cimbali are making in order to drive up in cup quality.

The assessments were conducted on self nominated premises and the critical criteria on which the analysis of small espresso coffee was based is as follows: Required liquid volume:- 25-30ml, including good crema; Acceptable extraction time:20-30 secs; Temperature of drink:- 65°C best, 63-67°C acceptable.

Over half those assessed failed on the above criteria alone, with 47% due to under extraction whilst over extraction accounted for 7% of those who didn’t reach the desired BSA standards.

Daniel Clarke, business development manager for Cimbali who carried out some

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of the assessments on behalf of the BSA said. “Some operators find the management of the grinder problematic and the issue is compounded by staff who are inexperienced staff do not know how or when adjustments need to be made.

The result can be coffee that it is either under extracted and very weak or over extracted and bitter. The issue is customers don’t usually complain about poor quality coffee they just don’t come back for more.”

According to the data, over 20% of operators were extracting at between 8-13 seconds, a significant shortfall from the BSA’s recommended extraction time of 20-30 seconds. “At the extreme, we experienced sites with extraction times as low as 7 seconds”. Said Paterson.

“Training will help improve standards by filling knowledge and skill gaps. Operators also need to work with suppliers and draw on their expertise to help get the best from their coffee, equipment, milk, water etc.

“Additionally, we welcome the technological advances that manufacturers like Cimbali are making, for example with their new Perfect Grinding System, in order to drive up in cup quality.“ Cimbali’s award winning, self-adjusting Perfect Grinding System (PGS) takes all the guesswork out of making perfect espresso.

The PGS grinder and coffee machine effectively ‘talk to each other’, adjusting the grind through the working day to guarantee a consistent in cup quality, irrespective of the skills of the barista. “It doesn’t matter if the staff are completely new that day, the ‘fail safe’ technology will still deliver that perfect espresso according to the pre-set parameters.” Said Dan. “In terms of precision, the technology is so advanced that the system adjusts the grind in steps of just 5 microns. That’s finer than the average spider’s silk.” Said Dan. The technology is currently available with the M39 traditional coffee machine when used with Wireless

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The Cimbali S54 superautomatic machine can also be fitted with PGS technology. This means consistent coffee quality and eliminates downtime as there is no need for a skilled barista to reset the grinder blades.

For further information, please visit www.cimbaliuk.com, 0208 2387 100

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COFFEE

Coffee class

With consumers’ palates developing a taste for higher quality in the cup, here we acknowledge the increasing importance of being able to recognise, select and serve great tasting coffee.

Taste matters “Around 70 million cups of coffee are consumed daily in the UK, so the market opportunity is not only huge, but also still growing strongly despite the recession.

Consumers are taking their coffee much more seriously, and not just because they need to justify the price of every cup they consume,” says James Roberts, joint managing director of Peros (www.peros.co.uk), an independent distributor of Fairtrade beverages to the foodservice sector.

“As consumers can now buy a coffee everywhere they turn - at work, on the high street, on the train - they are becoming far more discerning in the taste they are looking for. In short, they are looking for a better experience and greater All about the bean – Peros’s range of espressos are being marketed as a ‘boutique’ product with appeal to discerning consumers.

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value from every cup they consume.”

The pressure is on then for operators to select impressive coffees, in turn boosting sales, but also requiring outlets to demonstrate greater coffee knowledge to justify charging a premium price in the first place.

“Before you can create the perfect coffee menu, you need to understand your customer - think carefully about what they’ll want to buy and how much they want to pay for it. Get to know what your competitors are doing as well. This is not only helpful for matching your offering, but also for making sure you’re not under- or over-charging. The market can be pricesensitive but if you’re offering a great product with service to match, then customers

are prepared to pay more,” advises James Roberts.

“Look at your menu, your beans and your operating style. Your menu must reflect the needs of your customers. For a busy, fast food environment, consider a limited choice of coffees with an ability to serve quickly while maintaining quality. For a more upmarket, relaxed outlet consider more elaborate choices of beverages.

“For the most consumer-acceptable coffee, in my opinion you’ll need to specify high quality, ethically-traded beans. You’ll also need to understand their source and origin to be able to talk knowledgeably about your beans to your customers.

Customers will expect to pay premium prices for this type of careful sourcing and expertise.”

“In high street café settings high quality,

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COFFEE espresso-based beverages are most popular with consumers therefore operators should be reflecting this in their offerings,” agrees Grant Lang, founder of Mozzo Coffee (www.mozzocoffee.com). “The classics still dominate (cappuccino and latte), but coffee menus need to be extended beyond that to catch the attention of the more discerning coffee drinker with drinks such as flat white and piccolos as these are gaining momentum.

“Quality filter and drip coffee experiences are coming back and benefit the operator in that you don't need hot milk to enjoy great coffee, therefore equipment costs may be reduced and cleaning regimes simplified. This trend is being led by a growth in the offering of single origin filter and drip coffees alongside an espresso option, based around a blend,” observes Grant Lang.

“The ethical market is becoming fragmented.

Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance still dominate the high street brands, but within the independent sector new, niche ethical and sustainable initiatives are developing, including Mozzo's very own Community2Community Fund (www.c2cfund.org), for example.

“The morning pick me up still dominates. However, if the industry keeps focused and pushes the message of drink quality instead of quantity, we may see more consumers choosing to take coffee during other day parts, and possibly even purchasing more than one coffee in a sitting. In order to achieve this, there is a need for smaller sized coffees being served across much of the UK market. This will undoubtedly result in greater profit potential.”

In order to increase revenue through coffee sales, outlets need to start by serving better coffee, urges Grant Lang.

“Strip back your menu and serve smaller, one size options per drink. For example, 4oz Piccolo, 6oz Flat White, 8oz Cappuccino, 9oz Latte,” he

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Café du Monde emphasise the central importance of aroma, body, flavour and acidity. suggests. “This will result in lower milk waste (with trained staff and the right sized milk jugs), and consumers potentially buying two coffees in one sitting as they won’t be full after drinking 12 or 16 (sometimes more!) ounces of milk! This also offers an ideal opportunity to sell additional items such as cakes and pastries. Serve your coffee smaller and better and you will drive up revenues and profits.

“In my view, training needs to be focused not only in the ‘espresso experience’, but also on the world of filter coffee and ensuring staff understand the key fundamentals in how to brew, serve and maintain high quality filter coffee.

“Global demand for roast and ground coffee continues to rise as producing countries such as Brazil, Colombia and India become consumers of coffee. Over the medium to long term prices for quality Arabica coffees will continue to increase, yet history shows that markets and business focused on quality will survive and thrive, with consumers prepared to pay for a quality experience. Those that reduce quality to save a fraction of a penny per cup will ultimately

see sales decline as consumers choose either not to drink a particular type of coffee, and maybe choose other beverages with potentially lower margins.”

Aroma, body, flavour and acidity When it comes to the business of proposing coffees to their clients, as with other suppliers, Café du Monde teach their customers how to recognise the four key sensory indicators; namely aroma, body, flavour and acidity.

Aroma is the smell when the coffee is first brewed – produced by aromatics and developed by roasting. Body is the sensation of weight and texture in the mouth. Flavour is a combination of aroma, body and acidity, creating the total overall impression, and acidity – a positive term – is an aspect that means that the coffee would be flat and lose its liveliness and delicious sharpness without it.

Thus, in assessing coffees, Café du Monde use a sensory wheel which enables them to pin down the key characteristics of an original coffee or blend. This is the knowledge they seek to pass

on to their clients, say the company, and how they encourage them to get a feel for their coffees and to be able to assess them and compare their coffees with the competition. Some clients will wish to go into this in far greater depth than others, but this is the starting point, feel Café du Monde.

And when it comes to cupping – the practical taste testing of a range of coffees Café du Monde recommend that their customers use a cafetière, as this is as close as it gets in the commercial world in terms of the way coffee is ‘wetted’ and assessed in coffee sales rooms.

In the present climate, single estate and original coffees are highly popular, report Café du Monde.

However, they are also careful to point out that there is still a big place for blends (blends being designed to take the best characteristics of several coffees and combine them in one well rounded coffee). This is particularly useful in espresso coffees, feel Café du Monde (few coffee companies tend to offer more than one or two espresso coffees in their portfolio, so it’s important to get the taste profile right).

Learning curve In the absence of, or whilst building, their own coffee knowledge, most operators rely on their supplier for advice, many of whom are well trained in the world of coffee and therefore in a good position to offer valuable insight and suggestions.

Sean Fowler, a coffee taster and buyer at UK coffee roaster, Lincoln & York (www.lincolnandyork.com), for example, started out as a trainee with the famous firm, and has gone on to use his experience in the art of coffee tasting to become the UK’s youngest Q grader.

“I began working at Lincoln & York in February 2011, assuming the role of trainee taster and buyer. My main responsibility at this stage was roasting the sample batches

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COFFEE for testing the green coffee product before use in the Roastery. Tasting alongside James Sweeting, director at Lincoln & York, my training began in earnest. I was wellplaced to learn, with James having been in the industry over 20 years,” recalls Sean Fowler.

“One of the first things I learnt was that the coffee industry is not as simple as people think! Learning to taste takes a huge amount of time and dedication, from both teacher and student. I began to see that each coffee painted a picture and told a story of where it was grown, how it was processed and sometimes the journey it may have taken half way across the globe.

“The physical act of tasting is only part of the overall process - we have to take into account freshness of crop, physical appearance of the green coffee, moisture content and how the coffee roasts and brews, before we even begin to taste it.”

With this basis in coffee quality, Sean Fowler says that his palate gradually became more and more attuned to picking up the subtleties and differences between species, countries of origin and processing methods. And as this became more familiar to him, he began to read and research even more into the world of coffee.

“Rather than identifying a Brazilian coffee as ‘a Brazilian’, I became much more interested in what region of Brazil it was from. And not just

Lincoln & York’s Sean Fowler has gone from trainee to Q grader. this, I wanted to know how high the coffee was grown (a key factor determining sweetness and acidity intensity), what sub varietal of Arabica it was, what soil it was grown in and how much rainfall the area had,” explains Sean Fowler. “The list is endless for what can affect the finished cup when we taste at our cupping table. When I first started everyone told me I would be in the industry for life, and they were right. I had learnt a lot and wanted to know more.”

The next step, and the most crucial for his training, was to achieve a Q grader certification. This accreditation

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CAFÉ CULTURE

is the coffee industry’s foremost tasting qualification. Run by the Coffee Quality Institute, based in America, this qualification provides coffee tasters with a common language when tasting.

Designed for speciality Arabica coffee, it is essentially ‘coffee mathematics’ - a common language for coffee tasters.

With strict protocols on how samples must be roasted, ground and prepared for tasting, the purpose is that a Q grader in New Zealand and a Q grader in the UK can taste coffee samples from the same bag of green and score it in a very similar fashion on the Q grading scale.

“Training myself for the certification elevated my cupping to the next level. The qualification is five days long, encompassing multiple cuppings, aroma testing, green grading and a written knowledge test amongst other tasks. It is an intense and tough week of non-stop sensory bombardment,” Sean Fowler continues.

“Having only been in the industry for just over a year I had my work cut out to try to reach the standard of cupping required to obtain the

qualification. Amongst my daily duties at the roastery I was preparing tasting and little tests to do after hours to try and hone my skills ready for the test. Mike Riley of Falcon Speciality Coffee gave no end of tricks, tips and insights into pushing my skill set further.

