Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 54

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magazine FEBRUARY 2013 ISSUE 54

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

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CONTENTS

Welcome!

CONTENTS

As promised, in this issue we report on the European Coffee Symposium that took place in Amsterdam towards the end of last year, and also provide a snapshot of Allegra’s ProjectCafe12 report which focuses on the UK café scene.

We report on the progress of two tea-focused brands – the high street chain Tea Monkey and the retail brand, Top Tea, from Nepal and in our water feature, we outline why the quality of the water you use to make your beverages is so important.

It’s also time to start thinking about your nominations for this year’s Café Society Awards (turn to page 14 for a list of the categories).

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 Tony Lorimer, Tel: 01291 636333 E-mail: tony@cafesociety.org.uk Editorial Address Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 5DB Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: cafe@jandmgroup.co.uk www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk Opinions expressed in Café Culture are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group Ltd or Café Culture. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors. Café Culture is published by J&M Group Ltd. and supports Café Society. It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the café industry. © 2009 J&M Group Ltd

NEWS

ARTICLES

4 Caffè Culture show confirms return to Olympia.

5 Starbucks make two year tax pledge and responds to wage claims.

6 Brand recognition award for Lavazza.

8 Fracino’s global success recognised with export award.

18 European Coffee Symposium – Amsterdam.

40 A Nepalese tea exclusive – Top Tea is officially launched in the UK. 44 Think, eat, save – the global campaign to tackle the increasingly unsustainable culture of food waste.

52 UK coffee shop sector remains defiant – an overview of Allegra’s ProjectCafe12 report.

60 Allergies – a matter of life or death.

PREVIEWS 14 Café Society Awards 2013.

16 Food for thought – IFE2013.

58 The Coffee Leader Summit 2013.

FEATURES 24 Water-wise – the critical importance of water quality.

32 Coffee shop essentials – what else, apart from good coffee and a coffee machine, does a modern day coffee shop need?

46 Saleable soups – ideas for some ‘winter warmers’ and the latest flavour trends.

PROFILES 28 The Tea Monkey business – the high street tea chain vision of Tracey

REGULARS 13 New products.

54 Coffee Clinic - your maintenance questions answered.

56 Barista talk – your barista questions answered.

63 Checkout

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NEWS

Natural Food Show to return With visitor registration now open for this year’s Natural Food Show at Natural & Organic Products Europe, over a thousand retailers and buyers from across the world have already booked their free trade pass to the UK’s only dedicated natural and organic products event, which will return to London’s Olympia (7 and 8 April 2013).

Showcasing thousands of speciality food and drink brands from over 300 exhibitors – from established big brands such as Green & Black’s, James White Drinks, la BIO IDEA, and Community Foods, to a host of innovative new artisan suppliers in the Soil Association Organic Marketplace and Organic Trade Board Pavilion – the Natural Food Show annually provides thousands of professional food buyers with the widest choice of natural, organic, biodynamic, Fairtrade, eco-friendly, free-from and special diet products from suppliers all around the world.

The Natural Food Show’s ever-diverse cross-section of exhibitors – over a third of which are new to the event this year – reflects the growth of producers and suppliers within this sector over the last decade, say the organisers. Whilst a rising demand for more natural/clean label products has been fuelled by consumers of all ages who have become increasingly interested in the provenance, sustainability and nutritional benefits of their food and drink.

It’s a trend that’s set to continue, according to a recent Global Industry Outlook 2013 report published by UK-based independent research organisation Leatherhead Food Research, which says sustainability, health and wellness, natural, ethical and free-from will be among the key drivers of innovation within the food and drink industry for 2013.

Natural Food Show visitors range from specialist retailers, multiples and contract caterers, to delis, restaurants, farm shops, cafés, and wholesalers and dew features will include include a dedicated Raw Food Village.

Plus, there’ll also be plenty of opportunity for buyers to refresh their international ranges, with new pavilions from Poland, Canada, Argentina and the USA; joining France, Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.

The show’s mainstays - The Fairtrade Trail, Vegetarian Trail, Free-from Trail, New Product Showcase, FoodLovers Approved pavilion, the Vegan Pavilion, The West Country Food & Drink Pavilion - will all return with an eclectic mix of real food delicacies and ingredients (to register for free entry, visit www.naturalfoodshow.co.uk quoting priority code NPE1328).

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Caffè Culture show confirms return to Olympia The Caffè Culture show, the UK’s leading trade event exclusively for the café bar market, will return to Olympia, London on 15 and 16 May 2013.

The two-day event is a must-visit exhibition for the coffee industry, and offers the most comprehensive resource for UK café and coffee bar businesses.

Over 200 of the industry's major international brands will join smaller independent suppliers to give visitors to the Caffè Culture show a range of products and services to suit the various needs of their businesses. For businesses looking to expand their offering into ‘coffee culture’, the Caffè Culture show is also an ideal place to

network and do business with the industry’s leading suppliers and manufacturers.

Visitors will be able to see hundreds of new products, enjoy the free business seminar programme in the Caffè Culture Business Theatre and taste and learn about leading products with a visit to the Caffè Culture Taste Experience. Exclusive sessions with the knowledgeable and ever-popular ‘Coffee Boys’ will also be available for attendees to book.

To find out more, visit www.caffecultureshow.com (you can also ‘follow’ Caffè Culture 2013 on Twitter – @Caffecultureshw. Please use #CaffeCulture in your ‘tweets’!).

Chester to host UK Barista Championships heat UK Coffee Events says that it has chosen to partner with the Chester Coffee Festival (run by Café Trade Ltd), which will be held at Chester racecourse on 30 March and 1 April 2013, as hosts of the fourth regional heat of the UK Barista Championships.

The Chester Coffee festival will form a key part of the 2013 Chester Food, Drink & Lifestyle Festival which is the UK's third largest food and drink event (only the BBC food events are bigger). This three day celebration is now in its twelfth year and attracts 25,000 to 30,000 visitors from across the North West and beyond Steve Kelsey from Café Trade Ltd said: “Café Trade Ltd is excited about organising the first ever Coffee Festival in the North West and teaming up with the Chester Food, Drink & Lifestyle Festival gives the event a huge profile. Cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Chester are nurturing a growing number of talented baristas and this even will put the

spotlight on the North West’s flourishing coffee sector.”

Managing director of Sanremo (the Machine Sponsor for the UKBC 20092013), Andrew Tucker, added: “This is looking like a great new coffee event and a fantastic venue for a UKBC competition.”

The top scoring baristas from the regional heats will go through to the finals, which will be held at The London Coffee Festival (25 to 28 April 2013), and one of them will be crowned UK Barista Champion 2013 and go on to compete in the World Barista Championship in Melbourne, Australia (23 to 26 May 2013).

Registration for 2013 UK Barista Championship competitors will be managed online this year. Entry has been set at £25 and registration will be via a link placed on www.ukcoffeeevents.co.uk

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NEWS

Starbucks make two year tax pledge and responds to wage claims After the widespread tax criticism of Starbucks, the close of 2012 saw the global brand’s UK managing director, Kris Engkov, announcing a commitment from the company to pay "a significant amount of tax during 2013 and 2014, regardless of whether the company is profitable” (estimated to be in the region of £20 million over the next two years), and its web site feature a dedicated ‘tax FAQs’ area where it acknowledges “it is true that we have not paid a meaningful amount of corporation tax” here.

“It has always been our plan to become sustainably profitable in the UK. We annually inject nearly £300 million into the UK economy and are exploring additional initiatives to expand our growth and speed our way to profitability in future,” said Kris Engkov in his 6 December 2012 announcement made via his personal company blog.

“And while Starbucks has complied with all UK tax laws, today we are announcing changes that will result in the company paying higher corporation tax in the UK. Specifically, Starbucks will not claim tax deductions for royalties and standard intercompany charges.

Furthermore, Starbucks will commit to paying a significant amount of tax during 2013 and 2014 regardless of whether the company is profitable during these years.

“Starbucks will continue to open our books to HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs on an on-going basis to ensure our financial performance and tax structure is transparent and

appropriate…

“We know we are not perfect. But we have listened over the past few months and are committed to the UK for the long term. We hope that over time, through our actions and our contribution, you will give us an opportunity to build on your trust and custom,” he concluded.

This move – felt to be unprecedented by many, as well

tax during its 14 years of trading in the UK, with no further tax paid over the last three years, yet it had been reported that it had been telling its investors that it had been enjoying profitable sales here (UK sales were thought to be in the region of £400 million in 2011, for instance).

Starbucks has also faced accusations and subsequent protests that in addition to not

After tax criticism, Starbucks also faced criticism over its employee payment arrangements. as a response that was effectively forced upon them to minimise any further and potentially very damaging loss of face with its UK customers follows in the wake of public anger and some boycotting of their stores, as well as a Public Accounts Committee hearing during which Starbucks, Amazon and Google were all repeatedly challenged by a panel of MPs to explain the nature of their tax provisions and whether or not they could be viewed as being “morally acceptable”.

In the UK, it had been claimed that Starbucks had only paid £8.6 million in corporation

paying its fair share of taxes, it is had also not been paying its employees a living wage due to the way its pay structures are set. The GMB union – which says that it has members in Starbucks stores, but that the company does not recognise any trade union - has been vocal in claiming that the coffee company has not been paying the living wage of £8.55 per hour in London, and only £7.45 per hour in the rest of the country for their 8,500 staff in 750 stores.

“Over the past few months we have consulted widely with all of our partners (employees) to review the way we recognise

and reward them. This is not about cutting cost, it’s about finding the right way to structure packages so that they are balanced across pay, benefits and development. We asked all partners how much value they place on all elements including their breaks and have made changes based on their feedback. Our overall aim is to ensure that, wherever possible, they are not out of pocket by giving them the ability to maintain their contracted hours.

The changes to lunch breaks bring us into line with the majority of other retailers,” said a Starbucks spokesperson in a statement.

“Pay is only one element of the benefits available to Starbucks partners (employees). We invest more in our people than we do anything else in the business and this review, which was done in partnership with our people, is about making this investment work to the benefit of both partners and the business. All employees – part and full time – are called partners because they receive shares in the business called Bean Stock – at the last grant baristas with a year’s service received shares worth over £400. In addition to their hourly rate all partners receive 30% discount on Starbucks products, free coffee each week and life assurance.

Many partners also have the opportunity to earn externally recognised qualifications whilst working at Starbucks. Our apprenticeship scheme also offers young people the chance to earn qualifications whilst getting work experience – our 12 month programme gives them a Level-2 apprenticeship.”

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NEWS

Brand recognition award for Lavazza Lavazza has been awarded with the Brand Recognition Award at the sixth annual UK – Italy Business Awards ceremony, held in Milan, and which formally recognises Italian excellence in companies and individuals focused on innovation in their field within the UK market.

Lavazza won the brand accolade in acknowledgement of its work over the last 20 years to establish itself in the UK as the symbol of espresso coffee and Italian authenticity. In recent years, Lavazza has consolidated its position in the British market, thanks to the launch of the A Modo Mio capsule system, as well as the opening of several Lavazza Espression coffee shops and its sponsorship of Wimbledon Championships.

Lavazza’s UK arm was established in 1989 and can now claim to be the market leader in the premium espresso coffee sector (roast and ground), with 86.5% share (volume) and 79% (value) (source: Nielsen Mat Dec 2011).

Since its launch in October 2008, Lavazza’s A Modo Mio coffee system has become a firm favourite with UK and Irish consumers (the machines can be found in the leading department stores Harrods,

Luca Piccini (centre) managing director of Lavazza Coffee UK receiving the award on behalf of Lavazza UK from Vic Annells, HM Consul General and Director General of UKTI Italy (left) and Christopher Prentice CMG, HM Ambassador to Italy (right).

Selfridges, John Lewis and Brown Thomas, along with many other premium outlets).

Taking the Italian coffee experience to an even higher level, Lavazza set up a distinctively styled, upmarket chain of coffee houses in 2007 called Espression Café (recent openings in Manchester Trafford Centre, Belfast City Airport, Dublin and Harrods).

2012 saw the launch of a special limited edition Lavazza A Modo Mio Favola Plus coffee machine dedicated to Lavazza’s special partnership with the world-famous

Wimbledon Championships. In 2011 and 2012 Lavazza was the official coffee served at over 60 service points at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, including 13 public cafés and restaurants, all corporate hospitality areas and the media centre, as well as serving all officials and players of the tournament. It also achieved its goal of serving 1,000,000 consistently perfect cups of coffee, offering over 600,000 fans attending the tournament products ranging from real Italian coffee to coffee-based specialties and cold products.

“Not only is Lavazza Italy’s favourite coffee, it is also a brand of choice of Londoners, with a 14% share in terms of the volume of the Roast & Ground espresso market in the London region,” stated Luca Piccini, managing director of Lavazza UK. “Wimbledon is a major initiative for us, and we have used this opportunity to demonstrate Lavazza’s strength in the Awayfrom-Home market. Furthermore, the sampling initiatives scheduled during the tournament give even more people the opportunity to taste the Lavazza coffee and decide they want to reproduce this experience at home, enabled by the A Modo Mio coffee machines.”

Lincoln & York coffee taster youngest to receive Q grade accreditation Sean Fowler, coffee taster at the UK private label coffee roasters, Lincoln & York, has become the youngest person in the country to receive a prestigious Q Grade certification from the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) in California, making the company the only roasters in the country – and possibly the world - to have three CQI qualified coffee tasters, of which there are just 2,000 worldwide.

At 23 years old, Sean Fowler joins director, James Sweeting and consultant, Mike Riley, who have previously achieved the much sought-after accreditation.

Having been a trainee coffee taster and buyer with the firm for 19 months, Sean Fowler was put forward for the accreditation by James Sweeting. After flying out to Athens to TAF coffee, a Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) certified

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CAFÉ CULTURE

Lincoln & York’s latest ‘Q grader’ - Sean Fowler. testing site, Sean completed a week of 30 sensory and written tests, passing each one with flying colours. A tough process, Q Program coffee tasters must pass every single test to succeed overall and over 95% of tasters do not pass first time.

Developed in 2004, the Q Program is a certification system to certify coffee

professionals, uniting producers, exporters and buyers of coffee with a common quality-based language set by the standards of the CQI and the SCAA. “Before I started at Lincoln & York, I had no idea how much work and expertise went into one cup of coffee,” said Sean Fowler. “Coffee tasting has become a real passion of mine

– one cup has over 1,200 different flavours to identify, making it a really complex process. Going to Athens to take the Q Grade exam was an amazing experience in itself but actually passing every test and becoming a qualified coffee taster was overwhelming. My next trip is to visit some of plantations in Ethiopia – the birthplace of coffee!”

James Sweeting added: “I am extremely proud of Sean for achieving Q Grade certification at such a young age. Since he joined the company we’ve been impressed with his tasting skills and the fact that he has passed the Q Program first time at just 23 truly demonstrates how above his years he really is. At Lincoln & York we pride ourselves on our expert tasting skills and to now be the only roasting company in the UK to have three CQI qualified tasters is an achievement which really sets us apart.”

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NEWS

Fracino’s global success recognised with export award Coffee machine manufacturer, Fracino, has joined an elite group of top business performers by scooping the Midlands Outstanding Export Award from UK manufacturers association EEF. The accolade reflects the success of the family business in exporting to 44 countries across five continents – with exports making up 25% of turnover in the company’s fourth consecutive year of double digit growth.

Winning the Midlands award - which recognises excellence in enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among UK manufacturers - catapults the

Adrian Maxwell (centre) receiving the EEF award. espresso and cappuccino machine manufacturer into EEF’s National Awards final.

Richard Halstead, EEF Midlands regional director, commented: “Manufacturing is vital to economic recovery and companies like Fracino are

National Doughnut Week gets a new look for 2013 Sponsored by bakery ingredients supplier, CSM United Kingdom Ltd, the dates for National Doughnut Week 2013 have been announced along with a new logo design created to bring a fresh look to the national baking industry event that has now been running for some 22 years.

National Doughnut Week will take place between 11 and May 2013, and is open for craft bakers and high street coffee shops, food retailers and their customers across the UK to take part in a massive celebration of doughnuts and the pleasure that comes from eating these delicious bakery treats.

The brainchild of Christopher Freeman (president of NAMB, and winner of a baking industry lifetime achievement award), the event raised over £20,000, for the Children’s Trust charity in 2012, taking the grand total raised to date to £755,000.

“National Doughnut Week is one of the best loved, publicity raising events in the calendar for high street bakers and food retailers and their customers. There is something about doughnuts that just makes people happy. This year we hope to raise in excess of £25,000 to help children with complex health needs, brain injuries and multiple disabilities – all through eating and enjoying a scrumptious doughnut or two!” said Christopher Freeman.

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CAFÉ CULTURE

setting the benchmark for success. They are leading the way with world-class manufacturing processes, a wealth of expertise and knowledge, and a passionate dedication to their product.

Congratulations to their entire

team on this impressive success.”

Managing director Adrian Maxwell added: “This tops off an incredible year in which Fracino has achieved record growth, been praised by the Prime Minister and secured a raft of new business at home and abroad. It’s testament to the outstanding efforts of the whole team that in just four short years we’ve taken exports from zero to a quarter of our turnover.”

Fracino sells over 3,000 products annually to a customer base spanning John Lewis, Costa Coffee, Patisserie Valerie, Druckers coffee shops, Pathfinder pub chains and Greene King.

Suki Tea promoting tasty business in Britain Suki Tea, the premium brand of loose leaf tea blender, has teamed up with bakery/café concept, Patisserie, Valerie to encourage more customers to enjoy the rich flavours of gourmet teas.

The VIP Tea Tastings being held in Patisserie Valerie cafés throughout Britain feature a presentation by devotee Oscar Woolley, managing director of Belfastbased Suki Tea, and follows a deal between the two gourmet food businesses.

Suki has recently started supplying a range of seven loose-leaf teas, including its unique Triple Certified Darjeeling, Earl Grey Blue Flower and Breakfast Tea, to more than 60 Patisserie Valerie cafés. In addition to its traditional teas, Suki is also supplying its popular Spiced Citrus, Green, Whole Peppermint and Chamomile products. Patisserie Valerie, in addition to serving Suki teas in the cafés, is also retailing the products and the Northern Ireland company’s gift sets.

“Winning such significant business from Patisserie Valerie, one of the most respected café/bakery businesses on the high street, is a marvellous endorsement of the taste and quality of our teas. It’s among our most significant and prestigious accounts,” said Oscar Woolley.

“We’ve been building a close working relationship with Patisserie Valerie management for several years following an introduction from Matthew Algie, our

distributor in Britain and we jumped at the opportunity to take part in the VIP Tea Tasting programme to support Patisserie Valerie in marketing our teas.

“The programme enables us to showcase our products and to encourage customers to experience gourmet teas from our extensive range and to highlight the benefits of quality teas especially our wonderful Darjeeling, the first in the UK to be triple certified by the Fair Trade organisation, the Soil Association, and Rainforest Alliance.

“Turn out for the talks has been excellent and I’ve found that customers are becoming increasingly interested in such accreditations. Our support for the promotion is an example of our sharp focus on excellent service to our customers. Patisserie Valerie is strongly committed to superb presentation of all their products and, thus, saw an affinity with our approach,” he added.

Suki Tea is helping to run VIP Tea Tastings being held in Patisserie Valerie cafés.

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NEWS

Coffee pod specialist wins backing for faster growth

The specially designed lids are available in packs of 1000 (to find out more visit www.greatwithcoffee.com).

Lotus lift lid on take-away treat for customers Lotus Bakeries has introduced a new take-away lid that has been specially designed to hold the company’s Original Caramelised Biscuit.

Manufactured in association with Solo Cup, the lid is available in two sizes, to fit the most popular cup formats, and has been created to ensure that customers who ‘grab and go’, don’t miss out on a complimentary bite size treat, say the company.

Featuring a specially designed ridge that securely holds the biscuit in place, the lid provides outlets with the perfect tool to differentiate their offering from other venues. When used with venue branded cups, the unique lids offer caterers the perfect marketing tool for just a fraction of the cost of other media.

“For too long, caterers who would normally supply their eat-in customers with a Lotus biscuit have been left with the dilemma of how best to offer this to their take-away clientele. This new lid solves the problem of rewarding the ‘grab and go’ consumer, whilst helping to add to the full beverage experience,” said Frances Booth, category marketing manager at Lotus Bakeries.

As every Lotus biscuit is individually wrapped, they provide the perfect complementary treat for customers on the move and are the ideal way to give added value to encourage repeat visits, suggest Lotus.

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Pure Roast Coffee, the Northern Irish coffee pod producer, aims to grow sales abroad as a result of a new business plan being implemented during 2013.

The company, which is based at Lisburn, near Belfast, has also received backing from the Growth Loan Fund in Northern Ireland to help accelerate growth in exports. Now a leading supplier of espresso pods and beans for foodservice operators and equipment suppliers, Pure Roast says that it aims to expand its share of the 'single serve' coffee market (customers of its coffee pods already include international airline Emirate Airlines).

Martin Symington, Pure Roast’s managing director and founder of the business, said the company, now in its third year, had tried to obtain funding from banks before turning to the Growth Loan Fund, which has £50 million to lend over the next five years.

"We found it impossible for banks to lend us money, even though we were profitable in our second and third year," he said. "The funding from the Growth Loan Fund really has been a godsend."

