Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 45

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magazine JULY 2011 ISSUE 45

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

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Welcome!

CONTENTS

Caffè Culture was back to its traditional two day format this year. If visitors to the Café Culture stand were anything to go by, the show seemed to have been particularly successful in attracting plenty of people poised to launch their own new café businesses. If this includes you, then don’t forget to get in touch with us and tell us how you’re getting on!

As well as previews of lunch! and the Speciality & Fine Food Show, this issue features milk and bean-to-cup machines, and also offers some advice on how to go about branding your outlet by identifying what’s involved.

Clare Benfield - Editor

NEWS 5 Gaggia to re-launch into UK foodservice.

6 Caterers warned about new labelling legislation.

8 Matthew Algie brings its coffee cups to life.

10 Galleria illy to come to London.

EVENT REVIEW 16 Caffè Culture 2011.

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

EVENT PREVIEW 20 lunch!

32 The Speciality & Fine Food Show.

FEATURES 24 Milk lovers – is this coffee shop staple fully understood?

34 At the touch of a button – a bean-to-cup machine showcase.

42 Branding basics – the how and why of branding.

ARTICLES 40 From field to fork – local sourcing at the Cedarbarn farm café.

50 Sweet Success – Maxine Nelson’s creative Cornish bakery.

REGULARS 39 Coffee clinic – your maintenance questions answered.

49 Barista talk – your barista questions answered.

52 New products.

55 Checkout.

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

JULY 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 3

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NEWS

London restaurateur opens second Sicilian caffè

Fracino’s John Cook sees great potential for the company’s British made machines in Germany.

Exclusive partnership marks Fracino’s latest export milestone Sales of Fracino’s cappuccino and espresso machines look set to hot up throughout Germany following an exclusive alliance with a key franchise.

Having sampled Fracino’s traditional Romano machines, Ilker Baris and Philip Austermann were so impressed with the quality that they have launched the exclusive Fracino Espressomaschinen OHG distribution channel.

The powerful partnership was officially sealed during a recent visit to Fracino’s extended factory in Birmingham and the alliance is planning to launch of a state-of-theart showroom in Hamburg.

“The potential to install our world-class machines across the length and breadth of Germany is enormous thanks to this vibrant and exclusive partnership with a well-established and respected franchise,” said John Cook, head of sales at Fracino.

Baris Austermann added: “The weight of Fracino’s dynamic global brand coupled with the company’s quality-driven and innovative manufacturing techniques will enable us to delight German customers seeking great coffee from world-class machines.”

Fracino’s (www.fracino.com) dynamic global export expansion continues apace with the awardwinning manufacturer exporting its 55-strong range of innovative products to every continent in the world.

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The London restaurateur who helped build the Pizza Express brand back in the 1980s has now opened a second Sicilian caffè in Store Street off Tottenham Court Road in London.

Sicilian-born Giovanni Salamone launched the Caffè Paradiso chain with his brother Salvatore at Shad Thames in 2007, but reports that he bided his time before opening the Store Street caffè.

“I needed to find the right location,” he says. “London has several well known café chains but I want to give people a genuine taste of Sicily’s unique café culture which is defined by its distinctive product and character.”

The new caffè, which is on two floors and already attracting devotees from Store Street’s thriving business and residential community, is larger and airier than its more traditional sister. A deliberately ‘aged’, pale stone-tiled floor complements the light wood furniture and large comfortable sofas.

Magazines and books are available for patrons.

Typical Paradiso treats include authentic Sicilian savouries such as arancine (small balls of rice with a choice of fillings, coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried), sfincione (small Sicilian pizzas) with a variety of toppings, a tavola calda (hot dishes

The second Caffè Paradiso has WiFi facilities and 70 covers. including oven-baked Italian sausages and risotto) and daily specials. Ciabatta rolls, sandwiches and salads are also on the menu, as well as some typically Sicilian mouth-watering patisserie (cannoli - orange or chocolate flavoured ricotta in a continental wafer).

Giovanni Salamone has even introduced a special flavour of ice cream for his young clientele, called ‘puffo’ and that’s bright blue!

The Paradiso range of coffees is produced by Molinari who supply the company’s luxury hot chocolate. Teas, juices, smoothies and soft drinks are also available, and customers can purchase a range of products from the caffè including coffees, teas, olive oils, balsamic vinegars and pasta sauces.

Foodservice Footprint award for Nestlé Professional Nestlé Professional® has been awarded its first ever industry-wide award for Sustainable Sourcing at the inaugural Foodservice Footprint Awards.

Scooping the win for its work on the development of “the Cocoa Plan” (www.thecocoaplan.com), an integral part of its Creating Shared Value strategy, Neil Stephens, managing director of Nestlé Professional said: “With a £65 million investment over ten years, the aim is to use Nestlé’s agricultural and scientific know-how to improve the quality and yield of cocoa plants, offering farmer training and education, and improving the social conditions for farmers and their communities. As part of the Cocoa Plan, Nestlé will provide 12 million stronger and

more productive cocoa plantlets to cocoa farming communities worldwide.

“In turn, this helps Nestlé to secure a long term source of quality cocoa. This will ensure foodservice operators and consumers will continue to enjoy and benefit from chocolate confectionery, such as the out-of-home market’s biggest brand – Kit Kat. “Sustainability and CSR is a journey and we are all still learning. The Foodservice Footprint and the Footprint Awards are a fundamental way for the whole industry to help share best practice. It is for this reason that we are delighted to have our own work and commitment recognised by this award win.”

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NEWS

Gaggia to re-launch into UK foodservice Gaggia is relaunching into the UK foodservice market with the Italian coffee equipment brand having appointed Watermark UK (www.watermark.uk.com) as principal distributor, and the range to be made available via Watermark’s network of distributors, coffee equipment specialists and catering equipment suppliers.

Gaggia is one of the most famous espresso coffee equipment manufacturers in the world - an iconic brand that has become associated with flair, flavour and style. Watermark has already been looking after the Gaggia brand in the Republic of Ireland for over 15 years.

“Gaggia has developed a range of new models and features that we’ll be launching into the UK in coming months,” said David Lawlor, managing director of Watermark UK.

One of the most famous brands of coffee machines – Gaggia - is being re-launched into the UK foodservice sector.

“We’ll be focusing very much on customer support – our Gaggia Quality Team aims to deliver onsite support within 24 hours with a first-time fix rate of 98%.”

Watermark has opened a

Gaggia showroom in its offices in Chesham, Buckinghamshire where customers can come to check out all the machines in the range – including the classic D90 Alti, which has been tailored for the take-away

market and allows the espresso shot to pour directly into a takeaway cup, thanks to the raised height of the group heads.

“The dynamic growth of the UK coffee sector is based on espresso and its variants,” adds David Lawlor. “Most professionals agree that Italian coffee is the best in the world.

And the most famous Italian coffee equipment brand is Gaggia – but in recent years it has been something of a sleeping giant in the UK foodservice sector. Yet as well as having a huge heritage, the brand is a market leader in terms of research and development.

“We believe Gaggia’s dynamic new products, coupled with quality customer support, will bring significant benefits to the foodservice sector. We’re going to give coffee service in the UK a caffeine boost.”

Allegra’s fourth European Coffee Symposium to take place in Berlin 400 industry leaders from across the European coffee shop, food-to-go and food-for-now segments will come together at the Ritz-Carlton, Berlin on 23-24 November 2011 for the fourth annual Allegra European Coffee Symposium.

Allegra’s events are widely regarded as the most high-profile and un-missable gatherings of senior executives from across the foodservice sectors and this latest event will build on the resounding success of Allegra's previous European Coffee Symposiums in London, Vienna and Rome.

At a time when businesses place such a premium on innovation and connecting with new customers, the event will provide insight into new ways to elevate standards across the sector as well as unparalleled business development and networking opportunities, say market analysts, Allegra.

Sponsored by United Coffee, Solo Cup Europe, Nespresso and Dawn Food, the Symposium will combine a tailored Supply & Innovation Day, Berlin coffee shop Study Tour and the European Coffee Awards &

Berlin will be the host city for this year’s European Coffee Symposium.

Gala Dinner on day one with the flagship European Coffee Symposium conference will taking place on day two.

Allegra’s Supply & Innovation Day will offer an exclusive forum for leading operators and key suppliers to meet faceto-face to explore and present new product innovation and supply chain opportunities while the Study Tour of Berlin's café culture will run simultaneously during the day, providing participants with a valuable opportunity to experience Berlin’s hip and chic coffee shop scene.

The evening will see Allegra's European Coffee Awards 2011 take place, bringing leading industry executives together in recognition and celebration of the vibrant European coffee shop, food-to-go and food-for-now segments. Nominations for the awards will be made by around 500 senior industry peers who take part in the

Allegra European Coffee Leader Survey in August/September 2011. The category winners will be announced at the gala ceremony.

On the second day, the Symposium speaker line-up (to be unveiled in the coming weeks and representing the very best of the industry from across Europe) will feature some thought-provoking speeches, forward-looking thinking and fascinating panel discussions are on the menu of the day at the European Coffee Symposium conference, which will allow participants to gain a 360° strategic vision of the European marketplace.

Further information about the European Coffee Symposium, European Coffee Awards and Supply & Innovation Day can be found at www.europeancoffeesymposium.com, or contact rnewbery@allegra.co.uk.

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NEWS

Caterers warned about new labelling legislation A leading food legality expert has warned caterers to be alert to a new guidance document from the Food Standards Agency about the use of terms such as ‘gluten free’ and ‘very low gluten’ on labelling and marketing of loose products such as bread, cakes and biscuits.

“From 1 January 2012, the Foodstuffs Suitable for People Intolerant to Gluten (England) Regulations 2010 as well as parallel legislation in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will come into force, placing strict requirements on the use of Gluten terminology on marketing material, menus and labels,” explains Stuart Shotton, Consultancy Services Manager at FoodChain Europe.

The new regulations state that ‘gluten free’ may only be used to describe a product provided that the level of gluten present is less than 20 parts per million. In addition the claim ‘very low gluten’ can only be used if the level of gluten is more than 20ppm and less than 100ppm and the product is made with either reduced gluten ingredients or a substitute gluten-free ingredient such as rice flour instead of wheat flour.

Likewise, products which are naturally gluten free will no longer be allowed to be labelled ‘naturally gluten free’ or ‘free from

gluten’ as only the exact wording is permitted.

“With a dramatic increase in food intolerances in recent years, as well as demand for ‘home-baked’ style products, many caterers are now offering ‘gluten-free’ alternatives to traditional bread, cakes and biscuits. For those who are baking product from scratch, the new FSA Regulations relating to gluten free mean that caterers must notify the FSA with the name of the business, type of food upon which the claim is made together with the claim to be used on those product categories,” Stuart Shotton continues.

“In reality this means that a caterer who produces their own biscuits made with reduced gluten wheat flour or who produces pies or cakes with rice flour instead of wheat flour must inform the FSA before they can place a gluten free statement on menus or point of sale.

Failure to comply could result in prosecution so it is advisable for caterers to ensure they comply.”

FoodChain Europe can advise caterers on the steps they need to take to ensure that their product marketing is compliant with the new regulations (for more information visit www.foodchainadvisors.eu).

EU Update: This month will see the European Parliament voting on a compromise package to make food labels clearer and ensure they give consumers the information they need to make informed choices. The package has been agreed by Parliament and Council negotiating teams, but still needs be formally approved. The draft legislation aims to modernise, simplify and clarify food labelling within the EU. It would harmonise information rules for all food labels, including the list of ingredients, "best before" or "use by" dates and specific conditions of use. The new rules will also add a requirement to list key nutrition information on food packaging, in a mandatory "nutrition declaration". Labels must also be made more legible. For producers and food business operators, this will reduce red tape and strengthen the single market.

Finally, the new rules will streamline requirements for listing allergens, the country of origin, sources of vegetable oils, and other information designed to ensure that consumers are not misled (for more information, visit http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/pressr oom/content/20110628BKG22792/html/Foo d-labelling-what-the-new-EU-rules-willmean).

Lavazza showcase at Wimbledon Italian coffee brand, Lavazza, was selected to be the official coffee of Wimbledon and served hundreds of thousands of coffees to 500,000 tennis fans during the Championships (20 June – 3 July 2011).

A total of over 200 coffee machines, including espresso, hot chocolate and granita machines, grinders, mixers and cream whippers were used by over 600 staff who were either professional Lavazza baristas themselves, or had been trained by Lavazza’s state-of-the-art barista trainers at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

“We decided to become partners with Wimbledon because Wimbledon’s values are so consistent with

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Lavazza coffee was enjoyed by tennis fans during Wimbledon.

Lavazza’s – amongst them heritage, tradition, authenticity and an excellent experience,” commented Giuseppe Lavazza, vice president. “The Championships provided a great opportunity to showcase the excellence of

our core product – espresso, as well as our innovative flair in the form of exclusive new recipes and skill in training baristas to Lavazza’s exacting standards.”

At the tournament Lavazza presented a complete 360° coffee

offering, spanning espresso based Italian classics, Lavazza’s hot and cold specialties including Choco Cremespresso and Mokaccino (hot), and Cremespresso and Espresso Granita (cold) all the way through to two new, limited edition Wimbledon special recipes (Lavazza Iced Latte and Lavazza Amaretto Espresso).

The Lavazza Iced Latte was made available at numerous locations throughout Wimbledon, including the Baseline Café, in a choice of three flavours – vanilla, chocolate and strawberry (Lavazza’s own take on the Wimbledon classic of strawberries and cream).

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NEWS

Matthew Algie brings its coffee cups to life

If you missed the exhibition, you can see the reviews and a short video clip (now on You Tube) at www.avex2011.co.uk.

AVEX 2011 a success Held in Hall 3 at Birmingham’s NEC on the 15 and 16 June, AVEX (International Vending and Water Exhibition) saw the very latest in vending and water being showcased and was a sell out, report the show’s organisers.

The event attracted companies from around the world including first time exhibitors from Hungary, Italy, Korea, New Zealand, the US and Spain as well as closer to home with a great mix of established companies, new entrants to the refreshment market and some non traditional vending companies.

“As a first time exhibitor with a new product, what we learned about the market and potential opportunities for our ice and water dispensers in two days would have taken us months otherwise,” said Mike Rice of Follett Corp.

“AVEX has been brilliant for our concept products. It’s given us a showcase and is superb at bringing people to one spot, so together we can create best practice,” added Eleanor Bane of Safer Systems.

