Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 39

CC_August10_p01.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

15:41

Page 1

magazine AUGUST 2010 ISSUE 39

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

0DWFK \RX FUHDWLYLW\ ZLWK WKH LQQRYDWLYH ÁDYRXUV RI 0RQLQ %DULVWDV ZRUOGZLGH XVH 0RQLQ WR KHOS LQVSLUH WKHLU FUHDWLRQV ZLWK RYHU JUHDW WDVWLQJ V\UXSV ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR WUDGLWLRQDO ÁDYRXUV ZH RIIHU XQLTXH DQG RQ WUHQG ÁDYRXUV WR KHOS PDNH \RXU EHYHUDJHV GLVWLQFWLYH :LWK 0RQLQ WKH ÁDYRXU SRVVLELOLWLHV DUH HQGOHVV )RU EHYHUDJH LQVSLUDWLRQ YLVLW ZZZ PRQLQ FRP IRU KXQGUHGV RI JUHDW WDVWLQJ LGHDV

,PSRUWHG LQWR WKH 8. E\ 2SLHV &RQWDFW LQIR GOLQJ#E RSLH FRP

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:51

Page 2

“lunch! should be the only event in the calendar for anyone involved in the food-to-go industry.

It’s fantastic!”

LAURA CLARK, PHAT PASTY CO.

The UK’s premier and award winning food-to-go event

Where doing business really isa pleasure

Best UK trade exhibition

2010

lunch! brings the food-to-go industry together under one roof, giving retailers, contract caterers and buyers the chance to see fresh products, generate fresh ideas, attracting fresh customers to your business.

NEW for 2010: BSA Training Academy Inspiring Keynote speakers Exclusive show-only discounts 1000’s of products...

Organised by

diversified B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

Supported by

In association with The British Sandwich UK Association

Incorporating

®

Sponsored by

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

15:27

Page 3

Welcome!

CONTENTS

Thank you to all of you who visited our stand at this year’s Caffè Culture show in London – it was good to see so many familiar faces and catch up with all your news, as well enjoy the international aspect to this year’s event which attracted a record number of visitors (turn to page 14 for a review).

In this issue we look at arguably two of the most important parts of running a successful café or coffee shop – the type and blends of coffee you serve, and the training of an outlet’s baristas. And if you are still on the look out for more coffee sector oriented exhibitions to go to this year, we also take a sneak preview of the ‘to go’ show lunch! and the Speciality & Fine Food Show.

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 Lee Evans, Tel: 01291 636333 E-mail: lee@jandmgroup.co.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

NEWS 4 Holland & Barrett in café move.

5 Record attendance at Caffè Culture.

6 International Paper launches Hold&Go. 7 Cafe2U’s success recognised.

EVENT REVIEW 14 Caffè Culture 2010.

EVENT PREVIEW 18 lunch! 2010

30 Coffee school – the importance of barista training.

36 Healthy beverages – new beverages with healthy credentials.

ARTICLES 40 In praise of the coffee shop – Raynor Foods welcome the rise of the coffee shop.

42 Charity begins with your morning coffee – UK Coffee Week.

REGULARS 28 The Speciality & Fine Food Show 2010

FEATURES 20 Special blends – advice on how to go about selecting blends of coffee.

44 Coffee clinic – your maintenance questions answered.

45 New products.

46 Product listings.

47 Checkout.

DON’T MISS YOUR COPY. SUBSCRIBE NOW! CALL 01291 636333. www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 3

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:51

Page 4

NEWS

Visitor registration opens for lunch! 2010

Holland & Barrett’s CEO Peter Aldis at the food to go section of the new Cheltenham store.

Holland & Barrett in café move Holland & Barrett has launched into the café/food-to-go market with the launch of a Holland & Barrett Good Food To Go store which opened in Cheltenham recently, following on from the success of a pilot store in Bury St Edmonds which has already served more than 5,000 drinks, sandwiches, and soups since its opening in February this year, report the health food retailer, Well known as a retailer of vegetarian and specialist free-from food on the high street, Holland & Barrett says that it has been inundated with requests for hot food and healthy takeaway lunches from customers, and sees the new stores as providing for the ‘24 hour health’ consumer – a person who wants a healthy-shopping experience as well as buying healthy products.

In Cheltenham, Holland & Barrett claims to be the only retailer there selling hot vegetarian pasties. Other elements to the new stores include dairy free, gluten free, and diabetic ice creams, as well as all veggie sandwiches and pasties, and ‘mix your own’ cereal and oil and vinegar bars, where the best selling is raspberry vinegar. Over 20 varieties of fruit, herbal, organic and speciality teas are also on offer.

4 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

Visitor registration for lunch!, the food-togo trade show, has now opened, with thousands of buyers from all the major supermarkets, high street chains and contract caterers, as well as owners and managers of independent sandwich bars, cafés, juice bars and coffee houses, expected to flock to the event at Old Billingsgate, London, on 30 September and1 October 2010.

Over 100 leading manufacturers and suppliers representing every aspect of the food-to-go market are set to exhibit at lunch!. Among the big-name exhibitors making their debut at this year’s show are organic flour specialists, Doves Farm Foods Ltd, natural energy drinks producer, Firefly Tonics and Pieminister Ltd with their award-winning handmade pies, as well as Rapid Action Packaging Ltd, Suki Tea, The Original Drinks Company Ltd, The Yorkshire Provender, Tideford Organic Foods, New York Delhi and Tims Dairy Ltd. lunch! was heralded as the UK’s fastest growing food trade show following its event last year, which enjoyed a record turnout of over 2500 top quality trade buyers. This growth is set to continue for 2010, say the show’s organisers, with the announcement of a 50% expansion in exhibition space for its third outing.

Visitors to lunch! 2010 will see a host of familiar names on the exhibitor list, with many leading industry names returning to lunch! for their third successive year including Kavis Ltd, Keeko Kids Ltd, London Bio Packaging, Planglow Ltd, Shaken Udder Milkshakes, Simple Simon Foods Ltd, The Handmade Cake Company, and lunch!’s British Smoothie

lunch! is free to attend for pre-registered trade visitors (for further information, visit www.lunchshow.co.uk).

Championships sponsor Usmoothie Ltd. New features for 2010 include a 24stand Innovation Zone, which is to be situated in its own dedicated area of the show. Designed specifically to promote new products from smaller suppliers and emerging start ups, its introduction is expected to prove a major draw for buyers looking for differentiation in the marketplace. The lunch! Innovation Zone will join established show favourites such as lunch!Pad – the new product showcase and lunch! Retailer of the Year Awards, and the British Smoothie Championships, plus the popular BSA Training Academy.

This show announcement follows news released last month that lunch! has been shortlisted for Best Exhibition Under 2,000m by the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) in their annual Excellence Awards.

Descaler powder now available in handy sachets Bioguard BIO 040 Descaler Powder - an effective food-safe product that simplifies removing scale deposits from water drinks dispenser boilers, pipes and components - is now available in handy packs of single-use 50g sachets from Abbeychart.

Biodegradable and also safer for the environment as it uses naturally occurring citric acids with no harsh ‘pickling’ acids, the powder’s regular use will prevent high maintenance and energy costs by ensuring scale-free systems, say the supplier. Equipment is

fully protected by application when a weekly visual check indicates scale build-up.

User-friendly packaging ensures application convenience and the powder also comes in larger packs for high volume systems and workshop use, say Abbeychart. A single-use sachet is just emptied in a boiler containing hot water up to 70°C and left to soak for 5-15 minutes. When its ‘fizzing’ effect stops, the system is flushed through with warm water and is ready for use again.

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:51

Page 5

NEWS

Record attendance at Caffè Culture Caffè Culture (Olympia, 23 – 25 June 2010) hosted its biggest, busiest and best event yet, more than doubling its previous attendance figures to see a record 11,363 visitors and over 300 international exhibitors in attendance.

The event also saw a huge increase in international visitors – undoubtedly attracted by the World Barista Championships, felt the show’s organisers, attendees, and exhibitors alike - and which took place for the first time within the UK. “The atmosphere and buzz created by the World Barista Championships was fantastic and lifted everyone’s mood,” said Andrew Tucker, MD of SanRemo. “It was great have all those amazing competitors around. We had a thoroughly enjoyable show and look set to generate some good business from it.”

After three days of intense competition among fifty-three professional and champion baristas, it was Michael

Philips who took the title to become the 2010 World Barista Champion. From the USA, Michael is employed by Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea, and this was his second time competing in the event.

Caffè Culture also played host to the world finals of the SCAE competitions it was also the first year the show played host to the SCAE’s annual conference, featuring a line up of international speakers,

including Buck Hendrix of Starbucks, Doug Zell of Intelligentsia, David Schomer of Vivace and Kenneth Luciani of Baresso. As ever, a large number of companies also utilised Caffè Culture as the platform from which to launch new products.

During the show it was also announced that Upper Street Events, the organisers of Caffè Culture, and the SCAE, are to go into partnership to host

further events within Europe in a collaboration that will see Upper Street Events organise the SCAE’s annual exhibition and conference. As part of the new initiative the event will be re-launched and rebranded, with the first edition taking place from 22 – 24 June 2011 at the MECC in Maasstrict.

“We have been working closely with Upper Street Events over the last five years providing a resource within Caffè Culture to increase knowledge of coffee, sharpen skills and add value at every part of the process – from grower to consumer,” said Mick Wheeler, executive director of the SCAE. “We are delighted with the success of this year’s event and competitions and are now very pleased to be working together on such a major project for the future.”

Caffè Culture 2011 will move back into the National Hall at Olympia and will take place from 18 – 20 May (visit www.caffeculture.com for more information).

New awards scheme announced The organisers of lunch! – the UK’s dedicated food-to-go event – have announced the launch of the Innovation Challenge 2010, a major new awards scheme designed to promote and celebrate genuinely new ideas in the sector, including new innovations and a ‘new take’ on established concepts .

The scheme is open to all product categories, including food, drinks, equipment, packaging, and any other product relevant to the food to go market which is genuinely innovative and provides a real point of difference and commercial competitive advantage for the manufacturer.

Entry to the awards is free and companies interested in entering can

find more details and an entry form at www.lunchshow.co.uk. The entries will be judged and announced at the lunch! show at Old Billingsgate, London, on the 30th September 2010 by a panel of five industry experts. All entries will be judged on their particular merits and, if where the judges agree that a product deserves recognition, they can award it Gold, the highest accolade, or Commended.

The coveted Innovation Challenge 2010 Gold or Commended Award and logo will provide significant prestige and marketing advantage for the winners and only the very best will be allowed to use it (for more information, contact Madeleine Johnson on 01273 645123).

Country Choice shapes up with Danish Trellis Bar Bar-shaped Danish Pastries that are perfect for eating on-the-move have joined the Country Choice line-up, bringing another profitable snacking opportunity to caterers, in-store bakeries and sandwich bars.

The new 65g Danish Trellis Bars bring a modern twist to a traditional favourite but are still authentic, made in Denmark from 24 layers of light, crisp Danish pastry. Two varieties, orange and raspberry, are offered frozen and ready to bake in just 15 minutes. Packed in a mixed case holding 24 of each variety, they come complete with sugar and chocolate-flavoured icing for decorating.

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 5

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:51

Page 6

NEWS

Coffee Nation’s Express is a winner Coffee Nation, who claim to be the UK’s fastest growing coffee company and leader in gourmet self-service coffee, has won the Best Self-Service Project Award from the European Association for Self-Service.

Coffee Nation provides premium quality, self service coffee bars in the UK. Established in 1997, the distribution of its products has spread to almost 900 retail and leisure outlets in the UK including Welcome Break and Moto service stations, Esso, Malthurst and Pace forecourts, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Wil Corker (left) presenting the award to Paul Newcombe, technical manager at Coffee Nation.

Somerfield supermarkets.

The company, which has not long launched its new Express machine, picked up the award at the EAFS Self-Service Awards 2010 in Essen, Germany in June at the Kiosk Europe Expo.

The Express machine is a chip and pin, self-service coffee bar that has been developed to provide any high-footfall environment with a branded coffee offer and a shared revenue stream in excess of £150,000 per year, say the company. Built on the robust and proven Coffee Nation platform, the Express concept has been enhanced to include an intuitive ‘touch screen’ for menu selection and has a chip and pin payment device that for first time accommodates all major debit and credit cards as well as notes and coins.

The European Association for Self-Service Awards were set up to recognise excellence and innovation in self-service projects for various sectors, and the applications were judged by a jury that is made up of industry professionals using criteria based on effectiveness, innovation, design and impact on the self-service market.

Rombouts Coffee barista trainer awarded SCAE Brewmaster certification Jonathan Wadham, communications and training Manager for Rombouts Coffee GB Ltd is now an SCAE Gold Cup Brewmaster.

The SCAE Gold Cup Programme sets the standard of filter coffee brewing throughout Europe, with the intention of promoting a better standard of filter coffee and ultimately improving the quality of the filter coffee being consumed.

Having successfully passed the intensive one-day course, Jonathan is now able to assess filter-brewed coffee against the Gold Cup standard.

“Brewing to the SCAE Gold Cup standard allows hoteliers and restaurateurs to bring the most out of their coffees and promote quality by serving SCAE Gold Cup standard filter coffee. By spending a little more, say an extra 4p per cup, establishments can serve exceptional quality filter coffee, which presents customers with a better quality filter coffee,” says

Jonathan Wadham.

“If you pay extra for premium quality coffee but grind it or brew it incorrectly you may as well be pouring it down the sink. Start with a great quality bean, grind it, brew it and serve it correctly and your customers are more likely to repeat their visit and be happy to pay a premium for their coffee – increasing your profits!”

Further to Jonathan’s certification, Rombouts offer a range of Gold Cup packages to help operators brew and serve SCAE Gold Cup standard filter coffee.

The Gold Cup packages range from a cost effective Bunn 392 pour over machine and grinder, through to top of the range Bunn Grind and Serve bulk brew systems for large volume sites. As part of the package, Rombouts, will set up and test the coffee systems and once approved, will award customers with their first-year certification from the SCAE (www.rombouts.co.uk/profes sional).

International Paper launches Hold&Go International Paper have launched a new line of insulated cups, called Hold&Go® which aims to provide superior performance in a premium, all-in-one package.

Hold&Go employs International Paper’s patent-pending Thermashield™ technology, which eliminates the need for a sleeve or extra cup to protect hands, say the company.

The cups come in three sizes – 12oz 16oz and 20oz - and are designed in such a way that a single sized lid fits all.

Both sip-through and lock-back lids are available for Hold&Go cups, in black or white. The minimum print run for bespoke designs is just 100,000 pieces.

6 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

“With Hold&Go, consumers will appreciate a cup that keeps their beverages hot and their hands cool and restaurant operators will benefit from the elimination of costly double-cupping and improved speed as a result of no longer needing to apply a sleeve,” explains Mike Gardner, International Paper’s sales and marketing director for the company’s foodservice business in Europe The cup comes with high quality graphics, including the classic design ‘Old World’, to help boost a brand’s image and offers huge potential for QSRs, stadia and all ‘on the move’ catering operators, feel the company.

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:51

Page 7

NEWS

Cafe2U’s success recognised Leeds-based mobile coffee retailer Cafe2U has scooped a prestigious business award for Best Newcomer at the TheBusinessDesk.com Yorkshire Business Master awards held in Leeds recently.

Cafe2U sells franchises to operate custom built coffee vans in exclusive territories selling gourmet hot drinks and other snacks and food to around 45,000 customers across the UK each week from their fleet of 54 mobile barista vans. The company employs seven head office staff at Thorpe Park, Leeds and 54 franchise staff work on the vans that are based as far a field as Basingstoke, Leeds, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh.

The award recognised Cafe2U as the best new business initiative in the region after hundreds of business people

voted for the winner in an online poll, following a vigorous judging process selecting the shortlisted companies. More than 200 senior business figures attended the award ceremony, which was held in Leeds yesterday where managing director Tom Acland received the award, one of only five made each year.

Cafe2U, originally formed in Australia, was brought to the UK

by Leeds Metropolitan University hospitality graduate Tom Acland in 2005, when he fell in love with the coffees he bought from a Cafe2U van in Sydney. Tom negotiated the rights to operate the franchise business in the UK and Europe and has led the growth of the coffee retailer, which now claims to be the UK’s largest mobile coffee brand.

“The concept of high quality coffee delivered to where you

(Left to Right) Tom Acland of Cafe2U collects his Best Newcomer Award from David Parkin managing director of TheBusinessDesk.com and Paul Dickinson of The Alternative Board. work is easy to understand, and this simplicity is one of the factors that is driving our growth.

We now operate 54 franchisees in the UK, but aim to increase this to

Coffee hits the spot for homeless people Coffee drinkers have been raising money for homelessness charity, St Mungo’s, recently, when they bought their lattes, espressos, flat whites, or any other coffee drink, from Abokado.

The award-winning chain of London food bars gave its coffee away to customers on Friday 25 June, and the money customers paid went instead to the St Mungo’s collection bucket by the stores’ service counters. The fund-raising day coincided with the charity’s 2010 Action Week (20-27 June) which focused on Just the Job: supporting homeless people on their journey into work.

“We are delighted that Abokado has chosen to help St Mungo’s in our work to house and help vulnerable homeless men and women,” said Tanya English, St Mungo’s executive director of fundraising and communications. “Homeless longterm unemployed people face particularly challenging problems on their journey into work, but they have aspirations just like the rest of us and shouldn’t be written off.”

Mark Lilley, director of Abokado, added: “This is a very worthwhile cause that we are proud to help. Helping to support homeless men and women in London is a cause that deserves our time and effort and we encouraged our

generous customers to dig deep!”

The company held a similar fundraising event for St Mungo’s in December last year to help vulnerable people off the streets during the cold winter months. In the process they raised £1,000.