He also added that the singleservice market is "the fastest-growing coffee market out there". The coffee,

which is roasted by the firm, is contained in tiny aluminium pods and Martin Symington says that the funding has enabled it to invest in a specialist 'roll mill' coffee grinder from Chicago, costing $150,000, to enable it to expand its portfolio and production capacity.

Finance for the fund, which is aimed at providing funding to established small and medium-sized businesses, is provided by Invest Northern Ireland, the region’s business development agency, and the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC).

The company has British Retail Consortium (BRC) Grade A and last year secured substantial business for over seven million ‘easy serve espresso’ coffee pods a year from two major companies in London, bringing the total number of pods produced to 12 million pods a year.

In addition, one of the largest UK vending operators placed a contract for 120 tonnes of Arabica coffee beans a year with Pure Roast Coffee. The company has experienced 75% year-onyear growth since formation by Mr Symington in 2009.

Clean filters in a quick, ergonomic way A device which removes the coffee grounds from the filter quickly and to perfection, claim its designers, without the noise and the effort required by the classic handshaking of the filter, as well as with no dispersion of the grounds, has been launched.

Called Pro-Fondi, it is an exclusive, patented, electrical device created by Ambrodesign, and speeds up the extraction of the coffee grounds and optimises professional machine filter cleaning thanks to the action of three rotating blades.

It has also been designed to be installed next to the espresso machine. It is sufficient to drill a 10cm diameter hole on the counter top, and then insert into it the steel cylinder containing the brushes, from which, in the underlying part, hangs a bag where the coffee grounds fall by gravity, without dispersion. This means that the platform does not get dirty, say the designers, but, above all, there is no proliferation of insects

caused by the grounds that filter below it.

Periodic maintenance is not required, but rather a few seconds' daily cleaning with a special brush at the end of service so as to remove the residues from the inside of the steel cylinder walls. Ergonomics is one of its major advantages, feel its designers, the operator's arm is no longer subjected to stresses and shocks causing inflammation of the joints.

It is already present in more than 700 businesses with illycaffè having most recently purchased 100 to install at its premises (a video of how it works can be seen at www.pro-fondi.com).

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ADVERTORIAL

At least David had a slingshot f you have entered the high street café arena, then you have chosen to go toe-to-toe with some of the most successful, most talked about, most omnipresent and most corporately intelligent brands on the planet. Your small independent café is after all going up against the likes of Costa, Caffè Nero and of course the international mega-brand empire that is Starbucks.

No amount of tax-based bad PR on the part of your competitors is going to level out that playing field any time soon and what do you get to respond to their franchised machinations? A much lower level of brand recognition, a little bit of hearts-and-minds sentiment from the locals and maybe the hipster community if what you run can be described as an “artisanal” café. At least David got a slingshot when he went up against Goliath – you barely get the stone.

For lumbering behemoths, your competition also lumbers in a surprisingly nimble manner. Starbucks in particular is known for embracing new technology and shaking up the basic conventional atmosphere of the café in a way that has captured the public’s imagination. This isn’t even really David versus Goliath – this is more like David versus Goliath wearing a jetpack.

And you’re still not allowed that slingshot.

It’s safe to say that you are going to have your work

I

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go wrong to add a further weight on your wallet and cause more of your accountant’s hairs to turn grey. Without the backing of

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An ill timed lawsuit levelled at you from one of your customers or even one of your employees could really knock you back if you don’t have the support of an adequate public liability or employers’ liability policy.

There are equally plenty of other niggling factors, such as your windows being vandalised, that can further cause significant irritations that will detract your attention away from building your business to a level that allows you to compete.

You are going to be smaller than the big international chains which means agility is therefore your only real advantage.

With this in mind, you want to be focusing your energy on operational and strategic activities to try and outmanoeuvre these coffeespewing titans, not getting bogged down dealing with administrative costs and scraping together money to compensate mistakes that have been unfairly thrust upon you. A tailored café insurance policy will stop you having to worry quite so much about anything going wrong and let you focus on your business for longer.

Written by YOUR Insurance, a specialist broker providing public liability insurance for small businesses that can offer you a café insurance package tailored to your business today.

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NEWS

SHORTS Fresco café A coffee shop in Bedford which often display works of art inside has now had a fresco painted on its exterior wall, representing part of Michelangelo's Libyan Sibyl. The artist was Iain Carstairs, who used pigment paint on lime plaster, in a technique that is thought to date back to about 1500 BC. The project has taken three months and cost in the region of £12,000, with the café’s owner, Kevin Kavanagh, saying that the fresco is likely to outlive the building itself!

Latest figures World coffee exports amounted to 9.21 million bags in November 2012, compared with 7.88 million in November 2011, according to the International Coffee Organisation (ICO). Exports in the first two months of coffee year 2012/13 (Oct/12 and Nov/12) have increased by 21.2% to 18.73 million bags compared to 15.45 million bags in the same period in the last coffee year, say ICO and in the twelve months ending November 2012, exports of arabica totalled 66.75 million bags compared to 67.45 million bags last year (robusta exports amounted to 45.93 million bags compared to 37.19 million bags).

New Brakes director for the West Mike Park has been appointed as Brakes’ business unit director for the West region, joining from Palmer & Harvey where he was retail sales director. He will be responsible for ensuring Brakes continues to deliver top quality customer service to both existing and new customers, and joins fellow unit directors Mark Bruce (who covers Scotland), Richard Palentine (who looks after the North), Richard Jones (who oversees the East region) and Kevin Hughes (who looks after Woodward Foodservice).

Paper & Cup set on expansion Hot on the heels of its first opening in London’s Shoreditch, E2 at the end of September 2012, Paper & Cup - a stylish, artistic and inviting coffee-book shop run by the Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT) - is already expanding to a second site. The move comes following a successful pitch against several other established businesses, for a new site at St Paul’s Way, E3, a regeneration area between Canary Wharf and Mile End, run by Poplar HARCA. Marley Coffee ‘Shares the Love’ at the MOBOs Gourmet coffee company, Marley Coffee UK - founded by Bob Marley’s son, Rohan - took centre stage at this year’s seventeenth annual MOBO awards held at the Echo Arena, Liverpool on 3 November 2012. As part of its Future Barista Programme (in partnership with charities Crisis and Switchback to help local young people excluded from the labour market back into the workplace to re-skill), the team gave expert hands-on training and paid work opportunities by serving Marley Coffee to back stage crew and artists at the event.

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Award for short run paper cup company The Paper Cup Company, one of the largest independent designers and manufacturers of short run paper cups in Europe won the Newcomer to International Trade award for making a great start to exporting in a highly competitive sector in their first year.

From its base in Lancashire, the Paper Cup Company have started working with major companies throughout the year, exporting 40% of printed cups globally, mainly in Europe and creating 3.5 new jobs in only eight months.

Manufacturing was brought back to the UK from China in April 2012.

The international trade awards were held on the 7 December 2012 in Lancashire with Cengiz Avci, European sales manager of the Paper Cup Company on hand to collect the award.

“The International Trade

Club annual awards and lunch event is a great opportunity to thank the many East Lancashire companies engaged in international trade for their hard work and success throughout the year as this directly benefits everyone in the local economy.

Award winners are recognised by their peers for their outstanding performance,” said Ed Murphy, international trade and training director at East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Woodward, sales director at Paper Cup, added: “I am immensely proud of what the team have achieved in such a short period of time.

This time last year we had not started production in the UK and now we are taking orders from around the world and in particular Europe. The team have laid the foundations for us to gain substantial business in the coming years”.

United Coffee acquires Andronicas United Coffee UK & Ireland has acquired the specialist roaster to grow its market share within the independent sector.

Andronicas, based in Corby, is a premium roastery specialising in gourmet coffees for independent coffee shops, delicatessens and high-end retailers. Using high grade, handpicked coffee beans sourced from specialist estates, it handcrafts some of the finest coffees in the world.

“Brands still dominate the market but we are continuing to see growth in the independent sector,” commented Elaine Higginson, managing director of United Coffee UK & Ireland. “Our successful go to market

strategy enables us to take our big brand experience to the regions and work with the independents to drive growth and build consumer loyalty in their local communities. Andronicas will help us to deliver bespoke blends and niche products in small volumes.”

Andrew Knight of Andronicas added: “Quality coffee is our passion. We’ll be able to take our hand-crafted coffee to a wider customer base, thanks to United Coffee’s scale and unrivalled expertise in growing coffee businesses.”

Andronicas will retain its branding and corporate identity and will become a stand-alone brand under the United Coffee umbrella.

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NEWS

Twinings launch Silky Pyramid range Tea blender Twinings has revealed a new Silky Pyramid range to help caterers ‘premiumise’ their offering and profit from the growing popularity of speciality teas out of home.

Alongside core consumer favourites English Breakfast and Earl Grey, the six-strong whole leaf range comprises of twists on traditional blends, including Red Berry Fool, Mint Humbug, Honeycomb Camomile and Jasmine Pearls.

The range launched in January 2013 and is set to be a key profit generator for operators looking to appeal to the new generations of tea drinkers who are seeking the luxury of loose tea service, in the convenience of a silky pyramid teabag, say the brand.

Each blend in the new Twinings range is made from premium whole leaves sourced from the best tea gardens around the world and the

biodegradable silky pyramids allow plenty of room for the full tea flavour to infuse – a benefit that won Mint Humbug, Honeycomb Camomile and Jasmine Pearls a Great Taste Gold Award in 2012.

Gaggia Watermark sets out new deal for dealers One year after re-launching the Gaggia commercial range into the foodservice sector, Watermark UK (www.watermark.uk.com) has launched a new support package for dealers and distributors.

The package is based on tailoring the after sales support provided by Watermark to the level that each distributor needs.

“We’ve had an enormous amount of interest from end users and operators, both independent and groups,” says Watermark’s managing director David Lawlor. “It’s not really surprising, given Gaggia’s great name and reputation.

“On the one hand, we need to increase our distribution network to meet demand. At the same time,

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some distributors are wary of taking on a new range because of the service support they will have to give.”

The concept behind Watermark’s ‘new deal for dealers’ is to make it as easy as possible to sell Gaggia coffee machines.

“What we are saying is, if you want to provide the whole package, machines, servicing and after sales support, that’s great, we’ll give you any help you need.

On the other hand, if you just want to sell machines, we can supply the after sales support, direct to the customer, ” continues David Lawlor who adds that Watermark will offer a ‘sliding scale’, whereby new dealers gradually take over customer servicing, if they want to.

“Our new range of silk pyramid teabags offer the full loose tea experience of taste and theatre, with some delicious new flavours which will not only delight your customers and appeal to a broad range of tea drinkers, but also draw a healthy profit margin, as these special silky bags can command a premium price point,” commented Andrea Stopher, customer marketing manager for Twinings.

“By offering a wide range of

premium blends, operators can charge that little bit more versus a standard brew. With consumers prepared to pay up to 15% more for premium teas, ensure you act now to remove the old ‘pot of tea’ from your menus, and replace with an inspiring range of teas and infusions to make your café, lounge or restaurant a destination for tea!”

Developed with the caterer in mind, the silk pyramids enable caterers to provide the theatre and quality of loose tea, whilst giving the consumer control over the brewing process and the opportunity to remove the bag. An eyecatching range of POS (including posters, tent cards and dispenser units) is available to support operators in promoting the range. The new Whole Leaf Silk Pyramids are available in cases of 1 x 100s enveloped bags. The five core lines also come in cases of 4 x 30 in a nonenvelope format.

NEW PRODUCT

SCRIBO: A rewriteable neon-style display taking personalised advertising to the next level The trusty chalkboard is a standard feature outside many businesses in the food service sector but its days are about to be numbered. In the digital age, it's all about engaging audiences as quickly as possible given that attention spans are significantly shorter than before.

Reyassoc UK Ltd have introduced Scribo®™, a revolutionary advertising board that combines the personal touch of the chalkboard with the eye-

catching impact of neon signage.

It means that businesses can now put their offers and specials up in lights - quite literally.

Handwritten messages instantly become more engaging thanks to the LED lighting technology and specialist chalk markers. Scribo lights up handwriting to attract maximum attention so that messages stand out even in busy areas (call 0203 137 7335, or visit www.scribodisplay.com).

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AWARDS

Don’t miss your chance to enter Sponsored by Bel UK and Café Bronte

Awards 2013 The Café Society is a trade body focused on the encouragement of the café experience as a way of life in the UK. As well as providing support for its members, the Society aims to promote the café society to consumers in a way that will encourage the development and embodiment of this casual way of life into British lifestyles.

The Cafe Society, set up in the early 1990s, has six principal objectives: • To promote good quality standards in terms of both beverage making and the café environment in which products are sold.

• To safeguard the integrity of the café market and environment by setting technical standards for beverage making and retailing as well as by encouraging those in the industry to uphold these standards.

• To encourage excellence and innovation in the café market.

• To promote the café market, the way of life it encompasses, and members to consumers.

• To provide a collective voice, and represent the views of, all those involved in the industry to government, both central and regional.

• To provide mechanisms for increasing knowledge and understanding in the café market, particularly through the publication of a regular news magazine about the industry.

In these challenging times, it is all too easy to let standards slip and to put innovation and creativity on a back burner - yet the long term future and integrity of the café market depends on us all maintaining the high standards and reputation that the industry has achieved to date.

The Café Society Awards aims to encourage good practice, innovation and standards by recognising those who continue to push the boundaries and lead the way in promoting all aspects of the Café Society in the UK. The 2013

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awards will take the form of a luncheon at the Rooftop Gardens, Kensington on June 19th when eight awards will be presented.

So why not enter your business in the 2013 Awards and gain the prestige and recognition your business deserves.

ENTRY Entry to the awards is open to anyone in the industry. You can either nominate your own business or put forward someone else who you think the judges should consider for an award. The Secretariat of the Society will collate information on all those entered and present it to a panel of judges. The judges, who will include Cafe Culture editor Clare Benfield, will be chosen for their knowledge of the industry and the independence from those who have entered. The closing date for entries is: 15th April 2013 All entries will be treated in strict confidence and only seen by the Café Society Secretariat and the judging panel. All judges will be bound by a confidentiality agreement.

THE AWARDS The following are the 2013 award categories: THE CAFÉ SOCIETY AWARD This award will be given annually to an individual or organisation that is considered by the judges to have been exceptionally influential in shaping the café market in the UK. Entries should comprise a short explanation – no more than half an A4 sheet of text – giving details of why you think this individual or business deserves recognition.

THE CAFÉ MARKETING AWARD This Award is intended to recognise the work being done by retailers and suppliers to market and promote businesses or products in the café industry.

The judges will take account of the creativeness of the initiative or campaign and its success against its stated objectives.

Entrants should provide a written submission (no more than a single side of A4) stating the activity, how it worked and its success. Supporting material, such as POS examples, can be submitted with entries.

THE CAFÉ DESIGN AWARD This award aims to recognise excellence and encourage innovation in the design of cafes/coffee bars both in the independent and chain sectors. Gold Awards will be presented to all those who the judges consider achieve sufficiently high standards that they consider merit recognition.

Café/coffee bar operators or those designing outlets may enter this award.

In this category the judges are looking for designs that are innovative but commercially viable – providing an attractive and comfortable experience for the consumer.

Entries should comprise a short explanation – no more than half an A4 sheet of text – giving details of why you think this business deserves an award. They should include details of the aims behind the design and how these have been achieved and may be accompanied by photographs.

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AWARDS NEW CAFÉ PRODUCT/EQUIPMENT AWARD This award aims to encourage innovation in the supply sector sector. The scope of the award covers all items used in the café/coffee bar sector (excluding food and beverages) from furniture to coffee equipment. The judges will be looking for innovation as well as evidence of success in the market.

Entries should comprise a short explanation – no more than half an A4 sheet of text – giving details of why the product is innovative and deserves an award. It is important that entries provide data to support success in the market.

Entries may be accompanied by product literature.

BEST NEW CAFÉ FOOD AWARD This award aims to encourage innovation in the food sector and is open both to retailers designing new drinks in-house as well as those supplying products for sale in cafés and coffee bars. The award will be divided into two sections – one for savoury products and one for sweet products. The judges will be looking for innovation as well as evidence of success in the market.

Entries should comprise a short explanation – no more than half an A4 sheet of text – giving details of why the product is innovative and deserves an award. It is important that entries provide data to support success in the market.

Entries may be accompanied by product literature. Those products short-listed for this award will be asked to provide samples for judging.

THE CAFÉ CHAIN AWARD This award aims to recognise excellence among

café/coffee bar chains. A café/coffee bar business is considered to be a chain if it has more than 10 outlets.

In store cafés may enter this award and will be considered under the category of café chain development within this award.

In this category the judges are looking for businesses that set consistently high standards in what they offer the customer, from the quality of the products they offer to the ambiance created. All those short-listed in this award will be visited by an independent judge who will report on factors such as atmosphere, facilities, cleanliness and product range as well as customer service.

Entries should comprise a short explanation – no more than half an A4 sheet of text – giving details of why you think this business deserves an award. Details of the success of the business should be included. Entrants should also provide a list of sites, at least one of which will be chosen at random for a visit by an independent judge. Entries may be accompanied by supporting literature.

BEST NEW CAFÉ BEVERAGE AWARD This award aims to encourage innovation in the beverage sector and is open both to retailers designing new drinks in-house as well as those supplying beverages for sale in cafés and coffee bars. The award will be divided into two sections – one for hot beverages and one for cold.

The judges will be looking for innovation as well as evidence of success in the market.

Entries should comprise a short explanation – no more than half an A4 sheet of text – giving details of why the product is innovative and

ENTRY FORM Name ..........................................................................................

Business Name ..........................................................................

Address ...................................................................................... ....................................................................................................

deserves an award. It is important that entries provide data to support success in the market.

Entries may be accompanied by product literature. Those products short-listed for this award will be asked to provide samples for judging.

INDEPENDENT CAFÉ GOLD AWARDS This award aims to recognise excellence and encourage innovation in the independent sector of the UK café/coffee bar market. A café/coffee bar business is considered independent with fewer than 10 outlets. Gold Awards will be presented to all those who the judges consider achieve sufficiently high standards that they consider merit recognition.

In this category the judges are looking for outlets that set high standards in what they offer the customer, from the quality of the products and the atmosphere in the outlet to the ambiance created. All those short-listed in this award will be visited by an independent judge who will report on factors such as atmosphere, facilities, cleanliness and product range as well as customer service.

Entries should comprise a short explanation – no more than half an A4 sheet of text – giving details of why you think this business deserves an award. Details of the success of the business should be included as well as photographs showing the frontage, customer area and serving area while operating. Entries may be accompanied by supporting literature..

If you would like further information about the Café Society Awards, please contact Pam Sainsbury on 01291 636341 or Pam@jandmgroup.co.uk

Please state which category or categories you wish to enter: The Café Society Award

❑

The Café Marketing Award The Café Design Award

❑

❑

New Café Product/Equipment Award

....................................................................................................

Best New Café Food Award ❑

................................................Post Code ..................................

The Cafe Chain of the Year ❑

Tel: ..............................................................................................

Best New Café Beverage Award ❑

Email: ..........................................................................................

Independent Café Gold Awards ❑

Name of business/product being submitted: ....................................................................................................

❑

Please attach the supporting information (menus, photographs, promotional material etc) for each entry and post it to:

Pam Sainsbury, Café Society Awards, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB Or email your entries to: pam@jandmgroup.co.uk CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 15TH APRIL 2013

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PREVIEW

Food for thought at

With a fresh new look, revised layout and interactive programme of events, IFE13 (17 to 20 March 2013, London ExCeL) – the UK’s premier food and drink exhibition – is set to excite the industry when it returns this year.

Events IFE13 is putting visitor attractions at the heart of the show floor to not only bring the event to life, but also encourage attendee participation and inspire debate.

In particular, the exhibition will host not one, but two pizza championships in partnership with Campionato Mondiale della Pizza on the Meet the World stage.

The European Final of Giropizza of Europe will take place on Tuesday 19 March 2013, seeing up to 80 competitors in an exciting quick-fire pizza making competition.

In just 10 minutes, Europe’s leading pizza chefs will have to make and bake their pizza, before serving it to an international jury of pizza experts.

On the following day, the UK Final of the World Pizza Championship will take to the stage. During the event, which is the preselection of the World Pizza Championship held in Parma (Italy) in April, 25 UK entrants from independent and major pizza chains will battle it out for their place in the final.

This is the first time that either event has taken place in the UK, so will make for an impressive feature at IFE as chefs spin, stretch and top their pizzas.

IFE13 will also celebrate some of the best in new product development with its award scheme Fresh Ideas. With one entry crowned the winner at the show, visitors will be able to explore the most innovative product launches on The Boulevard in order to see where new opportunities lie for their businesses.

Alongside this, The Hub will house a comprehensive programme of seminars and presentations for visitors keen to gain valuable insights. This seminar theatre will see the sectors’ leading figures, including David Heath MP, Chair of the London Food Board Rosie Boycott, WRAP and the Faraday

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Centre for Retail Excellence, share their views on important factors shaping the future of the food & drink sector.

At New Products Live, visitors will have the opportunity to hear about the latest in product innovation. In association with Mintel, the seminars will offer trend forecasting and analysis, as well as guided tastings so attendees can test products, whilst learning about changing consumer preferences and tastes.

Inspiration IFE13 will also play host to some of the UK’s most well-known and highly regarded chefs, who will bring colour and vibrancy to the show during their live cooking demonstrations.