Nero & Bianco’s distinctive packaging and premium pointof-sale material help make an eye-catching display.

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Independent coffee roaster, Matthew Algie, is bringing its coffee cups to life in a new interactive campaign for its ethical coffee brand, Tiki.

The campaign – using the latest augmented reality and QR technology which encourages customers to engage with the Tiki brand via applications on their smartphones – aims to educate coffee drinkers about its ethical credentials, through the use of the latest digital technology.

Since its launch in 2004, the Tiki Triple Certified espresso has become Matthew Algie’s biggest selling product line, report the company, who wanted to develop a way to encourage customers to interact with their coffee and understand exactly where and how the beans they roast are grown.

The campaign is linked to the new special edition Tiki coffee cups. Each cup features one of three Tiki characters – Carlos, Sophie and Serge – who come to life by using a smartphone to scan the coffee bean logo positioned on the side of the cup. The animated characters speak directly to the coffee drinker to share their unique stories, as well as highlighting the benefits of Tiki coffee and the positive impact that initiatives like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance have on coffee growers and the environment. The promotion is seen as a fun way of enabling Matthew Algie to educate and inform its consumers while entertaining them too.

“This is an exciting and experimental project for Matthew Algie,” said Gordon Muir, sales and marketing

director at Matthew Algie. “The overall aim of the campaign is to educate coffee drinkers about the Tiki brand and its ethical credentials, which is a lot of information to fit onto a coffee cup. By embracing digital technology, it demonstrates our commitment to supporting our customers and engages their customers in a new way.”

In addition to augmented reality, the new Tiki cups also have a QR code, which enables customers to scan the codes using their smartphones to connect with the official campaign web site and Facebook page, Tikiworld. The application allows customers to join the Tikiworld Facebook community, interact with others and access information about the Tiki brand, including YouTube videos and photos. They also have the opportunity to win £500 of PC World vouchers by collecting all three Tiki characters using the Tiki Facebook application and entering into a draw.

Matthew Algie have devised an app’ to inform customers about their coffee.

Peros stock Nero & Bianco Fairtrade specialist Peros is the first foodservice distributor to stock the two newly launched flavours of chocolate from independent premium chocolate brand Nero & Bianco.

Available in 100g and 35g bars, the new Orange and Butterscotch flavours join the range that promises ‘indulgence with conscience’ great taste and 100% Fairtrade and organic. Every

flavour in the Nero & Bianco range has a high proportion of cocoa solids (39%), giving the brand a distinctively rich and creamy taste profile.

The new Milk Chocolate with Orange (39%) is very different from other mainstream brands. It’s infused with whole orange zest which, when combined with the high cocoa content milk chocolate, gives a strong, almost dark chocolate taste,

followed by a very subtle natural orange aftertaste that lingers on the palate. The new Milk Chocolate with Butterscotch (39%) has been described as a rich chocolate dessert with a crunch like the top of a crème brûlée.

The whole Nero & Bianco range is 100% Fairtrade and organic and now comprises five flavours - Milk, Dark, White, Orange and Butterscotch.

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NEWS

Chill with Sweetbird Sweetbird has launched two brand new flavours of iced tea - Passionfruit Lemon and Jasmine Lime Iced Tea syrups - which have been developed as a quick and easy alternative to standard methods of making iced tea.

These two new flavours join the rest of the Sweetbird Iced Tea Syrup range of Original Iced Tea, Peach Iced Tea, Raspberry Iced Tea and Chai, which can be prepared as both a hot and chilled beverage.

As with all Sweetbird Iced Tea Syrups, they offer portion and quality control which helps retailers make excellent margins while cutting down on preparation time. To make a standard 12oz drink, all it takes is ice, chilled water and 4 pumps (30ml) of the Sweetbird Iced Tea Syrup of your choice. A quick stir and garnish with either mint leaves or wedges of lemon or lime to give the drink a premium feel.

“Iced Tea sales are growing and many coffee shops and cafes are missing out on a fantastic and low cost way to enhance their summer drinks menu,” says Paul Maxwell, of supplier, Beyond the Bean. “With a great profit margin of around 90% per 12oz Iced Tea, Sweetbird offers the perfect solution to help you boost your profits during the summer months.”

READER OFFER To be in with a chance of winning one of three mixed cases of Sweetbird Iced Tea Syrups, point of sale material and pumps, email your name and business address to info@sweetbird.com with ‘Sweetbird Syrup’ in the subject line (closing date 30 September 2011)

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CAFÉ CULTURE

The free to visit, Galleria illy, hosted by FLOS and Moroso, will run from 12 September to 16 October 2011 at 15 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4SP and be open Monday to Friday, 10.00am to 5.00pm.

Galleria illy to come to London Coffee and culture have shared an inseparable bond that has lasted for centuries and now, following runs in New York, Milan, Trieste, Istanbul and Berlin, Galleria illy will open in London on 12 September 2011 (full details of London’s month-long - and free to visit - exhibition will be announced in August).

Last year, the Berlin Galleria featured a unique installation created by the German artist Tobias Rehberger in his trademark optical-pop style.

The temporary exhibition space – hosted by lighting and furnishings designers FLOS and Moroso – will play host to a programme of art, literature, science, design and food & wine events presented by internationally renowned personalities.

In Galleria’s past, events have been created by contributors such as Marina Abramovic, James Rosenquist, Julian

Schnabel, Sebastião Salgado and Michael Lin. One certainty is that the artist Francesco Clemente will be revealing his take on the espresso cup as part of the illy Art Collection. And instead of illy’s muchadmired 286 espresso cup chandelier, a new installation will also be unveiled.

The installation will showcase the coffee cups interpreted by some of the greatest artists and most influential contributors to film and music of our generation (including Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, David Byrne and Pedro Almodóvar).

Additionally, baristas from the Università del Caffè will provide free courses to help people master the art of coffee preparation and enjoy delicious illy coffee. The complete, regularly updated schedule of events will be posted at facebook.com/illy

New euro-style cups from Cap-It-All Foodservice packaging supplier Cap-It-All has introduced a second range of high quality lightweight PET drink cups for caterers and foodservice operators who are looking to save money in the current economic downturn.

The new euro-style cups have strength and rigidity, say the company, meaning that less PET is needed to make the cups enabling them to be competitively priced and also better for the environment.

The euro-style cups are available in a choice of five sizes - 250cl, 300cl, 350cl, 550cl and 650cl (each cup features a fill line marked at 50cl lower than the maximum fill). All cups can be printed in up to five colours for minimum runs of 50,000 of a size.

Completing the package, cups can be

supplied with a choice of four lids if desired - flat lids (plain or straw-cut) and dome lids (closed or with a central opening). Lids are available in two sizes, the smaller of which fits sizes fits the 250cl, 300cl and 350cl euro-style cups, and the larger of which fits the 550cl and 650cl cups.

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NEWS

illy launch premium chilled coffee illy issimo – a ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee-based beverage developed by the collaboration between illycaffè and the Coca-Cola Company – was officially launched into the UK at the Caffè Culture show (London Olympia, 18 and 19 May 2011).

The chilled coffee range is allnatural and made with illy’s unique 100% Arabica coffee blend and no added preservatives, artificial colours, aromas or flavours, say illy and is available in three versions caffè, cappuccino and latte macchiato - with an RRP of £1.65 per can. illy issimo Caffè is bold and energising, with the full-bodied character of real Italian espresso plus a touch of sweetness.

Cappuccino is an uplifting rich and fragrant espresso blended with milk and exotic dark cacao, balanced with a hint of sweetness. Latte macchiato is a smooth and silky swirl of fresh espresso taste perfectly blended with velvety milk and sugar. The Caffè variant comes in a stylish, 150 ml slim can, while the milk variants is available in 200 ml servings. The illy issimo range is also low in calories – between 36 to 110 calories per can. illy says it believes that the drinks will appeal to both consumers in the home and on-thego, but also to coffee shops, bars, restaurants and hotels (especially mini-bars) looking to offer their customers a premium chilled and canned coffee experience. “illy issimo is a true response to consumer demands and a new way to enjoy the intense pleasure of illy.

It’s perfect for the on-the-go lifestyle without sacrificing genuine espresso quality,” said Stephen Barlow, managing director of illy importer and distributor, Euro Food Brands Ltd.

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Part of the new Coffee Shop range from La Boulangerie.

La Boulangerie launch new range La Boulangerie, the bread and patisserie specialist arm of Brakes Group, has crafted a new Coffee Shop range designed to allow outlets to maximise the growing ‘grab n go’ opportunity, say the company.

The Coffee Shop range consists of 16 thaw and serve varieties of cookies, slices, tulip muffins, brownies and flapjacks, including flavours such as Belgian double chocolate chunk cookie, chocolate brownie, all butter flapjack, carrot cake, and blueberry crumble tulip muffins. There’s a strong rustic influence with all products available in individual, parchment packaging to give the impression of an in-home bakery.

Traditionally ‘grab n go’ products tend to be ambient bringing with them the issue of limited shelf life and the additives needed to extend that life. To overcome this problem La Boulangerie’s range is frozen, reducing additives and using innovative, Interflex packaging to extend shelf life once defrosted. The range is the first to use this

packaging format (a parchment acetate laminate and has the keeping benefits of plastic), providing a longer shelf life and air tight seal and the visual benefits of paper.

“The complete range is available in a thaw and serve format, helping reduce waste as caterers need only defrost what they plan to sell. Being frozen means the products remain moist, once thawed and in the case of the cookies chewy and not too dry like many of their ambient counterparts,” says Simon Cannell, business manager at La Boulangerie. “We have seen an increase in demand for coffee shop products, both in traditional outlets and in non-coffee shop settings such as pubs and restaurants.”

The new coffee shop products complement La Boulangerie’s current range, which includes artisan loaves and baguettes, sandwich and accompaniment breads, traditional bakery, Viennoiserie and confectionery.

Spanish chocolate cookie launch SnackKing have announced the launch of Elgorriaga (www.chocolateselgorriaga.com) - a premium product made from high end ingredients, in a traditional method to establish a very unique cookie dough taste.

The Elgorriaga production process does not use chemical improvers to reduce the manufacturing time scales, and the dough mix is allowed to prove naturally over a number of days allowing for a more home baked taste.

The Elgorriaga brand is 300 years old and is the third oldest company in Spain, with the Elgorriaga family having started out making drinking chocolate from their small shop in Irun around 1770, and now having expanded to a worldwide brand making chocolate and cookies. The biscuit products are sold globally, yet sadly couldn't establish interest from the British holidaymakers in southern Spain, hence the reason for not establishing a distribution partner in the UK until now.

“We intend to distribute in three main streams – independent coffee shops and cafés via direct sales, a white labeled version for coffee chains and a large retailer partnership to raise brand and product awareness,” says SnackKing’s Andrew Seymour.

“The product can be packaged in a number of ways to meet the needs of the different channels and our plan is to have a strong London presence via independents by Q4 of 2011. We are currently speaking to a number of coffee chains with the aim to have an exclusive contract with one by 2012. We are also in talks with a number of high end retail chains again with the plan to be distributing via them by early 2012.”

Elgorriaga’s distinctive packaging and branding.

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NEWS

SHORTS DEFRA to get Costa Following a successful relationship providing catering to two of its sites, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has awarded Eurest Services the foodservice contract for its entire estate. In addition to its foodservice offer, Eurest Services will also introduce the Costa coffee brand across the estate, including the two Westminster locations which will have fully licensed cafés.

Divine at Glastonbury Divine Chocolate, the Fairtrade company co-owned by cocoa farmers, was the official chocolate bar at this year’s Glastonbury festival. A variety of bars were on sale at the main festival stores including a limited edition milk chocolate bar with a specially designed wrapper exclusive to Glastonbury. Divine ran a series of promotions, including a bar with a golden ticket in it that entitled the lucky winner to receive a stage-side access to the Pyramid Stage on the final night.

Award for Gist Gist Limited has been named Technology and Logistics Supplier of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards 2011. Gist transformed food retailer EAT’s supply chain by consolidating the previously separately managed ambient, chilled and frozen supply chains into a single operation, optimising and reducing transport routes, fuel consumption and mileage. Safety for drivers and store employees was improved and store complaints were dramatically reduced.

CMC launch Classe 9 The Coffee Machine Company (CMC), sole UK importer of Rancilio espresso equipment, has announced the launch of the company’s latest model, the Classe 9. This is a direct replacement for the successful Classe 8 model and builds on its achievements with a host of new features and improved aesthetics, including LEDs to act as ‘telltales’.

Starbucks to expand in Norway Starbucks Coffee Company and SSP, an operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, have announced that they will be expanding Starbucks presence into Norway by opening the first Starbucks store at Oslo Airport in early 2012.

Flat Technology aims to put an end to wobbly tables.

End of the road for wobbly tables?

An innovative technology could soon spell the end for wobbly tables in bars, restaurants and cafés, when it hits the UK this month, claim Flat Technology a multi-award-winning levelling and stabilising technology, which puts an end to the problems caused by uneven surfaces.

Wedging a beer-mat under the table leg will now be a thing of the past as Flat Technology, incorporated into table bases, ensures the furniture remains stable, no matter where it is placed, say the inventors.

Through an intricate hydraulic system, the table automatically adapts itself to an uneven surface, keeping it flat and rock-solid, no matter how many times it is moved.

This unique, patented technology also allows two or more tabletops to be aligned side-by-side, eliminating the troublesome ridges often created by placing tables together. The table bases are

being launched in the UK at the beginning of July, after proving a huge hit across the hospitality sector in Australia, where it first launched last spring.

“We are extremely excited about the launch of the awardwinning Flat bases in the UK. You ask any customer what annoys them the most in any pub or restaurant, indoors or outdoors and the answer will be wobbly tables!” said Tracey Sanders of Spiro Designs Ltd, which will be supplying the table bases to commercial businesses across the UK. “We think these table bases are going to revolutionise our industry. There is nothing on the market that answers the issue of wobbly tables so simply.”

There are seven varieties of table bases available, covering a variety of sizes of tables across the hospitality and commercial furniture sectors (more information is available at www.flatbases.co.uk).

SnackTime awards Benders paper cup contract SnackTime, the UK’s fourth largest vending operator with over 20,000 customer sites, and the largest snack vending machine company in the UK, has recently awarded Benders Paper Cup Company a new two year contract.