“As the week loomed nearer, my training intensified, with the difficulty of the tests set increasing in difficulty.

When the week finally came I travelled to TAF Coffee in Greece to be assessed, with five other tasters, by Tracy Allen as our instructor. The week flew by and I spent five enjoyable (albeit stressful!) days assessing coffees and learning a huge amount. By the end of the week I had passed without having to retake any of the assessments and I was officially a Q grader!

At the time of qualifying I was the youngest in the UK to have the certificate.”

A way of life Sean Fowler says that he now uses his skills to maintain the quality levels that Lincoln & York require for their green coffee products. The main responsibility of this is

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Café Cuba!

Alice Rendle, of specialist coffee distributor Edgcumbes (www.edgcumbes.co.uk), who was fortunate enough to visit Cuba last year, spent some time getting to know the coffee scene there. Cubans are famed, among other things, for their Bacardi, the city of Havana and their intoxicating combination of Latino/Caribbean culture, but what about their coffee? Although the nature of coffee grown there is good, perhaps rather surprisingly, its preparation often leaves a lot to be desired, feels Alice Rendle.

“Cubans don’t do anything by halves and their approach to coffee making is no exception! I visited numerous cafés in Havana, and in the countryside, and every place had a different method of brewing coffee,” reports Alice Rendle. “But in general, the trusty two group espresso machine is the mainstay of any coffee selling operation.

“Naturally enough, the Hispanic brands proliferated, in particular Rancilio and Expobar, with perhaps the odd La Spaziale making an appearance. Most of the locals would ask for an espresso, a café Cubano or a Cafecito. The café Cubano is sweet, sweet, sweet - an acquired taste in all honesty. Although Havana is a tourist city, the cafés are not destination venues, and for the most part the coffee covered the range of unpalatable flavoursbitter, weak, tasteless, under-extracted, over extracted, stale. In short, disappointing!

“One of the landmarks of Havana, La Floridita (www.floridita-cuba.com) - a famed Hemingway hideout - served me a coffee that was undrinkable. Bitter and thin, it tasted of chicory more than coffee, although the Daiquiris were excellent. The best coffee I tasted was in a tiny coffee shop in the mountains called Maria’s Coffee Shop, and which I found out was made with their locally grown beans.”

So, is Cuban coffee any good?

“The coffee was rarely freshly ground. It had usually been pre-ground and kept to the side of the machine in a variety of receptacle from the hopper in the grinder, a sealed glass jar and even an open tub! The grinders were often empty and seemed to be there for show, or to grind the day’s coffee which was then put in the plastic tub alongside,” observed Alice Rendle.

“Milk was often frothed first in a plastic jug with coffee added after. The milk was sometimes frothed in the cup. When I questioned why this was done, the answer came that is was quicker to do it that way?!

“Cuban cappuccino resembles the ‘bouffant’ look of towering domes of frothed milk so beloved of the early baristas in the UK. The steam wands? I can say no more than that they would keep the EHO in business for months!

“But back to Maria’s… The reason the coffee tasted good was that it was made from

freshly roasted beans, frothed milk in a stainless steel jug (the only one I happened to come across), and made in the Continental way. It was also probably the best one I tasted mainly because the coffee was freshly ground to order!

“On our visit to the mountains around Havana we met with some small growers who were producing for their own use. Similarly to many central South American states, coffee is part of their culture and doesn’t attract much attention. They certainly don’t get themselves worked up about it like we sometimes do!”

Overall, concludes Alice Rendle, the impression she got was that there is no true understanding of how to make excellent coffee. The café culture is very local and indigenous, and does not take into account the demands of international travellers and the increasingly upscale tourist trade. Given that this is a huge market which is set to grow further, in accordance with government policy, she feels that there is a gap in the market for a trainer to target some of the hotel groups with a structured training plan.

“A huge opportunity awaits the budding entrepreneur who wants to harness the natural joy and energy of the Cuban culture with the speciality coffee industry,” enthuses Alice Rendle. “Certainly, there is scope for a good quality coffee shop in Vieja (old) Habana which sells pastries, cakes, biscuits, baguettes to the tourist trade.

“I hesitate to say this for fear of accusations of being patronising, but I am sure that once the Cubans themselves are exposed to well-made coffee they will also embrace it

and then standards can improve across the city. There is a palpable sense that they are seeking to improve their lives and prospects and a speciality coffee culture is merely a reflection of this aspiration.

“In conclusion, the coffee wasn’t brilliant (an understatement), but it was served with such élan and generosity of spirit that it really didn’t matter! They put up with my nosiness and questions with admirable spirit. I had commissioned some stencils of Che Guevara from the wonderful people at www.coffeestencils.co.uk, and they loved them - much crowding around the machine with waiters being called over to take a look.

One of the hotels even took a finished cup of cappuccino out to the Havana street to show passers-by!

“In my opinion the quality of the actual coffee bean is good, but their coffee-making methods are inconsistent, leading to badlymade coffee. The positive sides include full, continental-style roasts, strong (although no particular blend profile that would indicate the coffee provenance) and unusual and individual methods of making their coffee (Cade Cubano, for example).

“Cuban coffee is exported to the diaspora and Cuban coffee lovers, but the coffee industry there is not particularly wellorganised or forward-thinking. Nowadays, as I indicated, the market is changing rapidly and there is a sub-culture of well-educated and aspirational young professionals, all of whom are seeking a better life.

“Castro and his cronies are unable to keep the lid on this, and fortunately their response to this is a pragmatic one, whereby they are allowing change to happen progressively and in a controlled fashion. This is to the good, I believe, and there are opportunities for outsiders to develop this nascent Speciality Coffee market (although perhaps not Americans!).

“I left Cuba with a feeling that change is in the air, but the Cubans are determined to preserve their innate character and soul. So if anyone harbours a burning need to sponsor me for my return trip, then please do say…”

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“

As a new member I find the magazines very useful, especially the industry news of events and shows. With a new business I find the annual Trade Directory invaluable for finding new suppliers – it’s always within reach in the café!

Clara Stanley Putting Green Café Littlehampton, West Sussex

”

tel: 01291 636333 web: www.thecafelife.co.uk/cc57 www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 39

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COFFEE ensuring every arrival and purchase meets certain grading and tasting criteria.

This runs alongside blend and new product development, with an ever-increasing range and diversity.

“Tasting is my job,” Sean Fowler continues. “I do it every day at work and even at home by habit when cooking. For me, the key factors for coffee tasting are consistency and accuracy. At Lincoln & York we have a set of protocols we taste by and we stick to them.

In your tasting environment these exact protocols may not be practical or necessary, but find a routine that works for you and stick to it. Some crucial factors that you need to incorporate are water quality, water temperature, coffee freshness, grind coarseness and brewing time. If you find a format that works for you in a practical environment, then don’t deviate from it.”

The next step, says Sean

Fowler, is to practise.

“As with most things, the more you practise, the better you will become. Everybody has a different palate, with people more or less attuned to various aspects of a coffee taste profile. If you struggle to perceive acidity, then practise this aspect of tasting more to hone that skill set,” advises Sean Fowler.

“With time, patience and hard work it will get easier to pick up on different attributes.

A crucial next step as a coffee shop/café owner is to taste critically your own coffee offering. Look out for machinery issues such as dirty group heads on the espresso machine. This will taste very bitter and almost rubbery - old coffee oils brewing over and over again taste this way.

Another issue is the correct grind. Look out for bitter over extracted coffee, often meaning too fine a grind. The opposite of this is weak thin-

tasting coffee, often due to too coarse a grind.

“When you have your offering in a place that you are happy with, get to know more about the coffees you taste.

Where are they from? Which region? The more in depth the knowledge you can get the better. Gradually, you will build up a feel for how a coffee should potentially taste just by finding out the vital statistics about it.

“The final step is to approach the tasting table with an open mind. The coffee industry is an evolving industry, with constant development and change in the growing and processing side of the business. New flavour profiles are always emerging and developing. A coffee from a particular country may not always taste the same as every other example you have tried before.

Use your growing knowledge of that country’s typical flavour

profile to assess these new changes and developments.

“As for personal preferences, the world of coffee is too big and diverse to pin down one favourite coffee.

If I was forced to pick only one origin to drink forever, it would be Ethiopian. In my opinion, the range and versatility of flavours you can get from region to region within this country is outstanding and would keep even the most dedicated taster interested for a very long time!

“Now that I’m a certified Q Grader, I plan to continue developing my knowledge of coffee as I have so much still left to learn. The coffee industry is bigger and better than I ever realised and my first steps into it have been extremely valuable. The skills I have developed will ensure that Lincoln & York continue to use the best coffees available to the UK commercial coffee environment.”

Q&A with Rick Tingley (coffee buyer at Taylors of Harrogate, www.taylorsoutofhome.co.uk) What’s the difference between an African and South American coffee?

The growing area where the coffee is produced will have a big influence on the flavour profiles. This is because of a number of reasons, notably the area and regions in which the beans are grown, the type of bean cultivated, how the beans are processed, the skill of the farmer, the terroir (a wine term to describe the special characteristics of the terrain in which a certain crop is grown). In the case of coffee, the special characteristics of the beans are determined by the geography, geology and climate of an area. Altitude, how much rain, sun and shelter the beans have will all influence the flavour profile. The quality of the beans will also have an impact.

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CAFÉ CULTURE

What is a single estate blend?

A single estate blend would typically come from one large farm of around 100-200 hectares – a good example of this would be Taylors Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry, a 100% single origin medium roast coffee that is rich in flavour and aroma, full bodied and a moderate fruitiness, all in perfect balance.

What does cupping mean?

Cupping is a term used throughout the industry for tasting coffee. It is a very scientific and concise way to taste and categorise coffee.

The amount of water, coffee and temperature is all measured before the tasting to ensure the tasters can judge each coffee effectively and fairly against the other.

The tasters will check for

visual appearance, roast colour, aroma after grinding and aroma after breaking the crust – the crust forms on top of the coffee grounds after water has been added.

Cupping is ritualistic – there’s a real sense of occasion – especially when there’s a group of tasters.

There are five basic taste

sensations on the tongue (salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami), and over 800 volatile aromas detected on the nose – tasting is a combination of the two and a standard coffee cupping technique involves deeply sniffing the coffee, then slurping the coffee so it spreads to the back of the tongue.

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Franke DPS_Layout 1 04/09/2013 12:23 Page 2

FoamMaster 800

The premuim class from Franke Coffee Systems the franke foammaster TM is the new premium class among coffee machines. is there a particular beverage you long for? the foammaster TM will easily make your wish come true from classic coffees to warm latte specialties or cold milk foam beverages. this allrounder is as unbelievably versatile in its selection as it is easy to operate.

You can quickly and easily select your beverage program on the intuitive touchscreen menu and adjust it to your needs at any time. the modern design of the foammaster TM also leaves nothing to be desired. shiny black, shaped with elegance, it is a true visual treat that gives the finishing touch to any interior.

ATTRACTIVE DESIGN Jet black, high gloss finish and timelessly modern in design, the foammasterTM underlines not only a sense of high quality but also a feeling of unburdened ease and endless possibility. the fm800 manages to accommodate its full expertise in a single unit, and its elegant style adds the finishing touch to any interior.