In association with the Craft Guild of Chefs, chefs such as Will Torrent, Steve Munkley, Sophie Wright and Brian Mellor will show off their skills in The Skillery. They will be joined by Stephen Scuffel, Mat Owens, Alyn Williams, Cyrus Todiwala, Ben Bartlett and Lee Maycock, who will also demonstrate culinary prowess to help improve the skills and profit margins of foodservice providers.

Visitors also have an additional chance to see chefs in action at the British Regional Kitchen in the Speciality & Regional Food from Britain section of the show. This feature will give foodservice professionals the opportunity to watch demonstrations that celebrate regional produce and talent, which will, in turn, help inspire their product and service offering.

All under one roof IFE13 aims to encompass the entire food and drink industry, from niche products that cater for special dietary needs, to the trends currently making waves with consumers,

such as ‘cleaner’ energy drinks, gourmet popcorn, biltong, beef jerky, free-from foods and coconut water.

The show is split into nine easy-tonavigate sections so visitors can target their visit: Speciality & Regional Food from Britain; Cheese and Dairy; Meat and Seafood; Bakery and Confectionery; Ingredients; Health and Wellbeing; Drinks; General Food and Walk the World.

1,200 are exhibitors expected the show with well-loved international and local brands such as Tabasco, California Raisins, Burts Potato Chips, Abergavenny Fine Foods, Tipiak and Peppadew already having signed up. There will be plenty of first-time exhibitors too, attending from countries as far ranging as Morocco, Japan, Italy, Sweden and the USA, as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The official country partner of IFE13 is Morocco, which will have its largest ever presence at the show, alongside close to 30 international and UK regional pavilions that will showcase new product innovation from

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PREVIEW Damson & Basil Jelly, Blackberry & Rosehip Jam and Nettle Jelly offering, whereas Joe & Seph's will be launching a new popcorn flavour that taps into the trend for low calorie, but flavoursome treats.

First-time exhibitors include the Polish National Poultry Council, who will be demonstrating the country's ability to export poultry products to countries across Europe.

In addition, Discover the Origin, Daregal Gourmet, Tabasco, Peppadew, R&R IceCream, DJM Food Solutions, Diversi, Itsu Grocery, Thirst Quenchers, Tiana and Beef it Up will also appear for the first time.

around the world. Other countries taking an expanded presence at IFE13 as they target the attractive UK market include Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Austria, India, Taiwan, Sweden and South Korea. In the Walk the World section of the show, hundreds of food and drink suppliers from around the world will be displaying the best food and drink their country has to offer.

A wealth of choice Visitors to IFE can expect to see and test thousands of products that showcase the exhibitors' ability to be innovative and deliver on quality, functionality and taste.

This includes Steenbergs, who will be showcasing its extended organic range, and Burts Chips, who will unveil an exciting new look and assortment of flavours.

Flavour innovation will also be a big focus for companies as they seek to cater for consumers looking to try more adventurous combinations. Hawkshead Relish Company Ltd is taking its inspiration from the hedgerow with its autumnal

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Pro2Pac At the entrance to IFE13 will be the show's sister event Pro2Pac – the UK's only processing and packaging exhibition dedicated solely to the food and drink sector.

Visitors attending IFE13 will also have access to Pro2Pac, where they can learn about the latest packaging ideas and techniques at the Pro2Pac Live seminar theatre, as well as seek one-to-one advice at Pro2Pac One2One experts.

With the recent announcement that Fresh Montgomery has gained ISO 20121 accreditation - a first for an exhibition organiser - Pro2Pac will have a major sustainability focus. The Sustainability Solutions Zone will provide visitors with a unique platform to discover the latest resource-efficient technologies and sustainable practices. This new addition to the event will allow visitors to learn more about responsible recycling and waste reduction, whilst providing insights into cutting-edge renewable energy practices that can help food manufacturers reduce costs, as well as emissions. In association with the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association, visitors will also be able to learn more about the vital efficiency and environment benefits of turning biodegradable waste into energy.

“IFE13 has been redesigned to ensure every aspect of the food and drink industry is catered for. With unrivalled content, a host of visitor attractions and exhibitors from around the world, we're looking forward to opening the doors in March to showcase the best food and drink products in the world and igniting discussions on the industry's biggest topics,” says Chris McCuin, the event’s director.

For more details on the show, how to register and its opening hours, visit www.ife.co.uk.

Snacks, beverages and biscuits Persis Ltd (Stand S2620) is a family-run business, devoted to bringing the finest quality Baklava available to evolve it into a western like taste.

Lawncourt Harvest Ltd (Stand N1119) supplies Munchy Seeds, carefully blending and gently roasting premium quality seeds to make the perfect healthy snack.

Cotswold Fayre (Stand N1140) has developed into a leading wholesaler of British and Irish speciality food and drink products to British and Irish retailers with a range covering bakery, beverages, confectionary, grocery, seasonal, snacks and store cupboard essentials.

Gunz Warenhandels Gmbh (Stand S6019) offers a wide selection of confectionery, biscuits and bakery products, pralines and chocolate, snacks, processed foods, beverages, country-specific and seasonal ranges.

Bounce Foods (Stand S4165) provides tasty, nutritious and filling products that provide slow release energy due to the protein it contains.

Tudor Tea and Coffee (Stand S6028) offers coffee roasting, tea blending and coffee machines for the food service, manufacturing and retail sectors.

Celticpure (Stand S4206) has grown to become an innovative, progressive company that sources its own natural spring water and manufactures its own bottles.

Cobell Ltd (Stand S2906) pride themselves on sourcing the ultimate in quality fruit ingredients from around the world, supplying an extensive range of fruit from everyday apple, pear and banana, to the more unusual quince, damson and yum berry.

Basilur Tea Company (Pvt) Ltd (Stand S4920) was born in the land that claims to produce the world’s finest tea, Sri Lanka, and offers 70 different blends of tea, over 150 delectable products.

New English Teas Ltd (Stand N1419) is a leading supplier of tagged, enveloped tea bags and speciality loose teas in traditional English designs of tins, caddies and cartons.

Farmhouse Biscuits Ltd (Stand N1402) is a family owned company now in its fourth generation, having baked traditional recipe biscuits for over 50 years.

Rude Health (Stand S4153) says that it is on a mission to make great tasting healthy food to revolutionise the nation’s eating habits, making food with the best quality ingredients that contain no refined sugars or additives. Its cereals are also salt free.

Paxton & Whitfield Ltd (Stand N1415) has been pursuing a passion for farmhouse cheese and fine food for over 200 years.

Euro Food Brands Ltd (Stand S4620) specialises in bringing the world’s finest quality food to the UK market, including breads, biscuits, pasta and pickles.

ELC Food Ltd (Stand S2605) is a Midlands-based importer and distributor of cakes, biscuits and morning goods and has been trading since 1987.

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EUROPEAN COFFEE SYMPOSIUM

European Coffee Symposium –

Amsterdam The Passenger Terminal Amsterdam hosted Allegra’s annual European Coffee Symposium. Over the three day event, attendees had plenty of opportunities to network, sample the local café culture in Amsterdam itself, share and hear some of the latest views from those across the industry, as well as applaud the winners of Allegra’s annual peernominated European coffee industry awards.

Symposium The European Coffee Symposium took place on 22 November 2012, carrying the theme of “today’s action for tomorrow’s success!” and addressing three key topic areas - Consumer Engagement, Concept Innovation and Coffee Excellence.

More than 350 industry leaders and senior executives from across the panEuropean coffee sector were present at the

thought-provoking event to explore, discuss and debate the key themes and trends shaping the future of the marketplace Jeffrey Young, managing director of Allegra Strategies, opened the day with a brief presentation sharing some of the latest findings from Allegra’s Project Café12 Europe report, which was also launched at the event.

In these times of economic crisis, the pan-European coffee shop market remains positive with more than 52% of senior executives stating they were optimistic for the future, reported Allegra, with Jeffrey Young revealing that the European coffee shop market now comprises of more than 13,800 outlets and that is expected to grow at a 4.8% compound rate on average for the next three years. Seven major trends

Germans like coffee and bagels In his overview of his own, German-based coffee shop business, CEO, Stefan Tewes, reported that there were strong opportunities in the German bakery sector right now. He had started his particular ‘bagel and coffee’ concept some 13 years ago, with the first one having opened in Munich, and now with most of the concentration of their total of 70 stores located in the west, as well as some in the north of the country.

They have a number of ways of operating, mostly through traditional franchised stores, plus what they call ‘soft’ franchising, whereby they take on more of the risk and the operator of the store just rents the shop. They have calculated that a successful store needs to generate at least 1000 euros net a day, and that is their minimum requirement and trading rule.

When they initially started out, recalled Stefan Tewes, they asked themselves what they could do to differentiate themselves from the concepts ‘next door’, namely Starbucks and their like, which is when they identified the opportunity to offer something sweet or salty via their bagel and a coffee approach.

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Many Germans prefer a salty style bagel to a sweet one, and the Coffee Fellows concept allows the customer to first choose their bagel bread, followed by the seasoning and then a topping. However, this business still generates a significant amount of its revenue from coffee sales, said Stefan Tewes, who felt that it was more difficult to differentiate this as a product offering (their food to beverage ratio being 30% to 70%).

Although it is widely felt by many that the German market seems to favour bean to cup and automatic machines, another way in which Coffee Fellows had chosen to differentiate themselves was by the deliberate use of traditional espresso machines due to the enhanced beverage quality, as well as the overall experience such a machine provided for the customer.

Stefan Tewes revealed that some material and operating costs had in actual fact gone down in Germany in recent times, and they had also been able to start rolling out a new store design while at the same time maintaining a very good relationship with their franchisees as well as the German franchise

bodies who are helping them to promote this method of business approach in the coffee sector there.

For operators like Coffee Fellows, the German market was growing, said Stefan Tewes, with the mainstream branded chain sector now consolidating. The country had been able to enjoy reasonably stable economic conditions to elsewhere, he reported, with low unemployment and consumer spending on the rise after two decades of conservative spending. In summary, he felt there was competition, but still plenty of room for what he termed the “number two, three and four brands”, and food ‘to go’ sales were also good right now.

“The German (coffee) consumer, overall, has a pretty low brand awareness, compared to say their Asian or UK/US counterparts.

They like their coffee and a bagel option, they like an alternative to expensive products,” explained Stefan Tewes, who added that there are a lot of discount bakery stores there.

Coffee Fellows now has plans to open more stores in the north and west of Germany, as well as in Austria and Switzerland.

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3. A greater emphasis on skilled and passionate staff .

4. The rise of the fourth wave and the ‘science of coffee’.

5. An increased focus on the at-home coffee market.

6. Developments in technology.

7. An increased focus on stakeholder image management.

and happenings for 2013 were predicted: 1. Continued tough economic climate.

2. The spread of premium speciality coffee across a broader set of channels, including the development of coffee in restaurants.

Customer engagement The customer engagement focused first session began with a speech by Guido Bernardinelli, managing director of the artisan coffee machine supplier, La Marzocco. In his presentation, entitled Cultivating Brand Loyalty, he explained the company values of the ‘Global Artisan’,

arguing that connecting your core company values with your customer drives ultimate brand loyalty, with staff playing a vital role in the communication of these values. The key to success, he said, is to stay true to your identity as a business and to be transparent in every way.

The theme of brand loyalty was echoed

by Stefan Tewes, CEO, Coffee Fellows, in a presentation that explored the German Coffee Shop market and the challenges and opportunities it faces.

Rounding off session one, Nicolas Steisel, co-founder of Belgium and France-centric organic food-focused chain, EXKi, took to the stage.

Nicolas Steisel stated that central to the brand’s success is the highlighting of quality

Global but local In a defiant sounding, and sometimes strongly-worded presentation, presentation that talked about a confident Starbucks brand “showing up”, invader-like, at new locations, Liz Muller (Starbucks’ director of global concept design) said that these days its business was all about the environment and the challenge of how to be global, but at the same time making sure they were locally relevant.

More uniformity was not what was required, but rather greater personalisation, as already seen with other major brands in other areas (Apple’s personalisation potential of its iPhone product being put forward as a typical example).

“The challenge is to escape the ordinary and sameness, but how can this be achieved?” asked Liz Muller, who then went on to give some insight into the way in which Starbucks has bridged the ‘global local gap’ and the associated aspirations the brand had identified as now pertaining to its target customers.

“Each person aspires to their own taste and lifestyle. This desire is driving the art of living and keeping away conformity,” proposed Liz Muller. “Therefore we need to

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understand the customer and how they live. Our biggest challenge, when we started on this five years ago was making the ‘cookie cutter’ big brand have local relevance.

“Our aim has been to bring the soul of Starbucks to our partners and customers by creating and sustaining inspirational and environmental experience.”

In particular, this had, and still is, being achieved via their global store design vision, with Amsterdam being home to a prime example of this current Starbucks approach at its The Bank store (a revamped former bank). This impressive, if dimly-lit, 430 square metre concept store that sits partially underground features, amongst other things, a sustainable design (reclaimed wood and Dutch tiles, for example), an artisan La Marzocco espresso machine and brew bar as well as a variety of seating areas from the cosy to the communal in addition to the ‘regular’ Starbucks product offering and store set up.

“The Starbucks brand has to be woven into the store design,” explained Liz Muller.

“We need to differentiate, be local and honest and not try to be something we’re

not, and so it’s in the details that we are realising this vision.”

This, then, explained why much of the overt branding had become more subdued, and why such flagship stores were also increasing the space for their customers by providing them with a range of different seating areas to suit all occasions.

“The challenge is to draw in and engage customers so that they stay,” Liz Muller continued. “You have three seconds to draw in a customer and by showing differently, locally, we hope to achieve that.”

Liz Muller concluded by making reference to another recent Starbucks store opening in Mumbai, India, where local materials and bright colours that are synonymous with India had been used to make the store locally appealing and relevant to that market.

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EUROPEAN COFFEE SYMPOSIUM and health to the consumer at every touch point. He took the audience through the chain’s branding strategy and outlined a fourpronged approach that enables the company to effectively convey its key message of ‘short term pleasure and long term benefit’.

Nicolas Steisel suggested that brand success comes from investing in brand image, raising awareness and measuring its quality levels alongside its profit margin.The forth 'prong', he said, was staff management and engagement, which creates brand equity and enhances competitive advantage. This major theme continued throughout the day.

Concept innovation This part of the symposium looked at innovative coffee shop and food-focused concepts, environments and designs that inspire.

Liz Muller, director of global concept design at Starbucks, began with a powerful presentation that explored her firm’s ‘Global’ approach to design.

She provided several examples of new ‘locally inspired’ Starbucks concept stores, including Amsterdam’s very impressive ‘The Bank’ store. She passionately took delegates through the strategy and inspirations behind each concept, the design process and outlined the importance of ‘setting the stage’ on which baristas create and serve.

Core to each store design, she said, should be the ‘story of the coffee’ and embracing of the local culture. She stressed the importance of paying attention to your surroundings and listening to your customer, because ‘the stores are their space not ours’.

Muller also discussed the need to ‘pay back’ the local community and to take care of the people within it.

Paul Bringmann, CEO of Netherlands’ fresh food-focused chain La Place followed from a ‘unique concept’ perspective, speaking about the brand’s ethics and unique recipes for success behind its evolution to more than 200 stores across several different store models, including standalone venues and catering at special events.

Paul Bringmann also stressed the importance of product origin and freshness as well as the need to personally know and trust your suppliers. He also spoke about La Place’s pioneering staff training programmes and his vision for the company’s future.

Matthijs de Jongh, head of strategy and partner at Dutch design agency KesselsKramer finished the concept-focused session with his design and communication led presentation, entitled ‘How to Wake Your Customer Up Without Coffee’.

De Jongh argued that involving your customer, always being honest and aiming to surprise were key to communication. He demonstrated the effectiveness of these

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three simple rules with engaging design case studies, both from within and outside of the coffee industry to offer some refreshing external learning and insight.

A lively panel discussion, which asked Are Coffee Chains Still Relevant? rounded off the morning, in which delegates were reminded that ‘every chain started out as an independent once upon a time’.

Coffee excellence The afternoon saw a selection of the industry’s most pioneering speciality coffee experts, baristas and roasters take to the floor.

In his presentation, Pull Sale not Push Sale, Matt Johansson, CEO of renowned Swedish coffee shop and roastery, da Matteo, explored and discussed fresh strategies for artisinal growth, from the standpoint that the artisan coffee scene is at risk of coming to a standstill and that effort must be put in to ensure its continued development.

He also argued that a focus on increasing quality and building loyalty to push growth and sales was a far more effective method for the artisinal/ speciality/ independent sector that sending out sales reps or developing elaborate advertising campaigns.

Tom Clark, co-owner of Coutume Café, an independent coffee shop and roastery based

in Paris followed, with insight into the emerging French speciality coffee market and artisan scene. He outlined three key challenges faced in this new and wary marketplace - customer perception, the labour market and the wholesale process.

The final presentation saw Jasper Uhlenbusch, head of brand development for the Netherlands’ own Coffee Company discuss his strategy for excellence. He suggested that the success of the company not only came from the localisation and neighbourhood feel of the stores, but also was a product of passionate staff. He spoke about the company’s approach to training and how baristas are encouraged to invest in the company itself, as well as their role.

The day of fascinating insight concluded with an exciting panel discussion, around the question How Sustainable Is Our Industry?

The afternoon session speakers were joined by well-known Dutch barista, Moniek Smit, to explore the issue of sustainable coffee and also strategies for growing, innovating and sustaining the coffee industry itself.

Recognition More than 350 senior executives from across the coffee and food-to-go sectors then gathered for a night of celebration on 21 November at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam, where the award winners were honoured during a black tie gala dinner and ceremony, featuring special guest host BBC comedian, Henning Wehn.

The European Coffee Awards recognised those companies and individuals who were felt to have made the most outstanding contributions within the European coffee shop and food-to-go markets. Each year, the winners are identified solely on peer nominations with Allegra having invited more than 10,000 industry executives to nominate through a targeted campaign (the eventual awards winners being the companies and individuals who received the most nominations within each category).

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Leveraging a minority In his presentation, espresso machine company, La Marzocco’s MD, Guido Bernardinelli, acknowledged that unlike many of the companies and brands in attendance at the symposium, the brand ‘La Marzocco’ (www.lamarzocco.com) is slightly different as it does not have the wide exposure with the consumer that many coffee companies, typically, in the coffee -retailing arena of the industry enjoy. Although, as he later outlined, that situation is changing as they successfully take steps to “leverage a minority to influence a majority”.

“It’s kind of awkward if you think about it, as if we are one step behind,” said Guido Bernardinelli. “I have to admit that all the brand recognition we do have is unintentional and unplanned, but something we do have. So we spend time and energy thinking about how we can leverage that ‘luck’ and privilege that has blessed the company.”

He went on to talk about this process going beyond branding and marketing if, like some Apple customers, and indeed some La Marzocco machineusing baristas, consumers and end-users have famously taken the step of having the brand in question tattooed on their skin!

“We make machines, one by one, by hand, in Florence, and are rooted in Italian culture. We have our own challenges, and are a small company, but being small is a value in what we do. It gives us the opportunity to communicate values to customers and do things that would be difficult to do in a

much larger organisation,” added Guido Bernardinelli.

Therefore, in order to cultivate their brand loyalty, they had first needed to define it by identifying it as being an artisan philosophy, placing them on a frontier that Guido Bernardinelli described as “difficult, dangerous, invisible to the naked eye and practically inscrutable to market research”, as well as something that required “intuition, sensitivity, and a willingness to accept managed risk as an essential part of their work”.

At the same time, the firm had recognised that they needed to use sophisticated communication paths as good as those currently used by multinational corporations, and not least the Internet, to spread their culture and inspire people to make better coffee with their machines. The brand values they are communicating are namely their innovation, their heritage and history (but not old as in the sense of making ‘old’ machines), and their people.

Being on the frontier also means needing to be on the edge in terms of technology by providing new and better solutions to improve the cup.

When selling a luxury product, it was almost impossible to do so without access to a history and heritage, which in turn is a brand value and something they recognise that they have a responsibility to maintain, acknowledged Guido Bernardinelli (they had, on occasion, he reported, been prepared to refuse business because they didn’t want to compromise their values and

Country awards Best Coffee Chain - UK & IE Winner - Costa Coffee Runner-up - Caffè Nero Third place and highly commended Starbucks Coffee Company Best Coffee Chain - Germany & Austria Winner - McCafé Runner-up - Starbucks Coffee Company Third place and highly commended Coffeeshop Company

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their identity due to its central role).

Last but not least, pointed out Guido Bernardinelli, he felt that their biggest value was their people. “We really put people at the centre,” he said. “They are our artisans and our first ambassadors because culture and success has to come from within and interaction with our supply and distribution chain is critical. If we compromise on those values, we will lose.”

Also identifying how Apple had been particularly good over the years at connecting with its customers – the type of committed, ‘always there’, customers he later described as being “for better, for worse” - he went on to observe that in his opinion, marketing as a category was not even on the map 20 years ago, and that even now it is often confused with market research, advertising and the production of sales brochures that inform but do not necessarily communicate a company’s core values.