From early June, Benders started to supply SnackTime with all their Cafe Joe branded 7oz squat and 9oz tall vending cups, and 8/9oz premium hot cups. Cafe Joe is SnackTime’s premium own range of ethically traded coffee and hot drinks

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products and is distributed across the UK. Initially distributed only in London, Café Joe is now available in SnackTime coffee vending machines across the UK as a response to customer demand for more ethically sourced coffee products.

"Benders manufacturing quality and print flexibility gave us all the reassurance we needed to move our paper cup supply to them," commented Steven Garner, buying director at SnackTime. "With the rapid growth of paper cups within

SnackTime, Benders have become an important strategic supplier to the Group and we look forward to working with them over the coming years."

As part of their commitment to the environment, Benders Paper Cup Company not only make all paper cups in the UK using ethically sourced raw materials from sustainable, managed forests, but are also an active member of the Paper Cup Recovery & Recycling Group (www.benders.co.uk).

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NEWS

Doing it for the kids Butlins and SSP have chosen SOHO Coffee Co. as their preferred brand partner to deliver and drive kids menu offerings.

The initial range has been rolled out at all airport concessions of SOHO Coffee Co. operated by SSP, Butlins Skegness and Minehead and retail SOHO Coffee Co. outlets at The Mall - Cribbs Causeway, Cabot Circus Bristol, Regent Arcade Cheltenham and Westfield Merry Hill.

The SOHO kids menu features Simply Cheese Sandwich, Simply Ham Sandwich, a child-size fresh Strawberry Pot, Innocent Kids Smoothies and SOHO Flo, the Gingerbread lady.

“As a mum I know how kids enjoy having their own range to choose from aside from regular adult offerings,” said Penny Manuel, director of SOHO Coffee Co. “The kids menu includes appealing finger sandwiches with high quality non-fussy fillings like mature English cheese and tasty gammon ham. Our salad bar, available at most outlets, remains a hugely popular choice with kids, so driving this new range will reinforce our positioning with this audience. Kids are enthusiastic about our brand experience so evolving our strategy around demand from these key ‘decision makers’ can only add to our growth.”

Award for ‘to go’ treat Erlenbacher (www.erlenbacher.co.uk), a manufacturer of premium frozen cakes and deserts for the food service industry, has announced that its Tiramisu Sweet Moments Cup has been awarded a star in the prestigious 2011 Superior Taste Awards, the ultimate accolade from an international jury of top chefs and sommeliers – the Masters of Taste.

Last year the confectioners also won a star at the International Taste & Quality Institutes’ 2010 Superior Taste Award in Brussels for their Chocolate Cream Cheesecake. This year, however, it was their Tiramisu Cup which came out with flying colours having been given 78.7 points out of a possible 100 in the judging process, and narrowly missing the 80-point mark for a second star (points ranging from 76 to 88 were awarded by the discerning testers, based on the initial impression, appearance, smell, consistency and flavour).

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Caffè Culture 2011 Now in its six year, Caffè Culture (National Hall, Olympia on 18 and 19 May 2011) returned to its traditional two day format and saw 4,433 visitors and over 200 exhibitors in attendance over the two days, report the show’s organisers, Upper Street Events (the show has also won the award for UK’s Best Trade Event at the prestigious Exhibition News Awards).

Two day format “Last year’s Caffè Culture was a fantastic celebration for our industry, but it was also an anomaly,” commented Elliot Gard, the event’s director. “We were hosting a huge series of competitions that attracted a phenomenal international attendance of baristas and coffee tourists, it was three days of intense activities and the whole event most certainly had coffee at its heart. In 2011 we needed to return to Caffè Culture’s roots and provide an event that truly delivered for exhibitors and visitors alike.

“We developed a number of different initiatives this year to provide the core audience of café bar owners and managers with the business support needed to ensure they continue to survive and thrive despite tough trading conditions on the high street. From the fantastic feedback we have had we are delighted to know that Caffè Culture continues to play a pivotal role in the industry’s calendar, providing a much needed opportunity for the whole community to come together to network, share ideas and do business.”

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Visitors who came to this year’s event were able to meet with suppliers of thousands of products and services specifically designed for the café bar market, and enjoy free access to a first class programme of seminars in the Caffè Theatre. New for 2011 were a series of oneto-one consultations with a host of industry experts within the Caffè Clinic. In addition, there were four streams of paid for workshops looking at everything from managing the finances and marketing of a business to offering training in basic and advanced barista skills and latte art.

“We have exhibited at Caffè Culture for the last four years and every year we have had a fantastic response to our products; however, this year we have doubled the number of quality leads compared to previous years. A truly great show,” said David Evans of Future Products.

Commenting on the return to the traditional Caffè Culture event format, Roger Shuttleworth, head of marketing at Jura, added: “A welcome return to the tried and tested format of a two day show smaller and better. As our main showcase

for Jura Coffee machines each year we are delighted with the number of people we met at the show, both new customers and old contacts looking at expanding their operations.”

“We took the decision to exhibit at Caffè Culture this year to showcase a unique bean-to-cup solution, designed to make great coffee easy,” said Paul Freeman, marketing director at Douwe Egberts. “We were immediately impressed with the quality of visitors on the opening day and hope that this will translate into many business opportunities and new relationships.”

A new exhibitor for 2011, Solhil Ahmed, new business manager for Barclaycard agreed. “We had a great two days and have taken away a large amount of leads.

The show has been excellently managed and, when needed, the organisers have been on hand. Very impressed – we will be back next year.”

Caffè Culture 2012 will take place at Olympia, London on 16 and 17 May 2012 (for more information visit www.caffeculture.com).

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Cimbali’s M39 Dosatron HD machine.

Equipment showcase Italian espresso machine manufacturer, La Cimbali, showed off its M39 HD machine, demonstrating to visitors the advantages its pressure profiling controls has for baristas.

The machine can create a vast difference in the taste and texture of coffee by adjusting the pressure profile of the espresso.

“Producing a great espresso is all about reproducing the taste profile the roaster had in mind when roasting and blending the coffee,” said Cimbali UK managing director, Carl Bjorkstrand. “Pressure profiling gives the barista greater control over the variables which may affect this taste.

“There are many variables that the barista can call upon when making an espresso, including the grind, temperature, dose, time and pressure. The first four are of course very well known, but because pressure has been non-variable in modern espresso machines, pressure profiling has been seen as insignificant. In fact the taste profile of an espresso can be materially changed by varying the pressure profile

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during extraction.”

WMF (www.wmf.uk.com) launched its latest 2000S machine at the show. It has the same small footprint and variety of drink options as the original 2000S, but doesn’t require any special electricals, point out WMF, as it comes fitted with a 13 amp plug and can still deliver up to 200 drinks per Ideal for cafés, Rational showcased its smallest SelfCooking Center, the SCC61.

day, depending on cup size and coffee settings. It is ideal for operators that sell most of their coffee in a small space of time such as during a lunch hour, making it a real ‘queue-buster’ with fast delivery, and saving valuable time.

“Following the successful launch of the WMF 2000S with three phase at Caffè Culture last year, we developed a new machine to reach a wider audience and Caffè Culture 2011 was the ideal platform to launch it,” said Florian Lehmann, WMF UK Ltd’s managing director.

Manitowoc Foodservice UK exhibited its Merrychef eikon™ speed cooking ovens and Convotherm Mini Mobil which are already helping food retailers such as Subway®, Marks & Spencer, Applegreen and Little Chef. Both products feature easyToUCH™ display panels for one touch recipes and cooking programmes which standardises operations and makes training much easier.

Sielaff (www.sielaff.de), a German manufacturer of quality hot drinks dispensers demonstrated its versatile Piacere bean-to-cup machine. Also on the stand was the CVT tabletop bean-to-cup coffee dispenser and the freestanding CFS fresh brew vending machine, configured to dispense leaf tea. Meaning ‘pleasure’ in Italian, the Piacere can dispense a menu of perfect speciality hot drinks from espressos or cappuccinos to lattes, macchiatos and hot chocolate, all prepared at the touch of a button.

“This was a very good exhibition for us,” said Sielaff UK’s general manager, Karen Nash. “In particular, the first morning was busy with visitors. It put us in front of some interesting prospects and we were very pleased with the outcome. The versatility of the Piacere appealed to visitors and we have high hopes that a good number of those who visited our stand will ultimately become customers.”

JULY 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 17

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REVIEW Rational (www.rational-UK.com) were demonstrating their bakery-specific SelfCooking Center which allows the system to accept traditional baking trays, making it ideal for bake-off. The bakery SelfCooking Centers include a dedicated 'bake off' process, along with a 'baking mode' which automatically bake and bake-off a variety of popular lines at the touch of a button.

Suitable for baking and bake-off applications in high street outlets and for instore bakeries, as well as being very useful in craft bakeries, their ability to prove and then bake-off in one single cabinet makes them extremely versatile, as well as spaceand money-saving.

"The SelfCooking Center makes baking a cinch, even for untrained staff," commented Rational's Ian Ring. "So it's perfect for all sorts of bakery outlets, from the high street craft baker to in-store bakeries and even in convenience stores and garage forecourts.

It ensures each product is baked off in exactly the way you want, with consistent quality every time."

Nelson Catering Equipment talked to Caffè Culture visitors about how the right design can increase customer footfall, strengthen brand identity and, ultimately, improve revenue. The company provides a full service from initial design ideas through to final 3D concepts, elevations, installation, commissioning and training, even including full project management if required and can undertake smaller projects through its inhouse, specialist divisions. Sister company, Nelson Dish & Glasswashing (www.nelsonwash.com), demonstrated the latest Speedwash Advantage undercounter dishwasher. Its super specified design addresses every potential area of energy efficiency and performance, say the company.

Douwe Egberts showcased its new beanto-cup concept. Designed to make highquality espresso-based coffee more operationally simple, Douwe Egberts Easymilk is a unique system which uses an alternative to fresh milk that is more hygienic and saves outlets significant time and money.

A number of outlets across the UK now operate automatic bean-to-cup coffee machines, but the majority of these do not have dedicated coffee baristas who are fullyfocused on using, cleaning and maintaining the equipment. According to Douwe Egberts, up to 90% of chargeable service calls on fresh-milk automatic bean-to-cup systems are due to operator error around milkrelated cleaning, as operators are not using or maintaining the machinery correctly. In contrast, the Douwe Egberts Easymilk uses a concentrated milk product as an alternative to daily fresh milk, traditionally chosen for use with bean-to-cup machines.

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Melitta’s latest Bar-Cube 2.

Melitta (www.melittasystemservice.co.uk) showcased its new C35 - a reddot award winning, fully automatic, speciality coffee machine and the smallest of its type (35cm wide) capable of producing 250 espressos (or 200 cappuccinos) an hour from a menu that can store over 100 options. A detailed touch screen display communicates exactly what is happening at any time, making it exceptionally simple for operators to interreact with it.

Melitta’s sew Bar-Cube 2 (with chocolate) was also on show. The highly compact BarCube 2 is a fully automatic speciality coffee machine that offers even more features and benefits. As well as having the capability to produce up to 150 perfectly brewed espressos, or 80 speciality drinks, per hour, the new model now has a hot chocolate menu with dark or white chocolate which can be made with milk, water or a mixture of both. Secondly, coffee strength can now be effortlessly micro managed via three buttons on the display to offer customers a choice of pre-determined strength levels across the calibrated menu settings. Thirdly, the steam boiler has been improved to provide increased power and durability, say Melitta.

The Drury Tea & Coffee Company, the London-based speciality tea blender and coffee roaster celebrating its 75th jubilee this year shared its stand with its associate, the Coffee Machine Company, and used the exhibition to profile two new products – Drury pyramid speciality teabags and the advanced Rancilio Classe 9 espresso machine. Drury’s new range of nylon pyramid speciality teabags permits the use of large leaf teas in teabag form and allows the tea to brew more efficiently.

Imported on an exclusive basis by the Coffee Machine Company, the new Classe 9 is the latest in a long line of top quality espresso machines from Italian manufacturer, Rancilio and is a direct replacement for the successful Classe 8 model, building on its achievements with a host of new features and improved aesthetics. The new model uses modern LEDs adding to its visual appeal but also have a practical purpose in helping baristas by lighting the work area. The LEDs above the operator buttons also act as ‘telltales’ – appearing green for brew-ready, blue for standby and red to flag up a problem.

“After last year’s very different sort of exhibition, it was good to see the show return to its roots as the most relevant and targeted café sector show in our calendar,” commented Drury director, Marco Olmi.

Astoria decided to make espresso culture the focus of its stand and held a series of demonstrations regarding the preparation of espressos and cappuccinos. The demonstrations were conducted by Hugo Hercod, UK Barista Champion 2008, and included setting up the working station (grinder, machine), programming the machine for the coffee you are using, extraction of a perfect espresso, how to preparation of milk-based drinks (cappuccinos and/or latte art and the importance of espresso in making up your caffetteria menu).

Innovative beverages The super premium whole leaf tea company, Mighty Leaf Tea, launched a novel new loose tea called Café Orange, created for that moment when you can’t decide whether to have tea or coffee, say the company, and featuring a unique blend of fine black tea, whole coffee beans, roasted maté, orange and herbs. Redolent of orange and liquorice, the brew tastes lightly malty with a touch of citrus and a rich coffee-like finish that will appeal to tea and coffee drinkers alike, say its creators.

Mighty Leaf Tea’s Café Orange loose whole leaf tea was launched at Caffè Culture.

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REVIEW

Cafédirect held a truffle making workshop and tasting session on their stand.

Matthew Algie’s new look packaging.

“Sales of super premium teas continue to enjoy strong growth and represent a profitable way for cafés and restaurants to encourage their customers to trade up to more expensive beverages,” said Mighty Leaf Tea’s Alan Mellor.

Over 100 Mighty Leaf teas, including a range of kosher and organic teas, are currently available in loose and biodegradable tea pouch format and are being served in premium hotels,

restaurants and cafes throughout the UK. Cafédirect, the ethical hot drinks pioneer, showcased its award-winning Machu Picchu coffee and San Cristobal drinking chocolate at a truffle making workshop and tasting session. Chocolatier Isabelle Alaya from Melange Chocolate in London ran workshops on both days for visitors to Cafédirect’s stand with Isabelle infusing Cafédirect’s Machu Picchu medium roast coffee in Peruvian chocolate and

dusted in Cafédirect’s San Cristobal cocoa powder.