Abokado has six food bars in London and all are taking part in the fund-raising day: City Road, Cowcross Street, Drury Lane, Euston Station, Fleet Street and Newman Street. The company won the Gold Award for Independent Sandwich Retailer of the Year in 2009.

Abokado having been helping St Mungo’s raise funds for homeless people.

350 over the next four years,” says Tom Acland. “This award recognises the excellence of our service and the franchisee’s high standards and commitment.”

Delice de France’s double award win Delice de France is celebrating its success in the bakery/pastries category after two wins at the annual British Frozen Food Federation Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of the frozen food industry after their Gluten Free Blueberry and Chocolate Chip Muffins won the Silver Award, and their Toffee and Date Cake scooped the Bronze.

“We are delighted with the awards and the recognition by our industry peers, as a testament to the unfailing dedication to quality by our bakers,” said Ian Toal, managing director of Delice de France. “We are consistently listening to our customers to ensure that we offer products which meet market demand. The gluten free market is one that continues to grow and we have been keen to focus on this with the development of innovative products that are functional yet still delicious. Our Gluten Free Blueberry and Chocolate Chip Muffins are just such a product.

“Our Toffee and Date Cake has also proved hugely popular since its addition to our Patisserie range. We never compromise on the quality of ingredients and the sticky toffee pieces and sweet dates in moist sponge have proved a great hit across the whole of our customer base. We look forward to further additions to our trophy cabinet next year!”

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 7

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:51

Page 8

NEWS

Support networks to offer cost and environmental savings Yorkshire food and drink organisations can now benefit from online industry support to cut costs, waste and carbon emissions through a series of new online networks.

CO2Sense Yorkshire launched the free networks, and is encouraging as many people as possible to sign up and become members. The Food and Drink network has been set up to allow members share knowledge and best practice on how to increase recycling and improve resource efficiency and is one of over 20 public and private networks that focus on other areas, such as carbon capture

and storage, renewable energy, food and drink, plastics and local authority waste management.

The interactive forums compliment CO2Sense’s web site by allowing people to take part in online discussions, and find solutions to common industry problems. They also meet CO2Sense’s objectives of lowering the region’s carbon footprint, and helping businesses to reduce costs and encourage growth.

“The networks have been launched to give technical advice and offer examples of best practice, and to give members peace of mind they

To register, visit www.co2sense.org.uk/networks have support at just the click of a button,” says Jeanine Willoughby, project executive at CO2Sense Yorkshire.

“Learning from others is often

Moma Foods joins forces with Puccino’s Moma, which has been available in London commuter train stations since 2006, has now extended its reach this month as it becomes available in Puccino’s Cafés.

Billing itself as ‘The Best Breakfast in London’, Moma charges itself with providing time-poor commuters with a low-fat breakfast option and Puccino’s, a high quality chain of cafés situated at train stations will enable Moma to directly service even more of their target market, say the company. The chain is located across the South East and will help Moma to spread the healthy breakfast message to a broader audience.

“We are very excited about our partnership with Puccino’s,” said Tom Mercer, founder of Moma. “Both Moma and Puccino’s are very well known to commuters and so we are looking forward to being able to reach yet more consumers with our offering. This year is extremely exciting for us in terms of listings and we hope to announce in the next few weeks a listing with another major retailer. ” Tom Mercer, an ex-management

8 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

consultant, founded Moma Foods in 2006 with a recycled filing cabinet on wheels in Waterloo Station. Since then, Moma has gone from strength to strength boasting listings in Waitrose and Selfridges as well as eight London train stations including Victoria and London Bridge and onboard selected Virgin Atlantic flights.

Each healthy Moma breakfast contains the finest wholegrain jumbo oats soaked in apple juice, low-fat probiotic yoghurt and fruit. The company has extended the range to include fair-trade dried fruit, organic oat bars and fresh juices. All products are made using the finest ingredients that are locally and ethically sourced where possible.

The Moma! breakfast range is now on sale at Puccino’s.

the best way to solve problems, and by creating this online doorway to other professionals within specific industries, I am confident both individuals and businesses will benefit from this resource.”

Lincoln & York’s new espresso pods Lincoln & York says that it is one of the first UK coffee roasters to start producing its own range of espresso pods, offering a traditional espresso, a blend of Central and South American, East African and Indian beans.

The 14g pods will also be available in Fairtrade and Fairtrade decaffeinated form, the decaffeinated option offering all the flavour and character of the beans, but without the caffeine, say the company.

“The individual foil laminate pouches ensure the coffee retains its freshness for at least 12 months. At this stage the pods are aimed predominantly at the OOH market and can be used in coffee shops for speciality coffees or in pubs which have low coffee usage – instead of opening a big bag of coffee staff can simply pop a pod into the filter holder,” says James Sweeting, a director at Lincoln & York.

Lincoln & York (www.lincoln-andyork.com) has created a new range of espresso pods.

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:53

Page 9

GAME

IN SPEC CARDS IAL PAC the win ning co KS* des are out

PLUS

5 x £12,000 cars

PLUS

1,500 x Sat Navs

PLUS

10 x weekly prize draws to win a driving experience

there!

ORDER TODAY - the more packs* you order the better your chances of finding a winning gamecard.

Find out more: www.tetleyforcaterers.co.uk

Tetley. Every caterer’s cup of tea.

Promotions *offer available while stocks last

Brand

Range

Point-of-Sale

Ethics

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:53

Page 10

NEWS

Byron Bay’s latest cookie After last year’s Strawberries & Clotted Cream cookie, this summer will see the Byron Bay Cookie Company launching a new Lemon & White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie.

This latest cookie features chunks of premium European white

chocolate and the zest of Mediterranean lemons, with handmade lemon curd to give a distinctive, creamy taste that is reminiscent of a zingy citrus cheesecake, say the company, and like all Byron Bay Cookies, the Lemon & White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie uses locally sourced flour, butter and free range eggs, and has been approved by the Vegetarian Society.

“The Lemon and White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie has already proven to be a huge success in Australia and now ranks as one of our most popular flavours down-under,” said Byron Bay Cookie Company’s European managing director, Mark Perrin. “We are confident that this will become just as popular for the UK market and initial tastings have gone down very well.”

For further information about the Byron Bay range of cafe cookies, single wrap and gluten free cookies, contact Beyond the Bean’s Customer Care Team 0117 953 3522.

AeroPress®

BrewStations launched Cream Supplies has launched a new range of compact, AeroPress® BrewStations, designed to hold the AeroPress coffee brewer securely on a backbar or counter, while also adding to the theatre of the artisan AeroPress brewing process.

The BrewStations are fabricated from mirror finish, 304 grade stainless steel.

They are fitted with a removable drip tray and come complete with non-slip rubber feet for extra security. There are currently 4 models available, holding from one to four AeroPresses. The smallest model measures just 134mm(l) x 115mm(w) x 173mm(h) and the list price starts at just £30.00.

Cream Supplies is the UK Sole Agent for AeroPress®, an ingenious, manual coffee maker that is being used by top independent coffee shops seeking to explore gourmet brewed coffee. It produces full, rich, ultra-smooth, filter coffee in just a few seconds.

Breakthrough in ‘real’ hot chocolate Rich, foamy, quality hot chocolate will now be achievable at home with a revolutionary new process, say the Cambridge Design Partnership, who have created a home ‘espresso’ machine for chocolate connoisseurs which uses steamed fresh milk and special pods of real chocolate to create an indulgent and delicious experience.

Frustration with powdered chocolate drinks created the spark for the idea from Dr Paul Scott of Cambridge Design Partnership.

“Chocolate is extremely versatile. There has been a growing appreciation of quality eating chocolate and also a boom in demand for the drink at high street outlets. This has increased dissatisfaction with the home made beverage. The powder can be difficult to mix and the result is often watery, over sweet and without that authentic flavour or richness,” he observes.

“After a series of focus groups and brainstorming meetings we took to the lab and looked at the science behind the process.

The result is a patent for a totally new process and the design for a machine that uses pods of real chocolate, creating a new market opportunity for quality brands.”

While consumers have embraced ‘real’ coffee, the market for premium hot chocolate is still developing. The UK hot chocolate market grew by 20% between 2007 and 2009, and is now worth just under £100 million. Despite this, most hot chocolate drinks tend towards the lower end of the market, and even high street coffee outlets still routinely use flavoured syrups or powders to

10 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

create their hot chocolate drinks.

CDP says that its Maya machine aims to address this shortfall and enable discerning drinkers to enjoy real, luxury hot chocolate. They also believe that there is potential for chocolate companies to exploit their brands in a new, premium market opportunity. In the future ranges could extend to include chilli-chocolate or liqueur flavours, or themed gift selections and other seasonal offerings, for example.

“We are also looking for partners to help us take Maya to market,” adds Ahmad Bittar, also of CDP. “We believe that Maya offers a terrific opportunity to lead the field in the area of luxury hot chocolate, and we hope to find a company that shares our enthusiasm to bring this product from the lab to the kitchen!”

For more information about the Maya machine, visit www.cambridge-design.co.uk

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:53

Page 11

3$&.$*(6 $9$,/$%/(

)520 21/<

Â&#x2026; + FREE HD PACK â&#x20AC;

0217+ 3(5

9$7 (;

%86,1(66 %(1(),76 $775$&7 1(: &86720(56 Â&#x2021; %( ',))(5(17 )520 7+( &203(7,7,21 Â&#x2021; /,9( 63257 1(:6 086,& (9(176 $1' 7+( %,**(67 6+2:6 Â&#x2021; 3529,'( (17(57$,10(17 $6 :(//

$6 )22' '5,1.

5(0(0%(5 ,6 /($9,1*

)5((9,(: 21 $8*867

%< 7$.,1* 6.< 12: <28 :21Âś7 0,66 287

72 -2,1 &$// 4XRWH &5+ 75$

*Channels received depend on your chosen package. Four channel package options available. Packages for new Sky Business Retail UK subscribers currently from ÂŁ30 per month (ex VAT) for Business Value pack, up to ÂŁ80 per month (ex VAT) for Sky Ultimate pack. Sky Base pack also on offer at ÂŁ70 per (ex VAT). Sky Ultimate and Sky Base offer ends 30 September 2010. One offer per premises. Equipment and install costs apply. Minimum subscription 12 months. After 12 months, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pay the then current price for your package. â&#x20AC; HD pack is only available with a Sky+HD box. Further terms apply. Calls cost up to 5p per minute (plus 9.9p connection fee) for BT customers. Calls from other providers may vary. Correct at July 2010.

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

15:28

Page 12

NEWS

SHORTS

■ Top pizza designers sought The 2010 Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards have been launched, including the Pizza Designer of the Year Award. Full details of all the awards can be found at www.papa.org.uk/awards. The results of the awards will be announced at the annual PAPA dinner which will be held at the Lancaster London Hotel, London on 11 November, 2010.

■ Autobar UK acquire Sanderson Vending Autobar UK have announced the acquisition of Scottish based vending company, Sanderson Vending. Established over 26 years ago Sanderson Vending are suppliers of hot and cold drinks, snacks and cigarettes, with Sanderson’s core business being in Engineering, Local Government, oil related industries and some public vending. Autobar are keen to stress that the acquisition will not affect Sanderson’s current clients and will involve no redundancies.

■ Divine’s new chocolate To coincide with national Chocolate Week (11– 17 October 2010), farmer-owned chocolate company Divine Chocolate has announced a new addition to its 100g bar range - a 100g pure chocolate bar made with 85% cocoa solids, using the very finest Ghanaian cocoa beans from the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative that co-owns the company. The 85% bar delivers an intense taste of pure cocoa and then melts in the mouth unlocking deep flavour notes of red berries, say Divine, and extends Divine’s dark chocolate product range, at the heart of which is the acclaimed 70% cocoa bar.

■ Online VAT return reminder HM Revenue & Customs is issuing a reminder to businesses affected by new online filing requirements for VAT returns.

Under the new rules, existing VAT-registered businesses with annual turnovers of £100,000 or more (excluding VAT), and any businesses which registered for VAT from 1 April 2010, now have to file their VAT returns online and pay their VAT electronically. Most file their VAT returns quarterly, and the first quarterly returns affected are those covering April to June 2010, which – for most online filing customers – must be filed online by 7 August 2010.

■ Ingredient price rises forecast There are continuing concerns across the ingredient market that food costs will rise later this year, probably by around 4%. UK farm gate milk prices have now stopped falling for the first time since October 2008, with increases in prices experienced in May and June. The slow start to spring may also result in feed shortages next autumn and winter if the summer remains dry, which could also impact meat prices later this year.

■ Soft drinks concerns A new YouGov SixthSense report into the drinks market reveals that one in four adults in the UK blame fizzy drinks as the main cause of obesity, with almost three quarters of respondents (71%) claiming soft drinks are bad for your teeth. These findings come in the wake of recently published reports into new potential health risks associated with soft drinks. Academics in Harvard and Nagasaki have linked premature aging to high levels of phosphate found in soft drinks, while research coming out of Israel has identified a relationship between fizzy drinks and liver damage.

12 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

Gold standard for Mövenpick Mövenpick Ice Cream, a super premium ice-cream and sorbet brand, struck gold at the BFFF Annual Awards with its Best New Ice Cream Product – Mövenpick Double Cream & Meringue.

The award was received by Mövenpick Ice Cream managing director, Mike Godwin, who said: “This is the thirteenth category award made to us by the BFFF since we first entered the competition in 2001. On four of those occasions we’ve also scooped the Catering Product of the Year. A pleasing performance, this latest win re-affirms our commitment to delivering ice cream perfection. Our aim is to provide our customers with an outstanding portfolio of products that helps refresh their

For help with menu development, serving suggestions, accessories and POS, visit www.movenpick-icecream.com. menus and enhance their dessert offering.

Mövenpick Double Cream & Meringue icecream is a combination of Gruyere double cream, crunchy meringue pieces, and sweet caramel coulis for an indulgent, smooth and creamy ice-cream with a twist, and is available through leading frozen food wholesalers nationwide.

in your café!

Customers are often spoilt for choice when choosing a place to eat or grab a cuppa, but now cafés can have a competitive edge by showing Sky TV to keep customers up to date with live sport, breaking news, entertainment shows, music and much more.

Cafés require a commercial business subscription in order to show Sky in their premises, and Sky has recently announced that it plans to develop its successful Sky Sports News channel into Europe’s first high definition sports news service (this will be supported by a move later this year for Sky Sports News to become an exclusive payTV channel).

There are four channel packages to choose from with prices starting from £30 per month. Two of the more comprehensive packages, Sky Ultimate and Sky Base, will also be available at discounted rates for a limited time only. As part of this offer, outlets will receive a free HD pack – so depending on the package you subscribe to, the HD channels available to you will be included, including Sky Sports News HD which will be available across all four channel packages.

To take advantage of this promotion, cafés will need to join Sky before 30 September (call 08442 411 528, quoting CRH4 TRA1).

CC_August10_p02-13.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:53

Page 13

TM

London’s Premier Catering Consultancy Business Analysis Graphic Design Marketing and PR Concept Development T: 0870 315 5772

M: 07017 036255

www.dinesociety.com UK | UAE

that something extra As a Café Society member you can benefit from preferential rates on Barclaycard payment terminals – including contactless technology – and save £150 on the joining fee.

Whether you choose our award-winning contactless technology or one of our other payment terminals, the whole range is designed to: •Speed up transactions •Generate extra income for your business •Make life easier for you.

And as a Café Society member you can also take advantage of: •Waived joining fees •Discounts on minimum billing and terminal rental •Reduced merchant service charges on card transactions.

To take advantage of this deal simply call 0800 046 6808.

payment acceptance Barclaycard is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 1026167.

Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 13

CC_August10_p14-17.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:55

Page 14

REVIEW

Caffè Culture’s international appeal The international aspect to this year’s show due to the hosting of the World Barista Championship helped boost visitor numbers to over 10,000, as well as give the event an international environment in which to launch new products and network with others from across the industry at large.

Big draw "The hype around the World Barista Championship at Caffè Culture was excellent, and the high level of coffee expertise demonstrated at the show was very impressive. It is great to see coffee quality being taken so seriously,” said Marie Caulfield of Café Bar. “From a business perspective this year’s exhibition was a great success for Café Bar. We found that the quality of the visitors was excellent, with many having substantial budgets - which has to be a good indication that people are optimistic for the future.”

Lincoln & York’s James Sweeting was in agreement. “Caffè Culture definitely had more of an international feel this year.

Hosting the World Barista Championships, as well as the world finals of the four SCAE barista championships – Coffee and Good Spirits, Latte Art, Cupping and the Ibrik championship – meant that the show had a large number of visitors from the global coffee community over the three days,” he said.

“The bustle and hype surrounding the World Barista Championships was evident, making the show a truly vibrant global environment and in turn the show gained a lot more media attention and benefited as a result. There was a definite buzz at all times and it will be interesting to see what the show will feel like next year without the barista championships!

“The show was a lot bigger than previous years and there was a great buzz around the arena. The extension in space was mainly due to the World Barista Championships, although there were also a lot more stands and there was definitely enough demand for the increase in space. The overall image to visitors was excellent, with a nice mixture of large corporate stands and small local trading booths,” he added.

“The passion and skill shown at the World Barista Championship during Caffé

14 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

Culture was second to none,” said Elaine Higginson, MD of United Coffee (UK and Ireland). “The Championship not only succeeded in promoting excellence in coffee, and showcasing the skills of the baristas involved, but helped educate those in the wider industry on how a great coffee

should taste. Our congratulations go to winner Michael Phillips, and the rest of the competitors.

“At United Coffee we believe operators should strive for an outstanding coffee offer that keeps customers coming back for more, and that’s why, along with equipment

CC_August10_p14-17.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:55

Page 15

REVIEW partner Nuova Simonelli, we have supported The World Barista Championship. As Investors in Coffee, we pride ourselves on working with our customers to serve the best coffee every time, which is perfectly aligned with Nuova Simonelli’s passion for quality and excellence.”