INTUITIVE TOUCHSCREEN NAVIGATION in a revolutionary step forward, the fm800 introduces intuitive touchscreen technology to the

world of coffee machines. this technology makes it possible to easily, efficiently and flexibly configure the operation of the device. you can assemble your seasonal beverage selection, choose between four different operating modes and conveniently load images and advertising messages.

BEST MILK FOAM QUALITY foamed milk of “barista� quality at the touch of a button: the fm800 makes it possible. with this coffee master, you can produce different milk foam consistencies at temperatures

ranging from hot to cold for the same product, creating the perfect latte macchiato or Cappuccino. the milk is foamed quickly and gently ensuring that the beverages come out just right every time.

LIMITLESS BEVERAGE OPTIONS Combined with the chocolate powder dosing unit and the flavour station, the fm800 makes it possible to prepare countless beverage creations just as you like them from classic specialties to original creations. make the

foammasterTM your own personal favorite barista who knows all the tricks and makes your every wish come true.

EASY TO CLEAN even when it comes to cleaning and care, the fm800 is unbeatable: the proven Clean+Clever system from franke ensures impeccable and simple cleaning of the device in a short amount of time. thanks to this optimal cleaning system, the foammasterTM gives you first- class enjoyment every day whilst also ensuring haCCp conformity.

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ranke Coffee Systems is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fully automatic coffee machines and is part of the Franke Group, which operates globally. The company comprises subsidiaries in Switzerland (company headquarters in Aarburg), Germany, in Austria, the US, UK and Japan which, together, employ

F

about 500 employees.

Selected sales partners represent Franke Coffee Systems around the world. This global network makes the company the ideal partner for international customers and large-scale projects, enabling it to tailor its offer to the local requirements of its customers all over the world.

There are virtually no limits to the practical applications for which the products and systems of Franke Coffee Systems can be used. They operate just as successfully in trendy cafés as in the modern, systems-based catering industry.

More information about the Franke Group: www.franke.com

FRANKE COFFEE SYSTEMS LAUNCHES NEW RECIPE APP On the lookout for a creamy Caramel Latte Macchiato or rather fancy a cold raspberry milk foam?

The new Franke recipe App “Coffee ideas by Franke” takes a vast amount of coffee-recipes and creative beverage ideas to your iPad, iPhone or your iPod touch.

The perfect solution for professionals and coffee connoisseurs. With the new App you have the possibility of taking over 30 savory recipes with you on the Go. From classical drinks to chocolate specialties up to cold milk foam creations – Enhance your capabilities.

Care for warm or cold specialties – complementing a beautiful summer evening, eventually topped up with a sweet flavor? Filter your favorite drink recipe through “Cover Flow”, and your Franke App will suggest unparalleled recipe ideas.

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COFFEE

coffee A world of

Jim Olejnik, specialist barista at United Coffee UK & Ireland (www.unitedcoffeeuk.com) talks us through a ‘world of coffees’.

Cultivating coffee across the world Today’s demand for coffee is enormous. With around two billion cups drunk each day across the world, coffee has become a part of the day we can’t live without.

The journey from crop to cup for this vast volume of coffee starts in the coffee producing regions of Asia, Indonesia, The Americas and Africa, which have the right conditions and climate for coffee cultivation. Each of these regions generate the different flavours and tastes in coffee that end up in our daily cup for today’s consumers to enjoy.

Coffee cultivation is complex.

To start with, the plants require a warm climate and lots of moisture to grow, limiting its production to countries close to the equator. With optimum conditions to grow coffee plants, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Columbia and Ethiopia have become the largest coffee exporting regions, each growing a range of either robusta or arabica coffees which generate the different varieties, exciting characteristics and exude the flavours we’re accustomed to.

The difference in flavour between different beans is down to variations in the environment, soil conditions and the climate they are grown in. Each individual terroir, or terrain, gives us the variety that makes each coffee unique. To start with the two main coffee types Arabica (Coffea Arabica), and Robusta (Coffea Canephora) require different altitudes to

44 SEPTEMBER 2013

CAFÉ CULTURE

grow, meaning the two different varieties have different characteristics and flavour profiles.

Arabica varieties are grown at higher altitudes, of 1,000 metres or above, and have cleaner citrus tastes, higher acidity and a lighter body and

crema. In contrast, Robusta is grown at lower altitudes, below 1,000 metres, and typically has lower acidity, earthy flavours and produces a darker crema.

The resulting flavour profile is very different between the two types of coffee – Arabica being sought after for speciality,

premium coffees and Robusta used as an essential base for blends and to create a strong crema in espresso.

Within a growing region terrain and soil conditions will

World coffee shopping list Coffees from different growing regions offer a range of flavour profiles. Here’s a guide of what flavours to expect from most popular coffee regions.

Americas Guatemala – this region produces high grown Arabicas with balanced, citrus and fruit flavours.

El Salvador, Panama and Costa Rica – these smaller coffee exporters produce high quality Arabicas the deliver sweet, floral and citrus flavours.

Columbia – one of the world’s largest growers, it’s known for smooth and nutty flavoured coffees.

Brazil – the largest coffee growing nation, producing well known bases for espresso blends and renowned for high quality beans.

Hawaii – produces small quantities of expensive Kona coffee.

Africa Rwanda – after years of civil strife the coffee industry is growing, producing good quality Arabicas with flavours ranging from sweet treacle to fruity red berry.

Kenya – known for producing citrus and fruit-like Arabicas with some regions producing a sweet lemon taste.

Ethiopia – one of the largest producers in the world and the ‘birthplace of coffee’. Coffees from here produce a range of flavours including the chocolate, wine-like flavours of the Harrar region, blueberry floral notes of the Sidamo region and fine, floral bergamot flavours or the Yirgacheffe region.

Asia and Australia India – produces both Robusta and Arabica coffee including the popular Malabar beans, which give a musty, tobacco-like flavour.

Vietnam – one of the largest coffee producers, exporting entirely Robusta beans for the mass market.

Indonesia – its different islands grow a range of Robusta and Arabica coffees. Flavours range from the spicy tastes of Java to smoother and sweeter Sumatra coffee.

Australia – the newcomers to the coffee growing industry produce Arabicas in the North East of the country.

Jamaica – produces Blue Mountain coffee, which is known for its mild taste and sweetness.

The World’s top coffee growing regions (by volume) 1. Brazil 2. Vietnam 3. Indonesia 4. Columbia 5. Ethiopia

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COFFEE

also impact the taste of the coffee, creating distinctive flavours. Some farms for example will produce a certain taste, unique only to their crop.

This contributes to the huge variety of flavours on the market across the world.

Out of all the growing regions, Brazilian coffee is most popular due to the vast variety of flavours it produces and is frequently used for the base of espresso blends due to the heavy body it creates and deep chocolate notes.

Perfecting the blend At United Coffee, we source both Arabica and Robusta coffees from across the world.

We source beans from small coffee growing plantations to large growing plantations, ensuring we have the best coffees for our blends and tailored to our customers’ needs.

The blending process is carefully thought out and processed as different coffees from different growing regions can either complement or clash with each other. With commercial style coffees we tend to use an 80:20 mix of Arabica to Robusta. However, this blend could be made up of beans from different growing regions. A blend could be 30% Brazilian Arabica, 20% Ethiopian Arabica, 30% Columbian Arabica and 20% Indian Robusta.

What makes up your blend

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

really depends on what you want out of your espresso and part of blend development is cupping the coffees on offer, picking what's best and trying out the different ratios. This will mean you can play around with balance, floral notes, sweetness, body or acidity until you create the taste you want. It’s also important to know what the blend will be used for, demographics of the endconsumer and the price they’re prepared to pay for a great cup of coffee.

All coffee growing regions have a mix of quality coffees and like any other fruit and vegetables you can never guarantee 100% consistency because it’s a natural product.

But as a buyer you can really help growers deliver quality by supporting them through Fairtrade and growers associations, making sure their facilities are maintained, they’re getting the best price for their coffee and giving feedback if the coffees are dropping in quality.

Some regions can also suffer from natural issues such as disease, drought and civil strife – this can have a devastating effect on these regions’ income.

variations that create different flavour profiles.

We’ve seen more and more operators displaying the origin, accreditation and flavour profiles at checkout and on blackboards so customers can make an educated choice.

Consumers increasingly want to know the smallest details of what region, what province or even which farmer grew their coffee. We’ve taken this a step further with our new 360 brand.

Each coffee has the co-ordinates of where the beans were grown, which gives the exact location of the farm when typed in to

Google Earth or looked up on a map. This adds an element of adventure and discovery to the coffee drinking experience.

Our new range is made up of three very different coffees - 360 Rainforest Blend made up of coffees sourced from Brazil, Colombia and Peru, 360 Blend Number One made up of beans from Kenya, Guatemala and Nicaragua and our single origin 360 Brazilian Ipanema Yellow Bourbon. This single origin coffee evokes aromas of Ferraro Rocher chocolates, clean, clear honey sweetness with a velvety milk chocolate mouth-feel.

Consumers tune in to coffee origin Over the last few years we’ve seen increasing numbers of consumers becoming more educated and interested in where their cup of coffee comes from and the seasonal

SEPTEMBER 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 45

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PREVIEW

Coffee shop and foodservice elite head to Paris This year, top executives from across the pan-European branded coffee shop and food-to-go market will be heading to Paris on 26-28 November 2013 for Allegra’s sixth European Coffee Symposium to be held at the Pullman Paris Montparnasse.

Developing market Over the three days, the event is set to welcome more than 400 senior industry leaders, say Allegra.

“France has been long thought of as an espresso drinking market with low coffee standards and highly traditional consumption behaviour, but times are changing,” says Jeffrey Young, managing director of the Allegra Group, commenting on the choice to hold the event in Paris.

“Paris in particular is now seeing a phenomenal rise in new artisan concepts across coffee, food and informal restaurant outlets. Paris is now attracting international players such as Pret A Manger and Costa Coffee, with the French market offering significant scope for growth.”

According to Allegra Strategies’ Project Cafe12 EU report, the French branded coffee shop market is forecast to grow at more than 10% per annum over the next three years and is expected to become increasingly dynamic and vibrant.

In the same report Allegra states that the European market continues to grow with growth observed in 19 out of 23 countries surveyed. The whole market was estimated at 13,816 outlets in October 2012, with an expected growth of 4.4% per annum, while the economy in many countries remains flat.

This European Coffee Symposium attempts to service this growing industry by combining a tailored Supply & Innovation Day, a Paris city Study Tour of latest coffee and food concepts, a prestigious European Coffee Awards evening and the highly thoughtprovoking European Coffee Symposium conference.

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Supply and innovation on Day 1 Allegra’s Supply & Innovation Day will be held on 27 November 2013. This programme will provide senior buyers with a unique forum to explore new product sourcing opportunities and establish meaningful business relationships with innovative suppliers.

“The Supply & Innovation Day is an incredibly powerful business tool for both suppliers and operators,” adds Jeffrey Young. “We are seeing growth in most European countries we have researched, with market resilience being underpinned

by European consumers embedding coffee culture into their daily lives. This represents a very lucrative opportunity, but only for those operators getting their coffee and food offering right as consumers become increasingly discerning.”