In addition, Whitney Kakos, impact & sustainability manager at Cafédirect, hosted an informal workshop on sustainability in foodservice, offering advice and giving examples of unique and innovative techniques that have been pioneered by Cafédirect to help coffee shops reduce their environmental footprint.

Lavender and Blueberry Parfait This frozen dessert can be served in generous scoops for a sweet, cooling snack. It’s quick and easy to make in advance and will happily sit in the freezer until you’re ready to serve it up as a summer showstopper, say its creators, Cream Supplies (www.creamsupplies.co.uk ).

Parfait base 100g Routin 1883 lavender syrup ■ 50g icing sugar ■ 300ml double cream (whipped to soft peaks) ■ 3 free range egg yolks ■ Seeds of One Vanilla Pod ■

Lavender blueberry puree ■ Lavender blueberry puree ■ 200g fresh blueberries ■ Juice of half a lemon ■ 50g icing sugar ■ 250g Routin 1883 lavender syrup

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1. First whip the cream to soft peaks and set to one side.

2. Now in a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with the vanilla seeds, then whisk in the lavender syrup and icing sugar until you have a smooth, sweet mixture.

3. Then simply fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture and your parfait base is done.

4. Next, make the simple lavender and blueberry puree by blending together the fresh blueberries, lemon juice, icing sugar and lavender syrup.

5. Finally, fold your puree into the parfait mixture.

6. You can now freeze your parfait, either overnight in a tub from whichyou can later take scoops, or in individual glasses that will be ready to serve from the freezer.

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PREVIEW

lunch! 2011 Once again, Old Billingsgate’s spectacular exhibition space is set to be transformed into a diverse showcase of the very best products, innovations and technologies the quality lunchtime food-to-go market has to offer with the 2011 edition of lunch! The highly popular show will be opening its doors on the 29 and 30 September 2011 with over 3,500 quality buyers and senior decision-makers from the out of home food and drink industry expected to attend, what the event’s organiser, Diversified Business Communications UK, believe will be its biggest show yet.

Exhibitor space increased lunch! has grown from strength to strength since its inception in 2007. Last year’s highlights included a Best UK Trade Show Award at the exhibition industry’s equivalent of the Oscars – the Association of Event Organisers’ Excellence Awards (an accolade for which lunch! has been nominated again this year), whilst the 2010 show itself saw significant increases in overall attendance, with a 24% rise to 3115. For 2011, Diversified UK are preparing to break yet more records, with a 50% increase in total exhibition space combined with unparalleled exhibitor demand fuelling the prospect of a sell-out show well in advance of September.

“With the show selling twice as fast as last year we actually sold out of all exhibition space on the ground floor in May. We’ve just released 12 extra stands downstairs and there are now only a handful of stands remaining upstairs on Old Billingsgate’s mezzanine level. It’s a testament to the continuing success and growing appeal of the show that I’m still getting so many calls – from some brilliant companies – still looking to exhibit. Let’s hope I can make room for them!” comments a delighted Chris Brazier, lunch!’s new event manager.

As the UK’s premier trade event serving the quality lunchtime grab and go sector, lunch! has garnered a reputation for helping businesses to do business – bringing together professional trade buyers – from all the major supermarkets, high street chains and contract caterers, as well as owners and managers of independent sandwich bars, cafés, juice bars and coffee houses – with the service

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providers and product suppliers who can best meet their needs. From super-fresh ingredients, aromatic coffee, tasty cakes, snacks and confectionary, to delicious breads, juices, and smoothies, plus specialist equipment, packaging, signage, and much more – lunch! is dedicated to presenting an all-inclusive range of innovative products.

First time exhibitors The growing importance of the event is reflected by the wealth and sheer range of first time exhibitors at the show. To date, over 70 of the total 180 projected exhibitors will be making their debut at lunch! 2011, report the show’s organisers.

Amongst them are Belvoir Farms with its range of fruit cordials and presses, Leeds-based family-owned bakery Exquisite Handmade Cakes, The Coffee Machine Company (the UK’s sole supplier of Rancilio espresso machines), the healthy snack range Nature’s Table, Norweigan deli product supplier danora and doughnut machine manufacturers, Donut Square, as well as Ballymaloe Country Relish from Ireland. Awardwinning Pukka Herbs, King Edward Catering Equipment, Pidy (with its ready to fill gourmet pastry products from Belgium), kff (a south east independent foodservice supplier) healthy Apple Crisps producer Perry Court Farm and smoothie purveyor, Frut, also plan to be there, as well as Taste Trends, a supplier of fat-free frozen yogurt, real-fruit smoothies, healthy shakes, iced coffee and sorbet under the Coolicious brand.

There’ll also be plenty of opportunity for visitors to talk with some of this

industry’s best known suppliers, many of which will be returning to the show for their second or third successive year, including catering disposables supplier Kavis, chilled distribution company Simple Simon Foods, gourmet snacks supplier New York Delhi, Discovery Foods, The Handmade Cake Company, Tudor Coffee, family-run Orexis Fresh Foods (which specialises in ethnic dips, luxury salads and sandwich fillings), Kimbo Coffee, Cornish pasty producer Crantock Bakery and Delice de France, with its range partbaked frozen bread, confectionery, pastries, desserts and savouries products.

Upper level Whilst this is lunch!’s fourth year at Old Billingsgate, it’s the first time the show’s had an upper feature level. In addition to more stands, this is where visitors will now find the café, Demo Theatre and the Innovation Zone exhibitors.

Given that sourcing new products and finding new suppliers are always cited by visitors as pivotal incentives for attending the show, lunch!’s 24-stand Innovation Zone is designed to promote new products from smaller suppliers and new start ups.

A popular visitor draw when it launched last year, this year’s Innovation Zone exhibitors will include the Consett Popcorn Company, the Kooky Cake Company, Mobile Marketing, bespoke event catering company Model Catering, Big Yum (creator

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PREVIEW

British Smoothies Championships

of chocolate covered pretzels Chocolate Swerves), Hada Del Café (importers of Nicaraguan cloud-forest shade-grown ethical coffee), Suffolk apple juice producers Maynard House Orchards and Vegusto with its 100% plant-based alternatives to meat and cheese, Just…

Crisps, whose range of hand-cooked crisps are made from potatoes and rapeseed oil produced on its own family-run Staffordshire farm, will also be there, plus the Cornish Crisp Company and Goody Good Stuff, a confectionary firm which specialises in making dairy, gelatin and fat free gummy sweets.

BSA Training Academy returns Also making a welcome return is the popular BSA Training Academy. The Training Academy coupled with lunch!’s own comprehensive, and highly relevant, ‘Working lunch!’ seminar programme (developed in close consultation with the British Sandwich Association) offers attendees a wealth of insight and expertise in to how to thrive in the food-togo market. lunch! will also be supporting this year’s Beverage Standards Awards which are currently in the process of being judged, and recognise and reward excellence of drinks quality and standards in the café market. The awards ceremony presentation is now due to take place on the evening of 29 September, after the

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close of the first day of the show (further details can be found on the Beverage Standards Association web site, www.beveragestandardsassocation.co.uk).

Charity partner lunch! have also released details of a new addition to their list of official charity partners – FareShare. A national UK charity supporting communities to relieve food poverty, FareShare helps provide quality food – surplus ‘fit for purpose’ produce from the food and drink industry – to organisations working with disadvantaged people in the community.

Which is exactly what it will be doing in partnership with lunch! this year.

Given the waste that can often occur at an exhibition of this type, it’s heartening to know that any unwanted food left over by the exhibitors at the end of the show will now go to the people who need it most.

On the partnership Chris Brazier commented: “FareShare do such a great job educating the food and drink industry about waste and ensuring that unwanted food is distributed to the people that need it most in our communities. lunch! is pleased to be working with FareShare at this year’s event.”

For further information, and entry forms for the British Smoothie Championships, or to register for your FREE trade ticket to lunch!, visit www.lunchshow.co.uk.

It’s not just the exhibitors at lunch! that promises to draw in the crowds however. The British Smoothie Championships, sponsored by Magrini, is set to take place in the show’s Demo Theatre on the first day of the show.

One of lunch!’s most exciting – and entertaining – show features, the championships sees smoothie baristas from all across the UK battling it out live for the crown of the nation’s best. Last year’s winner Vimal DePala from Shaketastic wowed the audience with his delicious Eastern Envy, combining lychee, melon, and freshly squeezed pear juice, spiced with ginger, coriander and lemon grass. Whilst a wealth of industry kudos is awaiting the 2011 winner, the byword here is fun (entry forms can be found online at www.lunchshow.co.uk).

Competition also remains at the fore of this year’s lunch! with the Innovation Challenge which celebrates truly innovative ideas in the food-togo market. Benefiting from a slight change of format, whilst participating exhibitors will still vie to have their innovative ideas awarded Gold or Commended, short-listed entrants will now have to pitch their products and ideas live to a panel of industry judges and an audience made up of visiting buyers. Visitors unable to make the live session on the Friday of the show are sure to miss a truly unique treat. However, all new products entered into the awards will be on display throughout the show in the Innovation Challenge Showcase.

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PREVIEW ABDA creative design and build AgriCoat NatureSeal Ltd Alibi Drinks / Solution Sciences Ballymaloe Country Relish Barclaycard Business

Redemption Food

EXHIBITOR LIST

Rich Sauces Robot Coupe (UK Ltd) Rod and Bens Sabert Europe

Bel UK Limited

Salty Dog Brands

Bells of Lazonby Ltd

SAMOSACO

Belvoir Fruit Farms

Sandwich & Snack News

bergams SAS

Scheckter’s Organic Energy

Beverage Standards Association

SFD

Boost Drinks Ltd

Shaken Udder Milkshakes

Bristec Retail & Hospitality

Simple Simon Foods Ltd

British Sandwich Association

Simply Ice Cream & Simply Group

Brother UK

Solaris Tea

BUK

Soulful Soup

Byotrol Technology

Southover Food Company Ltd

Cafe Connections Limited

Spikomat - Skewers

Café Culture Magazine

stewed! pots of real stew

Catering Solutions UK Ltd

Stoats Porridge Bars

Cawston Press Ltd

Suki Tea

Cherry Active

Taste of Sicily Ltd

Clif Bar & Company

Tastetrends

Clipper Teas Ltd

Teapigs

Collins Benson Goldhill LLP

The Big Yum

Cost Sector Catering magazine

The Coffee Machine Co

Crantock Bakery

The Consett Popcorn Company The Contact Grill Company

Crazy Baker Crazy Food Company

Heavenly Cakes

Metro Drinks

The Cornish Crisp Company Ltd

Creole Cuisine

Honeybuns

Mobile Marketing UK

The Fine Cheese Co.

Crewmint

Honeyrose Bakery Ltd

Mobo Innovations Ltd

The Fine Confectionery Co Ltd

Crispy Snacks Ltd

Impress Sandwiches

MOMA! foods Ltd

The Handmade Cake Company

CSM (United Kingdom) Ltd

Intelligent Business Systems Ltd

Natural Coffee Company

The Holy Cow Food Company

Danora AS

Invest Northern Ireland

Natures Table Snacks Ltd

The Living Food Kitchen Ltd

Delice de France

Jiffy Trucks / AJC Trailers

Nelson Catering

The London Tea Company

Dempson Crooke Ltd

Jimmy's Iced Coffee

New York Delhi

The Menu Shop

Discovery Foods Limited

Just Oil Ltd

Orexis Fresh Foods Ltd

The Pimpernel Wharf Agency

Ditting Mahlkonig

Karimix

Paragon Print and Packaging

The Whole Leaf Co

Donut Square Ltd

Kavis Ltd

Paterson Arran Ltd

The Yorkshire Provender

Easipac

Kern LTS

Peppersmith

Tideford Organic Foods

Easiyo Products Ltd

kff

Perry Court Farm

Toasty Products

Essential Café magazine

Kimbo

Phat Pasty Co

Top Food Service Equipment Ltd

Exquisite Handmade Cakes

King Edward Catering Equipment

Pidy Limited

Treflach Farm

Firefly Tonics

La Pizza Company

Planglow Ltd

Trioni Dairy

Fresh Marketing

Lawncourt Harvest Ltd

Pritchitt Foods

Tri-Star Packaging

Fresh! Naturally Organic

London Bio Packaging

Puddings & Pies Limited

Tudor Tea and Coffee

Fretwell Downing Hospitality

Lunch Business magazine

Pukka Herbs Ltd

VaioPak Limited / Printed Cups UK

Frut Ltd

Luscombe Organic Drinks

Pullins Bakers

Vegusto

Gazebo Fine Foods

Magrini Ltd

Pulp Fruits

Victorian Baking Ovens

Genesis Distributors

Mash Direct

Pussy Drinks Ltd

What On Earth

GFT Retail Ltd

Matthew Algie & Co Ltd

QuickBite magazine

Williams Refrigeration

Goody Good Stuff

Maynard House Orchards

Rapid Action Packaging Ltd

WK Thomas

Greendustries

MCR Systems

Rational UK Ltd

Yum Yum Bros Food Company

Hada Del Cafe

Melitta System Service

RDA Organic

Zest Specialities

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Malmesbury Syrups

Prize winning Coffee Syrups from the Cotswolds Available via wholesalers or direct

01666 577 379

www.malmesburysyrups.co.uk/trade

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JULY 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 23

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MILK

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k l i M lovers

Picture credit: Image courtesy of Coffee Community Ltd

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Milk can all too often be taken for granted, yet its nature, storage and performance are all essential to being able to serve high quality beverages, as Coffee Community’s Paul Meikle-Janney explains. Dairyfree alternatives are increasingly popular, while milk-foaming products designed to give operators a helping hand continue to be developed.

More and more baristas are skilled at latte art these days, but do they still have a lot to learn about the nature of milk itself?

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MILK heating the milk at the same time.

Start with cold milk and try to incorporate the air into your milk by the time you get to 40°C, to get the small soft bubbles that help to create “micro-foam” – the luscious melted ice cream like foam.

As the milk is “stretched” (grows due to the additional air), lower the jug to maintain the chirping with the tip of the wand just under the surface, and then switch to texturing at 40°C or before.

When texturing, lower the wand a couple of centimetres under the milk and position it onto the side of the jug. This creates the whirlpool effect that distributes the air and breaks down the bubbles finely. The process should be silent from here on.