In the Internet era, people can connect, there are no barriers, and they can find out more without the aid of brochures, so communicating their values via their artisanthemed web site was vital, as was telling their story via their

Best Coffee Chain - France & Switzerland Winner - McCafé Runner-up - Starbucks Coffee Company Third place and highly commended - PAUL Best Coffee Chain – Italy Winner - espressamente illy Runner-up - Caffè Pascucci Third place and highly commended - McCafé Best Coffee Chain – Benelux Winner – Coffee Company Runner-up - Starbucks Coffee Company

employees acting as ambassadors, having been asked by their resellers to let the makers meet the end users. As a result, their machine makers had visited distributors and end users across the world, as well as some of the coffee drinkers themselves to provide real insight into how these highly regarded machines are crafted.

In turn, this approach meant that they were now not just a brand, but an influence, willing to place great emphasis on serving and listening to the customer as opposed to simply processing them, and making sure that they dealt with their interests and issues as if they were their own.

In conclusion, Guido Bernardinelli observed that the financial benefits to ROI (return on investment) of such a commitment was “obvious”, the company having now enjoyed double digit growth over the past three years despite the prevailing recession. And in order to demonstrate the importance of doing something every day to support and focus on your brand, he related a metaphorical story of seeking to eventually fell a tree with an axe (if you strike a tree five times a day with an axe, ultimately it will fall).

Third place and highly commended - EXKi Best Independent Coffee Shop - Benelux Winner - Caffènation (Antwerp) Runner-up - Hopper Coffee (Rotterdam) Third place and highly commended - The Village Coffee & Music (Utrecht) European awards Best Coffee Chain – Europe Winner - Costa Coffee Runner-up - Starbucks Coffee Company

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EUROPEAN COFFEE SYMPOSIUM Third place place and highly commended McCafé Best Independent Coffee Shop Winner - Prufrock Coffee Runner-up - Workshop Coffee Co. Third place and highly commended - elbgold Best Coffee Roaster Winner - United Coffee Runner-up - Lincoln & York Third place and highly commended (joint) Has Bean Coffee & Tim Wendelboe Best Coffee Equipment Supplier Winner - La Marzocco Runner-up - Thermoplan Third place and highly commended - La Cimbali Best Food Supplier Winner - Erlenbacher

Runner-up - Dawn Food Products Best Non-Coffee Supplier Winner - Brita Runner-up - Solo Cup Europe Third place and highly commended Coca-Cola Most Ethical Brand Winner - Pret A Manger Runner-up - Starbucks Coffee Company Third place and highly commended - Costa Coffee Individual awards The following persons were recognised at the awards ceremony for their contribution to the coffee industry in their country, or across Europe.

Outstanding Industry Contribution Matts Johansson (CEO, da Matteo) Colin Smith (founder, Smiths Coffee Company) Johanna Wechselberger (owner, Vienna School of Coffee) Henk Langkemper (founder, Espresso Service West) Moniek Smit (founder, Coffee Consulting) Vicki Fuller (senior Director, McDonald’s APMEA) Julian Metcalfe (co-founder, Pret A Manger) Lifetime Achievement Award Awarded for outstanding career achievement by the award body.

Louie Salvoni (managing director, Espresso Service)

Building brand equity In his presentation, Nicolas Steisel, cofounder of the fast casual restaurant chain, Exki (French for “delicious”), which has enjoyed success with outlets in Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and The Netherlands, talked about the aspects of his concept that were essential to defining their brand. In fact, he said that since the first day of operation, building brand equity had been their main strategy.

Setting out to offer food that could be described as “natural, fresh and ready”, this concept started back in 2000/1, and centres around healthy, freshly made food with a vegetable emphasis and healthy recipes.

They have strived to reduce fats and added sugar, and use better fats, so there are no trans-fats or palm oil. 27% of all their ingredients are labelled organic, including the coffee.

Their commercial success was instant with sales above expectations and demonstrating demand for their idea.

However, gross margins in the food business proved not to be so easy, and not as they thought, and although they did not go out of business, they had to re-capitalise, taking on board new business partners who are still involved today. And now, since 2004, they have been enjoying positive net profit and have some 64 restaurants in five countries.

“Our concept reconciles notions of rapidity with quality and health,” explained Nicolas Steisel. “These are three elements that are growing in demand in the cities, particularly among women, who are our target customers. Rapidity is a must, especially for women and quality was an opportunity in 2000 because the fast food sector had abandoned this field but there was a demand for high end items. At the end

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of the nineties, concern for health became a big issue following all the food crises, and issues such as obesity are a growing problem now, with a social cost.”

The Exki outlets feature cosy environments with decorated walls and flowers, but with no aggressive advertising or selling techniques, together with good music and good coffee.

They describe their USP (unique selling proposition) as being to “offer the customer a desirable product, a promise of short term pleasure and long term benefit for the customer,” and their main challenge now is continue to improve in both of these regards.

However, the good news is, they report, that the teams who man their stores appreciate this as much as their customers, and so many of the sustainable development programmes they have got involved in have been instigated by their managers and employees themselves. Several years ago they compiled a booklet called Rethink, in which all of these projects are outlined and summarised.

After a recent visit to a coffee grower in Bolivia, Nicolas Steisel said that he was able to come back with a good understanding of the risks of the business of the grower. Their costs – particularly their labour, harvesting and processing costs – are high, and have to be paid in advance of any revenue from the subsequent coffee sales, meaning that the producer, year after year, never knows for sure whether or not they will be in a position to pay all of their debts or not. In addition, the price of coffee is volatile, he pointed out, with volatility in a market being a sign of an inefficient or over efficient market, and that a solution needed to be found to this problem.

For this reason, they had decided to work

directly with their coffee importer and invest directly with the Bolivian producers so as to forge a relationship with them and be able to secure the best quality coffee via this commitment.

In a thought-provoking summary, to build brand equity, Nicolas Steisel put forward four factors to address – brand image, brand awareness, quality management and staff engagement. Their brand image was of quality and innovation with brand awareness being more quantitative in terms of being connected to consistent communication and supply of information.

The other two aspects were often forgotten, he felt, with quality needing to be defined, then measured and improved upon every day, its measurement to be made via the financials. Staff engagement was something more intangible, but related to the fact that money is not the only driver for people in a company. People want work that makes sense, and that means enabling them to take part in more social, non-profit making projects for the overall good which, in turn lead to a ‘win, win, win’ situation for all.

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Water Paying attention to the quality of water that coffee shops and cafés use can be critical to the consistent production of great tasting coffees, as well as to prolonging the life of any complex or expensive beverage-making equipment. It can also help to enhance your environmentally-friendly credentials.

Recipe quality water Gourmet coffee houses aim to deliver consistent taste experiences for customers and to achieve this they must rely on high quality water filtration systems within their coffee vending machines.

New Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration solutions, such as the ScaleGard LP2-BL Dual Port Reverse Osmosis System from diversified technology company 3M (www.3M.co.uk/filtration), help produce dependable Recipe Quality Water using a proven filtration technique that delivers consistent lifetime performance while also reducing operating costs.

In daily use, such RO systems also contribute to reducing water consumption, delivering savings in both supply and waste water costs, claim 3M. “In RO filtration, raw water, under pressure, is forced through microscopic pores in a synthetic membrane. Larger dissolved solids and contaminants with heavy molecular weight are

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continually flushed away as reject water,” explains Andrew Whitehouse, sales and marketing manager for 3M’s purification division.

“The filtered water travels between the double-sided membrane until it reaches a centre core, which then delivers the product water to the storage tanks. Unlike a conventional ion-exchange resin filter, which becomes less effective in reducing water hardness as the filter ages, RO filtering provides consistent mineral reduced water throughout its lifetime.”

3M’s Reverse Osmosis System is driven by incoming water pressure, having been designed to deliver high reliability with low ownership costs and immunity to power outage. The unit provides mineral-free water supply for direct use in flash steamers, which prevents limescale build-up and thereby enhances energy efficiency while minimising equipment downtime and servicing costs.

For coffee making, the system

provides a second RO-filtered supply, which is recombined with a controlled quantity of mains water to maintain a consistent mineral composition. This source of Recipe Quality Water is then passed through a 3M cystrated filter to deliver tailored quality softened, particle-free water as the starting point for great-tasting coffee.

“Coffee shop owners who require increased convenience, reduced downtime and recipe-quality water for longer, should consider a large capacity water filter, such as our ScaleGard Pro (SGP) P1175 anti-scale filter,” says Andrew Whitehouse.

“The filter provides a high capacity of 6000 litres, which extends the filter change-out interval, and also features 3M’s Sanitary Quick Change (SQC) cartridge attachment.

The filter’s proportional bypass provides consistent hardness reduction for repeatable water quality and scale prevention, while also

ensuring that all water passes through 3M’s carbon-block post filter for chlorine, taste and odour removal. A nonbypass version provides a cost-effective alternative capable of protecting the heating elements of equipment such as steamers.”

Harris+Hoole is currently fitting out its high street coffee stores with 3M water filters to help them deliver great tasting beverages to customers, every time. An RO system is removing limescale and providing purified water at the debut store in Amersham and in stores recently opened in Uxbridge and Ruislip.

Explaining why the artisan coffee shop chain uses water filtered through 3M's Reverse Osmosis system, Harris+Hoole director Andrew Tolley commented: “This gives us the optimum mineral quantity for getting the best flavours out of the coffee. If water is too hard, or has too many minerals, then the coffee will taste flat. We monitor the

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reverse osmosis filtration system daily to make sure the water is at the ideal level.”

Andrew Tolley had previously used 3M Reverse Osmosis systems for the successful London coffee shops Taylor St Baristas, and he worked closely with 3M to provide feedback about its products for further improvements.

At Harris+Hoole, a single RO filtration system is used at each coffee shop to prevent limescale build-up and provide optimal quality water to espresso machines, Bunn bulk brewers, water boilers and flash steamers. These are all expensive pieces of equipment to buy and maintain so eliminating multiple filtration units represents significant cost and time savings for the coffee shop chain. The system’s capability to provide two water qualities for speciality coffee and flash steam applications will also help the

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Harris+Hoole outlets are being fitted with 3M water filtration systems. coffee shops become more energy efficient, while keeping equipment downtime and servicing to a minimum.

An additional advantage of the 3M system is that the RO membrane and carbon cartridges can each be replaced easily at filter end of life, with no spill and no mess, which saves the cost of service calls and helps to boost productivity.

Furthermore, daily use of the ROs system at Harris+Hoole will contribute to reducing water consumption at each coffee shop, delivering savings in both supply and waste water costs compared to traditional RO systems.

Environmental input Paul Proctor, managing director of EcoPure Waters (www.ecopurewaters.com),

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WATER

EcoPure’s system enables businesses to brand their own bottled water. argues that caterers should be avoiding bought-in bottled water, and can help to boost their ‘green’ credentials in the process.

“Providing bottled drinking water is a major task for all caterers. Customers want high quality, chilled, still and sparkling water, and traditionally this demand has been met with bought-in bottles. However, as environmental concerns over the manufacture, transportation, storage and disposal of these bottles become more widely recognised, caterers are looking at alternative solutions to meet their sustainability targets,” says Paul Proctor.

“One answer is for caterers to install a water filtration system to produce their own environmentally friendly and costeffective filtered water. Our equipment has a seven-stage water filtration system connected to the water mains, providing unlimited, freshly filtered and chilled still and sparkling water on demand, with an unmatched clarity and purity of taste.”

The water is served in elegant, reusable, machine-washable glass bottles, with the premium ‘look and feel’ of these bottles being a major selling point, feel EcoPure, as they look much better than plastic bottles and can be branded with a company logo and/or convey a sustainability message.

The system offers organisations substantial financial advantages over buying bottled water, and it’s not just the purchase price that is saved, they point out, but the cost of ordering, delivery, handling, storage, refrigeration and disposal. Organisations can start making savings from serving as little as ten litres a day, typically generating savings of around 80% or more against current bought-in bottled water costs,

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claim EcoPure.

“From an environmental and carbon impact perspective, the system also removes the energy impact associated with manufacturing, transporting and recycling plastic water bottles. The system adds just 3% to the carbon impact of tap water, making it 580% less environmentally damaging than most bottled water brands,” adds Paul Proctor.

“These facts can significantly enhance an organisation’s sustainability aspirations and allow them to set and meet measurable targets for continuous improvement. This is because the EcoPure Waters’ system meters the quantity of drinking water being provided, allowing businesses to monitor and calculate their exact environmental savings. These figures can be certified by EcoPure Waters and incorporated onto a ‘Green Passport’, which can be used to display the exact savings achieved.”

EcoPure Waters has been manufacturing, supplying and maintaining these market-leading systems for over twenty years, helping clients save money, reduce their environmental impact and create powerful branding opportunities.

Advanced water systems specialist, Vivreau (www.vivreau.co.uk), has announced the introduction of a brand new tap design to their portfolio of products.

Described as the next generation of their already successful V20, the Vi Tap has been designed and built to offer all the great benefits of filtered water, in a simple, easy to use and fit format. Utilising the very latest advances in

touch control technology, the new Vi Tap beverage system incorporates a futuristic style user interface, which, because of no dirt traps within the touch pad, is more hygienic too.

The Vi Tap is a mains-fed water system that dispenses purified boiling, as well as still and sparkling chilled water, at the touch of a button. By combining these three styles of water into a single font format, the Vi Tap can free up valuable floor and counter-top space. The key features of this product are its energy efficient sleep mode, safety hot button, stainless steel removable drip tray and intelligent safety feature. In addition, it can fill water bottles without the need for font extension.

The Vi Tap also incorporates high performance, icebank refrigeration technology, which is capable of delivering up to 80 litres of chilled water per hour, say the company. In addition, the new high spec boiler can dispense hot water at three to four cups per minute, at temperatures up to 97oC, thus eliminating the need for a kettle and meaning that it is robust enough to cope with the needs of even the most demanding hospitality and corporate environments.

“The Vi Tap not only looks fantastic, but boasts a perfect flow of water with zero splash,” says Stephen Charles, Vivreau’s managing director. “It incorporates a power saving option to reduce electricity consumption and obviously because it filters and purifies at source, it reduces an outlets carbon footprint significantly, in comparison to buying in bottled water.

“The Vi Tap can fit on a worktop with all the mechanics neatly installed in one of the base cupboard units. As a mainsfed system the Vi Tap completely eliminates any transportation and waste issues normally associated with bottled mineral waters, whilst the Vi Tap’s sleep mode reduces the energy consumption of the tap.”

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Why water quality counts Anthony Spruce, UK sales director for the family-owned water filtration business, BRITA Professional (www.brita.co.uk/professional), outlines why it’s increasingly important for outlets to take an interest in their water.

The hidden ingredient Water is an essential part of any black drink, whether it’s a cup of tea, delicious espresso or smooth Americano and is also a crucial part of food – both in its preparation and as an ingredient in dishes such as stocks and soups. If a café’s food and drink menu is going to be profitable it needs to deliver great tasting food and drink so water can’t be ignored.

How does filtered water impact the café sector?

A problem that faces a large proportion of the UK is hard water. While UK drinking water is perfectly safe to drink and use in cooking, filtered water has huge benefits when it comes to the impact it can have on the final dish or drink. It also helps to protect catering equipment and coffee machines.

Water straight from the tap can have a negative impact on the taste, aroma and visual appearance of hot drinks and cooked food. Teas and coffees, soups and stocks can all taste, look and smell better when made using BRITA filtered water.

Not only does using filtered water benefit the end product, the working life of café equipment can be dramatically increased. Tap water contains impurities that can cause the build-up of limescale - a problem that is responsible for up to 70% of all coffee machine and combi-oven breakdowns. By using a BRITA water filter operators can avoid expensive break down and maintenance costs as well as making their equipment more energy efficient.

Getting the most out of hot drinks Coffee shops and cafés are very much in growth on the high street and consumers are increasingly becoming savvier when it comes to coffee and tea. All black drinks are made up of 98% water so it’s clear how crucial water is to the consumer experience.

We Brits love our tea, and with the average tea drinker consuming four cups a day and one in ten getting through more than ten cups a day, the market for tea in cafés and coffee shops is huge. Despite this when it comes to choosing what hot drink to buy out of home, lattes, cappuccinos and Americanos remain more popular.

Our recent research found that only 1% of UK consumers believe that out of home establishments make the perfect cup of tea,

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preferring tea made by family, friends and work colleagues. A quarter of consumers prefer to drink tea at home because out of home establishments don’t meet their personal preferences, such as not having anywhere to put their used tea bag, or not being asked how they like their tea served (15%). Tea drinking forms part of a personal routine, so it’s no surprise consumers prefer to drink tea at home!

To increase the uptake of tea in cafés and justify the price point operators need to improve the overall tea drinking experience from how it is served to the quality and taste.

Tea specialist, Jane Pettigrew is working with BRITA on perfecting the perfect cuppa and she says: “Many factors can affect tea from the water used and the temperature to the quality of the tea itself and what you put in it. People often don’t realise that by changing a simple aspect like the water used can improve the taste of the tea and the overall experience.”

While coffee is the most popular hot beverage out of home, being able to charge a premium price and making sure customers come back for more can be a tricky balance.

With quality and taste of coffee being voted as the second most common reason for choosing a coffee shop – only after convenience - it is clear that consumers are looking for a high standard cup of coffee and experience. Operators are responding to this demand, offering a wider range of drink types, choice of beans and speciality brewing techniques to deliver a more premium drinking experience.

However, the time, money and effort invested in sourcing the right beans and flavours can be wasted if the water is not of the same quality. To allow a strong crema and true complexity and depth of flavours from the beans to develop in the coffee cup, filtered water needs to be used every time.

Working with operators and manufacturers we fit filters to all coffee equipment from top of the range traditional espresso machines to clever automatic bean to cup. BRITA Filtered Water, for example, will balance the mineral content of the extracted coffee, so whether it’s an espresso, latte or cappuccino, operators can ensure they are serving the best tasting coffee to the UK’s increasingly coffee savvy consumers.

Equipping your café A great menu is an essential part of a café’s revenue stream and great care needs to be taken over the quality served up to customers.

It’s not just hot beverages that benefit from great water – food and the equipment used to prepare it does too.

A wide range of kitchen equipment uses

An unfiltered water supply is very often in evidence when it comes to our national drink – tea – point out BRITA Professional (unfiltered water on the left, with filtered on the right) water. For example a combi-oven uses up to 30,000 litres of water each year to steam and braise. With such a high volume of water being used these machines are susceptible to limescale build-up which can lead to machine breakdown and costly repairs. Fitting a BRITA filter, for example, to combi-ovens, bratt pans and other essential equipment can reduce the risk of damage, maximise machine uptime and reduce costs.

Filtered water can also improve the quality of the final dish. A lot of time goes into sourcing the best ingredients, so operators need to ensure the flavours of their produce aren’t lost within the preparation and cooking process. By using a filter and removing the impurities that occur in tap water, operators can make sure the full flavours and colours of ingredients are retained whether they have been steamed, braised or boiled. This is also important for varieties of stocks, sauces and soups which all contain a large quantity of water. The use of filtered water allows subtle flavours to develop better than when prepared with tap water, making the final dish as flavoursome as possible.

Help and support At BRITA, our main range of BRITA Purity C filters has been specially developed by our technical team to meet the needs of the foodservice market. We fit these filters to a range of equipment including espresso machines, combi ovens, vending machines and bulk brewers in order to protect the machinery and enhance the final product. We’re always striving to lead the market with our equipment and our latest launch - Purity C Fresh and Finest, for example, having been recently been developed as part of our range.

On-going maintenance and servicing is important so to keep our filters performing to their potential, we register each individual unit with our unique monitoring system to make sure it is replaced at the right time. This sophisticated system accurately monitors water hardness and usage at regular intervals, alerting our team and the customer when the filter needs to be changed. A member of our dedicated engineer team can then carry out the exchanges needed, quickly and efficiently. This helps operators protect their bottom line, cutting down on maintenance bills and extending the working life of their machines.

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PROFILE

The Tea Monkey business Serial entrepreneur, Tracey Bovingdon, has taken on the coffee shop big boys by opening the UK’s first ever high street tea chain. Having always loved finding gaps to fill Tracey Bovingdon says that she sees huge scope for the success and expansion of Tea Monkey (www.tea-monkey.com) in a nation full of tea drinkers.

Welcoming and different The Tea Monkey brand is fun and different and has brought a modern twist on the tradition of tea drinking by bringing it to the high street. Currently, it has two stores – one in Milton Keynes and one in Bath.

Tracey Bovingdon has created a modern space where it is possible to enjoy a wide variety of high quality teas at a reasonable price. The high street has long been dominated by coffee shops but Tracey Bovingdon says that she is now using her vision to build a viable alternative.

Tea Monkey cafés are welcoming to all and have a contemporary feel with iPads on the wall and free WiFi in every store.

Tea may have been around for a long time but people are currently rediscovering its health benefits and its popularity is increasing.

“There’s no one else doing things differently,” reports Tracey Bovingdon. “All my previous businesses have targeted niche areas. There was no tea chain, lots of independents, but no high street presence across the country.

“Tea has a different feel to coffee. I

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Tracey Bovingdon

think tea has a really nice ritual around it in a way that coffee doesn’t really any more. It encourages people to slow down a little. People take time for tea, they chat over tea... Five minutes and you find yourself in a better place. We call ourselves ‘the original chatroom’.”

The tea Tea Monkey sells over 40 types of loose tea and an extensive range of pyramid tea sacks and wellness teas. The wellness teas are becoming increasingly popular, observe the company - for example, their calming, stimulating, and detox ranges.