The tailored one-to-one meeting programme ensures only mutually matched meetings take place with each participant receiving a personalised itinerary of meetings that match their specific needs and requirements.

A Study Tour will run simultaneously during the day, providing participants with a valuable opportunity to experience Paris’s dynamic branded and independent coffee scene.

During the tour (that will also run on the 26 and 29 November) delegates will discover the newest coffee and food concepts and explore recent influences on modern day coffee-drinking habits, whilst delving into the city’s colourful past and present.

The European Coffee Awards The evening of the 27 November will see all guests congregate for the prestigious European Coffee Awards; a recognition of excellence and contribution in the European coffee industry. The glitzy award ceremony will include a black-tie gala dinner and entertainment throughout the evening.

Last year’s event, compared by BBC comedian, Henning Wehn, honoured the finest coffee and food companies across Europe and welcomed more than 350 senior executives from across the vibrant branded coffee shop and foodto-go sectors.

Individual recognition awards went to key industry players such as Vicki Fuller (senior director of McDonald’s) and Julian Metcalfe (co-founder of Pret A Manger), with Louis Salvoni (managing director, Espresso Service), being awarded the Life Time Achievement Award for his years of service to the sector.

Senior industry executives from across the coffee shop and food-to-go market are now able to cast their vote for the European Coffee Awards online through the website www.europeancoffeesymposium.com.

For further information about the European Coffee Symposium, European Coffee Awards and Supply & Innovation Day, visit www.europeancoffeesymposium.com, or contact lrossignol@allegra-events.com.

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PREVIEW

Last year’s event, held in Amsterdam, saw industry leaders speak at the symposium, including Liz Muller (pictured), director of Global Concept Design, Starbucks.

Thought-provoking speeches on Day 2 Fuelled by contributions from industry thought leaders from across Europe and the expertise of leading-edge market analysis from sister company Allegra Strategies, the Symposium on the second day (28 November) will provide key decision makers with ready-to-implement market insight, innovative ideas and enhanced networking opportunities.

The conference will bring together some of the most knowledgeable leaders and entrepreneurs from across the industry coming together to share their success stories and insight into the forces

shaping the marketplace.

The conference, titled ‘The Future is Now', will explore several key themes with a strong focus on French and European markets. These themes will include…

• How to achieve brand relevance across a diverse set of consumers • The micro trends of today that will define the future market landscape • Innovative strategies for growth • How to build powerful symbiotic business relationships • The future of coffee Jeffrey Young, will open the day with the launch of ProjectCafé13 EU and an insightful overview of European branded coffee shop market.

“The future branded coffee shop marketplace will be defined by wider availability and diversity of quality coffee, deeper operator and consumer coffee

knowledge, and passionate delivery,” says Jeffrey Young.

Other speakers include CEO of Columbus Café, Nicolas Riché and Costa Enterprises' managing director, Jim Slater, plus directeur general, Steve Holloway with Eric Maillard (managing director of Ogilvy & Mather, France) providing some excellent insight from outside the industry.

The event is proudly sponsored by United Coffee, Solo Cup Europe (now part of Dart Container) Brita Professional and Teisseire.

So far, the European Coffee Symposium has taken place in London (2008), Vienna (2009), Rome (2010), Berlin (2011) and Amsterdam (2012) and has firmly established itself as the industry’s most high-profile think tank and must-attend gathering.

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CHOCOLATE

Chocolate

s e c i o h c

According to the sector’s suppliers, chocolate beverages offer an as yet untapped source of ‘premiumisation’ potential. Consumers are seeking a wider variety of chocolate tastes, and enjoy bespoke chocolate beverages complemented by flavoured syrups or marshmallow. The brands Cafédirect and Divine are also now demonstrating how coffee can be paired with chocolate, just as wine is with food.

A premium alternative “The coffee boom continues to be firmly on trend, however hot chocolate is also increasing in popularity as consumer demand for premium products continues,” says Anthony Wilkinson, marketing manager for DaVinci Gourmet (www.davinci-gourmet.com).

“No longer thought of as just a treat, chocolate is emerging as a popular alternative to coffee and tea – however, variation is key on a menu, so a strong hot chocolate offering is essential to be able to expand and differentiate drinks menus.

“In particular, out-of-home hot chocolate offers consumers something more than they might experience at home with powdered mixtures. DaVinci Gourmet’s Chocolate sauce and White Chocolate sauce, for example, are easily combined with hot milk to make luxury and smooth hot chocolates.”

In fact, hot chocolate is now following in the footsteps of lattes, feel DaVinci Gourmet.

“Consumers now look to personalise their beverage purchases through the addition

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of syrups and sauces that provide new flavour combinations,” Anthony Wilkinson adds.

“The taste profile of chocolate lends itself to many flavour pairings. According to AC Neilsen research, the most popular hot chocolate syrup flavours amongst consumers are Raspberry, Orange and Strawberry, and for the real sweet toothed consumers, White Hot Chocolate is really popular especially in combination with flavours like Raspberry.

“Hot chocolate is a typically indulgent drink, so serving it

with garnishes like cocoa powder, chocolate curls and whipped cream is extremely popular with consumers.

Tasting menus also work really well, whereby operators serve a selection of flavoured hot chocolates in double espresso shot glasses, showcasing the variation of the drink to consumers to encourage repeat hot chocolate purchases.

“In my opinion, cafés and coffee shops need to publicise their hot chocolate offering to tempt regular coffee and tea drinks into purchasing this beverage. Use chalkboards with tasting notes and also posters

Recipe suggestion Raspberry White Hot Chocolate Ingredients 2 pumps DaVinci Gourmet White Chocolate sauce 1 pump DaVinci Gourmet Raspberry syrup 200ml milk Method Mix sauce with milk and steam. Pour syrup into cup before adding mixture, and top with whipping cream.

and table talkers with appetising photography for visual stimuli. Operators should also make sure that their serving staff are informed about hot chocolate offerings, so they can influence customers’ choices.”

Right time Brad Wright, operations manager of Café Society Awardwinning Marimba World Chocolate (www.marimbaworld.com), agrees with this premium requirement, and is anticipating some chocolate-related trends to come to the fore as we move towards the colder part of the year and festive period.

“In the drinking chocolate space, we have seen a particular trend during recent years, and one that is continuing to gather pace. The general public is looking for premium quality in everything they consume in their local cafés, whether it’s a quality coffee, locally produced foods, handmade cakes, or now hot chocolate,” reports Brad Wright.

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CHOCOLATE “This is already well established in the coffee market, where many cafés now source high quality beans, which will be freshly ground on site to create a drink which is more sophisticated than can be achieved at home. Now, the same expectation is growing amongst hot chocolate lovers, who expect more than a cocoa powder-based drink when they are out and about. They want a more premium, indulgent experience.”

Marimba’s range of chocolate drinks – called Marimba Melts – feature a choice of milk, dark and white chocolate. Milk is still a firm favourite, say the company, but consumers who are looking for a quality drink appreciate having the choice, depending on how sweet they like their drink to be.

“With the introduction of syrups, we are anticipating seasonal trends regarding flavours. So for example, at the beginning of winter, people will be drawn to comforting flavours such as praline or salted caramel, which are two of our most popular syrups,” adds Brad Wright. “As Christmas approaches, more zesty orange and cherry flavours are likely to become popular, and when the cold bites in January, we expect the chilli flavour to fly off the shelves!”

In fact, the more the alternative flavours and syrups are marketed, the more people are likely to experiment with new flavours, feels Brad Wright.

“When we originally launched our Hot Chocolate

Melts, we trialled the premium flaked, single-origin chocolate drink alongside a good quality cocoa powder based drink, with a price difference of about 70p.

After a few months of promotion, introducing our regular customers to the Melts, we found that demand for the 'basic' drink simply withered away,” Brad Wright continues.

“Now, we no longer offer a budget cocoa powder-based alternative at all. Our typical café is in a rural market town with a wide-ranging customer demographic, but we find that all of our customers are happy to pay a small premium for such a clear benefit in terms of quality.

“At the end of the day, if you’re looking to provide your customers with an inviting experience – and one they will return for in the future – it is worth investing in quality products that customers don’t typically consume at home. It makes it memorable.”

There is no doubt that the market is embracing new products and Marimba say that they are currently talking to cafés across the country who are specifically looking to source quality products that customers will keep coming back for.

“An important point here, however, is to ensure that when introducing a premium product onto your menus, it is correctly marketed. It is important to explain what the product is, how it is made or what flavours are available so that your customers appreciate why they should try it!” points out Brad Wright.

“We provide all our café

clients with promotional materials, such as posters and table talkers for in-store marketing, so customers can instantly understand what our Melts are about. We clearly illustrate that our Melts are made with the equivalent of a 40g chocolate bar and people quickly get it and appreciate how it is different from standard chocolate drinks.”

Vended option A new vended hot beverage solution to hit the market is White Choco Drink from Vanhouten (the well-known cocoa producer) and Spice Chai Latte by Drink Me Chai (the UK company who have produced an award winning range of authentic Chai Lattes with real ground spices and black tea, sourced directly from India).

The exclusive range of branded table top beverage systems have been supplied by Fairtrade Vending, and have been designed to allow for speedy delivery and consistent quality, drink after drink, say the company. The stylish and compact machines are particularly suited to schools, colleges, universities, cafés and restaurants wishing to introduce something new and exciting to their menus, rather than just the usual coffees and teas.

Imaginative new drink recipes

Reader Offer Freedom Confectionery are offering 10 readers a 500g bag of the mallows (worth around £4.00 each). Email louise@freedomconfectionery with Freedom Mallows Offer in the title, together with your name and address, and the first 10 names out of the hat on 30 September 2013 will be sent a free bag.

A new vegetarian confectionery range has been launched for the café and foodservice sector to target the increasing number of consumers looking for sweets that do not contain gelatine. Freedom Mallows, from Freedom Confectionery, are light vanilla flavour marshmallows created using all natural flavours. Fat, dairy and gelatine free, the mallows are perfect for vegetarians, vegans, consumers with intolerances and those seeking halal or kosher products for religious reasons. They are being launched in vanilla initially, with plans to add strawberry and other flavours to the range over the coming months, and can be used as an addition to chocolate-themed beverages.

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can be created with the addition of shots of syrups, swirls of cream and toppings, enabling the designing of bespoke signature beverages.

Coffee and chocolate The Fairtrade coffee company, Cafédirect, has been working alongside the premium chocolate bar company, Divine, to come up with some recommendations as to what type of coffee complements certain types of chocolate, and perfectly tapping into the premium trend in the process.

This September at the lunch! show, the two companies will be challenging you to test your taste buds and match coffee and chocolate. Just as wine is matched to food to bring out a feast of flavours, so coffee and chocolate can be paired to intensify their distinctive characteristics, say the duo.

Divine will be introducing their newly repackaged range of six 40g bars, including brand new additions Caramel Milk Chocolate and 70% Dark with Ginger & Orange. Cafédirect will be showcasing their new Costa Rica Single Origin coffee, as well as their best-selling Peruvian Machu Picchu and smooth Medium Roast blend.

Selected by Thierry Akroman, Cafédirect’s chief cupper and David Greenwood-Haigh, Divine’s chocolatier, the pairings

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CHOCOLATE will be demonstrated throughout the day at workshops enabling participants to refine their menus and enhance their customers’ experience.