Shut down the steam to leave your milk at about 60-65°C. Spin the jug to keep the foam moist and glossy.

The other ingredient Paul Meikle-Janney, managing director of Coffee Community Ltd (www.coffeecommunity.co.uk) has not long returned from judging the World Latte Art Championship in Maastricht where he observed the world’s best baristas pouring superb patterns with skill and confidence.

At this level, he feels that their skills are matched by their knowledge of coffee but wonders how much they concentrate on the milk - the other ingredient. Having been involved in researching the nature of milk himself, here he outlines some of the reasons for why it performs as it does.

The life of milk How much do we actually understand about our daily pint? What is pasteurisation? Homogenisation? How long should milk last? What foams best, and what stops it foaming?

After cows have been milked, unless the individual farm is processing its own milk, it is collected by tanker and taken to a central dairy for processing. The incoming milk has its cream removed and both the milk and the cream are pasteurised.

Pasteurisation is the process of heating the milk to destroy most of the bacteria, and in particular the pathogens that can harm us (the residual enzymes from harmless bacteria remains in the milk). To do this the milk flows between metal plates or through pipes heated by hot water on the outside to a temperature of 72oC for 15 to 20 seconds. This high temperature/short time (low pasteurisation) method reduces the micro organisms to a much lower level. Milk undergoing this treatment usually has a 12 day life from production.

The cream also goes through a process of pasteurisation although usually at higher temperatures.

Taking the milk to 72°C does change the flavour as it “denatures” about 10% of the proteins. This gives you the slightly “cooked” custard flavour and smell (hydrogen sulphide) that we try not to exaggerate by taking our milk too hot when foaming it.

Long life milk goes through a similar process although at higher temperatures.

Ultra heat treatment (UHT) takes the milk temperature up to a minimum of 138oC for a few seconds. Such temperatures kill all the pathogens and when packed in sterile tetra packs extend the life of the milk to usually six months from production without the need for refrigeration (as long as the milk has not been opened).

Milks such as Cravendale follows a slightly different path as it is pure filtered.

After the milk and the cream are

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Almost three years since its retail launch Shaken Udder milkshakes have now been given a shake up with new branding and vibrant, eye-catching labelling (www.shakenudder.com). separated, the milk is passed through fine ceramic filter. The microscopic holes in the filters take out most of the bacteria and micro flora that can accelerate milks deterioration in the future.

The cream is not passed through the filters as the fat globules are too large.

Both the milk and cream are pasteurised before the desired amount of cream is added back into the milk (approximately 1.7% for semi skimmed milk and 3.5% for whole milk). The pure filter process extends the shelf life of the milk to 25 days.

Most milk is then homogenised, where the fat is evenly distributed throughout the milk. It is why we don’t get the cream on the top of the milk these days. The cream is pumped through a small hole breaking the fat globules into such small particles that they are easily dispensed throughout the milk. In fact, some of the research we carried out discovered that the finer the fat globule created by homogenisation the more successful it is for foaming.

Foaming and texturing When we foam we are trapping air in the milk via the proteins wrapping around it forming the bubbles surface. The air is introduced into the milk by creating a whipping motion in the same way we whip eggs for meringues. This motion is created by positioning the steam wand just under the surface of the milk, creating the wave like motion that incorporates the air and the familiar chirping sound. As well as adding air to create foam we are also

What milk foams best?

As it is protein that is required to create our foam (particularly a whey protein called lacto globulin), then the milk with the greatest levels of protein can create the greatest levels of foam. This would be skimmed milk, as without the cream, you are getting a little more milk and, in turn, a little more protein. The difference is negligible though and what is more important is the flavour and style of foam you are after. In this regard it is whole milk that tends to be favoured by baristas. The fat helps with the full flavour and lingers around the foam to make it moist and silky, rather than the dryer foam achieved with skimmed milk.

What stops milk foaming?

Talk to any café and they will recount tales of when their milk will not foam. Often this is blamed on the cows’ diet - usually a shift from winter feeds into summer meadows or vice versa. It is of course true that diet can affect the constituents and flavour of our milk (many human breastfeeding mothers will avoid spicy food and alcohol!), but farmers closely control their cows’ diet with the like of rye grass supplements and silage the year around.

The constituents of milk can also change in an individual cow as well, differing at the time of the calf’s birth to later on in its life (as a cow leads to peak yields of around 30 plus litres a couple of months after the calf’s birth).

If diet was the main factor for our milk not foaming though, wouldn’t we all experience problems at roughly the same time and consistently over a period? This tends not to be the case and instead we tend to talk about having a “bad batch”.

Further evidence to the fact that diet is not

JULY 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 25

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ADVERTORIAL

Available for all those requiring coffee of the highest standards – Franke Coffee Systems present their latest products and innovations Highlighted at Caffe Culture Show were the latest generation of coffee machines by Franke Coffee Systems. With its two main modules Pura pronto and Pura fresco, the Pura product line introduces many new options into its capacity class.

Further innovations will be presented in Franke milk systems and around flavoured coffee.

Franke Pura A wide range of drinks even in businesses with only limited to average daily demand Having launched into the market in June 2010, the new coffee machine line Pura completes the Franke Coffee Systems product range: the line is positioned for businesses with limited to average demand and is therefore the right choice, for example, for professional restaurateurs with a maximum daily demand for 200 cups, or offices with similar needs. In particular, Franke Pura is ideal for businesses wishing to offer their customers more than just traditional coffees or coffee and milk beverages.

Powdered or fresh milk?

Both machines process fresh coffee beans.

However, there are differences as far as mixed beverages made of coffee, milk and/or chocolate are concerned.

With its innovative instant milk system (patent pending), the Pura pronto instant unit also processes two kinds of instant powder. The dual powder dosage unit placed between the two bean containers is designed to process a milk powder with a chocolate powder added. The two powders are processed in separate mixing chambers. This is the ideal solution for customers who, for reasons of hygiene, prefer a coffee machine that does not use fresh milk but still do not wish to do without coffee and milk beverages.

Pura fresco provides the perfect freshmilk solution for people who prefer fresh milk. This unit is also equipped with two bean containers for fresh coffee and a dual powder dosage unit. Here, for example, dark and white chocolate can be

processed in the same mixing chamber.

Revolutionary concepts – from operation through cleaning to handling of the individual components What makes the latest generation of Franke coffee machines different from comparable products in their capacity class?

Innovative operation with a coloured display in the form of text and symbols greatly simplifies both product selection and the cleaning and maintenance of the machine. The coffee machine operator can select from five languages. More languages can be programmed and selected at any time.

Equally revolutionary, however, is the handling concept: for example, the bean containers can be removed easily without coffee beans spilling out. The same applies to the powder dosage units.

Given the modular concept, coffee machine operators can easily remove the individual components themselves, such as the brewing assembly, the milk powder chamber or the outlet. The system is therefore very easy to service with the operator able to perform simple servicing tasks. There is a clear, step-by-step explanation of the procedures involved on the display. Having opened the front door, operators can service not only the water tank and the grounds container, but also replace a brewing assembly or mixing chamber themselves and save service costs in the process.

Timeless, modern design and lighting which can be set to the colour of your choice make the Franke Pura eye-catching in any surroundings. Made in Switzerland, of course.

Spectra: A veritable chameleon among coffee machines Franke Evolution Plus with new Foam Master A milk system sets new standards.

Fully automatic milk preparation has a new name: Franke Foam Master. Franke innovation sets new standards in the art of frothing milk. The desired consistency of the milk foam can be individually programmed for each drink on the coffee machine. Two examples: cappuccino is produced with milk foam of latte-type quality, and when frothing the milk for a latte macchiato, different qualities of milk foam can even be produced for the same product. This enables the creation of perfect layers of milk, milk foam and coffee.

This means unlimited options when creating new coffee and milk beverages and no more difference in comparison with milk frothed by hand. On the contrary, the milk is heated more quickly at the push of a button than by hand. The innovative milk system is registered for patent.

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As with all Franke milk systems, the temperature of the milk foam can also be set for each product. The use of new technologies means that the milk and the milk foam can now flow faster into the cup, glass or pot. Preparation time (service speed) is cut by up to 50% in comparison with conventional systems.

The new Franke Foam Master milk system is now available for the Evolution Plus.

Franke Flavour Station Coffee and milk specialties refined with syrup at the push of a button Available with the Spectra S and the Evolution Plus, the Flavour Station from Franke makes this possible. In this way coffee and milk specialties can simply be mixed with different syrup flavours.

Pressing a button adds syrup to the cup through the combined coffee-milk-syrup outlet. Different bottle shapes can be connected to the Franke Flavour Station and alcoholic beverages can also be used alongside the numerous syrup varieties.

However, local regulations must be observed if alcoholic beverages are served.

Furthermore, two types of syrup can be mixed automatically to create more specialties. This means virtually unlimited options for restaurateurs.

Spectra S with Flavour Station The Flavour Station for the Spectra S is a 20 cm wide, add-on device in which up to three syrup bottles can be connected.

Pumps transport the syrup to the combined coffee-milk-syrup outlet of the coffee machine. Depending on the amount of room available, the Flavour Station can be placed next to the coffee machine or under the counter.

If it is equipped with the equally new Vetro 16 operating unit, the Spectra S will let you produce up to 48 different types of coffee, coffee-milk beverages and mixed beverages, using milk, coffee and/or syrup in combination. The product texts can be replaced at any time and the colour of the buttons changed as required. An ideal solution for your personal space.

Evolution Plus with Flavour Station The Flavour Station for the Evolution Plus is 32 cm wide. The greater volume of this version allows you to connect a maximum of six different syrup bottles. As with the Spectra S version, pumps transport the syrup to the combined coffee-milk-syrup outlet of the coffee machine.

The Pre-Selection Plus operating panel allows you to expand your simple menus with numerous beverage variations.

Customers can pre-select beverage size, type of bean and milk and preferred flavour.

Quality and cost transparency thanks to consistent dosing The automatically controlled syrup supply has the advantage that for each product, for example flavoured cappuccino, the amount of syrup can be programmed exactly to suit individual taste preferences.

This guarantees consistent dosing and beverage quality. The system also guarantees complete cost transparency. The restaurateur can control precisely how much syrup is used for flavoured coffees. If the machine is equipped with a payment system, the Franke PreSelection Plus concept known from other Franke operating concepts allows the storage of separate prices for individual beverages. This means that a wide range of beverages with different options does not make it any harder to control costs.

New refrigeration unit fitted underneath The milk solution wherever space is limited Franke now have a refrigeration unit with a convenient 5-litre milk container (alternatively, 2 2.5-litre containers, e. g. for two kinds of milk) fitted underneath the machine. The refrigeration unit is placed just below the coffee machine. At the push of a button milk is added to the process of preparing the selected coffee or milk drink. The machine is cleaned using the Clean+Clever cleaning and sanitising program. Like all Franke milk systems, this innovation also complies with HACCP requirements. – The new refrigeration unit fitted underneath represents a perfect alternative to existing milk supply systems wherever space is limited.

Franke Chill & Cup Chill & Cup: cold milk storage combined with cup warmer Chill & Cup is an innovative add-on device for the Evolution, Sinfonia and Spectra product lines. The unit consists of a refrigeration unit with a convenient 5-litre milk container (alternatively, 2 2.5-litre containers for two kinds of milk) together with a cup warmer which can pre-heat approx. 120 cups on two hotplates.

Designed to match the corresponding coffee machine in appearance, the Chill & Cup add-on device is the ideal solution if there is not enough room on the counter.

Franke Coffee Systems UK Limited Telephone +44 1923 635700 www.frankecoffeesystems.co.uk

Pura: Discover the New Ease in Coffee Making. Providing the functionality, the Flexibility and the Ease of cleaning.

The low maintenance requirements, along with touch panel technology, all within an appealing design which allows personalized illumination.

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MILK

When using a dairy-free alternative such as soya milk, it is still be possible to make high quality cappuccinos and lattes, say Alpro. to blame is the fact that we rarely experience problems with pure filtered milk (like Cravendale, for example, or with long life milk).

Some research we carried out for the large dairy company, Arla, I hope points to the main problems. We foamed milk throughout its life and charted its deterioration day after day. We found that, although the foam height stayed consistent, the quality of the foam deteriorated with time. It lost its glossy shine and firmness.

In short, as milk gets older the quality of the foam deteriorates. More important is that if we do not look after our milk it deteriorates faster. Keep it in a cold fridge and out of the sunlight (which can oxidise the milk and give it a “cardboard” like flavour).

And when you have a batch of milk that will not foam check the use by date and whether it has been kept appropriately cold by your supplier before you focus on the cow’s diet.

Dairy-free alternative Soya milk brand, Alpro, says that it is offering the coffee shop trade a soya milk that doesn’t compromise on taste, but offers a really viable alternative to dairy, and report that its coffee shop sales are increasing year-on-year with consumers are clearly looking for alternatives that not only taste great, but are potentially healthier and better for the planet.

Dairy-free is now a significant and growing category worth £140 million, and is bought by almost 4.5m UK households (according to AC Nielsen panel data 14th May 2011). Soya dominates the dairy-free category, meaning it can offer some distinct commercial advantages for coffee shop operators for out of home usage.

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According to Nielsen Scantrack data, soya accounts for around £7 out of every £10 spent in the dairy-free sector and with more than 20 million soya drinks being served a year in coffee shops across the UK, this proves that there is a growing demand and opportunity for this fastemerging market.

Soya is also now listed as the top alternative to dairy milk in high street coffee shop chain Starbucks, with 11% of Priced at £1008, the Ceado F12 is available from Metcalfe Catering (www.metcalfecatering.com).

Starbucks consumers regularly purchasing soya drinks. For example, the chain has not long launched a soya strawberry frappuccino, showing that consumers really appreciate soya drinks that deliver on both taste and health.

Alpro is currently working with 2009 World Barista Champion, Gwilym Davies, to further understand how soya works with coffee, for future improvements. One key insight gained so far is that coffee with soya milk is more sensitive to heat and as a result should not be steamed over 65 degrees, which may cause it to curdle. To help with this Alpro soya now also includes an anti-curdling ingredient. The natural plant proteins found within soya milk are also extremely important in creating a thick, creamy coffee topping.

“By abiding by this steaming rule, you guarantee a creamy, silky Alproccino or Alprolatte that not only tastes great, but is really healthy too, as it is naturally lower in fat and has fewer calories than a coffee with dairy milk,” suggests Chris Collis, UK marketing controller for Alpro soya.