Chai tea is served in a number of flavours too, similar to chai lattes, and which are popular with customers in the winter. Tea Monkey blooming teas are beautiful to look at, allowing the drinker to watch the buds bloom inside their glass to unfold and reveal a flower.

However, Tea Monkey also wanted to be sure that they didn’t exclude coffee drinkers and so they sell as many lattes as they do English teas, and have ensured that they provide a tasty array of award winning coffees as well.

Tea Monkey also provides an assortment of foods, both sweet and savoury, much of which has been selected because it goes exceedingly well with tea.

Customers can take their pick from a selection of freshly prepared treats, from cakes and crumpets to toast with Nutella or Marmite.

For lunch, it is possible to order from a selection of paninis, wraps, salads and soups which are all made on site, and

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PROFILE was paying a very high premium for a very poor standard cup of tea. So I thought, ‘why isn’t there a Starbucks equivalent that focuses on tea?’ I couldn’t help myself. I wrote the business plan while I was in Oman. And when we came back to the UK in March 2010 I set the business up!”

Therefore, Tea Monkey has been nurtured to be different to all the more established coffee chains.

“Our customer service is the main difference, we’re extremely personable. We are constantly trying to find ways to ‘delight’ our customers. We take that really seriously. The high street coffee chains are battery hens, we are free range chickens!

They’re so big, they will obviously find it hard to have as much personality. We’re constantly asking our customers what they want. If we look at something and we like it, we can bring it in quickly,” explains Tracey Bovingdon. meaning that Tea Monkey certainly can’t be labelled as just a ‘snack’ location. And even if wheat isn’t your thing there is also a complete gluten free range too.

A serious vision Tracey Bovingdon has embarked on a number of business ventures in the past and clearly wants to develop Tea Monkey as a serious business. She previously worked for a number of large corporations and was sitting on the board of directors before she was 30. However, she became disenchanted with the way in which companies treated people and the lack of customer care.

“In the end, I decided I would never work for anyone else again,” she says. “I wanted to have the feeling that if I wanted to change something it would be possible, and that I could do it for myself. I set up my first business when I was 31. I’ve set up my own company three times now.”

In 2002, Tracey Bovingdon founded Strictly Education Limited and took on the role of managing director. In 2007 she sold the business to Bond PLC. Prior to this, she was CEO of Education Personnel and managing director of Partnerships in Education for Nord Anglia PLC; a relationship borne out of a merger with The Education Group Ltd, which she also founded.

After having sold her education outsourcing business in 2007, Tracey Bovingdon then moved to the Middle East because of her husband’s work, but says that she had always loved tea. In fact, people even call her ‘T’ because of her passion for the hot beverage.

“While I was in the Middle East, of course everyone drinks in Costa Coffee and Starbucks,” she continues. “I found I

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Knowledgeable Tea Monkey believes that one of the best ways to please their customers is to make sure that their staff know what they are talking about. In fact, all of their staff do regular ‘tea training’ with an international tea trainer. They learn about tea types and where they come from so they can advise customers on everything from optimum brewing times to ideal tea temperatures.

Of course, Tracey Bovingdon also makes sure that her staff know their coffee too, and she has been sure to have lots of systems in place, including an intranet with all of Tea Monkey’s processes and professional standards on it. A team briefing session is held every month and this helps to keep the Tea Monkey brand strong.

Entrepreneurial freedom “I enjoy the freedom. I give 150% to everything I do; therefore I might as well be doing it for myself than for someone else! I’m also in control of the ethos of the business and I’m able to work with likeminded people, which is much nicer.

You’re with a team of people you want to work with and you can see the impact you’re having on the way things are done,” reflects Tracey Bovingdon.

“As a small business, it is very difficult to be taken seriously, and there’s low support. It’s a really brutal market out there and I’m astounded that this country does not support enterprise more. No one understood that I had a corporate background, I’m a businesswoman – not just someone that got bored and decided to open a tea shop. This lifestyle is not for the faint-hearted, it takes cash, time and strategic planning. It’s difficult for women,

small businesses and independents to try and juggle everything and be taken seriously.”

However, Tracey Bovingdon is still very encouraging of people who want to start their own business, but warns that you must make sure that you are thoroughly prepared for what you are letting yourself in for.

“Be open-minded, but at the same time be very clear about your end-game and what you are trying to achieve,” she advises would-be entrepreneurs. “Be very careful what you start – you must know why you’re doing it, otherwise you will end up flailing around and spending a lot of cash unnecessarily.

“You need a multi-tasking type of background. It’s hard to make money if you’re an independent tea shop. You have to balance creativity with practicality, and with responsibility. They all have to come together. Food and beverage is a complicated industry and you have to make sure that you’re getting a number of different factors right: there’s wastage, stock control, staffing, legislation and health and safety. There’s so much to think about. Trying to replicate a chain is not easy. Branding, packaging, labelling – the list goes on.”

Franchised growth Tracey Bovingdon has already achieved a lot with Tea Monkey, but her ambitions are even bigger and Tea Monkey has now launched its highly anticipated franchise business.

This award-winning brand (Best Tea Experience Lunch Grab and Go 2012 by the Beverage Standards Association) is now offering franchisees a key role in the development of Tea Monkey to enable it to roll out its funky tea cafés across the UK. The plan is to launch six to 12 franchises over the next year in five major cities across the UK, say the brand.

There are a range of franchise entry levels on offer, dependant on investment, with members of the Tea Monkey group being given full support and training, as well as national marketing and PR. A Tea Monkey cream tea.

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COFFEE SHOP SUPPLIES

Coffee shop

essentials

What, apart from good coffee and the right coffee-making machine, does a successful café or coffee shop require? Here, we take a look at just some of things that help towards the smooth-running of your outlet.

The right tools With high competition between operators and heightened customer expectations, it has never been more important for coffee shops to utilise the correct barista tools, feels Ringtons Beverages’ barista and training development manager John Broad.

Headquartered in the North East, Ringtons Beverages (www.ringtonsbeverages.co.uk) is the trade division of Ringtons and specialises in supplying coffee shops – as well as restaurants, offices, hotels and department stores – across the UK with a comprehensive selection of supplementary items including crockery, take-away cups, whisks, thermometers, jugs, syrups, chocolates, biscuits and cleaning brushes and products.

“Coffee shops will achieve the best results and improve the quality of their coffee for customers by always using the correct barista tools, which will in turn increase their credibility as a coffee shop,” says John Broad.

“Along with strong competition, customers also have heightened expectations and clientele are now looking to see that baristas are using the appropriate tools and supplies such as the correct style and size of foaming jugs, hand tamps, thermometers

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in a customer facing position, a café is able to further add to its branding potential by reassuring customers that the tea being served in a café is a brand they are familiar with (www.tetleyforcaterers.co.uk).

The Bagel Nash chain has furnished its Spinningfields branch in Manchester with help from furniture specialist, Andy Thornton. and a range of cups and mugs to brew a quality cup of coffee.”

At the same time as addressing the tools of the trade for baristas, it’s important not to neglect your tea offering by recognising that it is a different beverage to coffee in terms of the water temperature required, and still subject to individual requirements.

“Coffee and espresso machines are ideal for making coffee based drinks, but fail to produce water hot enough for the perfect cup of tea. Having a dedicated hot water boiler provides a readily available fresh supply of water at the ideal temperature for making tea,” says Daniel Tattum, business manager for Tetley Tea.

“As a part of our Premium POS range, Tetley supply a fully branded, quality finished Hot Water Dispenser. Capable of holding up to five litres, refilled through an automatic or a manual top-up, the dispenser runs from a 240-volt mains power supply, making it suitable for re-positioning on a counter top when needed.

Fitted with the latest Tetley designed decals, a storage compartment for tea bags and space for stacking the Tetley ‘On-the-go’ cups, the Hot Water Dispenser has everything needed to make a perfect cup of tea.”

The dimensions of this unit are 330mm x 350mm x 465mm (w/d/h), so it is small enough to fit neatly onto a back bar or counter top. By placing the dispenser

Catering equipment Perfect for the high powered production of a variety of popular drinks – from fruit smoothies, alcoholic cocktails, iced frappes and creamy coffees to quick and easy foods such as chunky soups and indulgent desserts – blenders can be used to make orders fresh in front of customers.

Waring Xtreme CB136 and CB137 Hi-Power Blenders can blitz beverages in as little 20 seconds and process up to 100 drinks per day, say their supplier, Nisbets, making them a useful addition to busy outlets with a high footfall.

Each of the countertop machines stands at 539 x 228 x 241mm, and is supplied with

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COFFEE SHOP SUPPLIES

®

A touch screen control oven with a small footprint allows cafés to serve up an impressive food offering. a two litre stackable polycarbonate jug which features a grip handle and pouring spout for improved usability. Both the jug and jar pad are dishwasher-safe for convenient easy cleaning too.

The Waring Xtreme CB136 (priced at £599.99) is a 1.5kW Blender with high and low speed settings up to 30,000rpm, a pulse function and 30-second countdown timer. The easy-to-clean electronic membrane keypad can be quickly wiped free of any spills and is straightforward to use by any member of the team, no matter what their skills set or level of training.

Also with a 1.5kW motor, the CB137 blender (priced at £749.99) comes with a variable speed and dual pulse function, as well as four reprogrammable beverage programmes with individual adjustable speed controls. An easy-clean electronic membrane touch pad features a blue backlit LCD screen and drinks counter, offering a great way to keep an eye on stock control.

Both the CB136 and CB137 models incorporate an unbreakable polycarbonate sound enclosure for quiet

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operation, which reduces noise by up to 30% – a key consideration for operators looking to improve the ambiance of their outlet. A one year warranty is included with each model, say Nisbets (www.nisbets.co.uk), who can also supply waffle makers and clothing for caterers amongst other things.

For many, one clear way of ensuring your establishment is highly regarded among current and potential customers is to offer a quick to serve but high quality food offering. Fresh toasties, paninis and sweet pastries are ideal for complementing the range of hot and cold beverages on offer, whilst also maintaining efficient service times allows the customer the option to eat in or to take-away.

A hot and cold food selection that can be produced quickly while maintaining a quality taste and finish requires café owners to consider the full range of professional cooking equipment available. An analysis should then be carried out to evaluate how it will work with the size and capacity of their establishment, feel Manitowoc.

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banana chocolate strawberry mango cherry vanillacappuccino

FEBRUARY 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 33

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COFFEE SHOP SUPPLIES “Our new Merrychef eikon series, for example, utilises the latest in cooking technology on a minimal footprint to produce meals up to fifteen times faster than more conventional cooking methods, saving energy usage and generating a consistent high quality finish with an all over, uniform browning,” says Peter Hunkemoeller, vice president sales, Northern Europe at Manitowoc (www.manitowocfsuk.co.uk).

Available in a range of sizes to suit almost every establishment, the eikon range is ideal for producing fresh paninis, wraps and hot pastries in minutes, suggest the company. The Merrychef e2 also utilises a compact footprint of just 548mm wide x 750mm deep and combines the triple heating methods of convection, microwave and impingement and the power of rapid cook technology, to achieve the highest standards over the shortest cooking periods.

In addition to the speed advantage for cafés, the eikon series features a icon driven menu, meaning all staff can use the equipment to the same standard with minimal training. This patented EasyToUCH control panel ensures operators are never more than two simple steps away from a cooking programme, while the MenuConnect® software allows cafés to upload individual menu plans and changes via a USB port, presetting temperature and time details to ensure a consistent finish to each items every time.

Additional features including a cool to touch door and a wipe clean exterior will further enhance the usability of the models.

Maximising impulse sales To help coffee shop operators capitalise on profitable ‘upselling’, or impulse buys, an inviting and user-friendly food display is key to success at the till point. Displayware should complement the coffee shop’s style and enhance the

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food on offer, yet it needs to be practical as well as attractive if it is to appeal to customers and operators alike.

Johnsons Catering Equipment (www.johnsonsce.co.uk) has just launched a new range of hand woven Polyweave baskets with lids, an innovative and attractive way to display cakes, muffins, bread and fruit to their best advantage and to maintain optimum freshness. Featuring optional clear dome lids which open from both sides to assist selection, the baskets are designed for ease of use and maintenance, and to look good, and are handwoven with synthetic fibres to make them washable, weatherproof, UV and fade, mould and mildew resistant.

Available in a wide range of

colours and sizes, and in square, round, oval or rectangular shapes, the Polyweave baskets are also ideal for serving individual portions of snack foods such as tortilla wraps, sandwiches or crisps.

“An attractive visual display and great presentation always helps encourage impulse buys and enables operators to maximise sales at any time of the day,” comments Lynn Johnson, managing director of Johnsons Catering Equipment.

“Get the display right, and you will give your customers a lasting impression of quality and the fact that you care about your image.”

Products such as syrups and seasonal signature drinks should be promoted to the customer when the order is taken – garnishing hot

beverages, for instance cappuccinos, with sauces and good quality chocolate is also an excellent way to add value.

“From an operator’s point of view, these additional items provide an improved choice to their customers whilst also being a very simple and effective way to increase profitability,” says Ringtons’ John Broad.

“A well thought-out menu including a range of hot drinks and complimentary items partnered with regular and relevant promotional activity can take a coffee shop business from strength-tostrength.

“Ensuring that menus are carefully developed each season is an extremely important part of any coffee shop’s business as this is a major tool to communicate what is on offer to customers and helps to identify why they should spend their money at a particular coffee shop rather than at a competitor’s.”

Throughout 2012 the sale of these subsidiary items has helped to triple Ringtons Beverages’ average order value, as the company’s comprehensive product range allows its clients, such as The Alnwick Garden, Fenwick and Armathwaite Hall Country House & Spa, to access exactly what they require in a single order, reducing the need for them to use a third-party to supply additional items, report the company.

Sitting comfortably Walk into any coffee shop or café and the furniture sets an immediate tone. Is it welcoming, comfortable and stylish? Does it create an inviting environment that customers will want to visit time and time again? Furniture is an important element and serious investment. So how can owners make sure they source the right pieces? And what are the key considerations when selecting a new range?

“Stylish yet functional furniture which provides a relaxing place for customers to

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COFFEE SHOP SUPPLIES

Are all your customers sitting comfortably?

Magrini’s Breeze highchair grab a bite to eat can make a big difference to the success of a new venue or refurbished café. Getting it right will impact on customer satisfaction and ultimately the bottom line,” explains Stuart Smith, a director at Warings Furniture, a company that designs, manufactures and supplies furniture to the hospitality industry and has supplied cafés, coffee shops, restaurants and bars in the UK and overseas.

“The two main points are functionality and style. It’s crucial your furniture can withstand daily and constant use but it must also look great.

“It pays to think about fabric carefully. Facing daily coffee spillages and sticky cake crumbs, fabrics must be durable and stain-proof otherwise you risk a tatty appearance within weeks. We recommend vinyl fabrics and leathers because they are wipe clean and stain resistant.

“Considering the best use of space is also important.

Careful planning upfront can

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make the most of what’s available. Smart selection of furniture will allow for maximum covers without overcrowding. Consider furniture with a small footprint. It means you can rearrange the layout, increase your capacity and boost turnover.

“When thinking about a new interior design, furniture colour is also essential. A particular pallet or tone can reflect a brand’s image, bringing core values to life.

“We often work with owners or designers to create bespoke pieces that fit with a café’s vision. Investing in a one-off item will create a focal point for your shop as customers jostle for the best seat in the house! But when budget doesn’t stretch, a base piece that can be modified and upholstered to your own specification is a wise alternative.”

So what are the big trends for café furniture in 2013?

“More customers are opting for lounge style pieces

offering low, soft seating, like our Enzo sofa and the Samba armchair,” Stuart Smith continues. “This suits a wide customer base, offering comfort for elderly people and families with young children. It also makes a café inviting and homely. Costa, Prêt and Thornton’s have all embraced this style.”

Warings Furniture not only supplies the hospitality sector but also runs a coffee shop of its own - Café Warings in the centre of Norwich. Attached to a home furniture and furnishings store, it has become a hub for local businesses since opening in 2011.

“Before launch, we thought about our space and the customers we were likely to attract, opting for our 1300mm diameter character knotty oak top with a large black Juliette base. Business people arrange meetings around these communal tables, staying for hours and drinking plenty of coffee!” Stuart Smith adds.

As well as making their own café a thriving success, Warings have been working with big high street names to create new-look stores throughout the UK and overseas.

“Last year, we worked with Prêt a Manger to create bespoke furniture for the chain’s new store concept.

Furniture designs were inspired by Prêt’s fresh, organic and healthy ingredients,” Stuart Smith explains.

“Our co-founder Graham and Pret’s head designer, Matthew Wilson, collaborated to bring new ideas to life, creating working drawings for 20 new furniture concepts.

The end result saw a natural oak appearance used throughout. All wooden pieces were manufactured in natural lacquered oak, including tables, chairs, tub chairs and exterior furniture. After successful customer trials, the new concept is being rolled out worldwide.

“It is very easy to find a company online who can make a chair for £20. But buy cheap and you risk paying twice.

Your furniture has to withstand wear and tear. We make sure the gauge of the steel used in our furniture is durable and strong enough for contact use.

All our chairs are all crafted from solid timber and expertly made by trained craftsman.

“You may invest a bit more upfront, but buying quality, well-made furniture can make a difference between success and failure. So take time out to consider what your business and your customers really need and make a commitment to quality as well as style.”

The artisan baker, Bagel Nash, which aims to “spread the love of bagels around the globe” has seen the recent refurbishment of its Spinningfields branch in Manchester with help from furniture specialist Andy Thornton, taking the brand another step closer to achieving this, over 25 years since its first opening in Moortown, Leeds.

A mix of contract furniture complements a clean, modern interior, with neutral walls and wooden floors softened by the use of Como side chairs and bar stools upholstered in warm, welcoming colours.

Comfortable Soho armchairs are covered in soft, squarepatterned fabric in a rich blend of cream, rust and shades of red.

Andy Thornton also supplied Capri cast iron table bases, with a mix of square

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COFFEE SHOP SUPPLIES and round wenge Werzalit table tops. The tables are easy-to-maintain, clean and durable, ideal for city centre eateries with a quick turnaround and high volume of customers, say the company.

Upstairs, more Soho armchairs provide relaxed seating, while Como deep upholstered bar stools sit at

the large, airy windows so customers can enjoy a great view of the bustling heart of Manchester’s business centre, at the same time enjoying delicious, freshly made food.

The Magrini Breeze High Chair is the latest addition to the Magrini (www.magrini.co.uk) range of commercial childcare products. A stylish, light-

weight chair, it combines classic good looks with the durability of HDPE material and a number of high chairs can be stacked up to eight high for easy storage with the front-load stacking design eliminating the need for up and over lifting, point out Magrini.

The Breeze high chair also pushes up to the table to

enable your smallest guests to join the meal as well as conserving valuable aisle space. Safety has also been a top concern, and the Breeze features a permanent T-bar for intrinsic safety as well as an adjustable, instant-release buckle. Designed and manufactured in the UK, it is available in a choice of colours.

A clean sweep “In our on-going quest to find solutions to everyday issues faced by operators in the catering and hospitality industry, we identified that coffee shop operators were looking for a simple solution to their cleaning needs - not only across kitchen and washroom requirements, but also for front of house and bar areas,” reports Paul Willcocks, director of exclusive brands at Bunzl Catering Supplies Cleanline Professional is an exclusive brand from Bunzl Catering Supplies, manufactured in the UK and developed as a simple, cost effective solution for routine cleaning tasks, it aims to remove the confusion which often goes hand-inhand with traditional chemicals.

“We’ve made it our mission to simplify the purchasing decisions for operators to ensure the cleaning products supplied are carefully matched to their routine cleaning tasks,” adds

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Paul Willcocks. “Coffee Shop operators will be surprised by how few cleaning products they actually need – one cleaning product will often do several tasks. So what we aim to do is provide the minimum number of products to tackle the maximum amount of tasks.”

Chemicals represent a significant proportion of a foodservice operator’s non-food spend, observe Bunzl, and is a requirement for legal compliance.

“Typically, we save our customers up to 20%, which we confidently back with our financial stability and the Corporate Social Responsibility you would expect from a FTSE 100 company. Cleanline Professional has developed a tiered offer that meets the needs of different sized coffee shop operators – big or small, covering all their cleaning needs across front of house, bars, kitchens and washrooms,” explains Paul Willcocks.

“To get operators started, we have

also developed Cleanline Professional Starter Kits at just £9.99, with the option for operators to choose from either a kitchen or washroom kit. The kits work to deliver excellent results at outstanding value and contain all the essential products for their area of use together with a free pack of cloths.”

Cleanline Professional products are classified and labelled in accordance to government regulations with hazard warning symbols displayed on all product labels where applicable. Safety Data sheets are also provided with Cleanline Professional products when bought for the first time and are available on request thereafter.

Cleanline Super chemicals are colour coded with the chemical colour and labelling matched to dispensers and trigger spray bottles. Foodsafe Sanitisers conform to EN1276 for bacterial kill activity and EN1650 fungicidal kill. They also kill a range of pathogenic micro-organisms including MRSA, E.Coli and Listeria.

The surfactants contained comply with the biodegradability criteria as laid down in Regulation (EC) No.648/2004 on detergents which requires all surfactants to break down both quickly and completely into harmless material such as CO2 and water.