“The delicate, fruity nature of Costa Rica matches beautifully with Divine’s exquisite white chocolate, enhancing the chocolate’s natural creaminess,” says Thierry Akroman. “The coffee’s balanced acidity cuts through to leave the palate cleansed and ready for the next bite!”

David Greenwood-Haigh adds: “Taking a little time to appreciate all the nuances of flavours and how they combine both heightens the pleasure and makes you more alert to flavour sensations in the future. It’s a great way to really cherish the good things we love.”

Both companies have championed the Fairtrade sector, going further to make growers shareholders in the business and drive value back up the supply chain. Cafédirect reports that it has reinvested over 50% of its profits back into growers’ businesses to date, with 75% of its smallholders owning shares, whilst Divine Chocolate is 45% owned by the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmers’ cooperative in Ghana (Divine Chocolate and Cafédirect will be exhibiting at stands A201 and A201b respectively at the lunch! show).

Original Beans (www.originalbeans.com), the eco-luxury conservation-led chocolate company founded on the simple idea “what we consume we must replenish” are also promoting the link between coffee and chocolate, having launched their new Chef’s Chocolate Buttons and Mini Bar Collection at Claude Bosi’s 2 Michelin star restaurant Hibiscus recently.

CAFÉDIRECT COFFEE TYPE BLENDS Medium roast A smooth, full flavoured blend of Peruvian accompaniment

Caramel Milk Chocolate The oozing, soft caramel is the perfect and central American Arabica beans to the smooth, rounded finish of Full Roast coffee. Both are strong, smooth and sweet.

Full roast A velvety, rounded and full-bodied blend, with caramel hints

Sea Salt and Caramel This well-balanced coffee allows the exciting flavours of caramel and sea salt to shine through without letting them overshadow its fine roast and complex flavours.

Rich roast Deliciously dark, intense and bold with full body and flavour. complexities of this cocoa-rich chocolate.

70% Dark A bold and intense match, the coffee’s rich character helps brings out the

Decaf 100% Arabica – silky smooth, full bodied, rounded and vibrant.

Dark Chocolate and Raspberries A zingy and lively combination which enhances the natural sweetness of the Arabica beans and the mouth-watering raspberry pieces.

SINGLE ORIGINS Costa Rica Aromatic, balanced body and bright, intense fruit notes of sweet apricot and peach. creaminess, while the coffee’s balanced

White Chocolate The delicate, fruity nature of Costa Rica enhances the chocolate’s natural acidity cuts through to leave the palate cleansed and ready for the next bite.

Kilimanjaro Lively, bright acidity with a refreshing citrus taste.

White Chocolate and Strawberry The uplifting fruity notes of the coffee are a perfect match to the mouth-watering strawberry in the chocolate, neither one overpowering the other. Both the cocoa and the coffee are born from rich African terroir, and this comes together in perfect unison.

Mayan Palenque Well-rounded and complex, with a hint of honey and vanilla, and a floral acidity.

Coffee Milk Chocolate The perfect match to one another, these coffee flavours complement each other well, resulting in a smooth, caramel finish that is not too overbearing.

Machu Picchu A rich, smooth coffee with fine, dark chocolate notes. the intense, chocolaty Machu Picchu

Dark Chocolate with Ginger & Orange The rich, dark ginger and orange flavoured chocolate is a great match with Single Origin coffee, whose complex notes bring out the exotic ginger and mouth-watering candied orange pieces.

Original Beans Chef’s Chocolate Buttons can be used to make memorably good hot chocolate and are great as an indulgent nibble, suggest the firm. Currently they are available

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DIVINE CHOCOLATE ‘MATCH’

from Fortnum & Mason, Planet Organic, Natoora and many other stockists. Also new is a boxed collection of each of the four Original Beans chocolates, each sourced from rare and

original bio-diversity hotspots in which the best cacao trees thrive. The mini bars are also set to become a stock item for many independent coffee shops across London, report the company.

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CHOCOLATE Chocolate fans flock to Pinnock’s Coffee House When Pinnock's Coffee House (www.pinnockscoffeehouse.com) launched in the summer of 2012, in Ripley, Derbyshire, the aim was to establish a community space that people would want to call their own - a place where they could meet to talk about their day, their interests and their lives.

“Ripley is a great community and our aim was to offer a space where residents, visitors and friends could meet in comfortable and relaxing surroundings and enjoy some great food or drink with great company. To us, it’s all about making each person's day that little bit more enjoyable,” says Russell James, general manager of Pinnock’s.

To make this a reality, the team at Pinnock’s has worked hard to ensure that every aspect of the service is of a quality that will be recognised and appreciated by its customers. The menu has therefore been an important consideration, and all food is prepared fresh on the premises daily. The team sources as much local produce as possible, and the menu is regularly updated to take into account seasonal food.

“We want our customers to have a memorable experience when visiting Pinnock’s and so the quality of our food and drinks are really important,” explains Russell James. “We researched into what products and ingredients would match our ethos and so we undertook a lot of taste testing as well as visits to industry trade shows to see the latest innovations.”

During one fact-finding mission, James Russell visited the London Coffee Festival where he met with Marimba World Chocolate, who were debuting their brand new Hot Chocolate Melts.

Marimba’s Hot Chocolate Melt drinks are made from flakes of real single-origin chocolate, and are available in White, Dark or Milk chocolate varieties. Unlike other drinking chocolates, Marimba’s is not made from cocoa powder or flavourings but has a whole 40g bar of chocolate in every cup.

“I had tried a few different hot chocolate drinks, but it was immediately obvious that the Marimba Melts were leagues ahead of any others,” recalls Russell James. “The Hot Chocolate Melts are not powdery or watery, but provide an amazing chocolate experience that I believe drinking chocolate fans are looking for.”

Since then, Pinnock’s has added all three varieties of the Marimba Hot Chocolate Melts to its menu and as such has built quite a following of customers who visit specifically for this drink.

“People are lining up for the Melts and we have customers come in just for these now. Our top seller is the Milk chocolate, closely followed by the white chocolate variety and then dark,” reveals Russell James.

Pinnock’s creates the Hot Chocolate Melts using steamed milk, and each mug is served with some marshmallows on the side for a retail price of £2.60. The Marimba chocolate flakes are also used within Pinnock’s Mocha drinks, as well as a special Marimba Mocha Malt Melt, which consists of a shot of coffee, malt powder and hot chocolate.

“Our experience of Marimba has been extremely positive. Not only are the products really good, but the team have been a great help for us. Their operations manager, Brad Wright, took time out to not only come and provide advice on creating the perfect Melt, but also to help us serve drinks on one of our busiest night of the year, Ripley Bonfire Night, which attracted 15,000 people to the village,” adds Russell James.

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SEPTEMBER 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 53

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MILK

Capital’s coffee enjoys cream of the country The Goodwood Estate near Chichester in West Sussex is not just about fast cars and horse racing. Set at the heart of the 12,000 acre estate is Goodwood Home Farm (www.goodwood.co.uk/goodwoodhomefarm), one of the largest lowland organic farms in the UK, and, for the past six months, milk supplier to some of London’s top independent cafés.

A neglected topic?

Most café owners go to the huge expense of buying a top machine, tasting, blind tasting, then selecting the perfect bean and roast for their coffee. Yet, when it comes to the milk, they invariably select the standard offering from their local dairy supplier or supermarket.

This was a subject that irked Gavin Fernback at The Fields Beneath in Kentish Town in London. “After sourcing the right beans, it didn’t feel right putting bland mass produced milk into my coffee!” he says. “A standard latte which is usually the top selling drink of cafés is at least 70% milk and only 30% coffee, so it seems only logical to find equally high quality milk.”

When he lost access to his favourite supplier - Jess's Ladies organic, unhomogenised, un-skimmed milk from Gloucestershire - due to increases in Jess's courier costs, Gavin Fernback started searching for suppliers of nonhomogenised organic whole milk.

However, he had trouble sourcing anyone who could deliver to London. Desperately, he contacted the NFU who put him onto Goodwood Home Farm, one of the few UK producers of non-homogenised organic whole milk.

London link Goodwood Home Farm was already making weekly deliveries to London (supplying Fortnum and Mason with rose veal), but in order to add a milk delivery to their round, they decided they would need to supply a good number of cafés with milk to make it worthwhile. So a message

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was put out to the coffee fraternity and soon the delivery orders started to come in.

“To be honest, we were surprised by the interest,” says Goodwood Home Farm’s sales manager, Lizzie Vinnicombe.

“Locally, our milk has enjoyed a bit of a cult following as it is so tasty and creamy, and it’s a staple in our home produced cheeses such as the award-winning Charlton and Molecomb Blue. However, as a partner in coffee, it has been an overwhelming surprise!”

Following the initial interest from a handful of cafés, Goodwood decided to showcase its milk supplier potential and sponsor the 2013 London Coffee Festival.

This proved a great success, attracting new customers, and enabling Goodwood to double its London delivery days to two (Monday and Thursday).

Goodwood Home Farm is now supplying 12 of the capital’s cafés including Fleet Street Press, Fernandez and Wells, Full Stop Café, 5 Hertford Goodwood Home Farm’s Lizzie Vinnicombe.

The Fields Beneath is one of the capital’s cafés to enjoy serving coffees made with Goodwood Home Farm milk.

Street, Punk Café KHP, Café at Sharps, Pelotan & Co and Coffee is My Cup of Tea, and this number continues to grow.

“Most cafés order 160 litres a week, but bigger outlets such as Fernandez and Wells, with three outlets in Soho, Somerset House and South Kensington, require double that,” reports Lizzie Vinnicombe. “Ultimately, as our reputation grows and more café owners find out about the benefits of our milk, the delivery service could become daily.

“We’re proud of our organic credentials, and our dairy herd was one of the first to be totally organically fed in this country.

Our herd of 200 milking cows are mostly Dairy Shorthorn, a breed which originated in the sixteenth century, the best milking cow of its time. The milk, which is nonhomogenised, tastes just like milk used to as it retains all of its good fat particles – and apparently that’s why it’s so good in coffee.”

What’s in the milk?

Bovine milk is complex and very nearly a perfectly complete food. In addition to all the vitamins and minerals, there are three central components that are vital in the final outcome of perfectly prepared milk fat, protein and milk sugar (or lactose).

Milk composition fluctuates depending on the feed of the cow, the type of cow producing the milk and the stage of lactation. These result in subtle yet

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MILK Goodwood, that use specific varieties of cow, which graze on the South Downs pastures or on fodder from this organic meadowland, to produce high yield creamy milk.

It is the generous fat content in the Goodwood milk that makes it taste so good. The fat or lipids, add to the texture and a ‘mouthful’ feeing of the resulting product. Plus, they add a glossy, creamy appeal to the surface of the coffee.

Although skimmed and semi-skimmed varieties produce more foam, a good barista will be able to make sufficient amounts of foam from a whole milk variety.

potentially noticeable changes in the quality of the foam that can be produced as well as the taste and texture of the coffee prepared. This is especially true with small, high quality farms, like

Retail appeal Gavin Fernback is also a fan of the way the milk is packaged. “As well as being the perfect complement to our coffee, Goodwood milk also looks great in our chiller cabinet and retails well,” he says.

“The packaging is simple yet stylish, so from a retail perspective it works really well. We'll soon also start selling some of the cheeses and definitely their sausages and we’re considering supplying some of the Goodwood Hampers for Christmas.”