“Our sales within coffee shops show that demand is growing and soya is becoming an increasingly popular choice.

We believe our current pack delivers one of the best soya experiences and we are continuing to work with Gwilym to try and find the optimal level for future NPD.” Soya offers many consumers a healthy alternative to dairy, as it is low in saturated fat. Soya is also packed with plant goodness, which means it’s a sustainable alternative to dairy products (its production used three times less land, 2.5 times less water and generated five times fewer CO2 emissions than cows’ milk, claim Alpro).

Helping hand “With a renewed consumer focus on speciality coffee and, in particular, the artisanal aspect of coffee making - led by a number of excellent independent coffee houses up and down the land - there has never been a better time for cafés and coffee houses not already serving speciality drinks to beat a path to profitability and concentrate on improving their beverage offering,” says Simon Muschamp, head of marketing at dairy company, Pritchitts, the company behind Millac Cappuccino Milk.

“There is no doubt that purchasing a good quality machine, or choosing a superior coffee blend will help lift your offering from the doldrums, but one factor that shouldn’t be overlooked is the milk.”

Millac Cappuccino milk offers good foam-making capabilities, helping to create a luxurious, dense and long lasting foam and therefore enabling even the least

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JULY 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 29

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MILK

Magic number promotion Until the end of the year, Pritchitts are running a Magic Number promotion, offering caterers the chance to win prizes by simply entering a ‘magic number’ found on Pritchitts products.

With weekly, monthly, as well as a grand prize draw every code has three chances of winning. Prizes include Spa Day vouchers and Red Letter Day Experiences, mini breaks for two to any hand picked hotel in the UK and the star prize of an all

The Easymilk system from Douwe Egberts uses a concentrated milk product as an alternative to daily fresh milk traditionally chosen for use with bean-tocup machines. skilled coffee makers to make great coffee, every time. As it has a 1% fat content (lower than semi-skimmed milk at 1.7%), it is also ideal for the growing demand for skinny lattes and cappuccinos.

“Pritchitts Millac Cappuccino Milk is versatile enough to be used in any hot beverage, including tea and hot chocolate, and can also be stored and used from ambient, limiting the need for refrigeration and eliminating unnecessary waste,” adds Simon Muschamp. “It’s an ideal match for bean to cup as well as traditional barista operated espresso machines.”

Available now from Metcalfe is the newly launched Ceado F12 Cappuccino Creamer. Designed for the automatic, hands free preparation of the perfect milk froth for cappuccinos, the F12 uses the combined action of steam and a mixer to quickly and automatically whip the milk into a perfect froth of just the right consistency and temperature. The F12 not only saves time but also guarantees a quality result time after time, meaning that perfect cappuccinos can be served even during the busiest times and, if necessary, by inexperienced staff, say Metcalfe.

Made entirely from stainless steel, the F12 can easily be connected to the steam wand of the coffee machine through a rear connection. After the milk jug is slotted into place an electronic controller ensures that the mixer is activated at the same time as steam is put in. The steam, combined with the mixer movement, generates a flow that whips and at the same time heats the milk. In less than a minute the F12 transforms 200ml of milk at refrigerator temperature into over 400ml of dense, consistent froth at 55/60°C.

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CAFÉ CULTURE

By selecting the cold mode (no steam) the F12 can even be used to prepare cold frappes or other cold mixed drinks, such as iced shaken coffee or milk shakes. The control panel is used to select the mode of use (with or without steam) and three different work cycles for preparing hot frothy milk according to the quantity required.

Coffee supplier, Douwe Egberts, launched a new bean-to-cup concept at this year’s Caffe Culture show that has been designed to make high-quality

Lavazza Iced Latte You will need…

■ a tall glass ■ some ice ■ milk ■ single serving of Lavazza espresso sugar to taste ■ blender ■ syrup (vanilla, chocolate or strawberry as desired) ■ a straw Method 1. Fill tall glass with ice 2. Top up with milk - threequarters of the way up the glass 3. Add a single serving of espresso and a spoonful of sugar to taste 4. Pour contents of glass into a blender with three pumps of the appropriate syrup and blend.

5. Once fully blended, pour back into tall glass and add the appropriate drizzle to serve. Drink through a straw.

expenses-paid gourmet break to Ireland – all themed around taking time out from the busy world of catering!

Pritchitts Magic Number Promotion is running across the whole range and all caterers need to do is enter the product code, or ‘magic number’ found on Pritchitts packaging at www.pritchitts.com/magicnumber to be entered into the weekly, monthly and grand prize draw.

espresso-based coffee more operationally simple. Called Easymilk, the system uses an alternative to fresh milk that is more hygienic and saves outlets significant time and money, claim the company.

A number of outlets across the UK operate automatic bean-to-cup coffee machines, but many do not have dedicated coffee baristas who are fully-focused on using, cleaning and maintaining the equipment, feel Douwe Egberts. According to the company, up to 90% of chargeable service calls on fresh-milk automatic beanto-cup systems are due to operator error around milk-related cleaning, as operators are not using or maintaining the machinery correctly.

“It is widely known that the majority of bean-to-cup machine breakdowns are as a result of maintenance issues,” says Paul Freeman, marketing director at Douwe Egberts Coffee Systems UK. “These systems are not only expensive to purchase, but the total running cost can increase year-on-year if staff are not trained properly, do not have the time or motivation to manage the milk system or can not clean it adequately. Not only that, it is worrying to think that some customers may have been served a coffee using milk from a dirty machine.

“With our Easymilk system, outlets can realise their ambition to serve high quality, milk-based bean-to-cup coffee, more efficiently. The solution has been created with easeof-use in mind and will undoubtedly help save operators time and money.

By eliminating the issues associated with milkrelated cleaning, we believe that outlets will be more able to keep on top of their coffee offer, achieving greater quality consistency and machine up-time; allowing them to instead focus on increasing revenue and profit.”

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PREVIEW

Indulge at the Provenance, artisan, regional, foraged, slow food are just some of the words that have been catapulted from the niche world of high end ‘foodies’ to become part of everyday culinary language, thanks to our unremitting passion for speciality and fine food. Where once small, fine food producers were seen as quaint, now they are viewed as inspirational gastronomic trailblazers, who bring energy, enthusiasm and innovation to the food industry.

Fine food showcase Nowhere is this brought more to life than at Speciality & Fine Food Fair (4 to 6 September 2011, Olympia, London), a leading industry showcase for quality food and drink. Such is the buoyancy of the speciality market, that the fair has now expanded its event footprint to become the largest in its 12year history, say the show’s organisers. The extended floor space means Olympia will be home to around 600 exhibitors during the fair – 42% of which are exhibiting there for the first time.

The size of the fair combined with the high proportion of new exhibitors make Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2011 a unique opportunity to find suppliers and source new products on a scale not possible anywhere else in the UK. While British producers will form the backbone of the fair, an international contingent will also be exhibiting, enabling visitors to source regional specialities from around the world. Exhibitors from France,

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CAFÉ CULTURE

Spain and Italy, along with newcomers from Algeria, Croatia and Portugal will all have a presence at the fair.

Helping hand for small businesses Speciality, regional and artisan food companies are, by their very nature, often very small, and while in some instances their size can work in their favour, it can also mean they don’t have the resources, or the expertise in-house, needed to take them to the next level.

Similarly, those looking to source speciality and fine food to help give their business that all-important point of difference, don’t necessarily have the opportunity to find new products and producers.

This is where Speciality & Fine Food Fair can provide a melting pot for new products, established producers and buyers. This emphasis on helping small businesses thrive in the current economic climate runs through the packed Fair programme.

The eagerly anticipated

Small Business Forum will be returning, with content tailored to businesses’ real needs.

Practical tips on everything from marketing and merchandising to point of sale will be delivered through a series of seminars.

Running along the forum will be the Business Mentoring Centre, which will provide visitors with the opportunity to seek one-onone advice from industry experts that have ‘been there, done that’. Private 30-minute sessions will be run to unlock companies’ potential by helping resolve issues that have been holding them back.

The fair will also play host to some of the industry’s most experienced and well-respected chefs and personalities, when they take part in the live cookery demonstrations that form the content for the Fine Food Forum. The demonstrations will have an onus on practical advice and tips, as well as helping visitors get up-to-speed on the latest industry trends.

The Great Taste Awards will make a welcome return, with

the winning products being showcased at the fair.

Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, these prestigious awards acknowledge the very best food and drink, with the award labels that adorn winning produce now regarded as a stamp of quality. Fair visitors will get the chance to see, try and order the Great Taste Award winners’ products.

FreshRM, the event organiser, also provides support packages to very small businesses still in their infancy to help them get a foot on the exhibiting ladder. In many cases, these exhibitors will be showcasing their products for the very first time, providing visitors with an opportunity to forge partnerships with new and exciting companies. An area of the fair will be dedicated to these producers to help visitors identify them.

Also new to the fair will be the Retail Tool Kits that have been produced by the Guild of Fine Food and the South East Food Group. These will be made available to selected visitors to

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PREVEW

give them the opportunity to take tangible help and advice away from the Fair.

Cream of the crop For café owners looking for savoury treats to enhance their menu offerings, premium crisp producer Burts Chips (stand 855) will be exhibiting its latest innovative flavours, including a limited edition Reggae Reggae flavour in conjunction with Levi Roots. Burts is one of the fastest growing crisp producers in Europe, offering bespoke flavours to different markets ensuring they are tailored to each country’s taste buds.

Cafés wanting to inject some Italian flavour into their menus will benefit from visiting Villanova Food (stand 859), an importer of quality Italian food.

Its extensive range is carefully sourced from specialist producers and maintains a balance between awardwinning Parmesans, best-selling organic and artisan charcuterie, sought-after buffalo mozzarella and niche produce like its delicious Parma Pork Scratchings and Truffle Pancetta.

Cookies and Scream (stand 64) will be exhibiting for the first time at the Fair, with its range of vegan and gluten free bakery goods. Products in the range include Hot Mexican Cookies, Cookies and Scream Sandwiches, Foo’s Carrot Cupcakes, Gosh Brownies, Chillin Cabanas and Peanut Butter Choco Locos. Although the products are all vegan and gluten free, the company prides itself on appealing to all people, regardless of their dietary requirements.

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Bespoke biscuit bakery Little Rose Bakery (stand 644) will be showcasing its goods. This artisan bakery specialises in biscuits, which are all hand made and hand finished. For the catering trade the company provides large volumes in a wide range of shapes and recipes. It can also bake brownies and cakes for the foodservice industry.

Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn (stand 454), handmade by gourmet chefs, will be at the fair to introduce its range of air popped corn.

Available in savoury and sweet varieties, from Caramel Macchiato & Whisky to Goats’ Cheese & Black Pepper, the popcorn is coated in natural ingredients to deliver a premium taste experience.

Family run business Gran Stead’s (stand 245) is renowned for creating top-quality soft drinks, including Ginger Wine, Traditional Still Lemonade and Still Lemonade with a Zing of Ginger. Coconut ‘super water’ Vita Coco (stand 1084), which has received a lot of media attention for its health boosting properties and its celebrity following, will also be exhibiting at the fair and giving café owners the opportunity to learn more about why the drink is so healthy.

My Cup of Tea (stand 230) is a British company which chose its name because it “understands how tea is personal – no two cups are the same and no two tea drinkers are either”. The company specialises in premium produce, from tea bags to loose tea, in a selection of blends including Rooibos, herbal,

green teas and traditional breakfast tea. Harp and Lyre (stand 641) will also be showcasing its tea at the Fair.

Its signature blends are 100% Darjeeling and Assam Orthodox tea, picked during the peak second flush season, exclusively from Geographical Indication tea gardens. Its luxury SOILON tea bags contain whole leaf tea and are 100% biodegradable.

A showcase for cocoa nuts Such is the growth of the premium chocolate market, the Speciality Chocolate Fair will be the largest in its four year history, now housing some of the leading lights of the speciality chocolate world. The show within a show remains the only UK event dedicated to artisan chocolate and as such provides visitors with a unique opportunity to source some of the world’s finest confectionery.

This year the Speciality Chocolate Fair will also be working with Valrhona to deliver practical tips and techniques on a new feature dedicated entirely to chocolate.

While the opportunity to meet new chocolate producers and sample their wares is enough of a draw, the fair will also provide a platform for a symposium on issues facing the chocolate industry. The fair, with backing from the Ghanaian Government, has partnered with Armajaro, one of the world’s leading suppliers of cocoa to the international chocolate manufacturing industry, to bring together some of the most influential people in the industry to debate those issues that are most affecting

the chocolate market: certification, sustainability and traceability.

Exhibiting for the first time at the Speciality Chocolate Fair is international premium chocolate brand Kshocolât (stand 572), offering a range of chocolate treats, made from only the finest ingredients. The company is famed for its sophisticated and decadent flavours such as White Chocolate With Lemon and Pepper and Milk Chocolate with Honeycomb and Vanilla.

Willie Harcourt-Cooze, the star of Channel 4’s Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory, will be at the fair exhibiting Willie’s World Class Cacao (stand 279).

Willie Harcourt-Cooze is the only small cacao grower and producer in the UK. From bean to bar, Willie’s cacao produces 100% pure cocoa and chocolate using only the finest single origin or single estate beans from around the world.

Moo Free Chocolates (stand 475), will be exhibiting a milk alternative range of chocolates, which is entirely dairy, lactose, wheat and gluten free and as such is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The products are ideal for cafés looking to offer a ‘free from’ option.

“We are not complacent about the fair’s success and continual growth, which is why this year we have ensured a strong mix of new features and attractions and the ‘old favourites’,” says Toby Wand, Speciality & Fine Food Fair event director.

“Our support packages for small businesses and our increased show footprint has attracted new producers, which will ensure that this year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair is a must attend event for anyone looking to source new and exciting products to add that all important point of difference to their business.”

To register for your free visitor badge and learn more about the fair visit www.specialityandfinefoodfairs. co.uk. To keep up to date on fair content and to join in debates on the industry follow www.twitter.com/Speciality_Food.

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BEAN-TO-CUP

At the touch

of a button The appeal of bean-to-cup machines for busy outlets has long been the ability to produce speciality beverages at the touch of a button, an important consideration if barista skills are hard to come by or retain. The impressive development of these machines in recent times has also meant that many operators now no longer view them as an espresso machine ‘replacement’, but rather a versatile essential.