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TEA

A Nepalese tea exclusive Due to its status as our national beverage, the UK has come to know and love a number of very well established brands of tea. However, after its official launch here towards the end of last year, Top Tea (www.top-tea.co.uk) – a relatively new brand of tea that comes exclusively from Nepal (widely regarded by many as home to the ‘Champagne’ of teas due to a unique climate characterised by five seasons) – is poised to join them.

Market-ready Top Tea has already been on sale here, ‘testing’ the market as it were, and having received high acclaim from the tea buyers for Harrods and Fortnum & Mason.

As you might expect, their tea’s high quality does not equate to a prohibitive price tag, they are keen to point out, meaning that it is suitable for a range of retailing channels from the big wholesalers to the small, boutique shop. Ethnic supermarket customers, together with more mainstream customers at Waitrose, have been buying it too thanks to the presence of the UK-based Anglo-Himalayan Limited (AH Ltd).

This company was established in March 2010 to act as a catalyst in bringing Nepalese tea to the UK and European markets, the company’s point of difference being that it is the first company to supply such premium quality teas from Nepal on an exclusive basis. Its ultimate aim is to supply both UK consumer and foodservice markets before progressing to turn their attention to the Scandinavian market.

Prior to their celebratory

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“

If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are heated, tea will cool you.

If you are depressed, it will cheer you up. If you are excited, it will calm you.

William Ewart Gladstone (British Prime Minister on four occasions between 1868 and 1894)

”

launch event held at the Cinnamon Club in London, Hom Paribag (himself from Nepal, and a very enthusiastic, if not the visionary, part of a small grouping of shareholders who run this enterprise) outlined to Café Culture how the company have already been learning a lot about the requirements of the UK market as they further refine and develop their authentic product.

Thus, the packaging and branding of Top Tea unashamedly focuses on the freshness of the product and its Nepalese heritage – an aspect that was very much part of its official launch which saw anecdotal input from Nepali tea farmers themselves, as well as a culturally informative film and

contributions about Nepal the country and its tea industry.

They have also rationalised their product offering (Breakfast Tea, Green Tea, Organic Green Tea and Traditional Black Tea), all of which are now available in the all-important tea bag format (the tea being bagged at a plant in the UK that is capable of coping with the volume required).

In fact, upon hearing about the tea production in Nepal, the prime, hill top locations and dedication of the Top Tea’s tea farmers, the requirement for any form of bag to contain the highly-prized harvest in almost seems like an insult!

But, in the absence of time for any form of tea ‘ceremony’, such are the requirements of our modern ‘to go’ lifestyle.

Having said that, Top Tea can still be bought loose, and when it comes to their Traditional Black Tea variant, they specifically advise that it is best served with those other two British tea-drinking staples – milk and sugar.

“It’s been a learning curve,” admits Hom Paribag. “Initially we have been focussed on making our teas available via buyers and then through

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TEA

invented by Scotsman, W. McKertcher in 1931 to create a strong tea. This has gone on to become colloquially known here, and for that matter across the world, as “builders’ tea”.

“

Tea tempers the spirits and harmonises the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens up or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties.

Challenges “Some 15,000 men and women leave Nepal a month to go and find work elsewhere in the Middle East, the Far East and Malaysia. Yet the biggest problem our tea farmers have is finding people!” Hom Paribag goes on to reveal.

Top Tea’s chairman is therefore keen, as are many others in Nepal and elsewhere, to see that the up and coming generations there have an opportunity to get involved in a viable tea business as a means of future employment. This, Hom Paribag feels strongly, will remove the need for youngsters to contemplate leaving their home country in the first place - a not unimportant consideration in the aftermath of an all too recent civil war there (1996 to 2006). During that decade, it

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Confucius (551-479 BC)

wholesalers – of which we currently have nine – and our emphasis now is to increase our business to business connections further by raising awareness.”

Therefore, they already enjoy good regional coverage across the UK, from north to south, but are still on the lookout for more wholesaler distributors here to, as Hom Paribag puts it “make UK people happy!”

For their teas, which have already won Great Taste Awards, as well as a Best Product 2011 nomination in the Café Society awards, only use the top of the leaf that is grown in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains where the high altitude allows for slow leaf maturation, yielding increased levels of healthy antioxidants, point out Top Tea. Their breakfast tea, for instance, produces a rich, redbrown infusion and is made via Nepal’s CTC (crush, tear and curl) method that was actually

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TEA was far more attractive and lucrative for the young to be paid to side and fight for the Maoists, but with all the risks and ensuing devastation of lives that such conflict brings for a country’s infrastructure (not least its rural development potential).

Thus, they have been quick to set up a Tea and Coffee Institute which aims to protect and pass on the necessary tea knowledge that has been amassed across the generations so far. In recent times, this has mostly been done by word of mouth alone, reports Hom Paribag. And with it taking up to seven years to get to the point of harvesting tea, it is understandably felt that a more official and organised approach needs to be established in order for the skills associated with a successful tea industry to be not only protected, but taken more seriously by the country itself.

“Bigger companies use Napalese tea as a flavour enhancer, but this is not always well known,” adds Hom Paribag. “Yet, given its size and population, there is significant tea production taking place in Nepal in its own right.”

As the company works closely with, and invests in the welfare of its farmers and cooperative partners, they are effectively like members of the same family. This, in turn, has undoubtedly enhanced their ability to produce some of the best quality teas, and for their tea growers to develop an allegiance and commitment to this ambitious brand. Endconsumers can therefore justifiably feel connected with their tea’s farmers as they settle down to enjoy a cup of best quality Nepalese tea.

Prestigious links and launch Since the early eighteen hundreds and the involvement of the British East India Company in the region, the country of Nepal has long enjoyed something of a special relationship with the UK due to the military units of men in both the British and Indian

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Hom Paribag (far left) with business secretary, Vince Cable MP, and Nepal’s ambassador, Dr Suresh C. Chalise, who were both guests of honour at the launch.

Armies who have enlisted from there, and who are called Gurkhas. This link has been maintained across the decades, perhaps most famously in the UK’s case during World War Two with the Gurkhas becoming highly respected for their fearlessness, as well as their trademark weapon – the Khukuri.

Subsequent generations of Nepalese men have since gone on to forge careers for themselves in the British Army.

Most recently, Nepal was in the news here as a result of a campaign to help such men who retired from the army prior to 1997 to live in the UK and be entitled to pension rights more in line with those already enjoyed by their other Commonwealth counterparts who had retired later, although the BGWS (the British Gurkha Welfare Society) argued that it would be far preferable to campaign for such individuals to be encouraged to return to Nepal itself by improving the pension and housing provision for them there.

What this high profile campaign did achieve, however, was greater public awareness of and support for the Gurkhas who were championed by the actress and celebrity, Joanna Lumley (whose own father served with the Gurkhas during World War Two). Indeed, Top Tea hint that Joanna Lumley may well, at some point, help them in their continuing efforts to further

promote their teas and teaproducing ethos which places particular emphasis on fair trade and organic production methods.

Given this background and connections, it was appropriate that Top Tea’s launch event welcomed some important dignitaries, influential business owners and trade buyers by giving them an opportunity to hear about Nepal, the history of their tea product, as well as highlight the organic and environmentally friendly approach of the tea growing process, and, of course, sample Top Tea’s new product line up.

Opened by its chief guest the Rt. Hon. Dr Vince Cable MP (Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skill), a moving speech given by the Ambassador of Nepal (Dr Suresh C. Chalise) followed.

Also in attendance were Michael Ryan, the founder of Ryanair, Lord and Lady Dholakia, tea trade expert Mr Barry James, Mr H.S Luther, Mr and Mrs Tahir Ali, Dame Sue John, Lady Sheikh, Mr Malcolm Beil, Mr Richard Johnson, Mr Ric Lihou, Rasheed Ogunlaru (the best-selling author who was also the Master of Ceremony for the evening) and numerous British Gurkhas.

“The work which is being undertaken by Top Tea is a good sign for the Nepalese people,” said Dr Chalise. “It is helping to stimulate jobs and economic growth for not only people in Nepal, but here in

the UK. I am very proud to be here and share in its success.”

Hom Paribag added: “This launch was to increase awareness of the Nepalese tea.

Top Tea is proud to be the catalyst that can bring this tea to the UK and share it with the world. This is a product I am so passionate about and something which all the tea drinkers will come to enjoy as much as I do.”

It is clear that these new teas do indeed serve to highlight this country’s cooperative approach to its tea gardens, as well as its organic methods of production with the event able to celebrate Nepalese culture as well as confirming the long friendship between Nepal and Britain.

The Top Tea gardens are nestled in the lap of the majestic Himalayan range of mountains, literally ‘The Top of the World’. Unpolluted mountain air, fertile soils and a unique Himalayan climate are the secret of its extremely high quality teas. This high altitude slows leaf maturation, which encourages sophisticated flavours and nuances, explain Top Tea. In working with its farmers, it aims to provide not only fair trade products but a ‘fair trade life’ for them too. Last year, Mollie Hughes - one of the youngest Britains to climb Mount Everest, raising funds for the UK-based charity Action Aid in the process - drew attention to the fact that many Nepalese people effectively live in the grips of poverty there. However, she also pointed out that the buying of Nepalese tea can help tremendously in supporting the welfare of its skilled and increasingly far better valued tea farmers.

It is clear that there is still much more to learn, discover and enjoy when it comes to the teas of Nepal.

For further details about Top Tea, and for samples, trade buyers should contact Pradeep Doddaiah, Top Tea’s business development manager on 0207 385 7226, or via b2b@toptea.co.uk/info@top-tea.co.uk.

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FOOD WASTE With US$1 trillion’s worth of food wasted and 870 million people starving, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), FAO (Food & Agriculture Organisation) and partner organisation WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) have now officially launched a global initiative to tackle the culture of food waste with consumers, the food industry and government all having a role to play in reducing 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted or lost each year.

Aims Simple actions by consumers and food retailers can dramatically cut the 1.3 billion tonnes of food lost or wasted each year and help shape a sustainable future, according to a new global campaign to cut food waste launched by the UN Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and partners.

The “Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Foodprint” campaign has been launched in support of the SAVE FOOD Initiative to reduce food loss and waste along the entire chain of food production and consumption – run by the FAO and trade fair organiser Messe Düsseldorf – and the UN Secretary General’s Zero Hunger Initiatives. The new campaign specifically targets food wasted by consumers, retailers and the hospitality industry.

The campaign also harnesses the expertise of organisations such as WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), Feeding the 5,000 and other partners, including national governments, who have considerable experience targeting and changing wasteful practices.

Think.Eat.Save. aims to accelerate action and provide a global vision and informationsharing portal (www.thinkeatsave.org) for the many and diverse initiatives currently underway around the world.

Worldwide, about one-third of all food produced (calculated to be worth around US$1 trillion), gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems, according to data released by FAO. Food loss occurs mostly at the production stages – harvesting, processing and distribution –

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while food waste typically takes place at the retailer and consumer end of the foodsupply chain.

“In a world of seven billion people, set to grow to nine billion by 2050, wasting food makes no sense – economically, environmentally and ethically,” said UN under-secretary-general and UNEP executive director Achim Steiner.

“Aside from the cost implications, all the land, water, fertilisers and labour needed to grow that food is wasted – not to mention the generation of greenhouse gas emissions produced by food decomposing on landfill and the transport of food that is ultimately thrown away,” he added. “To bring about the vision of a truly sustainable world, we need a transformation in the way we produce and consume our natural resources.”

“Together, we can reverse this unacceptable trend and improve lives. In industrialised regions, almost half of the total food squandered, around 300 million tonnes annually, occurs because producers, retailers and consumers discard food that is still fit for consumption,” said José Graziano da Silva, FAO director-general. “This is more than the total net food production of SubSaharan Africa, and would be sufficient to feed the estimated 870 million people hungry in the world.

“If we can help food producers to reduce losses through better harvesting, processing, storage, transport and marketing methods, and combine this with profound and lasting changes in the way people consume food, then we can have a healthier and hunger-free world,” Graziano da Silva added.

Environmental implications The global food system has profound implications for the environment, and producing more food than is consumed only exacerbates the pressures.

More than 20% of all cultivated land, 30% of forests and 10% of grasslands are undergoing degradation. Globally, 9% of the freshwater resources are withdrawn, 70% of this by irrigated agriculture. Agriculture and land use changes like deforestation contribute to more than 30% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, the agrifood system accounts for nearly 30% of enduser available energy. Overfishing and poor management are also contributing to declining numbers of fish (some 30% of marine fish stocks are now considered to be overexploited).

Part of the trigger for the campaign was the outcome of the Rio+20 Summit in June 2012, in which heads of state and governments gave the go-ahead for a ten year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Patterns.

Developing an SCP programme for the food sector must be a vital element of this framework, given the need to sustain the world’s food production base, reduce associated environmental impacts, and feed a growing human population, assert these campaigning organisations.

"There can be no other area that is perhaps so emblematic of the opportunities for a far more resource-efficient and sustainable world – and there is no other issue that can unite North and South and consumers and producers everywhere in common cause," continued Achim Steiner.

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FOOD WASTE How and where?

According to FAO (www.fao.org/savefood/en/), roughly 95% of food loss and waste in developing countries are unintentional losses at early stages of the food supply chain due to financial, managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques; storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions; infrastructure; packaging and marketing systems.

However, in the developed world the end of the chain is far more significant. At the food manufacturing and retail level in the developed world, large quantities of food are wasted due to inefficient practices, quality standards that over-emphasise appearance, confusion over date labels and consumers being quick to throw away edible food due to over-buying, inappropriate storage and preparing meals that are too large.

Per-capita waste by consumers is between 95 and 115 kg a year in Europe and North America/Oceania, while consumers in sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-eastern Asia each throw away only 6 to 11 kg a year.

According to WRAP, the average UK family could save £680 per year (US$1,090) and the UK hospitality sector could save £724 million (US$1.2 billion) per year by tackling food waste.

“In the UK we have shown how tackling food waste through engaging with consumers and establishing collective agreement with retailers and brands, reduces environmental pressures and aids economic growth,” said Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO of WRAP. “With a rising population, even more pressure is going to be put on resources, and we are excited to be a partner in UNEP and FAO’s Think. Eat. Save. campaign, which is a great start to tackling food waste on a global scale.”

In a similar vein to other parts of the world, the European Union is looking into the issue of food waste, and the European Commission has lent its weight to the new initiative.

“In the EU we have set ourselves a target to halve edible food waste by 2020 and to virtually eliminate landfilling by 2020; the Commission is planning to present ideas next year on the sustainability of the food system which will have a strong focus on food waste,” said Janez Potonik, European Commissioner for the environment.

“Less food waste would lead to moreefficient land use, better water resource management, more sustainable use of phosphorus, and it would have positive repercussions on climate change. Our work fits perfectly with the launch of this initiative,” he added.

For the campaign to reach its huge potential, everyone has to be involved – families, supermarkets, hotel chains,

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Zero down your fridge Web sites such as WRAP’s www.lovefoodhatewaste.com can help consumers get creative with recipes to use up anything that might go bad soon.

Other actions Freezing food, following storage guidance to keep food at its best, requesting smaller portions at restaurants and eating leftovers (whether home-cooked, from restaurants or takeaway). Composting food and donating spare food to local food banks, soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters.

schools, sports and social clubs, company CEOs, city mayors, national and world leaders.

The campaign web site www.thinkeatsave.org - provides simple tips to consumers and retailers, will allow users to make food waste pledges, and provides a platform for those running campaigns to exchange ideas and create a truly global culture of sustainable consumption of food.

For example, the web site provides the following advice, which will help consumers, retailers and the hospitality industry reduce waste – thus reducing their environmental impact and saving money.

Consumers Shop smart Plan meals, use shopping lists, avoid impulse buys and don’t succumb to marketing tricks that lead you to buy more food than you need.

Buy funny fruit Many fruits and vegetables are thrown out because their size, shape, or colour are deemed not ‘right’. Buying these perfectly good fruit, at the farmer’s market or elsewhere, utilises food that might otherwise go to waste.

Understand expiry dates “Best-before” dates are generally manufacturer suggestions for peak quality.

Most foods can be safely consumed well after these dates. The important date is “use by” – eat food by that date or check if you can freeze it.

Retailers and the hospitality industry Retailers can carry out waste audits and product loss analysis for high-waste areas, work with their suppliers to reduce waste, offer discounts for near-expiration items, redesign product displays with less excess, standardise labelling and increase food donations, among other actions.

Restaurants, pubs and hotels can limit menu choices and introduce flexible portioning, carry out waste audits and create staff engagement programmes, among many other measures.

Supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, companies, cities and countries will be able to use the web site to pledge to measure the food they waste and put in place targets to reduce it.

“We support the aims of the UN Environment Programme’s new global campaign and last year, Compass Group UK & Ireland signed up to WRAP’s Hospitality and Foodservice Agreement to achieve certain food and associated waste reduction targets in the UK,” said Compass Group, one of the world’s largest food and support services companies committed to reducing food and associated waste across its business.

“In addition, we continue to work with our suppliers, clients and customers around the world to reduce waste through implementing initiatives such as ‘Trim Trax’, our programme to measure and reduce food wastage.”

Food loss refers to food that gets spilled, spoilt or otherwise lost, or incurs reduction of quality and value, before it reaches its final product stage. Food loss typically takes place at production, postharvest, processing and distribution stages in the food supply chain.

Food waste refers to food that completes the food supply chain up to a final product, of good quality and fit for consumption, but still doesn’t get consumed because it is discarded, whether or not after it is left to spoil. Food waste typically, but not exclusively, takes place at retail and consumption stages in the food supply chain.

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SOUP A meal in its own right - the Soulful Food Company’s Mexican Bean and Vegetable soup.

ites such as Traditional favour still a mainstay tomato soup are orr. of menus, say Kn

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SOUP Asian and Mexican influences “It goes without saying that soups are popular throughout the winter, as a lunch option and a main meal. Cafés can banish the winter blues by adding soups with exotic flavours, such as Mexican and Asian, to the menu,” suggests Susan Gregory, head of food at Nestlé Professional (www.nestleprofessional.co.uk).

“While traditional flavours still remain king, with tomato and leek & potato remaining best sellers, we’ve also witnessed an increase in Asian influences. Oriental Miso soup, for example, delivers the authentic flavour of Asian cuisine while also acting as a healthier, lighter alternative to a chunky soup. Carrot and coriander on the other hand, meets the desire for a more substantial soup while also satisfying demand for slightly more exotic flavours.

“I feel that two new product launches from Nestlé Professional - MAGGI® Asian Liquid Fond Concentrate and MAGGI® Coconut Milk Power Mix - are ideal for cafés looking to capitalise on the Asian trend by bringing a taste of the Orient to their soups and other dishes.

“Mexican food has also seen an explosion of popularity over recent years (growing 15% since 2009) and continues to expand as authentic street food becomes more popular. Cafés can easily translate this trend into an authentic Mexican soup for cold winter days when a fiery burrito just won’t hit the spot.

“Mexican soups are either a broth base using Maggi Simmer soups - or a thicker stew-like consistency - Maggi Rich and Rustic sauce makes an ideal base - and can be easily customized to customer’s tastes.

Try adding chicken, pork belly, pulled pork, chorizo, beef strips, pinto beans, tortilla chips, spicy rice, and as much chilli as you like for a real taste of Mexico.”

“We have also seen the market for fresh, vibrant exciting soup flavours grow significantly,” agrees the Soulful Foods Company’s (www.soulfulfood.com) Simon Homer.

“As travelling to far off lands has become more accessible over the years, the nation’s palate has changed, reflecting the variety of flavours available around the globe.

Coconut, chilli and lemongrass are certainly some of the key ingredients that our customers look for in new lines. The provenance of produce is also becoming more of a factor in the market with more and more cafés realising the value this adds for them. Something we are just as passionate about.”

All round offering “Soup is the perfect all-year-round offering, with a huge 70% of soup occasions occurring at lunchtime. Particularly during

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the colder months, soup appeals to all ages, from workers looking for a quick lunch break solution to diners in need of a comforting and satisfying meal. Soup can also help consumers achieve their five a day, as soups such as Heinz Tomato provides one of your five daily portions of fruit or vegetables,” says Shireen Hamdy, assistant brand manager for soups at Heinz Foodservice.

“A must-have menu addition, low cost soup can provide excellent profit margins for outlets and is easy to prepare and serve to hungry crowds. With a range of merchandising solutions available from Heinz, soup can also be served as a takeaway option or dished up to eat inoutlet. “

SOUP SERVING TIPS Keep interest up Many on-the-go consumers will be looking for something different each day, so rotating menus can help keep them excited. Offer a different ‘soup of the day’ for each day of the working week to appeal to working professionals.

Mix it up Classic flavours such as tomato, and chicken, are guaranteed winners for customers looking for a hearty meal but outlets can add ingredients, such as a pinch of fresh herbs or a swirl of crème fraîche, to base soups to add a point of difference.

Keep up with consumer trends Tastes are constantly changing so outlets should be aware of the ‘flavour of the month’. Hot flavours are particularly popular at the moment and a sprinkling of chilli flakes can spice up almost any soup.