For Birmingham-based coffee machine manufacturer Fracino and mobile coffee company Coffee Latino, who shared one of the show's most eye-catching stands, Caffè Culture 2010 was a great success. Designed and created by the Coffee Latino team, the busy stand featured grass flooring - made from recycled plastic bottles - and a white picket fence, the prefect backdrop to an array or mobile coffe trikes and gleaming Fracino machines. "It was a truly excellent show for us yet again," said Fracino managing director Adrian Maxwell. "We sold plenty of machines and made many new contacts."

"We've had interest from all over the world because of the eco-friendly nature of our bikes: roasters from Vienna, German baristas, machine designers from Switzerland - the list was endless!" added Coffee Latino’s sales director, Barbara Croce.

New products Inovus showcased its advertising come tea bag container – the Tea Back (www.teaback.cz) – which solves the problem of where to put used tea bags, as well as offering a novelty advertising medium. Retail equipment suppliers, G.W. London were promoting their ‘open a coffee shop or refurbish your café for less £10,000’ concept (www.gwlondon.com). The Healthy Trade Service Company were also promoting their new cup concept, designed to overthrow the traditional double wall design, but still be easy to hold, lightweight and product-enhancing due to its 3D design.

Peck & Strong showcased its range of cakes, vegetarian pies and tarts, and Drink Me Chai launched Ice Chai Latte, a ready to drink iced version of their award winning instant Spiced Chai Latte (www.drinkmechai.co.uk). Syrups supplier, Monin revealed three new flavours – Cardomom, Crème Brulee and Basil.

Food Alert launched its new Espresso POM (Peace of Mind) service at the exhibition and celebrated by offering visitors to its web site the chance to win a one year Regular Espresso POM Service worth £400.00 (for a chance to still win an Espresso POM service for one year, simply register online at www.foodalert.com/espressopom).

Espresso POM is a new one-stop solution created to meet the safety requirements of cafes, bakeries and sandwich bars. As a UKbased safety consultancy specialising in food hygiene and health and safety

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

The Über boiler in use on Brew Bar.

Unlike most ice cream, CoolBerry has a fat content of only 0.5g per 100g, contains no artificial colours or preservatives and is low in calories. solutions for the catering and hospitality sectors, Food Alert has launched the bespoke service to provide cafés, bakeries and smaller ‘quick-service’ catering operations with the highest standard of food hygiene and safety, specifically tailored to their needs.

Their Espresso POM package covers all facets of hygiene and safety issues. Under the service contract, Food Alert will undertake an annual safety audit, prepare a personalised safety manual, and provide technical helpline support and incident management services. Everything, in fact, that will bring ‘peace of mind’ to a catering business operation.

CoolberryCafé frozen yogurt, the brainchild of Foodservice Support Ltd, was showcased at the show, representing an opportunity for coffee, bakery or sandwich shops and cafés to offer their customers an exciting new taste sensation, as well as being a product with healthy attributes, but providing an extra source of revenue in return for low investment.

“Ice cream sales are up in value year on year, showing resilience despite the recession, and there is a definite niche for a different, healthier alternative,” said Foodservice Support’s managing director, Michel Young. “Frozen yogurt is extremely successful in the United States and given consumers’ desire for affordable treats, a comparable level of success is imminent here as well.”

Also new was the Ecosmart water boiler, described as a ground-breaking new version of the company’s successful energy efficient Ecoboilers range of water boilers offering variable temperature control and pushbutton portioned water. Visitors were also able to see the new and improved Filtro Shuttle alongside a full range of the company’s small batch filter coffee makers, bulk brewers and water boilers.

“As usual, the show drew interested and committed professionals from throughout the beverage industry, but this year with more of an international feel to the exhibition,” said Marco’s UK sales director, Chris York. “There was interest right across our portfolio, focusing naturally on the new developments. What really caught the public’s imagination was the new Über Boiler. On our own stand, on the Brew Bar and on our distributors’ stands there were hoards of baristi queuing up to try it out. We were certainly very pleased with the level of interest in Marco products at the show.”

Matthew Algie unveiled its “Coffee Brains” branding, the most comprehensive rebranding in the company’s 146 year history. Following a top to bottom review of the Glasgow-based company’s branding materials, its new “Coffee Brains” device will now start to appear on all sales, promotional and corporate materials. The company has also adopted a new strap line – “we know coffee” – which is designed to capture the heritage and coffee expertise with which Matthew Algie has become synonymous. The rebranding exercise will be supported by a £500,000 marketing spend designed to help the business become more relevant to its trade customers, corporate clients and consumers.

“We set out to create a brand that connects with people, that they can understand and that allows us to talk about some of the great stuff that we do. We also want to be able to turn that to our

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 15

CC_August10_p14-17.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:55

Page 16

REVIEW

The AeroPress® BrewStation.

The latest Strada machine from La Marzocco. customers’ advantage, particularly in the independent sector, and to help them connect with their own customers and signal to them the quality of coffee that’s they’re offering with Matthew Algie’s products,” said Gary Nicol, chief executive of Matthew Algie.

Caffè Culture saw the first significant outing for Matthew Algie’s new branding which featured strongly on the company’s 300 square foot stand – the largest of any exhibitor at the event. The company staged a programme of tastings and cuppings at Caffè Culture aimed at educating – and impressing the event’s discerning audience.

Crem International UK Ltd launched the Office Lever Capsule machine, aimed at small, busy bars. This compact, one group espresso machine is specially suited for capsule brewing which results in an easier way to serve a good espresso. Besides a good cup of espresso, a variety of milk based beverages can easily be served up, including tea. The machine has two boilers, one for brewing and one for steam, and the PID sensor guarantees that the temperature is consistent, neither too hot nor too cold.

For Sielaff, a leading German manufacturer of quality hot drinks dispensers, this was the first time they had exhibited at Caffè Culture and stand personnel were impressed by the quality of the visitors, who were professional in their approach, with the authority to make purchasing decisions. Sielaff’s main objective was to formally launch the new Piacere bean-to-cup machine to the high street coffee community.

Meaning ‘pleasure’ in Italian, the new Piacere offers a menu of speciality hot drinks from espresso or cappuccino to latte macchiato or hot chocolate, all prepared at the touch of a button. A bean-to-cup machine, it comes in a choice of two different models, the Piacere Mono with one grinder and the Piacere Duo with two. Each of these variants is available with or without a chilled fresh milk module and may be

16 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

The latest Strada machine from La Marzocco. configured with an additional soluble ingredient hopper for chocolate, flavouring or whitener.

“Ours will be a new name to many in the UK coffee community, but the technical credentials of Sielaff are well established worldwide and Piacere is born out of proven experience and traditional values of workmanship,” commented Sielaff UK’s general manager, Karen Nash. “Bean to cup machines have a reputation for being unreliable, but the Piacere is set to change

all that. The response from visitors to the stand was encouraging.”

Crafted for and by baristas, Kent Bakke, La Marzocco CEO, globally unveiled the Strada, a new machine that allows the barista, for the first time, to have absolute and direct control of pressure at any point during an extraction. La Marzocco also presented its latest solutions in grinding. A joint project between La Marzocco and Mazzer, the Vulcano is a new family of espresso coffee grinders that bring together La Marzocco’s distinct design with Mazzer’s technology.

Breaking away from the conventional 25 seconds at 9 Bar opens up infinite possibilities for varying the quality of extraction and is the most exciting advancement in the espresso machine industry today, claim La Marzocco. The Strada EP can also record and replay the desired pressure profiles indefinitely, a key feature to help ensure efficiency, quality and consistency in a busy café environment.

Melitta showcased a working, preview model of its brand new bean to cup machine (this model is currently being launched across Europe and will be officially available in the UK in September 2010). With space at an ever increasing premium, Melitta’s research and development team set out to design a machine with an exceptionally small footprint yet with a very generous output. The result is the new C35, promoted as “the smallest machine of its type in the world”. With dimensions of just 350mm wide x 650mm deep x 774mm high, the C35 can produce 250 espressos or 200 cappuccinos an hour and is fully HACCP compliant, and has already won a reddot design award for 2010.

Cream Supplies launched a new range of compact, AeroPress® BrewStations, designed to hold the AeroPress coffee brewer securely on a backbar or counter, while also adding to the theatre of the artisan AeroPress brewing process. The BrewStations are fabricated from mirror finish, 304 grade stainless steel and are fitted with a removable drip tray and come complete with non-slip rubber feet for extra security. There are currently four models

CC_August10_p14-17.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:55

Page 17

REVIEW “We were delighted to be celebrating a 20 year association with Rancilio on such a prestigious occasion as World Barista Championships,” said Drury director, Marco Olmi. “It is a fortunate coincidence that we were also able to use the event to sign a sole importer agreement with Ceado, whose products we respect totally. I fully expect the association to be equally as enduring.

“With regard to the show itself, the buzz associated with the Championships was palpable and we were able to meet far more international visitors than before. As ever, the Show visitors were informed, relevant and, in the main, serious players.

The fact that we have already signed up to take space at next year’s show speaks volumes for our appreciation of the quality of Caffè Culture visitors.”

available, holding from 1 to 4 AeroPresses.

The smallest model measures just 134mm(l) x 115mm(w) x 173mm(h) and the list price starts at just £30.00.

The AeroPress is an ingenious, manual coffee maker that is being used by top independent coffee shops seeking to explore gourmet brewed coffee. It produces full, rich, ultra-smooth, filter coffee in just a few seconds (Cream Supplies is the UK Sole Agent for AeroPress®).

Celebration For The Drury Tea & Coffee Company, London based speciality tea blenders and coffee roasters, Caffè Culture was a celebration of its 20 year association with renowned Italian espresso machine manufacturer, Rancilio. Drury also used the opportunity of the show to sign an agreement with another Italian company, Ceado SRL, to become the sole UK importer of their prestigious grinder products. Sales for both ranges of equipment will be handled by The Coffee Machine Company, Drury’s associate company, which shared a stand with Drury.

Ceado, which was also exhibiting in its own right at the show, has never before been represented in the UK for its grinders.

Based near Venice in Northern Italy, the

Mike Philips of the USA, the World Barista Champion 2010. (image courtesy of Cream Supplies, photographed by Isabel Whitfield).

company manufactures a wide range of ondemand, electronic and traditional espresso grinders for the professional market.

Thank you!

Café Culture magazine would like to thank Andy Thornton for supplying furniture for the stand, Bottle Green Drinks for supplying sample bottles of their cordials to new subscribers, and United Coffee for offering coffee to those who visited the stand.

INNOVATIONS

in hot water and filter coffee delivery Marco Beverage Systems Ltd Shire House, Strixton Manor Strixton, Wellingborough, Northants, NN29 7PA. Telephone: 01933 666 488 Fax: 01933 666 968 email: sales@marco-bev.co.uk www.marco-bev.co.uk

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 17

CC_August10_p18-19.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:56

Page 18

SHOW PREVIEW

lunch! prepares for biggest show yet Over 100 leading manufacturers and suppliers representing every aspect of the contemporary food-to-go market are set to exhibit at this year’s lunch!, when it returns to Old Billingsgate, London from 30 September to 1 October 2010.

Fastest growing Heralded as the UK’s fastest growing food trade show (following a substantial 28% increase in attendance last year), lunch!’s continued growth looks set to continue say the show’s organizers, Diversified Business Communications UK. With plans already in place for a significant expansion in exhibition space upstairs on to the venue’s mezzanine level, plus news last month that the show scooped the prestigious best trade show award at the exhibition industry’s annual ‘Oscars’ – the AEO (Association of Event Organisers) Excellence Awards 2010 – the show’s future looks very promising indeed.

“Winning the Best Exhibition award is a fantastic reflection of how quickly lunch! has become the essential event for the vibrant out of home food and drink community,” says lunch!’s newly appointed event manager, Madeleine Johnson. “It is an amazing achievement for an exhibition that has only taken place twice to be endorsed as the best exhibition in the UK!” The AEO awards seek to recognise innovation and achievements by organisers, venues, suppliers and contractors throughout the exhibitions industry. In making the award for Best Exhibition Under 2,000m2, the AEO judges commended Diversified Business Communications UK saying: “An incredible demonstration of real empathy with their buyer and seller community enabled our winner to deliver a fantastic and valued event where others have failed."

18 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

Premier event Now entering its third year and firmly established as the premier event for the entire out of home food industry, lunch! has garnered a reputation for helping businesses to do business. It brings together professional trade buyers from all the major supermarkets, high street chains and contract caterers, as well as owners and managers of independent sandwich bars, cafés, juice bars and coffee houses, with the service providers and product suppliers who can best meet their needs.

Of course, it takes more than one ingredient to make lunch! such a hit and the show’s unique, boutique feel is enhanced no end by the choice of historic Old Billingsgate as its venue. Indeed, it’s the relaxed marketplace atmosphere in which lunch! showcases its incredibly diverse selection of quality exhibitors (from smaller, niche producers and new startups to instantly recognisable big name brands) that has proven to be one of the event’s real strengths. Marketed as a trade show with a difference, it offers an all inclusive range of innovative products that promote taste, quality and innovation as a given.

Companies making their debut at lunch! 2010 will include the organic flour specialists Doves Farm Foods Ltd, natural energy drinks producer Firefly Tonics, Pieminister Ltd with their award-winning handmade pies and Rapid Action Packaging Ltd, as well as Suki Tea, The Original Drinks Company Ltd who are

specialists in traditional soft drinks and soup experts The Yorkshire Provender. Tideford Organic Foods, gourmet snacks supplier New York Delhi and yogurt producer, Tims Dairy Ltd, will also join a host of familiar names, who’ll be returning to the show for their third successive year including Kavis Ltd, London Bio Packaging, label specialists Planglow Ltd and festival favourites Shaken Udder Milkshakes. The chilled distribution company, Simple Simon Foods Ltd, The Handmade Cake Company, and lunch!’s British Smoothie Championships sponsor Usmoothie Ltd, will also be in attendance.

What’s new?

New features for 2010 will include a 24-stand Innovation Zone, which is to be situated in its own dedicated area of the show. Given that sourcing new products and finding new suppliers were both cited by last year’s visitors as being pivotal incentives for attending, lunch!’s Innovation Zone has been designed specifically to promote new products from smaller suppliers and emerging start ups, and its introduction is expected to prove a major draw for buyers looking to differentiate themselves from their competitors and will include an Innovation Marketplace covering artisan food and drink, plus an Innovation Hub showcasing all the latest advances in technology and packaging.

The lunch! Innovation Zone will also join established show

favourites such as lunch!Pad – the new product showcase, where the highly coveted “Best New Product” awards (for food, drink and packaging) will be up for grabs.

Awards It’s not just the products that are up for awards at lunch!, however, but the individuals who buy and promote them to the end users. Celebrating excellence amongst inspirational retailers who continue to push the boundaries of innovation and differentiation, the lunch!

Retailer of the Year Awards serve to underline the quality that abounds within the foodto-go industry.

Judged by a panel of experts, including representatives from the British

CC_August10_p18-19.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:56

Page 19

SHOW PREVIEW

Sandwich Association, the awards fall into three main categories - lunch! Independent Retailer of the Year, lunch!

Multiple Retailer of the Year, and lunch! Contract Caterer of the Year. Prospective entrants wishing to join previous winners, who include Amano Cafés, Banger Bros, Marks & Spencer, The Phat Pasty Co., Olive Catering Services, and BaxterStorey, should visit the show’s web site (www.lunchshow.co.uk) for more information.

Smoothie Championships One of the highlights of the show, and always guaranteed to attract a lively crowd, is lunch!’s prestigious British Smoothie Championships. Last year’s winner was Richard Debson from Shaketastic, who beat 11 other exceptional baristas to win the title of the nation’s best, with his delicious Detox Smoothie which combined mint, freshly-squeezed apple juice, melon and cucumber.

The early rounds were judged with the help of tastings carried out by members of a packed theatre audience, with this year’s live competition

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

expected to follow a similar format. Whilst a wealth of industry kudos is awaiting the 2010 winner, the byword here is fun (entry forms can be found online at www.lunchshow.co.uk).

BSA Training Academy Also making a welcome return will be the popular BSA Training Academy. Since knowledge is the key to any business’s continued success, the Training Academy coupled with lunch!’s own comprehensive Keynote seminar programme will offer attendees a wealth of insight and expertise in to how to thrive in the food-to-go market.

Speak to current or new suppliers, keep up-to-date with all the latest developments, source new products, or simply take advantage of the great networking opportunities that lunch! affords – the choice is yours.

For further information, entry forms for the British Smoothie Championships and lunch!

Retailer of the Year Awards, or to register for your free trade ticket to lunch!, visit www.lunchshow.co.uk.

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 19

CC_August10_p20-25.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:57

Page 20

COFFEE

blends Special

When it comes to good coffee, the secret, it’s often said, lies in the blend. But for café and coffee shop owners to be able to interrogate their coffee suppliers intelligently about blends, they need to be prepared to educate their palates and have an understanding of the factors involved in the processing of coffee beans.

Sky’s the limit “It’s virtually a case of ‘the sky’s the limit’ when it comes to choosing coffee blends, as there are so many different combinations to consider,” says Kate Jones, who runs Cherizena coffee, based at Wartnaby near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and which supplies a number of cafés around the country with a range of blends, as well as giving cafés the option to create their own.

“A blend is either a mix of different beans, from different countries or different regions, or a mix of different roasts, so the combinations are almost limitless. A single origin coffee gives one taste, but a blend will give the drinker two or three peaks of different flavours. Cafés can opt for blends that have already been created by coffee suppliers or they can commission their own blends. We tend to do both, depending on what the customer wants.”

It is not a good idea for cafés to stock a range of blends, feels Kate Jones, as the taste of coffee can vary so much, not only between countries but also between regions, and also depending on how the coffee is roasted and then blended.