Black and White Smart

Roma The British equipment manufacturer, DarenthMJS (telephone 01246 435801), have recently launched the Roma bean-tocup machine. Enhancing yet further their already extensive product range, the Roma bean-to-cup combines a stylish matt black and highly polished stainless steel cabinet design, accentuated with neon-effect backlighting available in a range of stunning colours.

This new machine benefits from several innovative design features including split boiler closed-loop pressure system, high speed, precision balanced whipper system and volumetric dosing enabling the Roma bean-to-cup to serve true coffee shop standard premium drinks, whilst remaining easy to operate, clean and maintain.

“We are absolutely delighted with just how very well this new machine has been received,” says DarenthMJS’s key account manager, Vicky Johnson. “The feedback is all so very positive and we have a large number of customers who are already into multiple machine purchases just a couple of weeks after launch. I think this is fast turning into one of the most successful new machines we have ever made.”

The Roma Bean to Cup is available in either a two or three canister version to supplement the superb quality true espresso produced by the high pressure brewing system. A complimentary styled, neon-effect cup warming station is also available, as is a matching base cabinet for floor standing use.

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United Coffee launched its Black and White Smart bean-to-cup machine – a compact addition to its Black and White range of machines - at the recent Allegra Restaurant Leader Summit (15 and 16 June).

United Coffee describe their latest machine as a state of the art allrounder that will help to ensure unrivalled, premium coffee at all times. The compact machine encompasses all the features of the Black and White Cool, and therefore the flexibility to produce espresso-based drinks with barista-standard milk texturing at the touch of a button, while its dimensions make it ideal for small, busy catering outlets, say United Coffee.

Its width of just 420mm means that this machine should fit into the smallest spaces (its depth is 520mm and height 660mm).

Other features include a chrome-plated steel panel with colourful LCD screen which can be adapted to suit customer requirements and barista standard milk texturing (a fully automated milkfrothing option produces a firm and luxurious foam).

It is also easy to operate, say United Coffee (email info@unitedcoffeeuk.com), with fully automated brew quantities and processing regulating the brew recipe, so as to remove human error and take away the necessity for a specially trained barista.

There are no small removable parts and the machine is energyefficiency, being hygienic and easy to clean (it can be cleaned at the touch of a button with new milk cleaning tablets to prevent the need for cleaning liquid).

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BEAN-TO-CUP Piacere The Piacere (the Italian word for ‘pleasure’) is a top quality bean-tocup automatic espresso coffee maker made by the German manufacturer, Sielaff, using high quality of components, many of which are manufactured by Sielaff itself. It is this dedicated attention and high standard of traditional workmanship that is reflected in the quality of the finished product, say the company, a machine which can also serve up cappuccinos, latte macciatos and hot chocolate at the touch of a button.

“Sielaff is renowned throughout Europe for the build quality of its vending machines. Now those traditional values of workmanship are evident in the Piacere,” says Karen Nash, general manager of the company’s domestic operation, Sielaff UK. “We are relatively new to this market, but we are savvy enough to realise that the better the quality of the components, the better the standard of drink output.

That is the philosophy behind the Piacere – and it works!”

A key component in the Piacere is the grinder mechanism. As this is manufactured by Sielaff itself, and is of metal construction, it means that the grind standard is less variable, leading to a better, more consistent, standard of espresso, the base for many speciality drinks, claim the company. Piacere is offered with a choice of one (mono) or two grinders (duo) with the latter version offering the flexibility of two different coffees from a single machine.

Another component which is key to serving top rated drinks is the brew mechanism, point out Sielaff (email info@sielaff.co.uk).

Once again this is made in metal for precision and durability, readily dealing with coffee throws from six to 13g. The innovative water system has been developed by Sielaff for its vending machines and is tried, tested, very effective and totally reliable. It comprises an efficient vane pump and a flow meter for exact water dosing. The internal design of the machine is such that all these major components are readily accessible, which makes servicing easier and quicker.

Although available as a stand-alone unit with soluble milk, the Piacere can also be linked to an optional fresh milk refrigerator and cup warmer. In fact, there are six different configurations to suit any catering outlet, each fitted with a hot water tap as standard for serving tea and other beverages.

It features a stylish fascia with ten large selection buttons backlit with coloured lights for aesthetic effect (the colour may be altered to suit the décor). A choice of symbol or text labelling is offered and a four line display gives details of functions being performed by the machine. A useful feature is a height adjustable swivelling cup shelf, which adjusts to accommodate tall latte glasses or pots up to 190mm tall. Other options available include lockable bean hoppers, an additional grinder, a waste bin for coffee grounds, a plumbed drain and a cashless payment system module.

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Venezia A relatively new company to the bean-to-cup scene is Scanomat UK (www.scanomat.co.uk), formed in November 2010 to deliver the Scanomat brand of beverage systems direct to the British market. Scanomat UK offers hot and cold beverage solutions, from instant machines through to roast and ground systems, a choice of own-label, in-house roasted coffees and Fairtrade brands, all with full merchandising support and comprehensive maintenance and service back up. Recently it has rolled out two major launches in its Venezia range. These machines can brew any type of coffee from espresso through to latte and cappuccino as well as hot chocolate, as well as hot water for tea.

The jewel in the crown of their new offering, say the company, is the Scanomat Venezia bean-to-cup hybrid coffee machine which offers fresh ground coffee, backed up with a soluble option. Featuring state of the art technology, a focus on energy saving along with uncompromising coffee quality and user friendly operation, their machine really is the future of coffee machine development, claim the company.

It has a modular brew unit that can be removed in seconds for cleaning and maintenance and operators can choose either one or two grinders and up to four soluble canisters making this coffee machine one of the most versatile machines on the market, feel Scanomat.

The Venezia can make speedy work of high volume service, producing six cups in 20 seconds (five cups of instant coffee and one ground coffee). Water is drawn from the builtin five litre water tank and heated on demand, taking just 45 seconds from cold-to-ready, ensuring the water is freshly heated each time whilst using minimal energy. The brewer can be adjusted to any cup size and automatically regulates the quantity of product required and can be used wherever high volume carafe service is required. The machine also boasts a unique adjustable tamper system.

According to Scanomat UK the machine incorporates the smallest milk foaming device yet seen. The milk is kept cool until it reaches the frother, ensuring freshness and optimum hygiene. The machine also uses fewer products and brews faster than its competitors and has an eye catching, sloping front fascia that can be bespoke branded if desired.

The second newcomer to the Scanomat UK portfolio is the Scanomat Venezia instant coffee machine with its option of a fresh milk system that can be installed under, or over, the counter. This model provides high volume freshly brewed drinks either in a cup, mug or flask, and actually uses less energy heating water and can be programmed to revert to standby when not in use, report the company.

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BEAN-TO-CUP Cybercino The British espresso machine maker, Fracino (www.fracino.com), report that they have noted that once dismissed as a cumbersome, more expensive alternative to traditional espresso-making appliances, the bean-to-cup machine is now revered for producing coffee of barista standard. Indeed, these machines are a one-stopshop that not only automatically factor in the correct amount of beans, grinds and brews them, but also steams and froths milk dispensing all the ingredients at the same time.

“Both of these qualities are essential for providing excellent customer service. In a buzzing coffee house or café, it’s the time saving touches that make a difference and it’s comforting to know that a simple press of the button can guarantee a great tasting cup of coffee,” says John Cook, head of sales at Fracino, who feels that ease and efficiency are two main advantages of the bean-to-cup option.

“For example we have developed our bean-to-cup machine, the Cybercino, to deliver hot water and coffee from the same group, which reduces the time it takes to make an Americano from 45 to 20 seconds.

“The bean-to-cup is now established in the catering industry as a user-friendly machine that produces a consistently good quality coffee for the self-service customer – a vital necessity for the nonbarista trained public,” adds John Cook. “However, despite the machine’s versatility it does not signify the end of the barista.

Although many operators are going down the bean-to-cup route, I still believe that traditional espresso machines make up the majority of the overall market.

“On the whole, bean-to-cups are more expensive than ‘traditionals’ because they are more complex, which means more can go wrong. However, the cheaper machines in the bean to cup market, which try to compete with traditional machines on price, are not as fast and, being made primarily of plastic groups and thermal brew blocks, will not last as long as a well maintained traditional coffee machine,” explains John Cook.

“Consistent cup size has also been an issue for fully-automated machines. With the Cybercino we have overcome this by adding a pinch value to the milk tube so that milk is immediately available for each new drink ensuring the same about of frothed or foamed milk is added every time.

“Our other latest advancement is a new fast froth system, which replaces the existing arm on the Cybercino. The system contains a temperature sensor which automatically stops when the milk reaches the correct temperature, depending on the type of milk required – foamed milk for latte or frothed milk for cappuccino. This guarantees the perfect froth every time.”

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bistro!

Following the success of the bistro! - one of its most popular coffee machines and past winner of the Caterer and Hotelkeeper Equipment and Supplies Excellence Awards, say its maker’s WMF – the company has now launched bistro! with Dual Milk, and which is set to revolutionise the way we think about automatic bean to cup coffee machines, claim the company.

This machine enables operators to make great bean to cup coffee by using the fully automatic, one-step process at busy times or, when a more individual feel is required, the manually operated steam wand, which can be used as part of a two-step process, opening up numerous possibilities for those operators that have a wide range of operational requirements.

Therefore, bistro! with Dual Milk offers more control and consistency of drink quality thanks to a clever heat sensor in the steam wand which will stop the steam when the set temperature has been reached, offering a semi-automatic option – at least as good as a great barista, say WMF - as the variables in the milk foam have been eliminated. Thus, the bistro! with Dual Milk provides the desired customer experience with all the noise and theatre of a traditional coffee machine, and operators are able to enjoy the reassurance of consistently outstanding coffee from an operationally efficient machine.

The new machine also dispenses a high quality, fully automatic, bean to cup coffee at the push of a button, point out WMF, making it ideal for those busy periods, with operators still able to steam milk with all of the finesse and individuality of a barista at the same time as the coffee is being dispensed.

In addition, the bistro! with Dual Milk offers a choice of three grades of foam, to suit the coffee being served.

Superfine is an extremely dense foam with a shiny, creamy consistency and the secret to successful latte art creations.

This level of foam is normally only achieved by a barista and takes plenty of skill and experience. Fine is the normal standard of foam required to make delicious cappuccino and Standard can be used when volume and large quantities of foam are required.

With the possibility of individual temperatures that can be set for each drink to optimise flavour quality, the option of three integrated hoppers so a drinks menu can include a variety of chocolate drinks (as well as decaffeinated coffee), a rapid dispense time of just 21 seconds for an 8oz cappuccino and up to 220 cappuccinos in an hour (depending on cup size and coffee settings), WMF say their latest machine has been designed to offer more (www.wmf.uk.com).

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FEE F O

CL

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

INIC

Question We are setting up our own business running a small coffee van. It is only big enough to have a coffee machine and a grinder. We have talked to a few companies and a couple have suggested a gas espresso machine. Do these machines work as well as the standard versions, and also the lever machines as they have quoted these as well. What are the benefits of each version of the machine?

Alom Branchi (London)

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!

Answer Try one out! Especially the lever version as some people love using them and others find them awkward. The bonus with gas machines is they use less power so the generator needed to run everything is smaller which lowers the purchase price.

If you use a gas lever machine you can run it the middle of a field without any power needed which is the advantage. The heating up time though on gas only machines can be quite long so check this before you buy.

My option would be to buy dual fuel which is gas/electric as this will give you the flexibility with the machine, but also if you ever get an

event that is indoors most places won’t allow gas machines to be operated so it will need to have the option of electric as well.

My opinion would be if you can run a big enough generator to solely run an electric machine then do that as if you have a fault with gas machines quite a few engineers wont touch the gas side of the machine as most aren't gas safe registered. I hope this has helped.

Question We’ve just taken over a café in Portsmouth and the coffee being served out of the machine is absolutely horrible! We are using the same coffee as before (which also tasted horrible by the way). We have tried a couple of other coffees but they also taste burnt or horrible. What can we do?

Adrian Hayes (Bath) Answer Service, service, service! Get the machine checked over as it may not have been serviced for quite a while. Its group heads may be blocked up with old coffee if they haven't back flushed them. This would cause the burnt taste, but getting the engineer to set your grinder to your machine will also help

to get your coffee to a better level. If you are looking at different coffee companies see if you can get them to come in and set their coffee up on your

machine. This may help with the grinder, but they will be able to give you some advice if the problem is still there as to what it may be.

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From field

to fork Situated in the picturesque Yorkshire market town of Pickering, on the edge of the ruggedly beautiful North York Moors, is the Cedarbarn Café (www.cedarbarnfarmshop.co.uk), attached to a very popular farm shop, and run by lively husband and wife team Karl and Mandy Avison (main picture) who specialise in serving up locally sourced food.

Natural progression Karl’s family has farmed in the local area for over a century, and Mandy has years of experience in hotels and catering, so together they make the perfect team for running this type of venture!

After inheriting his father’s farm some years ago, Karl soon realised that he would find it difficult to make a living out of traditional farming, so set about finding ways to diversify and create extra revenue. In the past these have included holiday accommodation, pick-your-own soft fruits, cultivating asparagus and sales to the public of the farm’s own Aberdeen Angus beef. Eventually the Avisons realised that the best way to create a sustainable, successful business would be to open their own farm shop and café, and Cedarbarn duly opened in 2007.

The couple say that they are now completely passionate about growing, cooking and eating fabulous food.

Cedarbarn is housed in an eco-friendly cedar-clad building designed by Karl himself and has 40 covers and concentrates on serving traditional, wholesome food prepared with the farm’s own produce, as well as that of many other local suppliers. However, its décor is

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far from the chintzy look of many other such establishments, being clean and contemporary-looking, with oak tables and leather chairs.

Many diners are obviously farm shop customers, but the café has also become a popular meeting place in its own right for local families and groups of friends – plus lots of tourists who are visiting the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside.

The café is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and occasional evening functions.

Cedarbarn’s ever-growing popularity is due partly to its stunning setting, where diners can gaze at a spectacular rural panorama as they eat. The surrounding area has been beautifully landscaped and incorporates an outdoor dining area with a fragrant herb garden and a water feature.

There is a safe children’s play area and plenty of parking. Ease of accessibility has played a major part in Cedarbarn being regarded as not just a shop, but an attraction and destination in its own right.