Characterised by being rich and creamy, Goodwood organic milk comes in whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed variants and,

together with Goodwood cream, is processed on the Goodwood Estate’s Home Farm.

The organic milk is used to make a range of handmade cheeses including Charlton which is available in mild, mature and extra mature versions, and is a creamy, firm textured farmhouse cheese with long, rich flavours and a tangy finish.

The farm’s Levin Down is a rich and creamy soft white cheese which melts in the mouth, whilst their Molecomb Blue is a soft blue cheese which is rich and full bodied (Molecomb Blue has also just won a Gold Star in this year’s Great Taste Awards). In addition, Goodwood is one of the few UK producers selling raw milk - a milk that is not pasteurised and which some believe is a more healthy dairy option.

some of our displays for Cafés and Bakeries

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&

PROFILE

PADDY SCOTT’S

Slow roasted coffee company, Paddy & Scott’s, are based in Earl Soham in Suffolk, and say that they are proud to be a British artisan producer of slow roasted coffee for some of the UK’s most beautiful hotels, fine restaurants, corporate HQs and top-notch cafés. Café Culture heard more…

The bean team Coffee company, Paddy & Scott’s, started from a genuine love of great tasting coffee between two friends, both with a passion for the taste, smell and romance of slow roasted coffee, say the company.

It was Paddy Bishopp and Scott Russell who originally teamed up and decided to have a go at blending and slow roasting their own coffee in Scott’s garage. The coffee they produced on a second hand coffee roaster, aptly named ‘Old Smokey’ soon grew in popularity. As friends told friends, demand quickly outstretched the meagre confines of their draughty old shed. A few years on, and Paddy & Scott’s slow roasted coffee is now available to quite a few more people. However, it is still made in the same slow and exacting way and appreciated by everyone who tries it.

Paddy Bishopp is the company’s co-founder and the real epicurean behind the company, who says that if he was a coffee bean, he'd be a Brazilian Arabica - tall, dark and smooth. He's at his best when talking about his passion for food and drink, but don't get him started on his soap box about poor quality coffee!

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Having successfully been a driving force in launching Blue Cycle (a pioneering auto salvage online business based in London), he then pursued his passion for food and drink. After the successful launch of Eat Anglia in 2004 - a food and drink home delivery service - an award-winning café/deli followed. When his coffee roaster moved abroad, he then realised that there was an opportunity to launch a young, Paddy Bishopp and Scott Russell.

trendy vibrant coffee company and so learnt the unique slowroasting technique and blending from his supplier.

Scott Russell is a co-founder and the driving entrepreneurial force behind Paddy & Scott's and says that if he was a bean, he’d be a punchy robusta - bitter sweet with a no nonsense kick.

He founded his first business in 1992 at just 21, and has since gone on to create and sell four successful businesses, three of

which have featured in the top 10 of the Sunday Times top 100 Fast Track awards. As well as being an ambassador for the brand, Scott brings a wealth of experience in sales and marketing experience to the business. A perfectionist when it comes to quality, he says that he’s happiest when sparring with the company’s MD, Chris Thompson, the company’s managing director and, you guessed it, ‘bean counter’.

MD, Chris Thompson, has a degree in food marketing and business studies, followed by two years in fresh produce marketing before joining E.& J. Gallo Winery where he became head of marketing for Northern Europe. He then joined Beringer Blass Wine Estates (Foster’s Group) as head of European marketing before becoming the European managing director of The Wine Group - the world’s third largest wine company by volume. In 2008, he joined Paddy & Scott’s.

Slow roasting It is Paddy and Scott’s personal passion for great tasting coffee runs that through the veins of the company. Above all, they appreciate that in order to produce coffee of the highest quality, it is paramount to understand how to make the

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PROFILE

most out of the bean at every point of the blending process.

The company feel that they fully understand the taste profile of the average UK coffee drinker, and so their beans are slowly roasted to ensure that all the characteristics and complex flavours of each individual bean are captured.

At Paddy & Scott’s, they roast the coffee for a little longer in order to draw out the chocolate, toffee and caramel notes that are more familiar to the UK coffee drinking population. The trend within the higher end artisan shops, feel the firm, is to light roast, which emphasises the fruit and acidic profiles within the coffee, and this is an acquired taste and not necessarily what the majority associate with great tasting coffee.

Paddy & Scott’s also point out that they have paid great attention to detail when it comes to the extraction process of coffee. The biggest misconception with coffee, feel the team, is that it behaves like tea. However, even though these two beverages invariably do sit together on the menu, their brewing techniques could not be more different.

When making tea, there are visible signs that it is under or over-brewed, however with coffee the signals are not so

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clear and have harsher consequences. Under-extraction will only take the caffeine (a bitter repellent of insects), whilst over-extraction draws out quinine, which dries out the mouth, claim the company. A good barista, though, will be able to balance the caffeine with the sugars and light acids found within the central part of the extraction process.

Training As a nation of latte drinkers, it is also essential to understand the importance of texturing milk to accentuate the coffee, feel Paddy & Scott’s. Therefore, Paddy & Scott’s baristas are taught that texture must be added to the milk before it reaches body temperature, any warmer than 37oC and the milk will be less responsive and more likely to bubble.

Needless to say, Paddy & Scott’s uphold their consistently high standards through rigorous training. They have created their own coffee ‘bible’ which acts as a handbook for their employees. The document is also a way for Paddy and Scott themselves to share all of the knowledge they have gathered over the years with their employees, in turn helping them to create the best quality coffee and deliver the finest experience to their customers.

Paying attention to detail is an evident quality of the Paddy & Scott’s brand and this became particularly clear when they set out to create their blends. With every sample that they produced (and they ran into 100’s), they had to log the beans, origin, their many flavours, the roast time, the temperature during the roast and so on, report the company.

Earlier this year, the company developed a specialist iPhone QCC app designed to revolutionise the way that their artisan coffee products will be monitored in the future. The app is designed to allow Paddy & Scott’s national account managers to carry out regular 55 point quality control checks in outlets selling their coffee, or using any of the bespoke Paddy & Scott’s machines.

Using proprietary photointegration and auto-scoring software, common problems such as dirty steam wands and grinder settings can be recorded, scored and reported back to HQ within seconds. It then generates instant fixes to common problems and sends warning messages to sites where scores consistently fall below par.

“We now serve over 450 outlets in the UK, from large corporates such as Virgin Atlantic and Barclays Bank to small trendy artisan cafés, but monitoring consistency is an issue across all sites, especially when using traditional espresso machines,” says Scott Russell.

“This app allows our national account managers to carry out multiple QCC checks in one day without needing access to a lap top or most importantly time to compile the report post visit.”

The range Paddy & Scott’s have just announced the launch of their Time of Day filter coffee range for the on-trade. This exclusive range has been devised to enable venues to serve different styles of filter coffee to suit the time of day and occasion.

All the talk at coffee summits is of espressos, lattes, and flat whites, with everyone looking at new brewing techniques and

the resurgence of filter coffees, and so their range was originally designed for the off trade to simplify the coffee choice for consumers (who are often bewildered by the number of different blends on offer) by offering three occasion-styled blends.

Morning Coffee, All Day Coffee and Great With Friends are three blends offering something different in terms of their strength, flavour and appeal. Their Morning Coffee is a medium roasted blend of 100% South American Arabica with a sweet, bold and balanced to give you a kick start to the day. Their All Day Coffee is a medium roasted pure high grown 100% Colombian Arabica, which is seriously smooth, easy all day drinking coffee with a nutty balanced flavour and body. Great With Friends is a conversational blend of dark roasted Indonesian and African Arabica beans. It is characterised by a punchy, smoky and spicy rich blend, giving a real coffee hit without too much caffeine, claim Paddy & Scott’s.

Sustainability and ethical buying Paddy and Scott strongly believe business should be fun, but producing coffee does have a serious side. Thus, they work with the correct organisations who support certifications that work towards environmentally efficient production and who guarantee a fair price is paid to the workers. They buy Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Utz Certified where possible as long as the quality of the bean is guaranteed, and it is clearly understood by the brokers that all beans for Paddy & Scott’s must be ethically sourced.

Environmentally, all of Paddy & Scott’s packaging is aluminium-free and printed with environmentally-safe inks. They say that they are proud to be the one of the few companies with a recyclable logo on their packaging (most of the world’s coffee packaging is made from aluminium which is very difficult to dispose of in an environmentally safe way).

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PREVIEW

Provenance, health, quality and authenticity are just some of the buzzwords spurring on demand for premium products in the retail food sector.

While consumers continue to turn to value products for their everyday basics, the rise of the ‘hybrid consumer’, as coined by market research company Rabbobank, means shoppers are increasingly purchasing high-end products as a way to indulge their senses.

Product showcase To stay ahead of the game, retailers need to adapt by offering consumers products at both ends of the spectrum, which spells huge opportunity for artisan food suppliers. By championing qualities inherent to speciality food such as ingredient quality, area of origin and minimal processing, producers can tap into demand by appealing to more discerning consumers.

Showcasing the best of artisan food and drink from local, regional and international suppliers, the Speciality & Fine Food Fair (Olympia, London, 8–10 September 2013) will feature everything from English sparkling wines and organic teas, to premium charcuterie and artisan chocolate. Visitors will be able to source a wide range of products from more than 600 exhibitors over the course of the three-day event.

A boost for business Running any business poses its challenges, but for small and medium-sized businesses such as those in the café sector, the going can be particularly tough. Competition in the speciality food sector is intense and being able to adapt quickly to market

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changes, as well as efficiently run day-to-day business affairs, are central to achieving long-term success.

At Speciality & Fine Food Fair, business owners will also be able to gain practical business advice in the Small Business Forum, sponsored by Cotswold Fayre. Here, industry experts will share their knowledge to give crucial insights into a range of challenges that firms face today.

Food consultant and journalist, Jane Milton, will open the proceedings by offering some advice on how to pick the best routes to market and whether to aim products at retailers or foodservice providers.

Reflecting the everimportant role the Internet plays in communicating about

and selling products, two sessions will be dedicated to maximising opportunities online. Andrew Webb at Love Food Love Drink will delve into bringing your business to a wider audience through twitter and blogs, while Emma Dandy of La Cremerie will give tips on driving awareness of your brand online without a high street presence.

Paul Jenkins at The Pack Hub, Peter Burns at Half Baked Cake Co, John Graham at Adcreatie and more will also join the list of experts ready to dish out advice to visitors.

In addition to this, free oneto-one advice are on offer in the Business Mentoring Centre.

Attendees can book 30-minute sessions with experts to tackle topics ranging from marketing, finance and HR, to social media, logistics and exporting.

Speciality & Fine Food Fair will open at Olympia on Sunday, 8 September, running until Tuesday 10 September. You can register for your free visitor badge and learn more about the Fair at http://www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/. Follow Speciality & Fine Food Fair on twitter: www.twitter.com/Speciality_Food, ‘Like’ Speciality & Fine Food Fair on Facebook: www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/Facebook. Join us on LinkedIn: www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/linkedin.

Follow Speciality Chocolate Fair on twitter: www.twitter.com/SpecialityChoc

Food for thought The food sector is evolving all the time and each year the Fine Food Forum provides visitors with an essential place to hear how to tackle industry hot topics such as sustainability and provenance, as well as keep up-to-date with what’s driving demand in the sector in 2013 and beyond.