Obviously customers’ tastes in coffee vary too, so a selection, which also includes decaffeinated coffee, is best, she recommends.

“Choosing blends can be quite confusing and a bit daunting, and at Cherizena we usually encourage our café customers to visit and try a few different blends if they’re not too far away. We regularly have visits from café owners looking to source blends, and they appreciate the opportunity to discuss what’s available, or what we can create for them,” Kate Jones explains.

20 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

“A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that customers are going to like the coffee blend that they themselves enjoy, but in reality, it’s best not to go for something too out of the ordinary. Choose a distinct coffee, but distinct because it stands out as being good, not distinct because its taste is unusual. You want something that is reasonably priced, has a good flavour but is going to appeal to a broad church. A good coffee supplier will be able to offer advice on what appeals to customers, an ideal range of blends, what sells well and how to describe the blends on coffee menus.

“Many cafés also think they must have a high roast blend, but it’s not necessary.

Some high roasts can make bitter coffee and that doesn’t appeal to the vast majority of customers. And sometimes a café will already have a blend that they are serving and they’ll either want to tweak it or match it with a new coffee supplier, and that’s something that a good coffee supplier should be able to do by examining the size, shape and degree of roast currently used in the blend.”

After choosing potential blends, the next thing that a café needs to do is try some samples, say Cherizena. They can make the coffee at their headquarters near Melton Mowbray, but it might well taste different in the West Midlands or in Leeds, where the water is different. The way a coffee is made, and the water used, will affect the final product so the company always advise customers to try the coffee at their own premises before ordering.

“Coffee shop owners often ask us for a coffee that is suitable for making in espresso machines as well as filter machines,” reports

Kate Jones. “Whilst all of our coffees are suitable for making in all types of machines, we would often advise customers to have a main, or house, coffee which they would use on a day-to-day basis, and then offer a different coffee, say a decaff or a very high roast, which could then be made in a filter machine or even in individual cafetieres. In this way coffee shops would offer a greater range of coffee without having to continually change bean hoppers. This approach is very often a popular way of introducing new types of coffee and is of course perfect for the ‘coffee of the month’ opportunity.

“We are often asked to recommend specific blends that customers might like to try. We’re big fans of ‘coffee of the week or coffee of the month’ promotions, as it’s a great way of adding interest for customers, as well as the perfect way to test a new

CC_August10_p20-25.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:57

Page 21

course, it may be that it is actually unique to the café anyway.

Cherizena say that their most popular blends are its Blue Mountain (a quality blend of Kenyan and South American coffees, roasted to a medium strength to resemble the aroma and flavour of the exquisite Blue Mountain coffee from Jamaica. This coffee is mildly acidic with a mellow flavour and full aroma), Breakfast (a blend of a medium to high roast Columbian bean, mixed with a little bit of a Kenyan bean to give the sharpness and a Guatemalan to give mildness) and Emperor (which combines very highly roasted Colombian and Sumatran Arabica coffees).

IPANEMA

ESPRESSO ‘An outstanding reputation is built upon true quality...

blend that café owners might fancy adding to the coffee menu permanently in the future. Offering their customers a greater variety helps to establish a wider customer base which is important for all coffee shops.

Customers can then anticipate tasting new blends and types of coffee, adding interest to the shop’s coffee menu.”

And when cafés have finally chosen a blend, or range of blends that they are happy with, it then makes good commercial sense to have the coffee in branded packs that are available for sale, as well as on offer in the café, suggest Cherizena. Therefore, if a customer has enjoyed the blend while drinking it on the premises, they can buy a bag of it on their way out. This also helps to generate repeat sales, as the customer can’t go and buy it elsewhere because they don’t know exactly what the blend is, and of

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Singling out a blend “Choosing your espresso coffee is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a café owner. Your beans are often what define you as a coffee led business, and to ensure you stand out from the crowd, you need to go that little bit further to ensure your customers remain your customers and not those of Starbucks,” says Greg Campher of Café Boutique Ltd, suppliers of Ipanema Coffee (www.ipanemacoffees.com.br/en).

“Espresso coffee can often be a complicated and subjective matter, but that’s what makes it so interesting! The hundreds of origins, the thousands of possible blends, and of course the seasonality of coffee production, always throw up some interesting surprises.”

So where do you start when looking to source a special blend for your café, and what should you really be looking for?

“A good espresso ‘blend’, while being fairly subjective - depending on what flavours you personally prefer - is generally one with well rounded characteristics and balanced flavours,” feels Greg Campher.

“These characteristics and flavours are largely dependent on three things - the origin of the beans, how they have been prepared or ‘washed’, and the roast.”

Traditionally, confirms Greg Campher, espresso blends have been created using beans from multiple different origins, each origin providing specific desirable characteristics and flavours for the palate.

And if you’re going to seek out this method of blending, then you should try and ensure that you use single estate coffees with a real story behind them, he advises.

“Your customers will attach real value to this kind of sourcing and it gives your business the traceability and control you need. Your roaster should be able to help you with this, and if they can’t, don’t be scared to ask why,” he urges.

...choose

IPANEMA ESPRESSO to help you build yours’ Single Estate, 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Arabica Coffee of the very highest quality – stand out from the crowd.

0800 028 3175 hello@ipanemaespresso.co.uk www.ipanemaespresso.co.uk

FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY AVAILABLE

CC_August10_p20-25.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:57

Page 22

COFFEE

Extra help Coffee shop and deli owners Sarah Anderton and Ellie Cooper took the opportunity to try before buying when they were looking to choose blends. The sisters, who run Simply Delicious at Aldridge near Walsall, visited Cherizena at the firm’s Leicestershire premises, where they were able to discuss the options available, explain their requirements and take advice from the company’s coffee experts.

“We had the opportunity to taste different coffees, as well as mix blends,” explains Sarah, who says they were looking for blends that were ‘beautiful, smooth coffees without an after taste’. “We liked the opportunity of having a one-to-one meeting, chatting with them and seeing how they operate there.

“We were in our second year of trading – we set the coffee shop up from scratch – and we were looking for different types of blends. We were looking for something a little bit different as well,” adds Sarah. “We pride ourselves on the quality of the bean.”

Sarah also says that she ‘knows a good coffee when she tastes one’, but welcomed the input from the Cherizena team. In the end, she and Ellie chose a range of blends from Cherizena for Simply Delicious, and also created a blend themselves on the recommendation of Cherizena’s experts.

“It’s fantastic being able to mix the blend,” adds Sarah, although they also took on some flavoured coffees to add to their menu. “People come back umpteen times, especially over Christmas for the flavoured ones. They come back because they like the blend, and I would definitely recommend that people go to a specialist for advice on blends.”

Staying put Lisa Thomas, who owns Gracie’s coffee shop in Oakham, feels that it’s important for cafés and coffee shops to offer a variety of good blends as it’s something that can give a coffee shop a good reputation. She has Cherizena’s Breakfast Blend, Colombian Blend, as well as the decaffeinated blend.

“Try as many as possible, and if you can offer a variety it’s better for the customers,” she says,” she says. “The blends I sell were already being used when I took over the coffee shop almost three years ago, and they’ve gone down so well that I’m sticking to a winning formula. I wouldn’t change them at all. Everybody who comes in here always

22 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

“While most single origin coffees will have particular characteristics, they are unlikely to be well rounded and suitable as an espresso, that’s why a number of origins are mixed to find a good balance. However, there are always exceptions to every rule. Ipanema Coffees, for example, have managed to produce a single estate, 100% arabica espresso blend with exceptionally well balanced characteristics and flavour.”

Being a single estate and specialising in 100% arabica production, the beans that Ipanema produce all have similar naturally occurring characteristics. So how have they managed to produce such a well balanced espresso coffee from a single origin? The secret, they say, lies in the way the beans have been prepared. The Ipanema espresso blend is a ripe cherry based blend, and utilises three preparation methods, each giving certain characteristics to the taste profile.

The natural method produces coffee that is heavy in body, sweet, smooth, and complex. Otherwise known as the dry-process, it is often used in countries where rainfall is low and long periods of sunshine are available to dry the coffee beans (Brazil, Indonesia and Ethiopia commonly use this method).

The pulped natural method involves pulping a coffee, but removing the fermentation stage, which is used to remove

the silver skin. The resulting beans have characteristics of both natural and fully washed coffees, and the result is often sweeter than fully washed coffees. It has some of the body of a dry-processed coffee, but also retains some of the acidity of a fully washed coffee. This type of processing can only occur in countries where the humidity is low and the coffee covered in the sweet mucilage can be dried rapidly without fermenting (Brazil has made this method famous and produces some of the best pulped natural coffees in the world).

The fully washed or ‘wet processed coffees’ method is a relatively new method of removing the four layers surrounding the coffee bean.

This process produces a coffee which is cleaner, brighter, and fruitier. Once washed and processed, at Ipanema, the beans are carefully blended by their master blenders before being bagged and passed onto their master roaster for the final stage. Given a light roast to complement the flavours so carefully sought after, Ipanema espresso is therefore given a distinctive taste profile – described as a ‘rounded, well balanced taste with distinct acidity, velvety body and a Ipanema Espresso gives a rounded, well balanced taste with distinct acidity, velvety body and a pronounced orange and honey finish.

CC_August10_p20-25.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:57

Page 23

COFFEE

pronounced orange and honey finish’.

Ipanema Coffees feel that they can offer outlets something special in their Ipanema Espresso, as all the beans are fully traceable from seed to cup.

“Knowing where your beans have been is a must for us, and the very reason we started Café Boutique in 2009,” adds Greg Campher. “Ensuring the communities that grow our coffees are treated fairly can only be achieved if we work directly with the farms, understanding what framework is being constructed in order to deliver real change. Bear this in mind when choosing your supply partners, and be sure you know where your beans have been!

“Special blends are without a doubt the way forward for today’s independent cafés, and nderstanding the processes that make each type of coffee unique and the origins of those coffees will help you develop a well rounded espresso you’ll be proud of.”

Something different At Cooper’s Coffee, outlets are encouraged to get involved in a three stage process that involves devising bespoke recipes, as well as gaining a greater understanding of flavour profiles and taste profiling.

“We explain flavour and taste profiling and take customers through three or four of Cooper’s espresso recipes to distinguish a clear brief and understanding of the client’s ability to taste. We then make three coffees based upon a theme and invite the client back to do a detailed blind tasting.

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Usually we get a favourite and the recipe is contractually agreed and exclusively roasted for them,” explains David Cooper.

“Recently we have made bespoke recipes for renowned chef Anthony Flinn and TV chef Nigel Haworth utilising this method. We ask a series of questions to determine the brief, and often find that a client has a preconceived idea of what great coffee is and where they have experienced it.”

Recently previewed at this year’s Hotelympia, was Grand Cru Espresso - a blend of Colombian Agus Azul, Kenyan Gethumbwini, Costa Rican La Pira and El Salvadorean Las Delicias - the latest impressive addition to United Coffee’s Grand Café brand. A premium, handcrafted coffee, it is fully traceable and in expert blind tastings excelled thanks to its character, complexity and extraordinary flavour, say United.

“Grand Cru celebrates what great coffee is truly about,” comments Elaine Higginson, managing director, United Coffee. “Sourced from some of the finest coffee plantations it is sure to impress coffee connoisseurs with its subtle flavours – you could easily liken it to a fine wine. We pay a premium price to ensure that the coffees are fully traceable, from plantations where growers take time and care to nurture and craft the quality of their crop. It is this investment and support that helps growers across the world in achieving a sustainable future.”

Anhelo, a refined blend made with the best Arabica

A precious, refined blend made with the best Arabica coffees from Brazil and high plains of Central America and a small percentage of Indian Robusta Mysore and Malabar.

Its success is due to the blend balance and accurate roasting as thought by the peculiar Neapolitan experience dating back to 1930.

Anhelo is only for luxury design hotels, gourmet restaurants and a few highly selected deli and coffee bars.

www.anhelo.it

anhelo fine italian espresso caffè

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 23

CC_August10_p20-25.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:57

Page 24

ROASTING

A day in the life of shop roaster, Sadie Hopkins (owner of York Coffee Emporium) “One of the good things about being a coffee roaster is that I get to experiment with different types of coffees, which is a dream come true for me with my love of different coffees and also my experimental nature!” says Sadie Hopkins. “I also enjoy the customer interaction – helping people choose coffee, and communicating the fact that I know each of my products inside out. I am constantly learning – as long as there are different coffees in the world I will be met with new challenges every day.

“Sometimes you do get it wrong and have to throw coffee away! And it can be quite isolating working alone with the roaster. Hence, it is a nice distraction to be on the high street and still have a customer facing role. But it’s great to be part of the coffee community as a whole. It’s a tight knit industry where everyone supports each other.”

9.30am It’s Thursday before the bank holiday weekend. In front of me are sacks of un-roasted coffee, lists of customer pre-orders and three busy retail days. In my high street boutique roastery on High Petergate, York, the bank holiday starts early to make sure there is enough freshly roasted coffee to satisfy my thirsty customers.

At York Coffee Emporium, all the coffee I sell is roasted on a daily basis, to ensure my customers take home the very freshest product possible.

Nothing sits on my shelves for longer than one week. At any one time, there is a selection of about 20 different single origins and blends on offer for

24 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

customers to choose from, guided by my advice on what to try.

My ethos is that every cup of coffee drunk should be a cup enjoyed, and I set up York Coffee Emporium for exactly this reason – to help people find a coffee which suits them. The range of coffees I stock is vast; from cooperation Brazilians to Cup of Excellence winners from El Salvador. I aim to offer something for every taste and every budget.

York Coffee Emporium is interactive in its approach to selling coffee – my customers can try before they buy, and they can buy anything from 50 grammes to several kilos. If a customer requests a particular coffee, I do my best to source it for them.

10.00am First things first, shop doors open and the roaster goes on. I batch roast on an electric two kilo Solar Coffee Tech, a roaster I imported from Coffee Tech Engineering in Israel.

I supply several cafés and restaurants in York with their own bespoke blends, and so one of my first jobs is to roast and bag up six kilos for one sandwich shop. I always postblend to ensure each component of the blend has been roasted to achieve optimum flavour. The result is a blend often doesn’t look particularly uniform but has combined all the best features of its components to ensure the flavours work together and complement each other. My wholesale customers love the idea of a bespoke blend – I spend time finding out who their customer base is, and what kind

of blend is desired, and create something just for them.

Whilst doing this, a few of my coffee regulars come in for takeaway coffees. I always offer a Filter Coffee of the Day, which I offer via a one cup pour over ceramic filter. Today, it is a lightly roasted Ethiopian Sidamo (fully washed variety), and I advise the customers not to add milk to enjoy the fruitiness and hints of blueberry.

10.30am Whilst the roaster is on, I take some time to cup the coffees I roasted the day before. I test all new coffees daily after roasting for a week until I find the optimum day for the coffee’s flavours. Then, I use this day as a benchmark as to how long to let the coffee rest after roasting before sale. This can be anything from two days to seven days.

Cupping is the best way to taste coffees after roasting, especially ones which are new to you. From this, you can write down the flavours you can identify, work out how best to brew the coffee and ensure that when it is sold to customers, you can offer advice on how to drink that particular cup.

11.30am On to roasting what I call my “specialities”, my more premium coffees. One of the great things about batch roasting is that you can experiment with different roast profiles on different origins. For example, I roast a Monsoon Malabar coffee anything from a medium roast (spots of oil on surface) to a heavy French roast (very oily and dark). I find this brings out different flavours; the dark roasting brings out the brittle

peanut and spice hints, whereas the medium roast tends more on the earthy side. Today, I experiment with a Columbian CO2 decaf – I usually roast it on the medium side, but today take it dark and oily. The result when I taste a few days later? A decaf espresso with unexpected bite!

12.20pm A customer comes in, asking for three different coffees to buy as a present for her dad, who mainly drinks cafetiere coffee.

She doesn’t know what kind of flavour he likes, nor whether he adds milk however, so I recommend three different origins, all with different profiles, so he can compare them. I recommend he try an Ethiopian Harrah, with a winy, chocolaty profile, a Java Blawan Estate, with a light earthiness and a Nicaraguan Limoncillo, which is bright with a huge green apple bite.

This is my favourite kind of customer – someone who wants to experience better coffee but who doesn’t know where to start. I love giving advice to new coffee drinkers, to help them move away from supermarket bought pre-ground into the more speciality market.

1.10pm As well as being a coffee retailer, I also sell a wide range of loose and bagged teas. A customer comes in looking for green tea, as she has heard its good for you but she’s not tried it before.

I explain a little about the high antioxidant levels not only in green tea, but also in black tea and coffee, plus the digestive benefits to drinking green tea, and recommend she tries a flavoured green tea to wean her

CC_August10_p20-25.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:57

Page 25

COFFEE in. My loose green tea with jasmine flowers is a great start for the non green tea drinker.

2.30pm One of my wholesale customers (a café owner) has popped over in a panic – her grind settings have been moved whilst she was away and she can’t figure out how to re-adjust it. I flip the sign for five minutes to go across and help her – armed with lined shot glasses, stopwatch and pocket scales.

After a few adjustments, I get her espresso shots running at 25 seconds, and leave a relieved café owner.

3.00pm A customer is browsing the coffee selection. I ask if they’d like any help choosing (as I do with all customers). The customer asks whether all the coffees are fair-trade. I reply by explaining a little briefly about ethical trading routes and methods. The customer refuses to buy anything which hasn’t been certified fair-trade, despite my lengthy explanation about other ethical sourcing options.

As a roaster, I only source ethically traded coffee from my importers, which is traceable, either via a traditional sustainability method (such as Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade) or by more specialist routes (Cup of Excellence award or direct trade). I do my best to buy via a sustainability route which best suits that particular growing area, as much as I can with the importers I use. This is all explained to customers who ask, and the majority quickly understand the complexity of trading coffee.