Research has shown that 28% of all outof-home dining guests are more likely to try new flavours than one year ago, and recreating international flavours can be simple – a touch of cumin can add a Moroccan twist whilst lime and coriander can deliver tastes of Mexico

Heinz Foodservice says that its five popular varieties - Cream of Tomato, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, Country Vegetable and recent addition Chicken Noodle - lend themselves to a variety of flavour customisations, giving outlets the chance to create signature dishes and a range of exotic flavour fusions, feel the brand who have long been providing cafés with a range of quality condensed soups, each created by Heinz development chefs to give the perfect home-cooked flavour.

“Our condensed soup range has proved popular with a number of outlets, particularly on the high street as it provides cafés with the opportunity to offer a greattasting and well-loved brand,” adds Shireen Hamdy. “Each soup also offers peace of mind and total flexibility, as they are made from all-natural ingredients, require few culinary skills to prepare and give customers a healthy and light lunchtime option.”

Condensed soups offer great value for money compared with many other ready-toeat soup options available, claim Heinz, and are a convenient and easy-to-use solution (simply add an equal amount of water, heat and serve). Each of their 830g tins, for example, provides up to nine servings and, costing around a fifth of an ambient pouch

Add value Accompaniments can be just as important as the soup itself so investing in a variety of rustic breads, cheese twists and flavoured croutons can give consumers more choice and boost incremental sales.

Create meal deals Offering consumers a chance to buy their entire meal for a special price is a great way to drive footfall and sales. A reduced price for buying soups with a sandwich, sausage roll or drink, for instance, will go down particularly well with diners looking for a quick and affordable solution.

Merchandise Clearly signpost your meal deals and ‘soup of the day’ both inside and outside your outlet to draw in hungry crowds and make choosing lunch a simple task.

Different sizes of food containers – for example, small, medium and large - can help appeal to a wider range of consumers and branded point of sale items can help highlight the quality of fare on offer (Heinz Foodservice, for instance, provides a variety of merchandising solutions including soup cauldrons, branded containers, aprons and even clocks to help outlets harness the power of the brand name and drive incremental sales).

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SOUP soup, point out Heinz, offer excellent value for money.

All Heinz Foodservice soups (www.heinzsight.co.uk) are made with natural ingredients and are free from artificial colours, preservatives and MSG. Healthier Unilever Food Solutions (www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk) report that they have now successfully reformulated its range of Knorr 1-2-3 dehydrated soups to bring them in line with the UK government’s 2012 salt targets for soups. Calculating the salt reduction on sales last year, Knorr says that it has removed over a tonne of salt across the UK Knorr 1-2-3 Soup range.

Emma Quinn, category marketing manager commented: “We were keen to ensure our dehydrated soup range met the 2012 salt targets set by the Department of Health UK to give both us and our customers confidence they are able to provide their consumers with great tasting salt compliant soups. Not only have we met the salt targets, our expert development chefs worked to improve the consistency and taste of the entire range.

“It wasn’t a quick development, we challenged our development chefs to not only meet the salt targets but make each of the products tastier than they were before.

“The new recipes are also our quickest to prepare with no pre-mixing required.

Simply add the soup powder to cold water, Asian trends are also influencing packaging design, such as this GoodLife soup and noodle-inspired lidded bowl.

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Handmade in Dorset The Dorset Blue Soup Company (www.dorsetblue.co.uk) supplies cafés, shops and delis throughout the country and are happy to make bespoke flavours upon request. They also take their soups out and about to festivals such as Glastonbury and EndoftheRoad, as well as local food fayres.

Located at Woodbridge Farm in the heart of the Dorset countryside, they make a range of fresh farmhouse soups, using fresh ingredients, with no additives or preservatives. Their soups are all handmade in small batches to ensure the quality of our products, but are available in both retail (500ml) sizes and catering sizes (2.5 and 5 litres).

bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes and stir. Ready in six minutes, simple as that!”

Knorr 1-2-3 Soups are also free from added MSG, artificial colours and flavourings, sat the company whose improved range features mushroom, asparagus, leek and potato, celery, tomato, thick vegetable, oxtail, minestrone, chicken noodle, lentil and vegetable broth.

Pacojet, distributed in the UK exclusively

by Cheftools (www.cheftools.co.uk), is a patented and unique food processing system, often associated with sorbet and ice cream making, but may also be used to develop savoury dishes, including concentrates for healthier soups.

Increasingly, top chefs have been acclaiming the system for its ability to produce soup concentrates with a supreme texture and intensity of flavour.

As Pacojet processes 100% natural ingredients to a smoother texture than is possible by other means its soup creations

They make a range of six to seven different soups each week, rotating their flavours so as to offer their customers a wider variety, such as Mushroom, Bacon & Blue, Curried Pumpkin & Apple, Sweet Potato & Carrot, Roasted Mediterranean, Carrot, Parsnip & Squash, Minestrone, Leek, Potato & Blue, Sweet Corn & Chilli, Creamy Onion & Bacon.

They report that they have been supplying Picnic Foods in Reading for a number of years now, having first came across them from one of their own local suppliers who recommended their company to them, and they’re happy to say that they have now been Picnic Foods’ ‘soup source’ for over five years.

will be healthier and richer in nutrients and can be lower in calories as well, claim the makers.

Unlike traditional methods of making soup, the nutrients are not boiled out of the ingredients and the vitamins in the preparation water are captured, not thrown away. However, whilst Pacojet makes for a more wholesome approach to cooking, it is also more profitable, helping to make savings on labour and waste, claim Cheftools.

For example, Pacojet can be used to produce soup from fresh herbs and vegetables by turning them into a “snowlike” powder that is used as a concentrate which is then simply added to a cream-soup base, broth or stock. The powder concentrate is so fine that the soup needs to be heated only briefly to a boil with the end result being a soup which is more nutritious, with an intense natural colour and flavour.

Besides traditional soup recipes, wouldbe soup chefs might also be tempted by the endless possibilities Pacojet presents, and to experiment with more unique recipes of their own. Amongst some classic creations already being made using the Pacojet are Ferran Adrià’s “Hot & cold” layered pea soup, and the Shrimp bisque created by Scottish chef, John Higgins (made from powdered shrimp carcasses).

Pacojet works by the ingredients simply being filled into a ‘pacotising’ beaker, which is then frozen to –20°C for at least 24 hours.

While prerequisite to processing (“pacotising”) later on, the freezing process also has the benefit of locking in freshness and aroma while no preservatives or additives are required. When preparing soup concentrates, the fresh herbs or

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SOUP

Is your bread letting your café down?

“Cafés understand the modern need for good coffee, and increasingly good tea, and many of them are meeting their customers' demands for fresh, local ingredients. However, they are still not thinking clearly about their bread,” warns Jane Mason of Virtuous Bread (www.virtuousbread.com).

“If it's from a plastic bag it's ‘fresh and local’, but that is frequently not true (the flour, for example, might have come from Canada or Kazachstan) and it is definitely not an indicator of quality or ‘healthfulness’. You know when you eat good bread - it has its own flavour and is not simply just a carrier for the sandwich, the jam, or the butter.

“While you may want a mild-tasting

vegetables need only be blanched briefly (20 seconds) to lock in the chlorophyll and thus the natural (green) colour before filling into the beaker for freezing When the soup concentrate is needed, the beaker is taken straight from the freezer and placed in the Pacojet machine which uses a high speed blade to ‘shave’ the contents, producing approximately one litre of fine herb or vegetable concentrate in a frozen powder texture. This is then stirred into a broth or velouté (up to three or four litres depending on concentration desired) and briefly brought to the boil before serving.

The herb/vegetable concentrate is so fine that it does not require boiling to be tender. Using the machine’s electronic portion control, between one and ten portions of concentrate can be selected for fully automatic processing. Since Pacotising does not break the freezing chain, there is never any waste, as partly used beakers are simply put back into the freezer to be reprocessed another day.

A portion of soup takes just 20 seconds to process this way, or a full beaker in under four minutes. Cleaning the machine at the end of each day is fully automatic and takes only 60 seconds, say Cheftools.

Packaging Cap-It-All says that it is proud to announce the launch of a unique new GoodLife soup bowl, which boasts a vented, leak-proof lid to minimalise the risk of spillages.

With a design inspired by the soup and noodle bowls that are already popular in Asian restaurants and take-away outlets, the new soup bowl boasts a generous 32oz capacity, making it big enough for even the heartiest helpings of soup, feel the firm. At

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bread for a sandwich - so you can taste the ham or the jam more - it is possible to have bread that compliments sandwiches, soups, and salads and it is probable that you can pass on the incremental costs to customers who will make your café a destination simply because your food is better. If you also get into selling whole loaves over your café counter, you have a unique proposition that customers will really appreciate.

“In my opinion, making bread is simple and need not interfere with the running of a café. If you have an oven you can bake fresh bread. If you have a fridge, you can proof the bread overnight in it and bake the bread first thing in the morning - to tantalise customers with the fresh bread

the same time, thanks to the innovative lid design, foodservice operators can rest easy in the knowledge that their soup can be moved from counter to table – and used for takeaway – easily and safely.

The GoodLife soup bowl is part of the GoodLife moulded fibre range, which is made from bagasse – a totally natural and 100% compostable material, say the company. Like all products in this range, it has been designed to be both aesthetically

smell. There are even ‘no knead’ methods of baking bread in which you simply stir the ingredients together the night before and bake them in the morning - as delicious loaves or buns.”

Two Virtuous Bread-trained ‘Bread Angels’ have transformed cafés in their local areas in Northampton and Berkshire respectively, supplying them with handmade bread from their home-based bakeries. One is about to move up north, and the café she will be working for has already asked her to train up their staff so that they can make the bread themselves, report Virtuous Bread (Virtuous Bread has 90 Bread Angels around the country, many of whom love to supply bread to local businesses).

pleasing and highly robust.

Independent laboratory tests have proved GoodLife moulded fibre disposables are able to withstand boiling water up to 100°C and hot oil up to 130°C without buckling or distorting, report Cap-It-All. What’s more, GoodLife moulded fibre disposables, which are ecru in colour, are also safe for microwave use – meaning that soup can be warmed up in the new GoodLife soup bowl, if necessary.

Easiest bread rolls in the world (“no knead” method) Ingredients 575 ml water - straight from the tap, 3g "easy bake" yeast or 6g dried active yeast or 12g fresh yeast, 12g salt, 650g flour of your choice - white (wheat or spelt) will be fluffier, brown (wheat or spelt) will be less fluffy - a combination is nice.

Options: 75g of seeds, raisins, or other fruit like blueberries or apricots, or nuts or seeds or sun dried tomatoes, or pesto...

Method The night before you want the bread rolls…

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a big bowl.

2. Give it a good stir, cover it with cling film and put it in the fridge overnight.

The day you want the buns…

1. Preheat the oven to 220oC. 2. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment.

3. With a large spoon, spoon out some of the now puffed up dough and use a second spoon to scrape it off the first spoon and blob it on the baking tray.

4. Try to stack it up rather than letting it flop out into a pancake. Fill the tray, leaving at least 5 cm (2 inches) between blobs. Make as many blobs as you want and make them as large as you want. You do not have to use all of the dough at once you can put it back in the fridge and use later. It will last for a couple of days.

5. Bake the buns in the oven for 20 minutes and then let them cool completely on a wire rack (you will find your favourite combination and best results with a little experimenting).

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MARKET RESEARCH

UK coffee shop sector

remains defiant After more than a decade of rapid growth, the UK branded coffee shop market is defying all previous expectations with a current growth rate seven to eight times that of the British economy, report the sector’s market researchers, Allegra Strategies, in their latest ProjectCafe12 report.

Embracing café culture Allegra’s survey centred around 25,022 online surveys with British coffee shops visitors, 105 interviews with CEOs, managing directors, senior managers and store managers of major industry players, including leading UK coffee and food-focused chains, major coffee roasters and key equipment suppliers, nonspecialist players including department stores, supermarkets, bookstores, leading property companies, letting agents and landlords.

While the good old cup of tea remains a national treasure, in recent years coffee has won the hearts and wallets of many British consumers. There appears to be no end to the trend to café culture which began more than a decade ago.

Allegra’s latest annual report includes a national survey of 25,000 consumers and reveals that the total UK coffee shop market grew by 7.5% in 2012 to reach £5.8 billion in turnover.

The market which includes branded coffee chains, independent coffee shops and non-specialist operators, grew to 15,723 outlets. The total number of coffee shop outlets grew by 4% over the past year alone.

In particular, branded coffee chains such as Costa, Starbucks Coffee Company, Caffè Nero, Pret A Manger and EAT, have shown strong resilience in the face of a very challenging UK economy. Consumers are gravitating to brands they enjoy

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CAFÉ CULTURE

and trust and this has added pressure on weak mid-sized chains and low quality independent shops who are slowly fading out of the market, feel Allegra. Good artisan independents, however, are thriving also.

The UK branded coffee chain segment now stands at 5,225 outlets. Sales were very robust in 2012, growing by 10% to an estimated turnover of £2.3 billion. The market has doubled in the past six years and is now 10 times the size it was 15 years ago, at a time many thought it was already saturated.

The three leading chains in the UK are Costa Coffee (1,552 outlets), Starbucks Coffee Company (757) and Caffè Nero (530). These three now command a 54% combined share of the branded coffee chain market.

The branded coffee shop segment still has room to grow with Allegra analysts believing

that successful brands of the future have to tune into consumer lives to stay relevant as increasingly savvy and choosy consumers seek authentic and original experiences.

The sales growth has been underpinned by widening consumer participation and further embedding of coffee culture into UK lifestyles. With limited price increases by major chains, industry like-for-like sales growth of 3.5% has been achieved by new consumers enjoying coffee houses, better operating standards and menu innovation, suggest Allegra.

UK consumers are clearly embracing the growing coffee culture trend and demonstrating their love of coffee, enabling the sector to substantially outperform the wider retail market, which in contrast, has grown at a sluggish pace of 1-2% over the past four to five years.

Committed consumers "The UK coffee shop market continues to astound even the most optimistic of forecasters, by growing significantly in value, in outlet numbers and also in the social psyche of the nation. As consumers gain more opportunity to consume quality coffee through more outlets, they are making it part of their lifestyle. Britain has become a ‘new nation of coffee drinkers'.

Long live the cup of tea, but more and more consumers seek and enjoy quality coffee,” commented Jeffrey Young, managing director of Allegra Strategies.

"High quality ‘artisan' independent coffee shops are also fuelling consumer demand and driving the branded coffee shop sector to increase focus on authentic interiors, barista technique and to introduce a wider range of crafted coffees such as flat white and cortado.

"This focus on quality in all areas can only continue to drive a thriving industry over the next three to five years and beyond.

The entry of Tesco into the market this year with its Harris + Hoole joint venture signals a new era of competition is about to emerge, with quite possibly further M&A activity."

Allegra's 2012 research with more than 25,000 consumers showed that British coffee shop visitors are refusing to give up on their regular coffee out of home, with 49% stating they are maintaining their coffee shop visits compared with last year. One in five consumers

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MARKET RESEARCH surveyed now visit coffee shops daily compared with one in nine in 2009, claim the researchers.

Coffee shop visitors drink on average three cups of coffee per week in coffee shops. This is still far less than the quantity drunk at home (10 cups per week) or at work (6 cups per week) and far less than tea overall, but it indicates significant room for further growth as coffee becomes one of the nation's favourite beverages.

Historically reserved as a ‘special' treat, coffee is now established as an everyday beverage. A majority of the UK adult population incorporate coffee into their regular beverage repertoire. The genuine love and appreciation of coffee is growing as consumer palates become more sophisticated and knowledge increases.

A changed landscape The UK coffee landscape has changed significantly in the past decade. Once aspirational brands, Starbucks and Costa et al now have broad mass appeal. These brands will continue to grow and influence the wider market, feel Allegra, but a new breed of exciting and aspirational coffee concepts, primarily led by artisanal independent coffee shops, will grow into small chains and engage coffee connoisseurs - a similar trend to that seen in the wine industry, suggest Allegra.

However, Allegra's 2012 report does highlight some trading down behaviour as consumers attempt to save money by purchasing less food in coffee shops and switching from high end independents down to mass appeal branded chains, but at the same time beleaguered high streets are benefitting from coffee shop expansion.

The role of the coffee shop has never been more important in supporting the vitality of UK shopping areas, attracting consumers and contributing to economic uplift of surrounding businesses.

Declining high streets face strong competition from online

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

retailers, out of town shopping centres, retail parks and factory outlets. Despite this, finding suitable sites remains a challenge for coffee shops, point out Allegra. Leaders expect rents to flatten over the next two to three years, with hope for lower rents as landlords deal with rising retail vacancy rates.

Further growth predicted The future coffee shop marketplace will be shaped by further increasing consumer participation and more savvy consumers, with the desire for premium quality coffee anywhere and anytime, driving improved coffee offers across a broader set of channels, say Allegra. With greater size and reach, however, comes greater responsibility.

As the industry increases its visibility with press and consumer scrutiny, responsible brand and industry image management will become a crucial success factor. Faced with sometimes overblown and unsubstantiated accusations of ubiquity, cloning towns, third world exploitation and tax evasion, the entire industry will be forced to respond to consumer and press attention, advise Allegra.

Transparency relating to all aspects of the industry trading practices will need to be openly communicated to develop and maintain UK consumer trust.

Successful brands will also be defined by their ability to attract, train and motivate highly skilled and passionate management and front line staff with a strong quality and service ethos.

Allegra predicts the total UK coffee shop market will exceed 20,000 outlets and £8 billion turnover by 2017, driven by branded coffee chain expansion and non-specialist operator growth.

The branded coffee chain market is expected to grow at 6% compound annual growth and reach 7,000 outlets by 2017 with sales forecast to grow by 10% CAGR and reach £3.7 billion by 2017.

Allegra also estimates that the UK has the potential to host well over 8,000 branded coffee shops and potentially beyond 10,000 ultimately.

Growth will be driven by expansion of current brands, as well as new, focused corporate backed brands, feel the researchers. These new, corporate backed coffee shops Harris + Hoole (Tesco), Greggs Moment and Coffee#1 (SA Brains), for example - signal a new era of competition and are expected to drive new multibrand strategies from the leading brands as well as increased M&A activity.

Market size and growth The total UK coffee shop market is estimated at 15,723 outlets and £5.8 billion turnover in 2012.

Despite a persistently slow economy and low levels of consumer confidence, the UK coffee shop market grew by 7.5% in turnover and 3.8% in outlets in the last year.

The branded coffee chain segment recorded £2.3 billion turnover across 5,225 outlets, delivering impressive sales growth of 10% and outlet growth of 5.2%, adding 261

stores 2012 After 15 years of considerable growth this segment continues to be one of the most successful of the UK economy.

Physical expansion by leading chains remains the core driver of total market growth. In particular, Costa added 183 UK outlets and 22% sales growth in 2012.

Key players Costa Coffee is the fastest growing operator, adding 183 UK outlets in 2012, with sales growth of 22% and an estimated UK annualised turnover of £648 million.

Starbucks achieved sales growth of 6% with an estimated turnover of £420 million for calendar year 2012 (the company opened 14 stores net during 2012 to trade from 757 units).

Caffè Nero trades from 530 UK outlets, with accelerated outlet growth of 8%, adding 40 units, with estimated sales growth of 13% to reach £215 million in 2012.

Food-focused Pret A Manger and EAT have a combined estimated annual revenue of £449 million, accounting for a 51% share of sales within the food-focused branded chain segment.

Branded coffee chains include coffee-focused operators such as Costa Coffee, Starbucks Coffee Company, Caffè Nero and AMT, as well as food-focused operators such as Pret A Manger, EAT, Patisserie Valerie and Greggs (nonspecialist operators include department store cafés, supermarket cafés, pub chains, quick service restaurant and petrol forecourts with a strong coffee offer).

FEBRUARY 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 53

C

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The Coffee Clinic

FEE OF

CL

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.

INIC

THE ICE AGE! Well it’s that time of year again when the UK goes into hibernation and starts to freeze to the core.

Coffee machines don’t like the cold either and all ready we have had a few call outs to either frozen machines, or faults thats that have been caused by the icy weather. Here are a few tips that if you are able to do should get you through the icy blast we are expecting this winter.

1) If your machine is near a window or a door and the machine is left turned off over night leave it on as the slightly higher electricity use will be far lower then a repair bill.

2) If your machine’s water pipes lead outside or through a ceiling cavity open to the outdoors insulate the pipes as well as you can as this will protect the water from freezing.

3) If you have a bean to cup machine and it’s near a cold drafty area please leave it on overnight as we have had three or four call outs already this winter due to the internals in their machine

Question I'm at a fairly advanced stage of setting up a healthy casual food concept where the core product hero will be made to order tossed salads. This will be supported with soup/stew and juice lines. I've invested in developing the brand and have been quite assiduous in my research over the past year and now am fullon searching for a first Central London/City unit. My intention, once I've got the first unit working well and efficiently, is to grow the business quickly. Core brand values are around super freshness, generosity and healthy fun fast urban eating.

I have for some time been in denial about having a coffee offer! Having moved away from a "definitely no coffee" offer, I now realise that, whilst not a core product, this is important. Not necessarily just for my lunchtime trade but for any breakfast offer I subsequently launch.

And the thing is that I'm now starting from a zero base regarding this part of the product offer. Think I've decided I need an espresso machine rather than bean to cup, given my target market (health conscious professionals looking for a healthy fast lunchtime alternative to a sandwich). I've also looked at "pod" systems as I think they are called. Yet beyond this I'm struggling where to start but

54 FEBRUARY 2013

CAFÉ CULTURE

taking longer to warm up than allowed, causing an error message on the screen.