A bill of top chefs will offer interactive cookery demonstrations designed to hone skills and boost profit margins. The line-up includes James Golding (head chef at The Pig Hotel), TV chef and head chef at The Wolseley, Lawrence Keogh, author and consultant on Mediterranean food, Dr Simon Poole, Sandhurst chef, Rob Kennedy, BBQ King Ben Bartlett and chair of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Christopher Basten, plus many more.

Celebrating success The finalists of the prestigious Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards will also be on display.

These awards, regarded as the benchmark for fine food in the UK, recognise outstanding products that deliver on texture, appearance, quality of ingredients, product

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PREVIEW sourcing and – most importantly – taste.

Thousands of entries are received each year and each product is blind-tasted by experts before being shortlisted for the award. At Speciality & Fine Food Fair, visitors can be the first to sample the winning products.

Gourmet chocolate takes centre stage Speciality Chocolate Fair will

run in parallel with the main exhibition, and claims to be the only trade event where visitors can gain a full perspective on the luxury and gourmet chocolate industry (more than 5,700 visitors are expected through the doors to source premium produce from a host of artisan chocolatiers).

This year, award-winning chocolatier and pattisier, Will Torrent will host Speciality Chocolate Live, which sits at

the heart of the show. Live demonstrations from chefs such as Damian Wawrzyniak, Alistair Birt and Philippe Wall among others, will offer tips on the latest techniques and trends in chocolate to help visitors develop product lines that their customers will love.

Commenting on Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2013, Soraya Gadelrab, event director, said: “The artisan food industry is performing well, with growing

interest from consumers driving innovation. This year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair is gearing up for another actionpacked event to celebrate the best products on the market, as well as offer unrivalled access to expert advice on the latest industry trends and challenges. With more than 600 exhibitors to meet and daily seminar sessions there really is something for everyone.”

BEVERAGES

DESCRIPTION

FruitBroo - Stand 701

Brand new to the market, FruitBroo make Tasty Hot Drinks from real fruit juices, herbs and spices specifically selected and blended to be served hot.

They are caffeine free, 100 per cent natural and only 15 calories per cup.

Joe’s Tea Company - Stand 1045

Joe’s Tea Company remains true to the British brew with organic whole leaf tea in ten tasty blends.

Little’s Ltd - Stand 544

A family-run artisan coffee roaster from Devon with 25 years of experience in sourcing, roasting and blending speciality coffee. Little’s has a wide range of products including flavoured instant and ground coffees, single estate coffees, for both high-end cafés and the food-to-go market.

My Cup of Tea - Stand 213

As a modern tea specialist My Cup of Tea sources and produces its own tea and herbal blends selecting only the best ingredients.

Origin Coffee Ltd - Stand 783

A young vibrant speciality coffee roaster based in Cornwall, Origin Coffee prides itself sourcing traceable, sustainable speciality coffee and developing relationships between grower and barista.

Silver Lantern Limited - Stand 064

A producer of high quality loose-leaf teas and tisanes that can be enjoyed on their own or customised through blending at home.

SNACKS, BISCUITS & BAKES Honeybuns - Stand 448

A small multi-award winning artisan bakery, Honeybuns is launching its gorgeous gluten-free mixes at the show. Visitors can also sample the delicious range of baked goods.

Joe & Steph’s Gourmet Popcorn - Stand 931

Joe & Steph’s Gourmet Popcorn has a range of over 30 innovative flavours including eight Great Taste Award Winners.

La Panzanella Artisanal Foods - Stand 913

Award-winning La Panzanella Artisanal Foods creates gourmet artisan crackers and shortbread cookies. The Croccantini range has been extended to include a new Mulitgrain flavour made with seven ancient grains.

Stag Bakeries - Stand 606

Bringing you a taste of the Outer Hebrides, Stag Bakeries is showcasing its delicious seaweed range. These mouthwatering biscuits are available as sweet or savoury to delight the tastebuds.

Elena’s Gluten Freeway - Stand 825

Elena’s Gluten Freeway is a specialist in importing and distributing the highest quality gluten-free products from Italy. They were also proudly awarded with the Highly Commended certificate at the PAPA Industry Awards 2012 in the New Product or Ingredient category.

The Artisan Bakery - Stand 1160

Dedicated to using traditional techniques, The Artisan Bakery’s skilled bakers create unique and diverse hand-baked breads and patisserie products to delight consumers.

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INSURANCE

Food delivery

- are you really insured?

There is increasing concern across the food delivery sector that businesses may be operating without adequate insurance cover with the risk that if they are involved in an accident, the business itself could be held responsible, not only in terms of compensation but also from criminal prosecution. In this article, Craig Kitchen from insurers ICB Group, talks about why some businesses may be at risk without knowing.

No excuse There can be no excuse for those businesses who cut costs by allowing drivers – often young people - to work for them without providing proper insurance cover, but for many it may simply be that they are unaware they are breaking the law.

While most operators understand the need to insure their own vehicles, many are not aware that when they use ownerdrivers to work for them their own insurance is likely to be invalid.

Arranging the correct motor insurance for food delivery is, and has been, a huge problem in the sector for many years. The main problem relates to the ‘use’ of a private vehicle for deliveries as, while insurances may allow business use most standard policies exclude this type of use, which is known as hire and reward.

Hire and reward use is required when something or someone is being carried from one place to another for which a payment is being received. For example, couriers and taxis both require this cover and the same applies to any vehicle being used for food delivery, whether owned by the business or an individual.

Many food delivery businesses employ owner drivers to carry out their deliveries and hope the employee arranges their own insurance cover by extending their own private car insurance. However, unfortunately the majority of insurers are unwilling to provide such an extension to a standard motor policy due to the high risks associated with food delivery.

The employee may have requested business use but unless the insurer has specifically noted the business of the employee as a food delivery driver, and included the correct hire and reward cover for food delivery on the policy, the reality is they are driving without

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insurance whenever they are carrying out a food delivery.

Taking responsibility A number of business operators appear to take the view that this is not their responsibility and it is up to the employee to ensure they have the correct cover arranged whilst carrying out deliveries in their own vehicles. However, this is not correct.

In law, a business has a legal responsibility to look after its employees, and if it fails to ensure that owner drivers have adequate insurance, it may also be deemed to be failing in its duties by knowingly allowing an employee to drive for the business without valid insurance.

This could result in a criminal prosecution.

Under an area of the law called Vicarious Liability an employer could also be dragged into a claim and held liable for compensation payments for third party injury or damage, which isn’t covered under the employee’s own motor insurance, if it can be shown that the employee was working for the business at the time of the incident. As well as the financial impact to the business from the resultant legal action, this sort of incident could also result in adverse publicity and in some circumstances even result in a business failure!

The problem to date has been that

unless you have a substantial business, insurers have generally been uninterested in providing this cover or, if they do, charge substantial premiums for it. This is particularly true where the vehicle is owner operated or is a business owned moped or motorbike, as insurers are generally reluctant to insure even business-owned vehicles used for food delivery. Some even restrict the number of bikes they will cover on a group policy, so they have to be insured individually.

Businesses carrying out food delivery must also advise their Employer’s Liability insurer as this is a material fact.

Failure to do so could result in the insurance company seeking a recovery from the business for any claims monies they have had to pay in compensation to an employee who has been injured whilst carrying out a delivery and for which the business is legally liable.

The Café Society has been working with ICB Group, one of the few brokers in the UK providing food delivery insurance, to develop a scheme for food delivery vehicles to include owner-driver delivery vehicles. As a result, a scheme is now available to provide cover for businesses carrying out food delivery (for more details contact Craig Kitchen at ICB on 0208 568 2021 craig.kitchen@icbgroupuk.com).

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The food hygiene rating bill New proposals requiring food businesses in Wales to display food hygiene ratings at their premises have been outlined after the Welsh Government introduced its Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Bill at the end of May. This bill has been devised to help provide consumers with more information about where they eat or buy food, as well as raise food hygiene practices among businesses.

Mandatory in Wales first Introduction of a mandatory food hygiene rating scheme is a commitment in the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government and it would be the UK’s first compulsory scheme if rolled out.

Under the scheme, businesses will be rated with a score between 0 and 5 – with 0 meaning urgent improvement is necessary and a 5 rating meaning hygiene standards are very good.

The rating will be based on criteria including food handling standards – such as how the food is prepared, cooked, cooled and stored, the condition of the premises and the procedures in place to ensure the production of safe food. Businesses will then be required to display their rating in a prominent position,

such as at the entrance to their premises, or face a fine.

Following consultation on the proposals earlier this year, the Bill includes provisions to include businesses that supply food to other businesses.

There is also a new duty on food businesses to verbally inform customers of the food hygiene rating for their establishment if requested and an associated offence if they refuse to do so (this will allow people with impaired vision or enquiring by telephone to establish the hygiene rating of an establishment prior to use).

Health minister Lesley Griffiths said: “The Bill will introduce a simple but effective public health measure that will empower consumers and help to improve food hygiene standards.

Food hygiene is essential for the

protection of public health. The rating scheme will help drive up standards and benefit both consumers and businesses.

“The scheme will enable consumers to make a more informed choice about where they choose to eat or shop for food, while good food hygiene means a higher rating which is good for business.”

Lead-in time If the Bill becomes law, it is expected that the earliest a mandatory scheme will come into operation will be late in 2013 and a lead-in time will allow businesses to prepare.

As in the current voluntary scheme, the frequency of inspections will be based on an assessment of risk to the consumer, such as the type of food business, the nature of the

food and the size of the business.

Businesses will be able to appeal against their score if they consider it unjust or unfair. They will also be able to request and pay for a re-rating inspection if they have carried out improvements required.

The legislation proposes the introduction of fixed penalty notices of £200 for offences such as non-display of a rating with discounts for early payment. There are also powers to prosecute with a proposed maximum fine of £1000.

Background to the Bill A Consumer Focus Wales survey in October 2011 showed that 94% of people in Wales thought it should be compulsory for food businesses to display their food hygiene rating score.

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LAW A mandatory scheme is also supported by Professor Hugh Pennington who chaired the public inquiry into the 2005 E.coli outbreak in Wales – the second biggest ever in the UK – which resulted in one death, 150 other cases including 31 hospital admissions and long-term health consequences for several children.

Around 30,000 businesses in Wales would be covered by the scheme. More than 17,500 have been rated under the voluntary scheme operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities – although only one in three are currently displaying their rating, this figure falling dramatically for those with ratings below 3.

Proposals The Bill proposes that the scheme will apply to places where consumers eat out (including restaurants, takeaways, mobile caterers, cafés, hotels, pubs, schools, hospitals, children’s nurseries and residential care homes), places where consumers shop for food (such as supermarkets, bakeries, and delicatessens) and trade-to-trade food sales.

It is not proposed that the scheme would apply to ‘low-risk’ businesses whose primary business or activity is not foodrelated, such as newsagents, clothes shops which may, for example, sell seasonal chocolates, visitor centres and similar establishments selling tins of biscuits or other wrapped goods, leisure centres with only food vending machines selling only drinks or low-risk foods, for example pre-packed confectionery.