However, every now and again a customer will come in who thinks the fair-trade system is the only sustainability method which should be supported, and will only buy such goods. I do stock several certified fair-trade coffees, so the customer buys one of these.

This is, however, my least favourite type of conversation.

All professionals in the coffee industry have their own preferred sustainability method, and I do not believe anyone

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

involved in speciality tea or coffee would buy from a non reputable source. Most speciality retailers will only offer a small fair-trade range, or none at all, preferring to source in other ways. But it is difficult to explain this to the consumer who is bombarded with fairtrade literature from larger companies.

One of the biggest challenges for me as a high street, speciality independent retailer is helping the consumer think beyond the fair-trade label, and learning about other routes.

Often, consumers don’t always realise that being independent means I can focus more on sourcing coffee which provides not only a good wage for the farmers, but also provides a long term investment into their families futures. Supporting these non traditional routes helps the farms achieve better prices for their coffee, and encourages investment in return for a more artisan product.

4.00pm Time to look at internet orders.

We have a web site with our core coffees on, and although we are not a web based business, we do a supplementary trade via this method. Earlier that day, I had commented via my twitter account that we had a new coffee online, a Guatemalan Cosecha Crop from the Tecpan region. Straight away, a couple of sales came through, so I bag up the coffee which was roasted previously to send off.

5.00pm It’s nearly the end of the day, but one last customer – she wants to know if there is anything she can do with leftover grind from her bean to cup espresso machine. One of the best uses of used coffee grounds is as soil fertiliser, so I advise her to put it on her compost heap! Coffee grounds have a high nitrogen content, which is not often found in soils. They also are great for keeping slugs away from your plants! She loves this information, and decides not to throw her grinds in the bin in future.

coffees sourced from Brazil and the high plains of Central America, as well as a small percentage of Indian Robusta Mysore and Malabar, is already being served in a limited number of luxury design hotels, gourmet restaurants and highly selected coffee bars and deli’s around UK, and therefore creating an elite reputation for itself. Its success is due to the blend balance and accurate roasting as exemplified by the peculiar Italian experience (in particular, the Neapolitan tradition) that dates back to 1930.

"We are interested in

defining a new style in the coffee business, serving only a niche of professionals relying on customer care without any compromise,” says Anhelo’s Luca Ferrari. “That's why we didn't appoint a distributor. Our goal is not to have a lot of clients, but only to the right ones interested in our project and vision.”

Anhelo coffee is supplied fresh in three working days from the order, directly from Naples, and the firm report that since they opened their own coffee bar in the city, it has proved to be extremely popular indeed.

The Solar Roaster York Coffee Emporium is located in a listed building just down the road from York Minster, and as such are bound to certain restrictions. One of those is that the building has no gas, so when it came to purchasing a roaster, a good quality electric one was a must.

Traditionally, most roasters use gas powered roasters, as the temperature is easier to control on gas systems and they generally produce a more even roast. So, finding a good electric one was tricky, reports Sadie. The main issue with electric powered roasters is twofold. Firstly, they tend to be scaled down versions of large, gas powered roasters, and secondly, the heating elements tend to need replacing on a regular basis, especially if using a thermal heat transfer.

Sadie’s search for a decent, hardworking and reliable roaster took her to Israel, where she came across Coffee Tech Engineering who specialise in shop roasters, meaning their product is designed specifically for the retail environment.

They are all designed and manufactured specifically to work off electricity only.

Briefly, the Solar uses four stages of heating – firstly, it combines drum roasting with fluid bed roasting (meaning more uniformity in the roast is achieved), and secondly it works via infra red ceramic heating elements. The infra red heat source allows all the beans to be roasted, including those which are being rotated by the drum and are not in direct contact with it, known as ‘flying beans’. These dual heating methods ensure that the roasting is even, creating a more uniform flavour, and also fast, ensuring that the roast is achieved within around 12-16 minutes.

“The Solar suits my environment perfectly,” says Sadie, “and the small capacity means that I can roast little and often, to ensure ultimate freshness and also to ensure that my coffee choice is as varied as possible.”

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 25

CC_August10_p26-27.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

15:29

Page 26

ADVERTORIAL Highest quality foam Now you can program the desired milk foam consistency and temperature for each or even within the same drinks. New technology allows the milk or milk foam to flow into the cup, glass or pot much faster, reducing the preparation time by up to 50 percent compared to conventional milk systems.

Even more choices Touch+Go Control, with the Vetro 16, you can program or mix countless coffee creations and drinks combining coffee, chocolate powder, flavors or fresh milk. One touch of a button and the desired drink is automatically prepared.

Easy cleaning High-tech components and the fully automatic cleaning process reduce daily maintenance efforts and guarantee the highest standards of hygiene.

Flavour Station Refine your coffee and milk specialties with flavoured syrups!

With the combination of Spectra S Foam Master and the Franke Flavour Station, you can easily mix coffee and milk specialties with various flavoured syrups. The syrup flows through the coffee/milk /syrup combination outlet at the touch of a button.

You can use bottles of various shapes with the Franke Flavour Station and can also use alcoholic* drinks as well as various flavours of syrup. It is possible to mix two flavours of syrup automatically so that the creation of additional individual specialties is practically unlimited.

Choco dispenser The chocolate dispenser allows you to mix fresh milk and chocolate powder automatically.

Experience incomparable enjoyment with the perfect mix of milk and chocolate powder with Twist+Taste Technology. * Local ordinances must be observed when serving alcoholic drinks.

26 AUGUST 2010

CAFĂ&#x2030; CULTURE

Spectra S Foam Master Discover milk all over again The Spectra S Foam Master meets the highest standards of taste, aesthetics and performance. With its attractive exterior and absolute innovation, the revolutionary Franke Foam Master milk system, will captivate you.

CC_August10_p26-27.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

15:29

Page 27

Style plus variety equals success Franke Foam master milk system standards ■ Foam consistency from fine to coarse individually programmable for each drink ■ High-performance milk pump for up to 50% shorter preparation time (compared to conventional milk systems) ■ Warm and cold milk, programmable milk and foam temperature Spectra S Black Line standards ■ Elegant, attractive Black Line design ■ Great variety in coffee creations with milk, chocolate powder and flavours as well as hot water dispensing ■ Functional Vetro 16 Touch+Go Control panel. Illuminated, 16-button control pad, freely programmable direct selection or preselection buttons, colour scheme individually customizable for visual recognition of various product groups or preselection functions. For instance, with 3 preselection buttons and 12 direct selection buttons, 48 different products can be selected.

■ Clean+Clever System with automatic rinsing and cleaning program.

Cleaning and rinsing water is supplied fully automatically during the cleaning process. HACCP compliant ■ Outlet with automatic height adjustment from 70 to 180 mm ■ Two high-quality stainless steel boilers for coffee and hot water ■ High-performance metal brewing unit with pre-brewing and constant piston heating ■ Low-noise precision grinder featuring Longlife ceramic discs and direct grinding ■ Bean hopper with 1.2 kg capacity, easy to remove, automatic closure ■ Fully electronic controls, programming with chip card or via USB interface ■ Green+Gentle Concept, programmable energy-saving functions ■ KE320 refrigeration unit left, 10 litres milk capacity, filling level monitoring Options ■ Touch control panel instead of Vetro 16 ■ Second or third grinder

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

■ Twist+Taste Technology

■

■ ■ ■

chocolate powder dosing unit, 1 kg per container, or double powder dosing unit with 2 x 0.5 kg capacity instead of third grinder Lockable refrigeration unit, bean hopper and powder dosing unit Flavour Station with up to three different syrups Cup warmer Billing unit for integration in commercially available billing systems

Electrical connection Spectra S Spectra S Refrigeration unit KE

200 – 240 V 400 V 320 230 V

3L PE 3L N PE 1L N PE

5.2 – 6.8 kW 9.2 kW, 6 A 70 W,

16 A, 50/60 Hz 50/60 Hz 10A 50/60 Hz

Water connection Supply line Water pressure Water hardness Chlorine content Ideal pH value

Metal hose with union nut G3/8“, l = 1.5 m 0.8 to 8.0 bar (80 to 800 kPa) max 7˚ dH, 13˚ fH max. 100 mg/l 7

Water outflow Waste-water hose

d = 16 mm, l = 2000 mm

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 27

CC_August10_p28-29.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:58

Page 28

SHOW PREVIEW

A love affair

with fine food The Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2010 will take place between the 5 and 7 September at Olympia in London, confirming that our love affair with all things regionally produced is stronger than ever, and offering café and coffee shop owners the chance to source something a little bit different.

Expanded event The increased popularity of speciality and artisanal food has been encouraged by TV shows such as the Great British Menu which have inspired the nation's passion for the richness and diversity of regional foods from all over the UK, as well as from overseas.

The show, which has become a marketleading national event for local producers and fine food and drink buyers, says that it has been so inundated with companies keen to exhibit their latest fine food and drink, that it has expanded its floor space to make it the largest event in its eleven year history, and is set to attract over 500 speciality food and drink suppliers.

Over a third of exhibitors will be attending for the first time, making the event a unique opportunity to find new suppliers and source new products on a scale not possible anywhere else in the UK in 2010. Exhibitors offer visitors a selection of interesting, creative premium products that could well provide that all-important point of difference to their business.

The show will open on Sunday, 5 September and run to Tuesday, 7 September allowing visitors a greater opportunity to sample the wares of over

28 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

550 producers from around the UK, Europe and further a field, but without disrupting their business. Representatives from all of the UK’s main national and Regional Food Groups will also be present with an array of natural, organic and fine foods.

But it’s not just the UK-produced foods that have proved popular at previous instalments of Speciality & Fine Food Fair.

The international contingent has established a strong presence at the show with visitors keen on developing their offering to appeal to a wider audience base.

In addition to regular participation from the culinary gastronomes France, Italy and Spain, this year the show will also feature new companies from countries such as Ecuador and Hungary, all hoping to tempt the taste buds of the UK market.

Café appeal “The café industry is competitive and the most proactive businesses recognise that sourcing new products and suppliers is key to differentiating their offering in order to attract new customers and grow,” says event director, Toby Wand, commenting on the growth of this year’s show.

“The show represents the very best opportunity to see thousands of new

products and keep up with what's new in the industry all in one place, in one day. We are delighted to have attracted the most suppliers we have ever managed and visitors will have the broadest and most diverse list of suppliers to meet ever.”

Business boosting features This year’s Fine Food Forum will focus more than ever before on delivering tangible business benefits to the audience. A selection of chefs from different areas of the industry will be giving colourful and lively cooking demonstrations using the very latest industry trends as inspiration, giving an insight into how best and most costeffectively café owners can go about replicating the recipe in their own business.

The ever-popular Small Business Forum is returning once again, aiming to provide practical advice which will help small and medium sized businesses run more efficiently and profitably. This year, however, there will be a greater number of one-toone sessions with seasoned business experts, giving helpful and confidential advice on how companies can improve different areas of their business strategy from marketing and web campaigns to finance, supplier relationships and logistics.

CC_August10_p28-29.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:58

Page 29

SHOW PREVIEW

As in previous years, the winners of the Great Taste Awards will be unveiled at the Fair. The prestigious awards are about acknowledging the very best in fine food and drink, with many of the winning products subsequently going on to be stocked in leading delis, farm shops and food halls. But not only that, the awards also celebrate the speciality food producers and independent retailers who are keeping British food traditions alive.

What to look out for Over 550 companies will be showcasing regional and speciality products for visitors to see, touch, taste, smell and compare. Taking centre stage at the event itself will be products including speciality teas, fine chocolates, deliciously different preserves and luxury condiments plus a whole host of delectable treats to satisfy the sweet tooth.

One company making its debut at the show this year will be Nisi’s (stand 141), an artisan bakery producing a delicious range of handmade quintessentially Italian biscuits in Hampshire using local ingredients wherever possible, including biscotti, amaretti, limonetti and chocoletti (all available in gluten-free). The products are stocked in delis and fine food stores as well as being used by food service establishments up and down the country.

Also a first-timer at the show will be Villanova Food (stand 229). This company imports and distributes an extensive selection of fine Italian foods from classics such as 100% buffalo milk mozzarella to Prosciutto di Desulo (cured ham from a rare free-range Sardinian pig breed).

Mantinga Ltd (stand 903) provides an exclusive portfolio of over 260 quality speciality breads, continental patisserie, snacks and cakes, produced using authentic traditional methods in craft bakeries across Europe.

Troots (stand 1127) produces blended herbs developed by the company’s very

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

own Greek herb specialist. The products are aimed at helping consumers create delicious homemade meals in the quickest possible time. A particular focus for the company at Speciality & Fine Food Fair will be the Tzatziki Dip Blend – a combination of garlic, salt, pepper and dill amongst other ingredients.

Handcrafted cake and artisan confectionery specialists Sugargrain (stand TBA), is making an appearance for the first time with its unique range of products. These are handmade with care, using quality ingredients and seasonal produce, which are, where possible, ethically or locally sourced from local markets or reputable suppliers. Neither its cakes nor the confectionery contain artificial colours, preservatives or flavours, say the company, and most of the baked items are gluten free, with some also dairy free, fat free and/or containing low amounts of sugar. The company’s handcrafted confectionery takes a twist on traditional sweets by including either the zest of citrus fruits, aromatic spices, fresh berries or seasonal cordials, toasted nuts or single origin chocolate.

Brother Tom’s (stand 903) will be championing the pie revolution at this year’s show. The company produces a range of savoury pies and pastries developed by a team including a six-time national champion baker and a winner of Britain’s Best Butcher Award.

Farmhouse Products (stand 809), a family-run business, will be offering a range of unique products including curds, marmalades, chutneys, jellies, mustards, sweets, biscuits and cakes amongst others. A first-time exhibitor at the fair, the company will be highlighting products from the above product ranges and more.

Inka Snacks (stand 143) is another firsttimer, specialising in traditional South American plantain chips which benefit from all the healthy attributes associated with corn.

Specialising in the Mediterranean market will be Olives Direct (stand 783), an award-winning company with a passion to create the very best marinated olives. All the olives are prepared by hand with ingredients sourced from all over the Mediterranean from the finest natural olives to award winning extra virgin olive oils to locally grown fresh herbs used in the company’s marinades.

Also new to the show this year is Glenfinlas Coffee (stand 959). This company says that it is committed to sourcing the best gourmet coffee from the most accomplished artisan roasters around the world.

The Bay Tree Food Company (stand 833) manufactures an artisan range of chutneys, sauces, jellies, dressings, desserts, curds and preserves to the independent retail and catering market, will be in attendance. As an added service to customers, they wholesale a high quality range of branded products including GustoSecco, Fine Cheese, Clearspring, Union Coffee and Bear.

Chocolate Fair fun The growth in the main show is also reflected in one of its most popular attractions - the Speciality Chocolate Fair the only event dedicated to artisan chocolate in the UK. This year, the section will be welcoming brand new exhibitors of its own, highlighting the continued desire for high quality, fine chocolates.

Cocoa Loco (stand 177) says that it is crazy about organic chocolate, and knows the secret of turning the finest cocoa into something truly spectacular and as such, offers a range of handmade chocolate products from brownies to truffles. Its products are suitable for vegetarians and it also caters for a range of allergies and dietary requirements.

The Big Yum (stand TBA), a pretzel brand founded by two snacking enthusiasts, will be showcasing its Chocolate Swerves (salted chocolate-covered pretzels enrobed in milk chocolate, which are available in 250g or 70g bags).

Danucci Chocolates (stand TBA), specialising in gourmet handmade Irish products, is also new to the Speciality Chocolate Fair and will be exhibiting its unique product selection on stand 283 at this year’s show. Prestat UK (stand 477), a company specialising in fine quality organic chocolates, Rococo (stand 383), also focusing on the fair-trade and organic chocolate market, and French chocolatiers Valhrona (stand 483) will all be making their debut this year.

The register for your free visitor badge, and to get full event details visit www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk.

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 29

CC_August10_p30-35.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:58

Page 30

Coffee school In coffee schools, coffee and machine supplier showrooms across the land, as well as in cafĂŠs and coffee shops themselves, baristas are being briefed on how to serve up a wide range of beverages to an ever higher standard. But why is such training so important, and what types are on offer?

CC_August10_p30-35.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:59

Page 31

TRAINING Differentiation “The ‘product life cycle’ (PLC) is often used to track the movements of any particular market. It usually predicts a slow period of development, followed by rapid uptake and adoption, a levelling off as the market reaches saturation before a slow steady decline,” observes Paul Meikle-Janney, managing director of Coffee Community Ltd (www.coffeecommunity.co.uk).

“The espresso bar market has had its development stage and fast uptake, and could now be said to be levelling off. For sure, there is still room for expansion in many provincial towns, but many major cities have reached saturation, with espresso bars everywhere you look. In such a saturated market the PLC model points to one vital element for survival – differentiation. How do we make ourselves distinctive to our customers, over and above our rivals?

“You may differentiate on price, or your product range, but one of the most popular ways is to differentiate on quality, and in the world of espresso this normally means having highly trained baristas and good beans. The independent cafés and more successful chains have realised this and reaped the benefits, and in the current economic climate those who haven’t have gone to the wall.”

In recognition that over the past year the credit crunch has affected the way many people run their businesses, with belts being tightened and budgets cut, Paul Meikle-Janney recognises that normally one of the first things to go can be the training budget, but councils against this for the following reasons.

1. Customers are getting better educated on the standards they can demand (if you don’t live up to the quality they expect, they have other options, and will go to your competition).

2. Untrained staff will find work more stressful and less rewarding. Staff turnover will probably be higher and this is expensive for any business (and illustrating that saving money on the training budget can be expensive!)

3. Well trained staff find work more rewarding. The confidence and pride it instils leads to better customer service. There are not many jobs when you demonstrate your craft directly in front of your customers – the feedback is instant.