4) The biggest culprit! It’s hard to protect your machine if its constantly outside in a van or a cart and as this is a growing section of our industry I’m getting quite a few call outs to people that have got leaks caused by cracked pipes or expanded seals. It’s hard to insulate these mobile machines but if possible my suggestion would be to run at minimal temperature a small automatic heater which will take the chill out the air allowing your machine to be protected. If this isn’t possible as I know sometimes it’s not, my suggestion would be to wrap it up in a couple of duvets, but make sure you can get under the machine a bit as well, as that’s the main culprit. We are looking at a new invention at the moment which will hopefully protect machines even in the coldest of conditions but hopefully more on that in future editions of Café Culture.

do know I want to get it right first time. I guesstimate I would be selling no more than 50-100 coffees per day so not huge quantities. Any advice or signposting would be most welcome.

David Bell, London.

Answer From the sounds of your business plan and strategy it sounds as if you’re going to have a very busy and exciting 2013! Coffix has helped quite a few companies like yours specify an espresso machine or bean to cup in some situations in pretty much the same environment as you will be opening. I am glad that you have decided to go for the espresso machine option as it gives your staff a lot more scope with the way they prepare the drinks for the customers. Bean to cups are great for continuity of drinks but if customers ask for a variation they can be a bit of a faff.

The pod system that you also mentioned also has its advantages as it’s a cleaner option as all the pods are neatly packed instead of having to grind the coffee. They are more expensive then a single shot from a grinder and you don’t have the flexibility of being able to change your coffee roast very easily meaning you only have a few coffee options available.

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!

With the espresso machine option that you have decided to run with my suggestion would be a two group machine with a fairly large boiler and as you'll be setting out the shop layout and electrics, my suggestion would always be to fit a 32 Amp supply for the machine even if you don’t need all the power supplied straight away.

Depending on how you are serving soups and stews my other suggestions would be to have a hot water boiler next to the espresso machine for busy periods when your doing most of your coffees but especially teas.

More and more espresso machines on the market are able to raise the temperature in their boiler or boilers allowing for there to be more steam produced but mixing the coffee water with a cold mixer maintaining the correct and best temperature for your blend of coffee.

One thing I would advise especially, is allow as much space as possible for preparation of your drinks. This is an area a lot of people don’t think of till the shop’s built, and it’s too late to change it then normally. My general rule is that if the machine and grinder package together adds up to one metre in width then add 500mm (minimum) to the side to allow for the making of your drinks.

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BARISTA TALK

Lynsey Harley is coffee development manager and Q grader at United Coffee UK and Ireland (www.unitedcoffeeuk.com). She is also UK chapter co-ordinator for the Speciality Coffee Association Europe (SCAE) and the 2012 UK Cup Tasting Champion. Following her look at espresso based drinks in the last issue, this month Lynsey turns her attention to speciality milk drinks.

More or less?

While espresso and filter coffee are becoming more popular, milky drinks still remain a core item on the menu in any coffee destination. This style of coffee’s popularity is down to its easy drinking experience, with smooth mouth-feel and texture. Espresso is a concentrated shot of coffee and can be an acquired taste, so adding milk to an espresso to make a latte, cappuccino or flat white produces a more palatable flavour and makes coffee more appealing to a wider range of consumers.

Recently, consumers have become savvier when it comes to the quality and taste of coffee so though the classic lattes and cappuccinos will always be popular, we’ve started to see shorter drinks appear.

In the last few years the flat white has become commonplace and has been joined by the stumpie and piccolo. A piccolo has less milk than a standard cappuccino and gives a stronger tasting drink, which appeals to consumers looking for a specific taste experience.

The classic Italian-style cappuccino is also becoming more common. This style of cappuccino is only 5oz - smaller than the standard high street variety and just the right size for a comforting and satisfying drink.

A standard high street milky coffee has a milk to espresso ratio of 11:1 which means the coffee flavour becomes diluted and quite subtle. In my opinion some of these drinks just can’t be scaled up. Turning a cappuccino into an 18oz drink will just mean the quality is lost and so the flavours are wasted. The shorter milky drinks that offer a shorter ratio of around 4:1 or even as low as 3:1, however, are the answer for coffee drinkers who like the milk but want a quality, strong coffee flavour too.

Consumers are embracing these shorter drinks, and they’re also beneficial for the operator too. Shorter drinks mean less milk, which speeds up the steaming process, so

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CAFÉ CULTURE

in busy service periods the queues can move quicker and more efficiently – meaning more sales through your tills.

‘Barista style’ milk Milk certainly isn’t a straightforward ingredient to work with! There are lots of factors that baristas need to consider when preparing it. Whether the milk is organic, homogenised, whole or semi skimmed and the way it is stored really make a difference to the final result. Whatever milk you choose, it needs to be thought through and tested before it’s served. Personally, I prefer using un-homogenised organic whole milk as it has a great taste, body and texture.

As well as regular cows’ milk, consumers frequently ask for dairy-free alternatives such as soya, lactose-free, almond and rice milks. Generally these alternatives are easy to use, but there are a few factors that you need to be prepared for. For example, soya shouldn’t be heated as high as regular milk.

It has a lower heat resistance and overheating will damage the taste. But, taking these variables into account, great

TALK

Barista talk

RISTA A B

coffees can still be made using dairy alternatives.

Technique for great milk Once you’ve chosen your milk, you need to make sure it’s cold before you start texturing it.

Purge the steam wand just prior to steaming the milk, make sure that you have the steam tip just under the surface of the milk, and keep the steam wand at the edge of the jug so that the milk spins in a vortex.

This will create a smooth, even texture great milk should be a rich, creamy, dense foam without any froth.

There are five key ‘rules’ that you should always follow.

1. Buy good milk. There’s no point having a great blend of coffee if you’re going to drown it with bad milk. Consider buying it from local suppliers or farm shops to get this quality.

2. Don’t let it sit around. If the milk is not fresh or too warm then you won’t be able to steam it properly.

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BARISTA TALK

wand before and after steaming is essential.

But of course the real key to fantastic milk is practise, practise, practise!

Should your coffee be a work of art?

Presentation is important for any food and drink, and latte art – which can be anything from a simple shape to a complicated design - is a great way to add some ’wow’ factor to your drink.

For those who haven’t done it before, a

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3. Never reuse or reheat. Firstly it’s unhygienic – in the USA it’s common practice not to reheat milk as they’re more aware of the facts. In the UK it’s not, but if you do this the proteins in the milk will denature and you risk giving your customers a bad stomach.

4. Be hygienic. Similar to reusing milk, it’s important that your jugs, cloths and fridges are clean. It’s common sense and should be common practice.

5. Clean your machine. Purging your steam

simple heart or swirl is easy and a good place to start. But, whatever you decide on, make it simple, quick and repeatable, as serving great tasting coffee will always be more important than what’s on top of your drink.

In what I believe is a first for the coffee industry, the Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) has endorsed United Coffee UK & Ireland’s barista training, having now included it as part of their ‘Licence to Work’ programme for the hospitality industry.

Such training can be invaluable to anyone working in coffee shops, bars, restaurants, hotel, pubs, or other outlets serving a range of espresso-based drinks through the AFWS.

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PREVIEW

The Allegra UK Coffee Leader Summit 2013 The Allegra UK Coffee Leader Summit will return on 27 March at the Waldorf Hilton, London with renowned figures from across the UK coffee industry and leading global organisations joining an exciting speaker line-up to share thought leadership, growth strategies and pioneering expert insights.

Confirmed speakers and panellists Key industry trends identified from the Allegra Project Café12 UK report, a definitive report on UK coffee market, will be addressed throughout the conference and form the major themes of the programme.

These themes will include challenges and opportunities of a growing marketplace, sustainability and ethical sourcing and the rise and future of the artisan coffee scene. · Kris Engskov, managing director, Starbucks UK · Gavin Fraser, senior expert, Blue Ocean Strategy Institute · Nick Tolley, founder, Harris + Hoole · Gwilym Davies, founder, Prufrock · James Dickson, executive director, Workshop Coffee Co. · Jeremy Torz, roastmaster & director, Union Hand Roasted · Carolyn Fairman, executive director, Coffee Kids · Per Borgsrad, manager, sustainable value chains, Rainforest Alliance · Richard Anstead, head of product management, Fairtrade · Stephen Hurst, managing director, Mercanta · Ian Balmforth, managing director, Bolling Coffee · James Hoffman, director, Square Mile Coffee Roasters · Alan Tomlins, head roaster, Small Batch Coffee Company · Jeffrey Young, managing director, Allegra Strategies · Brent Clarke, founder, Paper and Cup · David Abrahamovitch, co-founder, Shoreditch Grind

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CAFÉ CULTURE

Challenges and opportunities of a growing marketplace The 2012 Allegra report found that the UK branded coffee shop market is growing at a rate of seven to eight times that of the British economy, and still has room to grow.

“The UK coffee shop market continues to astound even the most optimistic of forecasters, by growing significantly in value, in outlet numbers and also in the social psyche of the nation,” says Jeffrey Young, managing director, Allegra Strategies. “As consumers gain more opportunity to consume quality coffee through more outlets, they are making it part of their lifestyle. Britain has become a ‘new nation of coffee drinkers’. Long live the cup of tea, but more and more consumers seek and enjoy quality coffee.”

However, industry wide growth does not automatically guarantee individual business success and Allegra analysts believe that successful brands of the future must tune into consumer lives to stay relevant as increasingly savvy and choosy consumers seek authentic and original experiences.

The report found that branded coffee chains such as Costa Coffee, Starbucks Coffee Company, Caffè Nero, Pret A Manger and EAT, have shown strong resilience in the face of a very challenging UK economy.

Consumers are gravitating to brands they enjoy and trust and this has added pressure on weak mid-sized chains and low quality independent shops who are slowly fading out of the market. Good artisan independents, however, are thriving particularly in London but also starting to take off in the regions.

Thus, the challenges and opportunities of

a growing market place will form the first major theme at the UK Coffee Leader Summit 2013. Growth strategies from some of the UK’s most successful branded coffee shop and food chains such as Starbucks and Harris + Hoole will be presented and shared.

Fresh prespectives from leading global organisations will also feature as part of the day’s programme.

In his speech titled "Industry’s evolve endlessly - what is your best strategic move now to differentiate your business at low cost for high profit growth?" Gavin Fraser, a senior expert at Blue Ocean Strategy, will discuss strategic measures businesses can take to create uncontested market space, differentiate themselves at low cost and increase profit. He will apply the ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ to the coffee shop and food-to-go markets through relevant, inspirational case studies and provide invaluable ready-toimplement market insight.

The rise and future of the artisan coffee scene The UK coffee landscape has changed significantly in the past decade. Once aspirational brands, (for example Starbucks and Costa) now have broad mass appeal and will continue to grow and influence the wider market. A new breed of exciting and aspirational coffee concepts, primarily led by artisanal independent coffee shops, will grow into small chains and engage coffee connoisseurs, a similar trend to that seen in the wine industry.

“High quality ‘artisan’ independent coffee shops are also fuelling consumer demand and driving the branded coffee shop sector to increase focus on authentic interiors,

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PREVIEW host an ‘Independent Manifesto’ - an exciting new conference panel format, designed to create an interactive open forum that stimulates cutting edge debate and discussion amongst panellist from renowned artisan Independent coffee shops and the conference audience.

barista technique and to introduce a wider range of crafted coffees such as flat white and cortado,” adds Jeffrey Young.

“This focus on quality in all areas can only continue to drive a thriving industry over the next three to five years and beyond. The entry of Tesco into the market this year with

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

its Harris + Hoole joint venture signals a new era of competition is about to emerge, with quite possibly further M&A (mergers and acquisitions) activity.”

The rise and future of the artisan coffee scene will form the second major theme of the day. For the first time the conference will

Sustainability and ethical sourcing Project Café12 UK also suggested that as the industry increases its visibility with press and consumer scrutiny, responsible brand and industry image management will become a crucial success factor.

The UK Coffee Leader Summit 2013 will also address the important issue of sustainability and ethical sourcing. Leading industry experts will not only discuss the future of the industry as a whole but also the importance of implementing efficient CSR strategies to achieve individual business goals.

The conference, which will attract more than 300 senior executives, is set to be the most relevant and important conference for the coffee shop, food-to-go, food-for-now sectors in 2013 and is proudly sponsored by Solo Cup, now part of Dart Container.

For more information on the UK Coffee Leader Summit 2013, contact Alex Berti on: +44 (0)20 7691 8835 or aberti@allegraevents.com

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ALLERGIES

Allergies a matter of life or death

Food Allergy Management Europe (FAME) Ltd was established as a result of the research that Vita Whitaker (main picture, director of Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd) completed for her Master’s degree at Sheffield Hallam and is based on her personal experiences spanning over three years, as a consequence of her following a very restricted diet for health reasons. Here, she outlines more about FAME’s aims.

A growing issue Whilst eating out, I became acutely aware of the lack of knowledge, attitudes and inabilities of some commercial caterers to serve customers with special dietary requirements.

Globalisation, changes in eating habits and progresses in the food industry have all contributed to the availability and variety of a wide range of foods, as a consequence the allergic population is a growing minority, with the risk posed to them increasing as they are exposed to more food allergens which are not always pointed out to them by catering establishments.

More people are being diagnosed with food allergies.

In fact, latest information predicts that by 2050, 50% of the population will have an allergy, and at the same time more people are eating out.

Social changes such as the increase of two family incomes, working longer hours, and after school activities for children, has increased the use of restaurants, cafés, snack bars, as has the demand for special meals to cater for those with

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establishments to make informed decisions.

allergies grows; but whilst demand is rising, then so should the need for restaurant managers to be fully informed regarding food allergies and the potential for allergy related risks occurring in their business.

A large proportion of allergy-

related deaths are caused by food eaten away from home and most cases involve a deliberate ingredient and poor communication. Allergic consumers do need to be proactive, but they also need help from catering

Regulations After several years of intensive consultation and negotiation, the European Union Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 was finally published on 22 November 2011. It came into force 20 days later on 13 December, and catering businesses were allowed a transition period of three years to adapt to most requirements, with the nutrition declaration becoming mandatory after five years. At this stage, the regulation does not include the implementation decisions for each European country; discussions with DEFRA and Food Standards Agency (FSA) on how the regulation will be implemented are still continuing.

In brief, the new directive will hugely affect the “mass caterer” i.e. establishments such as restaurants, pubs, cafés, not excluding a vehicle or a fixed or mobile stall, staff canteens, school dining rooms, hospitals, in fact all catering enterprises in which their

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ALLERGIES business is to prepare open food ready for final consumption by the public consumer.

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, replaces the previous regulations/directives in place (Appendix 21) and this regulation replaces the current requirements for the labelling of foodstuffs set out in Directive 2000/13/EC and the nutrition labelling requirements of Directive 90/496/EEC. This recent EU legislation (2011) has taken the seriousness of allergen control and has amended the existing legislation to incorporate those supplying freshly prepared, and cooked food which is served unpackaged, referred to as ‘open food’. The new requirements of this Regulation, includes the introduction of allergen labelling and information for foods sold unpackaged. For example, casein (cheese products) must have a reference to milk and tofu has to reference soya.

Whilst the onus remains with open foods, many caterers also provide pre-packed foods.

Here, the food allergen labelling provisions for pre-packed foods are broadly similar to the legislation already in existence, but there are new requirements regarding the presentation of this information.

The fourteen allergenic ingredients stated in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 have to be declared in the ingredients list and under the new Regulation, this information now has to be emphasized (for example, in capital letters, bold) and must make reference to the allergenic food as set out in Annex II of the Regulation. The legislation states that these fourteen food allergens must be declared whenever they are used, at any level, open food, pre-packed foods, and including alcoholic drinks.

(EU) No. 1169/2011, Chapter V, ‘Voluntary Food Information’ Article 36, 3. (a), states that ingredient information will be

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voluntarily provided when asked for. Annex II, lists 14 allergens (Appendix 22) and the bi-products of each and adds that:“…information on the possible and unintentional presence in food of substances or products causing allergies or intolerances must be made known…”

Implications The legislation will require that catering businesses can provide allergy information to customers upon request but again, its ‘flexible’ on how information should be provided to them. Some people in the Commission think this information could be put on menus, whilst others prefer mandatory available, meaning available if consumers ask for it.

The main challenge to catering businesses is how they provide allergy information for open foods, without packaging, and foods sold loose (such as from a deli counter), or sold pre-packed for direct sale (such as bread or cakes in a bakery or sandwiches from a sandwich bar). This is already hampered by the current information provided not being clear and each EU country being free to provide guidance and advice to businesses as they choose to interpret it, which could create mass confusion and negativity amongst some caterers, possibly making them admit defeat before attempting to comply or, worse still they choose to ignore the regulation altogether.

Following recent discussions with the FSA, Allergy UK and the Anaphylaxis Campaign, all confirm that it is down to the individual catering outlet as to whether they take a proactive role regarding how they integrate food allergens into their business or not, until it is enforced.

• • 2.

• •

•

• 3.

food allergens and intolerances, so that they are can meet the European Directive.

On line training Bespoke training Provide products and services that will assist them through this process and beyond.

FAME Allergen Saf-T-Zone Kits, and accessories Promote the association of food allergens with the colour purple, effectively creating a safe area in commercial kitchen.

Operational and management systems, including paper based and computerized tools.

Consultancy and advice.

Create a new accreditation for the hospitality industry that indicates the establishment’s capability to service those with food allergies and special dietary requirements that will be audited and regularly updated.

4. Promote the FAME brand to the food allergic community, so that they feel confident to eat out.

I incorporated FAME on the 20th September 2012, along with Kostas Gkatzionis, operations director (a lecturer in food microbiology, teaching management of food safety and hygiene at Birmingham University with ten years in food industry and research), Adrian Pryce (commercial director and lecturer at the University of Northampton with 10 years in food industry, with proprietary Spanish food business, as well as business school lecturer, teaching business studies and commerce).

The training is currently being developed by a team of professionals and the University of Northampton, and it is our intention to launch the on-line training in April 2013.

For more information, email info@fameltd.eu, visit www.fameltd.eu, or call 01832 737205.

FAME’s aims and objectives 1. Rapidly educate commercial catering establishments (private and public sector) in the UK (followed by the European member countries) with regards to

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INDEX

Café Society Suppliers Index Beyond the Bean Ltd. Unit 6, Cala Trading Estate Ashton Vale Road, Ashton Vale Bristol BS3 2HA Contact: Paul Maxwell Tel: 0117 953 3522 Fax: 0117 953 3422 Email: info@beyondthebean.com Web: www.beyondthebean.com Café Boutique 25 Dale Road, Stanton by Dale Derbyshire DE7 4QF Contact: Greg Campher Tel: 0800 028 3175 Fax: 0800 471 5205 Email: hello@cafeboutique.co.uk Web: www.ipanemaespresso.co.uk Coffix Unit 25 Hill Lane Close, Markfield Leicester LE67 9PY Contact: Glenn James Tel: 01530 242800 Mobile: 07790 402144 Email: info@coffix.com Web: www.coffix.com

Edgcumbe Tea and Coffee Co Ltd. Wicks House, Ford Lane, Arundel West Sussex BN18 0DF Contact: Alice Rendle Tel: 01243 555775 Email: sales@edgcumbes.co.uk Web: www.edgcumbes.co.uk

Rapido Coffee Services The Garden House, Sugnall Eccleshall, Stafford, Staffordshire ST21 6NF Contact: David Wiggins Tel: 01785 851348 Fax: 01785 859388 Email: sales@cappuccino-rapido.com Web: www.cappuccino-rapido.com

Erlenbacher Backwaren gmbh Wasserweg 39, 64521 Groß-Gerau GERMANY Tel: +49 6152 / 803-0 Fax: +49 6152 / 803-347 Email: erlenbacher@de.nestle.com Web: www.erlenbacher.com

Sugar & Spice The Old Bakehouse, Bakers Yard Ardington OX12 8PS Contact: Martin Popple Tel: 01235 835194 Fax: 01235 862212 Email: info@sugarandspicebakery.co.uk Web: www.sugarandspicebakery.co.uk

London School of Coffee 2 Princeton Mews, London KT2 6PT Contact: Gayle Reed Tel: 0208 4397 981 Email: info@londonschoolofcoffee.com Web: www.londonschoolofcoffee.com

Technomic Inc. Knowledge Center, 300 S Riverside Plaza, Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois IL 60606 Contact: Patrick Noone Tel: +01 205 991 1234 Fax: +01 205 980 3770 Email: pnoone@technomic.com Web: www.technomic.com

Nelson Catering Equipment Unit 1, Rowley Industrial Park Acton, London W3 8BH Contact: John Nelson Tel: 0208 993 6199 Email: john@nelsoncatering.co.uk Web: www.nelsondishwashers.co.uk

United Coffee 2 Bradbourne Drive , Tilbrook Milton Keynes MK7 8AT Contact: Elaine Higginson Tel: 01908 275 520 Fax: 01908 648 444 Email: info@firstchoicecoffee.com Web: www.unitedcoffeeuk.com

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The world leading brand Mazzer is synonymous with coffee bean grinding as it has been manufacturing for more than 70 years and distributes into 90 countries and has become the choice and preference by the vast majority of the speciality coffee community and for good reason.

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