The scheme will use the ratings and sticker identity already used in the voluntary FSA Food Hygiene Rating Scheme which has operated since October 2010. The 0-5 ratings mean: 0 – urgent improvement necessary 1 – major improvement necessary 2 – improvement necessary 3 – generally satisfactory 4 – good 5 – very good

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Businesses are given a sticker to display their score (an example of a 5 rated bilingual sticker can be found at http://www.food.gov.uk/multim edia/webpage/ratingsdownload s). Local authorities will follow up on all establishments with ratings of below 3, using a variety of enforcement tools to secure improvements. If an imminent risk of injury to health is identified action will be taken to prohibit an activity, or prevent the business from trading until such time as that risk has been removed. Consumers can check the ratings of businesses currently in the voluntary scheme at www.food.gov.uk/ratings.

This will be the first mandatory scheme in the UK. Other countries, states and cities have mandatory schemes in operation, including Denmark, New York, Los Angeles County and Auckland (in Los Angeles, there has apparently been a 20% decrease in food related hospitalisations since a scheme was introduced in 1998).

Research into the Danish scheme in 2007 showed that 99.8% of consumers are aware of the scheme and 97% thought it was a good idea. It has helped consumers make more informed choices, with 67% saying they would turn down a restaurant with a bad rating, and 59% having chosen another restaurant because of a bad rating. 88% of food business operators in Denmark think the scheme is a good idea and 19% had carried out improvements to avoid a poor score.

It is estimated that each year in the UK there are about a million people who suffer a foodborne illness, of which 20,000 receive hospital treatment and there are 500 deaths (Annual Report of the Chief Scientist 2010/11, FSA). In 2007 there were an estimated 850,000 cases of food poisoning, more than 19,500 hospitalisations and more than 500 deaths in the UK. The major non-domestic sources of outbreaks were restaurants (42% of all sources), nonresidential caterers (21%) and the retail sector (7%).

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NEW PRODUCTS

Benders increases capacity for its super insulated cups Benders Paper Cups is relaunching its Super Insulated Hot Cups, having increased manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand. The Cantare stock design is part of the UK manufacturer’s unique insulated hot cup selection, produced using materials and technology delivering top of the range performance.

With a high quality print finish in matt and gloss and contemporary design options, the cup is designed to combine operational benefits with superior insulation performance, stronger walls and a sturdy, premium feel. The patented manufacturing process - exclusive to Benders in Europe - means that the cup

New Elegance range from Colpac – Food On The Go as you have never seen it Innovative food packaging solutions provider, Colpac, has added a new range to its popular same day Café Collection line.

The new Elegance range, aimed at smart coffee shops, sandwich shops and delicatessens, enhances the Café Collection offering with seven products that display food in a stylish and elegant way.

Sandwiches, baguettes, paninis, tortillas, wraps, bloomers and salads will stand out against the dark and classic background of the packaging, bringing a touch of sophistication to food on the go.

All packs are made of quality board that’s recyclable and biodegradable, and the windows are compostable, in line with Colpac’s green credentials (visit www.colpac.co.uk, or call 01525 712 261).

retains its rigidity with no crushing of the air gap between the inner cup and the smooth printed exterior surface. With great fitting lids, the cups also boast a lower stack height to alternative insulated cups – taking up 33% less space, ideal where storage space is at a premium (www.benders.co.uk or call 01978 855661).

Dutch Maid Company Ltd seeks new food business clients The Dutch Maid Company Ltd acquired the UK sales and distribution for branded packed Regilait Products last October. Today, Dutch Maid is planning to build on its success to date by seeking new business clients in the food service, catering and vending sectors.

Regilait agglomerated milk is processed directly from fresh liquid milk, offering the user a top quality finished beverage

with good foam retention, mouth feel and the flavour of fresh milk.

Regilait produces excellent cappuccinos, lates etc, without the need for refrigeration or cleaning the machine down at least twice a day. It is packed in units of 10 x 500g pouches, either 40 cases or 80 cases per pallet. Free sample on request (call 01298 77617, or email sales@dutchmaid.co.uk Tel: 01298 77617).

Victor Optimax inspires in Hartlepool

Sun Valley to launch new products at lunch!

Sun Valley is launching an innovative range of snacking pots into the coffee and sandwich shop arena. The four products include a delicate blend of natural fruit, nuts and seeds and will be presented for the first time in its finished format at the lunch! show.

Visit Sun Valley on stand A105 to sample the individual recipes, or for more information contact Chris Compton on 07825 037268 or Sun Valley direct on 0800 917 8100.

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The new Inspirations Coffee House in Hartlepool features a British manufactured eye-catching counter designed and built by Victor Manufacturing. The coffee house has opened to great acclaim, attracting 2,770 customers through its doors in the first month (Inspiration’s Coffee House offers a range of delicious food and beverages, including fresh coffees prepared by trained baristas).

The Hartlepool Borough Council Inspirations Coffee House and Garden Centre was developed to contribute to the local authority’s strategy to generate additional income to help support frontline jobs and services during the current economic climate.

When designing the service counter, it was important to the council that the most energy efficient components were

used, and Victor’s Optimax refrigerated display units were incorporated into the design of the striking granite topped counter. Optimax refrigerated units under laboratory tests have been found to reduce energy consumption by as much as 50% over comparable models (call 01274 722125, or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

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NEW PRODUCTS

Snowbird management buys big ideas company Snowbird foods has new owners. The manufacturer of fully cooked and frozen sausages, meat balls and other comminuted meat products has been bought by its management team, and, after four owners in six years, the move has drawn cheers from all the employees of the Middlesex company.

It will now be run by its three directors who between them have managed the business for a succession of owners since 1995.

Joint managing director Philip Paul who joined the business from school in 1981 - believes the change will mean faster decision making and a more settled management

style. He now shares that title with former finance director Albert McGovern, with whom he bought the business for an undisclosed sum. Investment is planned in the short term to enable Snowbird to capitalise on more profitable ideas currently on the drawing board (call 020 8805 9222, or visit ww.snowbirdfoods.co.uk).

“

When I was setting up my new café your website was a godsend! I went to it whenever I needed to find anything out.

Donna Young Dulcies

”

tel: 01291 636333 web: www.thecafelife.co.uk/cc57

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

First refrigerated display unit on ECA Energy Technology List – must be Victor Victor’s Optimax range of display cabinets boast impressive energy-saving features, but the launch of the latest model from this British manufacturer is reducing energy consumption on a grand scale!

Victor’s new Optimax SQ assisted service refrigerated model, having come direct from rigorous independent tests, is proven to use as little as 0.34kWh/h over a 24 hour period, ensuring all chilled food products are maintained at temperatures between 1°C and 5°C at all times. Plus, as the first unit of its kind to be on the ECA Energy Technology List, an operation can reduce its business tax bill by as much as 20% off the purchase price.

Independently assessed,

the unit meets the tough demands of EN 23953:2005 M1/climate class 3 in maintaining food temperatures and testing has shown that if you pay, for example, 14p per unit for electricity, the cost is less than 5p per hour with Optimax SQ (call 01274 722125, or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

Lands’ End Corporate Clothing is an investment not an expense In today’s competitive market, first impressions count. That’s why successful business leaders invest in corporate clothing. Projecting your company through customised clothing motivates and builds team spirit amongst your people and improves brand recognition from your customers, helping to give you a real edge over rivals.

Lands’ End Corporate & Teamwear can outfit your members’ employees to speak volumes about their business.

They outfit companies of all sizes from small start-ups to international corporations with logo embroidered clothing and accessories - all supported by unrivalled customer service and a global supply chain that guarantees to deliver on time and on budget. Lands’ End has been providing quality apparel and workwear in the UK since 1993 and today they service more than 5,000 business account (call 01572 758062 or visit www.landsendteamwear.co.uk

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PREVIEW Brand and design Sarah Lyons, global marketing executive at Bombay Sapphire and Oxley, and Dominic Burke, creative director at Webb deVlam, will be joining forces on ‘Bringing Bombay Sapphire to life through design’.

SunBites, the fastest growing brand from Walkers, has achieved a 500% sales uplift in less than three years. In his talk ‘Designing for better profits in the Better-For-You category’, Adrian Collins, managing director at ZigguratBrands, will look at how packaging has helped deliver this dramatic performance.

George Wainwright, executive creative director, and Leigh Brownsword, graphics director at Pope Wainwright, will be using the case study of BlackBerry to show packaging’s role in building brand awareness.

Come and raise a glass with Alex Robson, director of West End Drinks Ltd, and Tim Holmes, associate creative director at 1HQ Brand Agency, who will recount the journey that created King of Soho an exciting new gin, infused with the anything goes atmosphere of the famous London district. They will divulge how the close collaboration between client and agency, and the integrated development of structural packaging and graphic design, brought this exciting new brand to life.

Innocent Drinks, Unilever, Miracle-Gro, Marks & Spencer, Kimberly Clark, and Bombay Sapphire will all be sharing the secrets of their success at Packaging Innovations London (1 and 2 October 2013, Business Design Centre London). In addition to the cream of global brands, the packed two-day learnShops programme will see experts from Landa, Leo Luxe, Museum of Brands, WRAP, DEFRA and Pantone Live exploring the very latest thinking, technologies and trends in the global marketplace.

Print to pack Gerry Mulvaney, european sales manager at Landa Digital Printing, will address ‘Nanography: bringing brand new value to print’, exploring how Nanography has evolved, where it fits amongst current print technologies and its impact on the packaging world.

Jonathan Bunbury, international category manager at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, and Kate Bradford, managing director at Parker Williams Design, will answer ‘Why is graphic packaging so important to a brand and how experiential marketing can help launch innovation?’

Those wanting to inject the ‘Lynx effect’ into their brand should check-out the talk by Paul Pay, assistant packaging project manager – Deodorants R&D Global Design Centre at

Unilever, and Peter Aldous, creative services manager at Elmwood, as they outline ‘Lynx's journey from design to print’.

The role of packaging Clover Abbott, Packaging Technologist at Innocent Drinks, will explain how packaging has been instrumental in the business, from demonstrating it values, communicating with consumers and selling its products.

Packaging can be a real opportunity for smaller brands to make a big statement. Johnny Harris, Director at T-Tox, an exciting new 'Loose Leaf Tea' company, will consider how far packaging goes in defining your brand, and will draw on his own company’s experiences to illustrate the challenge of finding innovative packaging on a budget.

Luxury packaging Drawing upon consumer perspectives Alistair Vince, chief tinkerer at Watch Me Think, will present a consumer's eye view of what luxury is, offering insights for anyone involved in packaging development for the luxury or FMCG markets.

Building on this theme will be the Steve McAdam, vice president of creative service at Leo Luxe, who will be exploring ‘what defines luxury packaging?’

Future of packaging Those asking ‘what next?’ will be able to peer into the future with Kevin Vyse, packaging troubleshooter at Marks & Spencer, as he looks at the next 30 years in his talk ‘Touchy about the future.’

Kevin will consider the huge challenges facing the food and drink industry in supplying even the most basic commodities.

Social media has the power to connect professionals and consumers like never before.

David Howlett, strategic planning director at MMR Research, will provide a personal perceptive on the ‘dos and don’ts’ of social media in his talk ‘Getting a buzz out of social media’.

To see the full learnShops lineup visit www.easyFairs.com/PILondon and click on “Free learnShops seminars” within the menu bar (visitors can also register to attend for free on the web site).

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