4. Sell more coffee make more profit. It is well known that coffee has a high gross profit. Well trained staff are more likely to increase sales through quality and cope with busy periods more efficiently.

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

l MeikleCoffee Community’s Pau at the g Janney (far left), judgin ta recent World Baris Championships.

5. Trained staff are more likely to care and maintain their equipment better, saving you on expensive maintenance call outs and loss in trade due to machines out of service.

A vital process “I hope that by now I have convinced you that training can be vital,” Paul MeikleJanney continues, “but what format should this training take? Too often we get asked to carry out barista training for just one day, and the business think that’s it. This is better than nothing, but it is unlikely to give sustained, long term quality. The brighter students may take the information on board, but most will need support in the future, particularly if they don’t get chance to practice soon after their training.

“Better still is to add in an individual workbook for all baristas and new starters, supplemented with regular refresher training and workshops on new skills. Auditing skills regularly completes the training circle. It confirms that skills are held by all, identifies areas for further training, and finally keeps the team on its toes (it need not be harsh and could even be fun - in the form of a competition).

“For ourselves at Coffee Community, the good news is that the switched on cafés and café chains have quickly realised that compromise on training is not an option. We are working with one group that sends its top baristas for a week’s intensive course in Italy, and a couple are rolling out latte art training to

all their teams. Another is using our audit services and web based reporting system on a world wide scale and seeing huge improvements in quality through the process. So it’s no surprise to us that some of these businesses are some of the most successful in the industry!”

Coffee Community is based in north of England, near Huddersfield, and offers a range of training options from basic courses for newbie baristas, to more specialist, championship oriented ones for would-be barista champions, with prices from £125 (excluding VAT) to £450 per day, depending on the level required.

Its Bean To Brand course, for example, homes in on the all-important commercial aspects to running a successful café business by introducing participants to what to consider when it comes to brand image, design and layout, as well as customer service and expansion. The company’s Barista Championship Training course gives insight into how to raise your skills to competition level, with Paul Meikle-Janney himself being an established championship judge.

Australian know-how For those in London, BARistaBARBAR is a ‘coffee school’ based in a refurbished warehouse in East London, home to many up and coming cafés and coffee shops.

Just a short walk away from Brick Lane, it offers one day workshops in coffee and barista techniques, and whether you are planning to open a café, or simply passionate about learning to make and

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 31

CC_August10_p30-35.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

15:26

Page 32

TRAINING

appreciate the perfect coffee, says that its courses help give attendees the necessary skills to create outstanding coffees (a variety of courses are on offer, including Basic Barista, Starting a Café and Latte Art).

BARistaBARBAR’s Basic Barista Course is for those needing to get the skills to work with a commercial coffee machine to make all styles of coffees to an Italian standard.

Participants are shown how to identify all the key variables that go into making espressobased coffee. and how to get all of those variables together to make excellent finished coffees. The founders of BARistaBARBAR are Australians who say that they understand that making good coffee is similar to careful food preparation.

“We believe a good coffee is about careful attention to detail in each stage of the process,” they told Café Culture magazine.

“BARistaBARBAR is about conveying the idea that making good coffees is the end result of a thoughtful approach to the process. It is not surprising that the standard of coffee is very high in Italy because of their knowledge and respect for food. That follows through on

32 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

to beverages too. We give people new insights and ideas about coffee preparation, and take our inspiration from the coffee techniques used in the south of Italy.

“Australia is also known for its excellent coffees that is the end result of Italian migration.

We show those working with gourmet coffees in London how to prepare coffees of the highest standard. Everyone involved with the company has been trained by Italians and we, as owners, travel regularly to Italy for inspiration and new ideas.”

The Starting a Café Course offered by BARistaBARBAR is a hands-on training course with a training manual focusing on the key points related to proper planning for opening a café, and they also include their Basic Barista Course as part of the Café Course. A two day course with an emphasis on both practical elements and the preparation of a business plan, it covers everything from design and layout through to administrative issues and management.

BARistaBARBAR also offers a Latte Art course, allowing baristas the opportunity to create rosettes and decorative shapes for a perfectly

presented coffee. This course divulges the secrets of milk texturing and foaming to show participants how to create great patterns and pictures on the coffees, while working towards the harder free pour patterns.

“We added the latte art course because we were aware that cafés need the edge over their rivals,” say the company, “and latte art can set a café apart from others, and it is something that customers enjoy seeing and it creates loyalty.

“We offer weekly courses including weekends at affordable prices in a central location. We are very influenced by Italian traditions, but are very aware that the coffee industry is evolving rapidly as UK consumers become exposed to new ideas and styles. It’s a very interesting time in London in relation to coffee, and we are pleased to be able to offer training and advice to this vibrant sector.”

Training materials Two other Australians – Christine Cottrell and her husband, Paul – have also made a name for themselves when it comes to training, and after their recent attendance

at the Caffè Culture show in June, are now set to make an impact here, and following their launch in the UK, say that they are also sourcing a UK distributor for their training products.

Author of the Perfect Espresso series of books and training resources (including CDs and online resources), Christine is a teacher with 20 years experience of teaching and working in the hospitality sector. In 1999 – before the first World Barista Championship had even taken place - she established the Coffee Education Network, and has since helped many Australians across this vast country to improve their espresso making technique, and also visited Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East.

In 2009, Coffee Education Network unveiled its Perfect Espresso publications to Australian coffee enthusiasts, and not least the highlyregarded and now much sought-after Barista Bible – described as “the ultimate reference book for commercial and home baristas” – and now also has its eye on the UK. “We all know a good espresso – one that is pleasantly aromatic, tastes bitter-sweet (rather than just bitter), and has a great longlasting crema on top, but it can be surprisingly difficult to make without the right information and skills,” says Christine Cottrell. “The Barista Bible provides all the solutions – it covers coffee beans and espresso machinery, the big three barista skills of grinding, dosing and tamping, how to achieve perfect espresso shots and perfect espresso milk.”

All of Christine Cottrell’s publications are very comprehensive and detailed, but methodically and attractively set out and easy to read in order to guide the user to exactly what they need, and furnish them with the precise information needed to complete their task

CC_August10_p30-35.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:59

Page 33

TRAINING to a high standard (for more information, visit www.perfectespresso.com.au).

Machine supplier commitment And if you thought that no real training is required for the use of automatic, or semiautomatic, coffee machines, then think again. Although bean to cup machines, for example, can be much easier to use than traditional espresso machines, the importance of training from the cleaning aspect is still just as imperative, say WMF, who have over 80 years experience in the manufacture of high quality coffee machines.

The requirement for training on installation of one of WMF’s range of automatic and semi-automatic coffee machines is minimal as they are designed to produce high quality barista quality coffee, simply. And the cleaning aspect is also assisted by the availability of an optional, patented Plug & Clean cleaning system - a convenient solution to cleaning the parts of the machine that are in contact with milk, say WMF. By placing the milk tube on the adapter, the cleaning programme can then be started at the touch of a button, and with nothing more required.

“We have been on a programme to install nearly 20 WMF Presto machines into our operations since last October and our WMF national account manager has carried out the training on virtually every one,” says Chris Cregg, regional food and beverage manager for DC Leisure. “The machines are easy to operate and they were easy to train our staff to use. Personal training, available support, easy to follow guidance card and display screen prompts all help to maintain a clean machine offering a consistent product, and we can now train all new staff in-house."

Guy Winslade, WMF’s national account manager adds: “We provide full training in the use of all our machines,

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

either carried out by the national account managers, or by our own engineers, but training in the use of our machines really is simple.

Nonetheless, we realise the importance of it and are able to tailor the requirements to each individual customer’s operation.”

At First Choice Coffee, there is a similar commitment, with the company in no doubt that it is investment in staff training which ultimately drives loyalty and ensures that you have a happy workforce.

“As Investors in Coffee we pride ourselves on working with our customers to help them serve the best cup of coffee every time,” says Elaine Higginson, United Coffee’s (UK and Ireland) MD. “Our team of experts can equip coffee bar staff with all the tools they need to enhance coffee quality and sales.

“Our baristas demonstrate everything from how to froth the milk correctly, to the art of making an espresso - the base for all speciality coffee drinks.

The training is accompanied by a comprehensive United Coffee Barista Kit, which contains all the tools staff need to keep standards consistent. Initial training is followed up by quarterly visits and bespoke practical solutions to ensure coffee sales remain a long-term profitable success.

“The key to any thriving business is to nurture your staff because they are undoubtedly your most valuable asset,” concludes Elaine Higginson (for more information on Investors in Coffee, or to find out how United Coffee can help you train your staff, email sales@firstchoicecoffee.com).

Likewise, training is a top priority at Café du Monde.

Established in the beverage service industry for 20 years, the company first supplied cafetière systems, quickly expanding into a broad range of alternative beverage systems, including traditional

espresso machines, bean-tocup, bulk brew systems and bedroom beverage service products. Its range includes high quality coffees in a variety of blends, roasts and grinds, and it is also a major distributor of La Spaziale traditional espresso machines and Franke bean-to-cup equipment (plus, its tea partner, Newby Teas, distributes a broad range of teas, teabags, speciality teas, fruit teas and green teas under the respected Newby name).

“We take training very seriously indeed, particularly when it comes to espresso machines,” says Café du Monde’s sales director, Mike Osbourne. “Every installation is accompanied by an equipment familiarisation programme and in-depth barista training. Follow up training is then carried out regularly to maintain standards, and for new staff members.

“This training is offered

free to our coffee customers and always takes place on our customers’ premises. The reasons for this are simple.

Sending your staff to a school or remote location, incurs time, travelling costs and sometimes, accommodation costs. Plus, they are away from the business far longer than if they are trained on their premises.

“However, the principal reason for favouring training at our customers’ premises is that it is on the equipment they will be using – espresso machine, grinder etc. The coffee, the milk, the frothing jugs and the cups are their own, too. So, all the parameters are in place to prepare the perfect cup of coffee on the course that will be identical to the one they will be serving to customers every day of the week. That way no-one comes back from training saying they cannot understand why they can’t make coffee like they did on the course!”

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 33

CC_August10_p30-35.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:59

Page 34

TRAINING

Inside the London School of Coffee

LSC’s Gayle Reed.

The London School of Coffee is one of the UK’s most well known independent training schools, offering courses in all areas of the coffee industry. The LSC’s director, Gayle Reed, tells us why ever more people are looking to begin a career in coffee, and what to expect on one of her courses.

Tell us a little bit about the school’s history The London School of Coffee was founded in April 2004, around the time speciality coffee began to really take off in London, and more and more people began looking at a career in coffee. It was set up by the directors of our sister company, Mercanta The Coffee Hunters, which directly sources fine green coffee for speciality roasters around the world. The basic idea was that for the speciality coffee industry to keep on growing, it was crucial to educate people - from the roaster, to the barista to the consumer - so that they can recognise quality coffee and make informed choices.

What kind of courses do you run?

We aim to cover all areas of the industry, with three levels of barista skills, from basic to advanced, Latte Art, Milk Chemistry, Professional Cupping, Roasting, and Brewing & Blending. One of our most popular courses is the two-day, How to Start a Coffee Shop course, which attracts a lot of careerchangers (as does our threeday How to Start a Roastery course). We are also one of a handful of centres in the UK able to offer the internationally-recognised VRQ City and Guilds Barista Qualification, which runs over three days.

So you’re on a mission to improve the coffee industry?

You could say that! The training that LSC provides is aimed at generating quality at every stage, whether that be through cupping, roasting or barista skills. We teach that specialty coffee is all about quality and variety - fine coffee can be as fascinating as fine wines. And for us, quality and ethics go hand in hand. The coffee ‘quality chain’ extends right from the bean to the cup.

Better quality coffee means higher prices, which - if the coffee is directly sourced – directly benefits the coffee farmer.

And your typical student is?

We don’t have one. Our courses are open to everyone and we have trained a massive range of people from home roasting enthusiasts to teams from huge multinationals, and would-be baristas who have never touched an espresso machine before to aspiring world barista champions. We get a lot of students from abroad who come over especially to do our courses – mainly from Europe, though we have had students from as far away as Korea and Japan.

Many people come to us to do their Barista VRQ before going off travelling, as it gives them a

34 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

qualification they can use anywhere. And recently we have had a lot of interest from top chefs and restaurant owners who are realising that their coffee doesn’t quite live up to the quality of their food!

When you say the school is independent, what do you mean?

That all we have for sale is training. You don’t need to buy anything from us to go on our courses, and we won’t try to flog you anything while you’re on them! When we started almost every other training facility in the industry required its students to buy into some other product (be that a machine or a particular brand of coffee). We are very protective of our independence, and it means that our trainers are free to offer unbiased, realistic advice.

Who are your trainers?

All seven of our trainers are coffee industry veterans, with highly successful, busy careers. They are all passionate about what they do and are fantastic teachers. We only employ the best trainers we can find, even if this means a longer commute - one of bestknown trainers, Morten Munchow, who teaches Roasting, Blending & Brewing and Milk Chemistry, flies over from Denmark to teach!

How should a student prepare for a course?

You don’t have to. The whole idea of LSC is that our courses are self-contained. Just bring yourself and a willingness to learn, and we’ll take care of everything else. And after the course we make sure our students know that we’re always here. We are happy to help with advice, leads and industry contacts.

How much does it cost?

Our one day courses cost £149, including lunch. The VRQ is £350, and our most expensive course - the three-day How to

CC_August10_p30-35.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

13:59

Page 35

TRAINING Start a Roastery one - is ÂŁ600.

We know weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not cheap, but we really do invest that money straight into our courses. Our major selling point is our very small class sizes. We take a maximum of six or seven students on each course, which means that everyone gets time on the equipment and one-toone time with the trainer. Our courses are very practical, very hands on. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just get shown how to do things, you do them yourself. And our link with Mercanta means that we have access to some of the best coffees in the world.

Everyone who does a course with us gets a 10% discount on their next booking. We get a lot of repeat bookings, and have had at least a dozen students who have completed every single course we offer!

Why is it worth the investment?

The speciality coffee industry is booming, despite the otherwise dismal state of the economy. There are so many opportunities out there, but this also means that the competition is getting ever more intense. There is so much to learn, from the bean all the way to the cup, and so training can really make the difference between success and failure.

You just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get away with serving a bad cup of coffee.

Tell us about some LSC success stories How to Start a Coffee Shop course is one of our most inspiring courses, because often people enrol on that knowing almost nothing about the industry. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very steep learning curve, but we are still in regular contact with many of our students who have gone on to run very successful independent shops in the UK and Europe that are still going strong today. Similarly, we sent Morten, our trainer from Denmark, out to South Africa for five days to act as a consultant to a major speciality roaster there which was struggling with efficiency. The roaster told us afterwards that Morten had â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;turned his world upside downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, but in the best way possible, and the business has since boomed.

4]Y^^hX]V 4]Y^hX]V h cWT [XVWcTa cWT [XVWcTa TeT]X]Vb TeT]X]Vb fXcW P[ UaTbR^ fXcW P[ Ua XcW [ U TbR^ SX]X]V P]S SX]X]V P]S XaaTbXbcXQ[T XaaTbXbcXQ[T \T]db 8C 70B C> 14 8C 70B C > 14

The London School of Coffee operates out of a purpose built training facility in south-west London, near Kingstonupon-Thames (for more information visit www.londonschoolofcoffee.com e: info@londonschoolofcoffee.com

or call LSC on +44 (0) 208 439 7981).

LSC trainer John Thompson teaching a cupping course.

Ensure your summer menu tempts your customers taste buds with a high quality Mayonnaise from the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most trusted food brand* â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Heinz.

Available in 10L & 5L pails, 2.15L jar, table top and sachets.

For more information visit www.heinzsight.co.uk or call FREEPHONE CARELINE 0800 575755 *Source: Freshminds Brands Survey September 2009

TTrademark(s) rraademarkk((s) owned owned by

by AAjinomoto jinomoto CCo. o. Inc., Inc., Tokyo, Tokyo, Ja apan, uused sed under under Japan, llicence icence by

by HP HP Foods Foods Limited Limitted

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

AUGUST 2010 CAFĂ&#x2030; CULTURE 35

CC_August10_p36-39.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:00

Page 36

BEVERAGES

Healthy beverages

Customers are paying closer attention to what they eat and drink, as well as seeking value for money, thereby offering plenty of scope for operators to stock up on versatile ranges of healthy, profitable beverages that are ever keener to emphasise their healthy, additive-free credentials.

Smoothies It’s difficult to imagine a time before the smoothie (although some have doubts that there was ever such a time). Over the last 10 years, the market growth has been something of a phenomenon with sales growth in excess of 118% since 2000. The latest figures for smoothie consumption in the UK, showed it to be over 608 million litres, according to Mintel - enough to fill 243 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Sweetbird’s latest Ice Blended Smoothies are prepared using fresh fruit which is then UHT treated, to give customers a deliciously fruity drink with a long shelf life, say their suppliers, Beyond the Bean. They are simple to make and wastage is kept to a minimum making them the perfect option for any busy café owner.

The full line up of Sweetbird Ice Blended Smoothie flavours feature Banana, Strawberry, Peach, Mango, Strawberry & Banana with three new flavours due to be launched at Caffè Culture in London this summer, adding Lemon, Mango & Passionfruit and Raspberry & Blackcurrant to the range.

All Sweetbird Smoothies

36 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, contain no High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and are GMO free. Every serving of Sweetbird Smoothie contains added green tea and ginseng extract for those all important antioxidants and phytoestrogens, and the full range has been approved by the Vegetarian Society and for vegan diets by Viva! (www.hellosweetbird.com).

Profitable “A mango smoothie can generate a profit of £1.40 per cup – a gross profit margin of almost 70%. Selling 80 drinks a day, will generate over £650 in pure profit a week,” explains Elaine Higginson, managing director of United Coffee.

Statistics like these show how operators can increase revenue by tapping into customer demand for chilled, blended drinks in the summer.

The smoothie industry has grown rapidly in the past ten years and it has flourished into a multi-million pound industry, with smoothies having become a popular summer alternative to a daily coffee. With ingredients that are mixed in front of customers’ eyes, smoothies also tend to be perceived as higher value than bottled cold

drinks, allowing operators to charge more and benefit from greater profit margins.

Any size of operator, from small delis to a well-known café chains, can tap into this profit potential, say United Coffee, who are offering a summer drinks packages in the form of three-tiered offer that means that operators can choose the package that will best fit their size of operation, say the company.

Their Fruit Recruits, for example, are ideal for small operators taking their first steps into the cold drinks market.

Operators are supplied with two bases; Caffé Frappe and Mango Smoothie and a range of syrups, allowing them to make a selection of four of the most popular chilled drinks – Caffé Frappe, Hazelnut Frappe, Vanilla Caffé Frappe and Mango Smoothie.

Chill Sergeant is the next step up in the range and perfect for satisfying more adventurous tastes, say United Coffee.

Starting with a larger selection of smoothie bases and some more unusual syrups such as mint, operators can produce up to seven chilled drinks including a Mocha & Raspberry Frappe and a Wildberry Smoothie.

Major Mixer is the third tier, aimed at operators who are

taking their summer drinks offer every bit as seriously as their hot beverage menu. An extended range of smoothie bases can be used with syrups to make a total of twelve drinks, ranging from Sticky Toffee Frappe to fruit-based options such as a Peaches & Cream Smoothie, and each package includes biodegradable cups, lids and straws and the option to either lease or buy the latest Blendtec blender.

United Coffee smoothie ingredients are made with freshly crushed fruit purée for a real fruit taste and also include green tea which boosts the antioxidant level of each drink.

Manufactured by Sweetbird, the syrups are the only ones on the market approved by the Vegetarian Society and they

CC_August10_p36-39.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:00

Page 37

BEVERAGES contain no GMOs or artificial flavourings (www.unitedcoffeeuk.com).

“Our packages have been designed to make summer drinks easy for operators, whatever the size of the unit and the staff’s level of experience. We work with each operator on an individual basis to set pricing at a level that will help them maximise their profit margins. All packages include full staff training and a range of POS material to communicate what’s available,” adds Elaine Higginson.

Raspberry and Strawberry • 3 medium scoops of Raspberry & Strawberry ice cream • 1 small banana, 50 g • 1 small sweet orange, freshly squeezed, ice cold • 2 strawberries • Sliced strawberries, lemon balm leaves Passion Fruit and Mango • 3 medium scoops of Passion Fruit & Mango ice cream • 1 small banana, 50 g • 50 ml unfiltered apple juice, ice cold • 1 small sweet orange, freshly squeezed, ice cold • Some of julienne sliced apple, exotic coulis, mint leaves

Healthy and indulgent The super premium ice-cream brand, Mövenpick Ice Cream says that it has revitalised smoothies as we know them, having come up with some thirst-quenching recipe ideas to combine fruit and ice cream, and which should make an impression with customers. And with summer fruits being at their most abundant at this time of year, they allow operators to utilise seasonal and readily available ingredients, as well as being quick to prepare.

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Mövenpick ice-cream is available through leading frozen food wholesalers nationwide (for stockists and support in menu development, serving suggestions, accessories and POS, visit www.movenpickicecream.com).

Healthy waters Perfectly Clear has launched a range of real fruit flavoured waters in 500ml bottles, following the success of the 1.5litre share-size bottles, securing listings in Tesco, Morrisions and Waitrose stores and Costco and Booker wholesalers. The new 500ml bottles have been marketed for people on-the-go, and so should appeal to cafés with takeaway customers.

“Perfectly Clear offers consumers a fruity alternative to water, without the added calories and sugar,” says Silver Spring’s managing director Neill Cotton. “The flavoured waters are made with natural ingredients and chalk-filtered, calcium-rich spring water and will appeal to the healthconscious drinker. Our 1.5litre bottles have been positively received by the market, and now we’re targeting consumers who want to enjoy Perfectly Clear with their lunch, or on their daily commute.”

The new and improved flavours have a distinctly English personality that echo its Garden of England roots; Divine Summer Fruits; Scrumptious Strawberry and Crisp Red Apple, as well as the English favourite Zingy Lemon & Lime. At just three calories per 250ml serving, the sugar-free drinks are also made with no artificial colours or flavourings and are suitable for diabetics, coeliacs, vegetarians and vegans.

Bensons Totally Fruity has introduced the latest addition to its Chilly Billy range of refreshing and healthy juice drinks, which aim to give children one of their five a day in handy 250ml bottles just right for snacks and lunchboxes.

Their new Orange taste sensation is made purely from juice, not concentrate, and is

Made with 100% natural ingredients for a real homemade taste.

A refreshing blend of real pressed fruit juice, flowers and Belvoir spring water.

Naturally delicious drinks with nothing artificial added.

Call us at the office on 01476 870286 or visit our website to find out more.

Apple & Elderflower, Apple & Blueberry, Blackcurrant & Apple and Pear & Raspberry.

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 37

CC_August10_p36-39.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:00

Page 38

BEVERAGES free from any added colours, sugars, water or preservatives, say the company.

The Orange taste sensation, made from Spanish oranges specially selected for their flavour, further extends the Chilly Billy range which already includes a pure apple juice and the Chilly Billy iced lollies (the 115ml lollies are also made from 100% pure juice and come in bright and attractive cardboard sleeves for easy handling by little people). They are available nationwide, or can be ordered online (www.bensonsapplejuice.co.uk).

Beverage making equipment The Hamilton Beach Summit Blender with Auto Blend is available from Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) and enables caterers to make fresh fruit smoothies and cocktails which are sure to be in high demand to help quench summer thirsts.

The Summit model is an American-designed, high-

38 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

performance blender which can make light work of creating blended drinks at the push of a button, say the company, and is compact yet powerful. Its WaveAction® system continually forces the mixture down onto the blades to ensure no lumps are left behind. Together with the speed and blade design, this breaks down ice from a granita texture to a creamy drink profile. The Auto Blend one-touch sensor monitors the blender’s power-usage and speed to automatically stop when the drink reaches the optimum consistency.

Easy-to-use touchpad

controls and hundreds of preprogrammed cycles make the Summit very user-friendly, minimizing mistakes to deliver perfect results time after time. A USB port also enables programme updates. Fitted with a Quiet Sheild™ sound enclosure, the Summit blends quickly and efficiently whilst keeping noise to a minimum, so staff can hear the orders roll in, point out FEM. The robust 3hp motor is kept cool by a dual fan system and an innovative airflow baffle which constantly circulates cool air around the motor. This enables back-to-back blending and prolongs blender-life.

Cavitation control prompts the operator to add more liquid when it’s needed, so that staff do not have to watch over the machine. Other features to reduce wear and tear include a timed automatic shut-down and a jar-pad sensor which turns the motor off if the container is not fitted.

FEM supplies the blender with a stackable, 1.9 litre polycarbonate container and extra containers are also available. The Summit blender is covered by FEM’s two-year or 20,000 cycles parts and labour warranty (for more information and details of local stockists, visit www.fem.co.uk).

Hamilton have been making milkshakes in the US since 1911 and their latest model is the HMD200-UK spindle mixer which can whisk up creamy, smooth milkshakes, as well as bar drinks, blend eggs and mix up pancake and waffle batter.

The all-metal construction is designed for front of house, countertop operation and houses a powerful 1/3HP, 300W rated motor that mixes fast, to minimise waiting times for

customers. During manufacture each motor is individually balanced to minimize vibration, say Hamilton.

The removable cup guide pulls out for easy cleaning and the stainless steel spindle is fitted with a high performance agitator for increased mixing power – especially for powering through hard ice cream. A threespeed rocker switch gives added mixing versatility while operators can automatically start and stop the mixing action by inserting the cup into the cup guide. The stainless steel cup has a capacity of 0.94 litre and extra cups can be purchased separately. For those needing increased capacity, FEM recommends the three-spindle, HMD400-UK mixer that has three separate motors each driving a spindle operated with its own power switch, so one spindle can be being cleaned while the other two are in use.

The Hamilton Beach Summit Blender is available from FEM. Also available from Hamilton Beach, via FEM, is a machine to help make milkshakes. Universally appreciated by all ages, milkshakes can be marketed as tempting treats full of goodness for youngsters, or fresh fruity drinks for an adult palette.

However, successful milkshakes need to be prepared to order, so that they can be served the traditional way with a good head of froth and poured straight from the mixing cup.

CC_August10_p36-39.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:00

Page 39

CC_August10_p40-41.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:01

Page 40

PROFILE

In praise of the coffee shop Here, award-winning Raynor Foods (www.sandwiches.uk.net) reflect on the welcome rise of the coffee shop and encourage outlets not to miss out on the grab and go potential for sandwiches.

A change for good “I remember it all very well,” says Matt Raynor. “Windows running with condensation, sticky lino and chipped formica, dirty blue striped aprons, the hiss and burble of the Victorian plumbing, the combination of steam, bacon grease and cigarette smoke slapping in your face like a wet oven glove.

“Nobody knew what a cappuccino was and always asked for a ‘froffy coffee’. The proprietor - usually well Bryl-creamed and cigarette in mouth - counting every sip of your drink and ready to evict you on the first sight of tea leaves in your pastel coloured cup. How things have changed!”

In 23 years of making sandwiches the Raynor family have certainly seen a great deal of changes in the industry, but none has been to visible, or welcome, as the rise of the coffee shop, feel the family.

Commitment rewarded Raynor Foods are a rare thing in the sandwich trade. Second generation family owned and run, they are dedicated to bringing quality and service to an industry so often used to a ‘it’s just the sandwich man’ attitude. And now Raynors have seen their dedication, passion and excellence recognised and rewarded with two major landmark achievements - the awarding of official supplier status to the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace, and winning the British Sandwich Association’s (BSA) Manufacturer of the Year 2010 Award, in the face of much larger and well known competitors.

“Coffee shop owners have a unique place in the sandwich industry and present a unique set of opportunities and problems to us as suppliers,” adds Heather Raynor, the firm’s sales director, and Matt’s sister. “We have experience in so many different sectors of the market,

40 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

that after 23 years we like to feel that we know the issues involved in each of them before we make the first visit to any customer. Of course there is always something to surprise you – that’s what is so great about being in thie industry.

“We fully understand the problems that coffee shop owners have in producing their own sandwiches and the costs they incur,” Heather Raynor continues. “For example, some famous coffee shop chains make a virtue out of making sandwiches in the back of the shop – a currently lightly regulated area.

But for the smaller companies this virtue is a cost curse because you have to hire and train staff, your food waste is higher, more storage space is needed, and eventually these costs often become unmanageable.”

With the BSA reporting this year that a customer is prepared to wait for only two minutes for a sandwich to be prepared, this could mean a large proportion of business potentially being lost at busy times, warn Raynors.

“This is why a grab-and-go option is essential,” says Heather Raynor.

“Lunchtimes are getting smaller all the time and people don’t want to spend it standing in a queue. At Raynors, we feel that our ability to offer cafés their own retail price and a customer name on their labels, as well as various marketing support for our ranges, including premium hot and cold offerings, has stood us in good stead.

“Our products are produced in our BRC A grade certificated sandwichporium which has now been awarded Sandwich Manufacturer of the Year 2010. This, as well as being appointed to supply the Royal Household, is definitely an aspect of quality our cafés and coffee shops enjoy and are very happy to offer their own customers.”

The Deli Creations range by Raynors.

Raynor’s MD, Matthew Raynor, says he welcomes the changes the rise of the coffee shop has brought.

Variety People often feel that a deli counter can offer a greater choice of filling to a customer and Raynors report that they are very proud to be able to offer over 150 varieties made every day.

“Product fatigue is an issue we have invested a great deal of energy in addressing,” says Matt Raynor. “However, we have always had a vibrant attitude to new products, and have just launched a new range of sandwich, rolls, salads and

CC_August10_p40-41.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:01

Page 41

PROFILE

Technical manager, Tom Hollands (left), and Adam Newland (operations manager) with their BSA award. a three day shelf life by this autumn.”

An example of the lengths which Raynors have gone to is developing its own new strain of lettuce called Verity Grace, in partnership with their growers in the Netherlands. It has been selectively bred for its vibrant colour, crisp leaf and mild taste and was named after Verity, the latest addition to the Raynor family.

Also Raynors’ coleslaw deserves a special mention – just fresh cabbage, onion and carrot mixed with specially selected premium mayonnaise made fresh every day rather than being produced by another company and bought in, point out Raynors.

wraps, which are just perfect for the coffee shop market.”

“Deli Creations is a new range of genuine, quality, crafted sandwiches, with new materials and methods,” explains Tom Hollands, the company’s technical manager. “We have worked tirelessly over the last year, taking on board feedback from our existing customers which has enabled us to produce this exciting and innovative premium range.”

Deli Creations include such premium offerings as fresh mozzarella, intense tomato and nut free basil pesto Panini, and a sweet cranberry and creamy brie

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

variety too. Artisan sandwiches are also included such as the Game Keeper Lunch, and a Fig and Honey roast chicken farmhouse sandwich. They have also included mouth watering sub and boat rolls like a Roast Chicken and Red Onion Sub or the Mature Cheese & Raynors’ own special coleslaw boats.

Environmentally aware “We’ve also made sure to dedicate special care to the environment,” adds Tom Holland. “In fact, all of our packaging is from sustainable resources, and we are also on target to bring the first fully biodegradable wedge of the market with

Delivery Last but not least, Raynors also understand how important deliveries are, and have invested heavily in their delivery staff and fleet. All their vans can be tracked remotely for both temperature and position so as to provide customers with up to the minute information about their delivery. “We never use agency drivers and all our rounds are timed, so as to ensure that customers get their sandwiches when they want them, as far as possible,” explains Heather Raynor.

“I look forward to the next 23 years,” reflects Matt Raynor. “Coffee shops and cafés have come so far in the last two decades. They have become more like an extension of your front room, with comfortable sofas and cosy corners, where fresh faced baristas are happy to see you take your time over a doubleskinny-frappe-mocha-chocca-latte with extra sprinkles. The perfect complement to a well turned Raynors Deli Creation.

The coffee shop I remember is dead – long live the new coffee shop!”

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 41

CC_August10_p42-43.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:07

Page 42

UK COFFEE WEEK

Charity begins with your

morning coffee Cafés across the UK have a fundamental responsibility to provide support to the coffee growing communities that give them their livelihood, say the sector’s market researchers, Allegra Strategies, who have founded Project Waterfall to help provide clean water supplies, and are the organisers behind UK Coffee Week (set to run from 27 September to 3 October 2010).

Increasing awareness “Consumers are increasingly conscientious about ethical practices and expect their favourite brands to act responsibly, so there is considerable pressure to take action,” says Allegra’s UK Coffee Week programme manager, Kathryn Lennon.

“Many savvy businesses have formed successful strategic relationships with charitable organisations to give something back to local communities, and also drive sales growth.

“Although many small operators would like to get actively involved in charitable initiatives, they are often put off because they don’t have the resources. Not only is choosing a credible charity that reflects your business values a challenging and time consuming process, it can be prohibitively expensive.

Signing up to UK Coffee Week will help provide smaller operators with a much more viable opportunity to make a difference.”

Wide appeal UK Coffee Week will be a café industry-wide venture which aims to raise £1million for

42 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

Project Waterfall, an initiative which will provide clean water to communities in African coffee growing countries. Independent cafés can get involved for as little as a £25 administration fee, and this fee will cover the cost of producing and distributing marketing materials for outlets to display in store.

During UK Coffee Week itself, participating cafés will be asked to place a voluntary 5p levy on each cup of coffee, or food, item sold. These

proceeds will then be collected in collection containers at till points or via computerised till systems as a non-taxable item. Every penny consumers donate will go directly to fund clean water projects. The project will initially focus on providing approximately 7,000 people in the Chini Ward of the Mbulu District in Tanzania with clean water, it will then be rolled out elsewhere.

In order to ensure that 100% of all public/customer

donations go to chosen projects, Allegra are inviting the coffee industry stakeholders to contribute seed funds to help cover the administrative costs. These contributions can vary according to the type and size of your business. For an independent coffee shop or food service provider the minimum requirement of £25 is to cover marketing material costs and this fee, if collected as a charitable donation, is also tax deductable.

Leading coffee chains including Starbucks, Costa and Caffè Nero are already signed up to the week, as are highly esteemed independent cafés such as Flat White, Monmouth Coffee Shop and Kaffeine. Industry suppliers supporting the project so far include Lavazza, Solo Cup, and Square Mile Coffee Roasters.

Increased footfall Participants will be encouraged to use the official UK Coffee Week marketing materials that include posters, leaflets, and window stickers leading up to, and during, UK Coffee Week itself.

There will also be a national

CC_August10_p42-43.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:07

Page 43

CREDIT: WaterAid/Alex Macro

Nakwetikya, a Masai woman, at the new water source. marketing campaign to raise awareness and increase footfall in cafés nationwide throughout the last week of September.

Businesses that sign up to UK Coffee Week will have their shop name, address, telephone number and web address added to the official UK Coffee Week web site (www.ukcoffeeweek.com), so that consumers can find participating shops in their area. This section for coffee lovers will also include promotional activity listings, competitions and a discussion blog, say Allegra.

Independents will also be encouraged to ramp up traffic on social networking sites and send out press releases, photos and general feedback to their local radio and press about in-store activity (advice

For more information on UK Coffee Week visit www.ukcoffeeweek.com, or alternatively you can contact Kathryn Lennon, programme manager at the Allegra Foundation by emailing klennon@allegra.co.uk or calling +44(0) 20 7691 8816.

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

on how to do this will soon be available on a dedicated page on the UK Coffee Week web site).

There will also be opportunities to brand specific products as “charitable” or “causerelated” if they benefit Project Waterfall. This could be a useful marketing tool for operators keen to introduce new product lines or trial “limited edition” ranges during UK Coffee Week, point

out Allegra.

During the week, participants may also discover hidden talents among employees while working on charitable endeavours, feel Allegra, who say that employees are one of the most valuable assets in a small business, so the more employers know about their skills and the better their morale, the better for the company’s overall health and growth.

…the South East’s leading provider of freshly roasted coffees, espresso machines, barista training, ethical products, business start-up consultancy and much, much more to the Independent café sector… t: 01243 555775 f: 01243 555997 e: sales@edgcumbes.co.uk w: www.edgcumbes.co.uk

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 43

CC_August10_p44.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:08

Page 44

C

FE OF E

C

The Coffee Clinic

Here, Glenn James of maintenance company Coffix (www.coffix.com), responds to some of your frequently asked questions and concerns about the day to day use and smooth running of coffee machines by offering some practical advice and guidance.

IC LIN

Question I would like some advice on mobile vans and coffee machines for them. I have just been made redundant and would like to work my own hours more than every hour of the day for someone else. I haven't any experience in the coffee industry, but I think where I live it could be a very good business. Could you explain what I would need van wise and machine wise.

Thank you!

Answer

If you have a coffee machine-related question that you would like answered, then why not email clare@jandmgroup.co.uk or write in with details of the name, location of your café and question to Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB and Café Culture magazine will endeavour to source an answer for you!

How long is a piece of string??!! In your case what really is your budget? I have worked on plenty of machines this spring and summer that are placed on carts or in vans, and they all pretty much behave the same as in a coffee shop. With the coffee machine for your venture you can either run it from a generator or from a gas feed. Generators are my personal choice if you can afford an appropriate sized generator.

The size of these will vary depending on what you will run off it. My suggestion is to run one slightly larger then you need thus allowing you to connect extra appliances in the van/cart in the future.

With a gas machine you will require a Gas Safe registered fitter to install the gas piping to the machine and if anything breaks down on the machine some engineers will not look at the machine due to its gas. Also, gas carts/vans are not allowed to be used inside buildings so you limit your business to outside events.

My advice would be to buy a full sized 2 group machine with a high powered element, a grinder and a good fast boil water boiler around 15L in capacity.

The component that is a must is a very good water pump as you will need to use an external water source normally a water drum or large bucket. These will also have there own 13amp plug to run. You will also have to allow for power use for your fridges, lights, cash registers, heaters or fans on those days that are freezing or the occasional hot day. Get a notepad and add up all the power ratings you need from your appliances then ask a generator company what would work for you.

Just a letter of warning… It’s a great opportunity, but it’s getting very competitive and if you end up wanting to do festivals or shows there’s a lot of money to outlay before you even get on your pitch. But, as one of my customers says “if you can do it right, it’s a licence to print money”. Good Luck!

Question

Answer

After a recent trip to Italy for a wedding and a nosey at the café culture in Bologna, I am confused at how my coffee machine should be set up for making coffee.

Presently I have a Conti 2 group fully automatic machine and I press the first button for an espresso, and the second for a full cup of coffee, and the double side does just that and produces a double espresso or two coffees. When in Italy, I noticed that all their shots are very short, and when I asked a friend for a coffee he returned with a very short espresso. Alarmed, I took it back and asked for a large cup which they made by adding hot water to an espresso, not letting it run out the group. Is this the way it should be done?

I’m sorry, but shoot your coffee company (if you buy from a coffee company)...

The British coffee scene is fast becoming one of the most dynamic in the world with coffee associations(SCAE)and (BSA) pushing for better coffee to be served in the UK. The Italians are correct (funnily enough), as putting a whole cup of water through your group handle will extract not only all the great tasting coffee but also all the impurities of the coffee not to mention burning it causing an awfully bitter bad tasting coffee.

A good coffee company especially should set your machine and grinder up together so they work in tandem to get the best result for your customer. They

44 AUGUST 2010

CAFÉ CULTURE

should also explain the differences in the drinks your making and why you should make them that way.

The Italians I know normally set their machines at 25ml (first button) 30ml (1oz) on second (button) and double these on your double shots. As for your standard black coffee (Americano), first add your hot water, then add either one shot if a small cup or a double for a larger shot.

What you have explained is a common situation in the UK were the drink levels are all over the place on machines. We will always advise a new customer to change their settings and thankfully more people are becoming more excited about serving a quality drink.

CC_August10_p45.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:09

Page 45

Embleton to launch 1% fat milk range across the UK Embleton Hall Dairies of Wingate, County Durham have launched a 1% fat fresh milk in response to market demands, available in 500ml and 2 litre sizes (Embleton supply the NHS, foodservices, schools, colleges, universities, multiple and independent retailers).

“People are starting to understand the health benefits of drinking 1% fat milk and they are delighted that they don’t have to compromise in any way on taste or health benefits,” said

owner, Paul Thompson. “As a smaller dairy we need to differentiate yourself, and we believe the 1% offering will give us a competitive advantage.”

Embleton Hall Dairies will be supporting their ranges with substantial media spend throughout 2010 (call 01429 838316, or visit www.embletonhalldairies.co.uk).

Beckleberry's Sloe Gin Sorbet – NOW with an added twist !

Award winning Ice Cream & Sorbet manufacturer, Beckleberry’s, based in Blaydon, Tyne & Wear has teamed up with an innovative new spirits producer in Northumberland Northumbria Spirit Ltd (a sister company of the award winning Wylam Brewery) to use their recently launched Jack Cain’s Gin to add to their Sloe Gin Sorbet launched initially last Autumn.

Jack Cain’s Gin will be used from now as Beckleberry’s continue to have unprecedented success with their Gourmet

Sorbets, having been awarded the top 3 Star grading at the Great Taste Awards for the last three years with Pink Grapefruit (2007), Blackcurrant & Kirsch (2008) and the Sloe Gin (2009) respectively. Beckleberry’s have won 3 Star Gold 4 times for their Sorbets (2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009) and are the only company to have won 3 Star Gold for their Sorbets 3 years in a row (call 0191 414 1180, or visit www.beckleberrys.co.uk).

Newproducts World Aeropress® Championship won by Marie Hagermeister The World AeroPress® Championship 2010, which took place at the Brew Bar at Caffè Culture, was won

by Danish contestant, Marie Hagermeister. Marie works at Café Europa 1989 in the heart of Copenhagen. The café’s cosmopolitan style is inspired by the best of European café culture.

Cream Supplies was a sponsor of the

Championship and, amongst Marie’s prizes were a just-launched AeroPress® BrewStation and a TWIST™ handheld espresso maker donated by the company.

Cream Supplies is the UK Sole Agent for AeroPress® and the mypressi® TWIST™ (call 0845 226 3024, or visit www.creamsupplies.co.uk).

National Flexible recruits top professional National Flexible, the UK’s largest distributor of OPP, laminates and special films, has continued to strengthen its professional workforce by recruiting a new area aales manager to cover southEast England. Based in Northamptonshire, Ian Crofts will be the main contact for all new prospects in the south as well as continuing the relationships with current clients.

Ian has been in the flexible packaging industry for some 16 years and has a developed a wealth of knowledge whilst working for a number of packaging companies including Vista

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Packaging and Koroso. As well as being extremely competent in his field of expertise, Ian has also excelled in his personal life and is rated a top 10 UK squash player for his age group (call 01274 685566, or email sales@nationalflexible.net).

Andy Thornton at Café Copia The Marlow branch of Café Copia, a small family of local cafes dedicated to serving natural, healthy and delicious food, using ingredients and products from small artisan suppliers have used Andy Thornton’s Fresh stacking side chairs to great effect, both indoors and outdoors.

Featuring an all-aluminium frame and attractive dark brown woven synthetic material, Fresh side chairs are ultra versatile, being stackable, and easy to quickly move indoors or outdoors, depending on the unpredictable British weather. Andy Thornton also supplied Carini stainless steel square table bases, with modern and practical wipe-clean white laminate tops, and a Chesterfield two-seater sofa in red leather sits snugly in the corner for customers to leisurely enjoy the freshly made coffee and food (call 01422 376000, or visit www.andythornton.com).

AUGUST 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 45

CC_August10_p46-48.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:10

Page 66

INDEX

Index of members of the Café Society For enquiries about the Café Society telephone Lee on: 01291 636338 or E-mail lee@jandmgroup.co.uk

INDEPENDENT RETAIL MEMBERS Bon Viveur Central Business Exchange 460 Midsummer Boulevard Buckinghamshire,MK9 2EA Contact: Dominic Willmott Tel: 01908 673 900 Fax: 01908 673 800 bloodygoodcoffee@aol.com www.bon-viveur.com Colpac Ltd Enterprise Way, Maulden Road Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 5BW Contact Ms Rebecca Beattie Tel: 01525 712261 Fax: 01525 718205 Rebecca.beattie@colpac.co.uk www.colpac.co.uk Cuppa-Cino Limited 1 Boyle Farm Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0TS Contact: Andrew Roberts Tel: 07801 749 122 cuppa.cino@btinternet.com D Café Dixons Shopping Centre, Reepham Road, Hellesden, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 5PA Contact: Elizabeth Raven Tel: 01603 414 951 cafedixons@hotmail.com Esquires Coffee Houses Unit 1.1 2-6 Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0AY Contact: Peter Kirton Tel: 0207 251 5166 Fax: 0207 251 5177 peter@esquirescoffee.co.uk Fresha 23 Bittern Road Sowton Industrial Estate Exeter, EX2 7XQ Contact: Ms Jo Hill Tel: 01392 447701 Fax: 01392 447702 Email: kitchen@fresha.org Homes4u Manchester Technology Centre Oxford Road, Manchester M1 7ED Tel: 0161 236 0202 Fax: 0161 236 8202 Email: city.sales@homes4u.co.uk

iCafe 223 Great Western Road Glasgow G4 9EB Contact: Mr Umer Ashraf Tel: 01727 733258 info@icafe.uk.com Orient Express 24 Bridge Street Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1BY Contact: Saisunee Pettitt Tel: 01225 867333 mail@thaibarn.co.uk Springhead Park Cafe Ltd Oulton Lane, Rothwell, Leeds LS26 0DY Contact: Mr John Philbin Tel: 0113 2822948 Fax: 0113 2823038 Email john@fuzz.wannadoo.co.uk Yummy Mummy's Coffee Shops 10 Queen Street, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0AA Contact: Ms Charlotte Bond Tel 01636 815597

INDEPENDENTS 2 Monkeys – Leicestershire 5M Coffee - Stanmore An Chovi – N.Yorkshire Anhelo Caffe – Napoli, Italy Aramark – Chadwell Heath Aroma Beverage Systems – S.Ireland Autobar UK Ltd - Leicestershire BCP Fluted Packages Blackburn B.C.W. Limited – Bedford Bean For Coffee – Wakefield Bean Here – Beds Bean Loved - Skipton Bewleys – Ireland Bite Café - Devon Bizzy Lizzy’s Coffee Shop – Basingstoke Blackmhor Ltd - Glasgow Blades - Northleach Blue Onion Limited - Wiltshire Bon Viveur - Milton Keynes Boswells Coffee Co. – Oxon Brand Reminders - Wiltshire B Sacarello - Gilbrator Café 4U - Co. Antrim Café 67 – Norfolk Café Amore - Bristol Café Cars - Cardiff

Café Chino - Manchester Café Connections – Buckingham Café Gabrielle - Co. Durham Café Java - Ireland Café Twocann - Swansea Caffe Latino – Sheffield Calcutt Café – Swansea Carpuccino – Bath Carrs Foods Ltd - Manchester Case Works - Hull Cisco’s - Stirling Chat Coffee House – N.Ireland Chives Café & Deli - Somerset Cinnamon Café – Windsor CJ’s – Snaith, East Yorkshire Coffee 2 – West Midlands Coffee Mocha - Salisbury Coffee Square Ltd – Bedford Coffix - Leicester Condor Ferries – Dorset Mr Steven Cossey Costs Coffee Crossover Café - Birmingham D P E Enterprise Ltd - Worcester Dean’s Pizzeria & Sandwich Bar - Coventry Delimakers Oy – Finland Domenic Casuscelli – Ireland Double Shot Coffee - Essex Ms W Ellison – West Sussex Esquires Coffee House - Galway Esquires Coffee House - Lisbun, Co Antrim Esquires Coffee House - London Ferndale Garden Centre Dronfield Fernz (Café) – Worthing First Choice Coffee Ltd – Milton Keynes Flavour – Cardiff Flying Egg Café - Middlesex Gold & Silver Workshop Guernsey Glebe Street - East Dunbartonshire Glynn Hopkins – Brislington Steve Gannon - Kent Grain D’Orr - Lincolnshire Java Brothers Ltd - Leeds Java The Hut - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Josiah’s Lounge – London Christopher Kimble – Glasgow Kates Cakes - London Koo Coffee – Derbyshire Lavazza Coffee UK - Middlesex Lightbody - Hamilton Maids of Honour - St Helier, Jersey Mr Abdul Majid - Birmingham Mackillops Homemade – Derbyshire Mambocino – Middlesex Marimba World Chocolate Ltd Suffolk

Mister Woods Café – Northshields Monty’s Bakehouse – Mulmar Food Service Hertfordshire Murray’s Catering - Altrincham Presswatch Media – London Rapid Retail - Gloucestershire SCA Hygiene Products Bedfordshire S M Coffee - Stanmore Saint Caffè - Birmingham Slice - Essex Soho Coffee Shops Ltd Cheltenham Starvin Jacks - Swansea Sugar Qube – Glasgow Martin Talbot – West Midlands Tamra – London Tastes Catering - London The Knitted Café – North Yorkshire TFI Lunch – Brighton The Coffee Compass - West Sussex The Conservatory - W Yorkshire The Flying Coffee Company – Cambridge The Hive Café - Dorset The Little Cup Cake Co. Ltd – Huntingdon The Olive Grove – N. Ireland The Streat – Belfast Tiffins IOW Ltd – Isle of Wight Natalie Tirimo - London Toutpre’s Tout Pre’t - Brussels Urban Coffee - London Urban Coffee - Accrington Urban Espresso - Bath Vendability Limited – Co Meath Venetia’s - London Mr N Warren - Derby Whiteley’s Garden Centre Coffee Shop Woolf Limited - Essex Xpress Coffee UK Buckinghamshire Yummy Mummy’s Coffee Shops - Nottinghamshire Zucchero - Bristol Urban Coffee - London Urban Coffee - Accrington Urban Espresso - Bath Vendability Limited – Co Meath Venetia’s - London Mr N Warren - Derby Whiteley’s Garden Centre Coffee Shop Woolf Limited - Essex Xpress Coffee UK Buckinghamshire Yummy Mummy’s Coffee Shops - Nottinghamshire Zucchero - Bristol

CC_August10_p46-48.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:10

Page 67

CHECKOUT

Bean there Fixed that Repairs Servicing Sales

Subscribe today and keep in touch with YOUR industry!

CAFÉ CULTURE is published six times a year and currently distributed at the promotional subscription price of £30 per annum (£60 outside the UK).

Installation Delivery Training

zine

maga

For more information call 01291 636 338 An independent coffee brand for independent coffee shops E: info@coffix.com Tel: 0845 257 4316 Mob:: 07790 0 402144 4

W:: www.coffix.com

• The Ethical Coffee Company espresso range • Freshly Roasted Premium Coffee • Espresso specialist with expert advice • La Spaziale Espresso Machines • Bean to Cup Coffee Makers • Nationwide Installation • Barista Training

T: 0844 44 80 620

uk www.BestCoffeeBeans.co.

TO ADVERTISE CALL

PAUL STEER ON

01291 636338 g armer Do t o H & Bread W SPECIFICATION T SPECIFICATION 350 x 305 x 122mm Hotdof Capacity Capacity 30mmØ 3 12 Hotdof 18 Hotdog Hotdog Capacity Capacity 20mmØ

Glass Chamb G Chamber er Brread e Warmer Warmer a Aluminium Bread Adjustable Thermostat Th hermostat Adjustable Overheat Ove erheat Protection Protection Steel Stainless Steel

Onl y

£69.99!

220 volts olts 450 watts watts Back to to base warranty warranty Delivery D elivery Mainland Mainland UK £10.50

ee-mail: -m mail: sales@victorianovens.co.uk sales@vic @ torianovens.co.uk

est.. 1980 est

Tel: T e ell: 01902 351477

www.victorianovens.co.uk www ww.victoria anovens.co.uk June 2010 CAFÉ CULTURE 67

CC_August10_p46-48.qxd:Layout 1

20/7/10

14:10

Page 68

¨ ®

>PQB FP RKFNRB Q B L >II LC RP SBK JLOB PL T TEBK Q>IHFKD >?LRQ @LC CBB Q IFBP TFQEFK QEEB @>M>?FIFQFBP LC > DOB>Q J>@EFKB QL BSLHB QEB PEBBO BKAIBPP MOLAR@Q S>OFBQV FQ R F MELIAP LJ?FKB QEEFP RKFJ>DFK>??IB IIBSBI LC BKGLVJBKQ M>FOBA TFQE SBOP>QFIFQV QE>Q @LRIA MOBSFLRPIV LKIV ?B AOB>JQ LC FK LKB DOB>Q ILLHFKD MFB@B LC >O Q >V VLRO TFPEBP ?B@LJB OB>IFQV ¨ T V FQE MB@QO> PQLKFPE VLRO DRBPQP TFQE QEFP CIBUF?IB >KA PIBBH ILLHFKD J>@EFKB O>KHHB B LC CBB VPQBJP FJFQBA >KAI A BV >DB >V IA >OH?RO V

>KB LIKBV QOBBQ Q I?>KP BO QCLOAPEFOB

BIBMELKB ¸ >U ¸ TTT CO>KHB@LCCBBPVPQBJP @L RH