Local and seasonal The menu in the Cedarbarn café reflects the farm’s own growing patterns and is based upon local, seasonal produce, from

asparagus in the spring right through to autumn fruits.

The farm’s own beef and lamb always take pride of place on the menu, appearing in a wide range of popular dishes, of which cottage pie and braised steak are always most in demand. Cedarbarn even has its own butchery, so all meat can be expertly prepared on site by butchery manager Martin Calvert, who has 25 years’ experience in the trade.

Many ingredients come directly from the rolling fields which are visible through the café windows. Other favourites include home-roast ham and home-made quiches and Scotch eggs. The fantastic variety of soft fruit grown on the farm is also highlighted, served in mouth-watering seasonal desserts such as summer pudding and fruit crumble, as well as packed into home-made preserves for customers to take home. For those looking for a lighter option, the café serves excellent coffee, a range of sandwiches and a superb selection of cakes and scones which are all home-made and almost impossible to resist!

The Avisons have also made the best possible use of their farm’s own meats to create a range of high-quality products

such as burgers, sausages, ready meals and pies, with its Aberdeen Angus steak pies being highly-praised in the Yorkshire Post magazine. These are both sold in the shop and served in the café. Both the shop and the café also form a great platform for a multitude of other local businesses, and the Avisons have worked hard to forge good relationships with local farmers and food producers. Around 40 Yorkshire-based producers now supply their fare either to be sold in the shop or served in the café.

Menu masters Head chef Mike Brown initially studied catering at the Yorkshire Coast College in Scarborough, then went on to train as a chef at one of Pickering’s most popular hotels, and says he relishes the daily challenge of coming up with all kinds of dishes that make the best of the wonderful, fresh produce he’s given to work with.

“At the Cedarbarn I’m lucky to have a fantastic home-grown pantry literally on the doorstep!” he says. “The farm rears its own Aberdeen Angus beef and Charolais X Lamb, which forms the basis of many

Illustration by Aimee McCulloch (www.aimeemcculloch.co.uk)

PROFILE

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PROFILE of our meals. On top of that we have a wealth of seasonal fruit and vegetables including strawberries, raspberries, asparagus and even herbs. My ambition for the café is to develop an evening menu which will focus more on fine dining and give my creative side a chance to really break out!”

Mike’s best-selling dishes in the café include Aberdeen Angus steak, slowly braised with local Wold Top beer and served with herb dumplings, as well as Aberdeen Angus beef cottage pie and home-baked asparagus quiche, with the farm’s own asparagus. Also on the menu is Pickering smoked trout pâté, local outdoor-reared pork chops served with black pudding, mash and apple fritters and hearty Yorkshire breakfasts are also a big attraction.

Promoting provenance The Avisons are full of enthusiasm for helping people to understand the importance of the provenance of food and sustainable food production and have established a digital display in the café that shows photos of their herds of animals, the farm and the cycles of planting and harvesting, so that visitors can clearly see how these processes happen. At calving and lambing time, newborn animals and their mothers are brought to an enclosure just outside the café so that customers can see them close up.

“We think it’s especially important that children learn about where their food comes from, so are happy to be involved in various educational projects; for example we have recently established a Farm Club in conjunction with the primary school in the nearby village of Thornton Dale,” says Karl.

Their flagship herd of cattle has been certified by the Aberdeen Angus society, and was improved still further two years ago with the acquisition of a new bull. Karl has been rearing this breed in the traditional way for eight years now, and they are chosen

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simply because they consistently produce the very best quality beef, he reports.

There are eight acres of soft fruits, five acres of brassicas and three acres of root crops, so there’s always something to plant, harvest and serve on the very seasonal menu. Six different varieties of strawberry are grown, ripening at different times, which means that strawberries can be picked from the beginning of June right through to October. An area of table-top strawberry plants has just been established right in front of the café, which means that elderly or infirm customers are now able to ‘pick their own’ too.

Awards Having come a very long way in the last three years, Cedarbarn continues to grow and evolve, and the Avisons are always thinking of ways to develop the business. Recent initiatives to attract more local customers include holding special events in the café, such as themed evening meals, and Pilates classes. Future plans include the building of an on-site bakery and the establishment of an online shop. The business has become a real family affair, with Karl and Mandy’s daughter, niece and nephew all working for it part-time. The Avisons are also proud to employ 22 local people and

Cedarbarn says that it is looking forward to a bright future.

As a reward for all the hard work that Mandy and Karl have put into their business, the café has won the Deliciouslyorkshire award for Best Use of Regional Produce on a Menu for two years running and has also scooped Best On-Farm Café/Restaurant at the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA) Awards 2011. The FARMA judges lavished particular praise upon Cedarbarn’s café for the “topquality home-grown food on offer, served by friendly staff in a stunning setting with spectacular views across the farm”.

Cedarbarn was also selected to provide the VIP catering for the recent Mountain Bike World Championships, held at nearby Dalby Forest, and its asparagus even gained the royal seal of approval when it was served to none other than the Queen on a recent visit to Scarborough (apparently it’s Her Majesty’s favourite vegetable).

“We are completely passionate about farming and food production, overseeing the whole process from field to fork and supporting the public’s increasing interest in the provenance of food and the number of miles it has travelled,” says Mandy. “Our continued success tells us we are providing what people want and we hope that a similar approach will be adopted by more and more businesses.

Local is best!”

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BRANDING

Branding

bas cs Dan Einzig, Mystery Dan Einzig of brand design agency, Mystery, helped create the original branding for the Giraffe café and the firm has worked with the chain ever since to help develop it in to a successful restaurant group approaching its fiftieth site opening this year.

Through Mystery's brand ‘incubation’ service, they sometimes use their industry expertise to help start-up independent café operators such as Bubbleology, whom they partnered to create the brand vision including the name, identity, interior design and marketing collateral for this exciting bubble tea concept in Soho.

They also worked with Gino, an independent gelateria in central London.

The branding here helps position the brand as unique, delicious, high quality and above all fun by connecting with customers who want to enjoy premium gelato in an unpretentious, aspirational environment.

Butternut Kitchen Café is another Mystery project where they helped create a café concept designed to compete with the big national brands by positioning it as healthy, independent and characterful.

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Branding can play a major part in an outlet’s success. Here, we put some basic branding questions to some ‘branding gurus’, and Coffee Community’s Paul Meikle-Janney reminds us that in order to brand successfully, you firstly need to be sure of your outlet’s whole raison d'être.

What is branding?

By using design as a powerful marketing tool, 'branding' communicates what your business is all about and who exactly it's for. Brand design helps to connect your customers emotively with your business. Branding is the voice that speaks to your customer whether it's through words, images, sounds, tastes, smells or actions, it's how you communicate (and therefore how you sell).

How does it work and is it essential these days?

Branding is essential for businesses that want to connect emotively with their customers. It works by expressing its unique personality and sharing beliefs and values with its customers.

How can it be achieved?

It's vital to define your company's brand character before setting off on any marketing communications. By doing a strategic brand positioning exercise, companies can define exactly what they are all about, what makes them different and generate a 'map' to guide all communications, making sure

they are powerfully coherent and consistent.

How – specifically - could an independent café operator set about branding their new outlet, and what are the tasks?

Of course I would recommend working with an expert brand design agency, but it's possible for smaller operators to define their brand characters themselves if they firstly review their competitors to spot the opportunity to differentiate. Secondly, talk to their customers (or potential customers) and gain insights about what they want and why. Finally, define a brand character proposition with values and purpose that those customers will connect with emotively. Then it's simply a case of finding a name and identity that resonates with the positioning.

Can it be done on a budget?

As with many things in life, you very often get what you pay for. Branding adds significant equity value to a business, so it's worth investing in experts that work in your sector and have learned from having done it

with other businesses before.

Top business owners understand the value of branding and spend a significant proportion of their budget on it - very often 20% of turnover in the food and beverage sector.

What are the benefits of branding in terms of competing, differentiation etc?

Branding inherently helps your business stand out from competitors. It works especially well in sectors such as cafés and restaurants where the offering is very often undifferentiated from business to business. Coffee is effectively a commodity and as more baristas start to make better and better servings of it, the opportunity to stand out relies more on how the branding 'packages' the experience for the customer.

Any top tips?

Be honest. Brands that pretend to be something they are not don't usually last.

Customers are so savvy these days and social media means that they have a louder and louder voice to complain about brands that don't live up to their promises.

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BRANDING like I mentioned earlier you need to be differentiating yourself from your competitors. You should always be continually researching what’s out there, what your competitors are doing and how you can provide a better product/service than them.

Three different looks for three different café concepts. they should choose you and not your competition.

Mike Murphy, Decor:Fusion Marketing manager, Mike Murphy, is the newest member of the Decor:Fusion management team tasked with raising the brand and company profile within the UK commercial interior design market.

Mike has considerable experience in web development, graphic design, e-marketing expertise and experience that has helped bring in all the design, branding and marketing materials in-house, he reports.

What is branding?

Branding is a company’s image represented not just through their logo, corporate colours and business cards but something that should also be about the feel of the company, the look, the web site, the way its staff answer the phone and so many other things. But everything in your brand should be designed to leave one image in your customers’ minds about who you are, what you do and why

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Are their any common mistakes that outlets make when it comes to branding themselves?

The most common mistake I see is companies not creating a branding and marketing strategy. Most will have one without the other, which in turn makes your product or service diluted in the market.

It’s all very well having a great product under a great brand but it’s pointless if you have no marketing strategy to get the company on the map.

Why should outlets brand themselves?

The obvious answer is to distinguish themselves from their competition. The last thing you want as a business is for your customer to see your advertising and buy another company’s product.

To be unique and successful in the marketplace you have to have the right branding, the right product, and you have to make sure your potential customers see it.

How can a design consultant help?

As the saying goes “you get what you pay for” and this is couldn’t be more true in the creative industries. Your friend’s cousin may be good at sketching but could he or she create a logo or know what goes into creating one?

Whether it is for a new café fit out or a new company web site, you should always go to a professional with experience as this person or company will be invaluable to you as your business grows.

How is branding practically achieved in terms of design?

Whether it’s your logo incorporated into the carpet design, your wallpaper in your corporate colours or even just the signage above your entrance door all of this helps build your brand. Branding can be used everywhere and anywhere through out the whole of your company so you and your design consultant should get creative!

How much does branding cost?

I think a modern misconception is that branding costs a fortune but it all depends on who creates it. Something from Mr Joe ‘freelance’ Bloggs will clearly not be at the highest standards of a multi-national agency such as Saatchi & Saatchi, but for a start-up or small sized business Mr Bloggs will meet your requirements just fine and for just a fraction of the agency cost.

Is market research involved?

Market research should be done at the beginning of any branding strategy because

What are the benefits of branding?

The first answer I’d say is clearly image and perception, a customer is more likely to remember you and your company when relating to a pleasant experience especially when your business is a product bought 99% on impulse. This brand experience could mean the difference between myself choosing you or somebody else.

Customers also feel less pressured into buying wellknown brands because as the brand grows a level of trust, quality and integrity also builds with the brand too.

Build your brand well enough and soon even words will not have to be spoken to convey your message, the McDonalds “I’m loving it” whistle, for example. And don’t forget that with a prestigious brand, you can then start charging a prestigious price.

When is a re-brand necessary?

Firstly always do your research. Why are your rebranding? Is it to get rid of a negative image your company has? Is it to differentiate from your competitors? Imagine yourself as the customer; would you buy your own product? If not, then it may be time to call in a design consultant and see what they can do for your business.

Although for smaller businesses just remember a re-brand may bring you a short increase in profits because it’s something ‘new’, but you also don’t want to risk alienating your existing repeat customers. A re-brand should be thought about very carefully.

JULY 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 43

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BRANDING

“

Paul Meikle-Janney, Coffee Community Ltd

Many of us may have plans of running a national or even global brand, but we have to start somewhere, so taking time to make sure your initial concept, image and location are correct is vital, whether you want to be a successful independent or grow towards your dreams.

Most of us identify a brand through its name or logo. This is usually plastered everywhere from the sign on the shop through to the cups, the menu, other point of sale and finally the packaging.

This is how we recognise the brand, but while recognition is key to a successful brand, it is only one element in the branding process.

Also key to a brand is the achievement of a sustainable differential.

Many would-be ‘new brands’ succeed in getting the recognition element of their brand correct. A graphics company is employed to design a trendy logo, which is duly attached to everything, but holds little meaning to the customer.

It often seems that less time is spent on the actual product itself. Developing a product that is desirable to your customer target, and that differentiates you from your competitors, is a much greater skill, as is making that product sustainable – namely, delivering that product at a consistent quality, time after time at all the brand locations.

To summarise, a customer should recognise a brand, and that brand should communicate a ‘promise’ of a certain product quality and values.

This promise should be fulfilled time after time, whether in one location or in all your stores. Aspects to consider when starting out include the following...

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Who are my customers?

All your plans start with knowing who your customers are and what they want. This statement seems obvious, it’s the principle that marketing is founded upon, but it’s amazing how many people develop a café around their personal taste and desires without any thought as to whether their customers share them.

Start by identifying your current customers’, and potential customers’, demographics. Simple things like gender, age, socio economic groups and then add more detail; are they office workers, shoppers, families etc.

All these points will give you clues as to what they want to buy and how they want to buy it. Work out when they visit you (morning, lunch, evening etc.), and how long they dwell (rushing for take away, lingering for lunch etc.). Different types of customers may use you at different parts of the day in different ways.

Work out not only who your customers are but also how many there potentially are and what they spend on average – are there sufficient to sustain your business?

Am I in the right location?

The fact remains that most customers choose to visit a café because of the convenience of its location; they’ll visit the closest. That’s why choosing the right location in the first place is essential. This should be well researched by studying elements like footfall, competitors and potential sources of customers like work places, colleges and shopping areas.

Ask yourself if there are sufficient types of your target customer to cover the rent (sometimes a high rent may be worth it if the location supplies a rich source of customers, and vice versa, that bargain site is anything but if there is low footfall).

Does the property give you enough space for you to deliver the product your customer wants? Many people look at properties that are too small,

hence seating areas are often limited. They convince themselves that “take away” will support the business. With obvious exceptions such as train stations and office lobbies, it rarely does. British people like to sit down with their coffee much more than our American cousins.

If you already have your location and you think you have chosen poorly then you have a tougher task. You have to ask yourself harder questions such as are there potential customers but I’m just not offering the right product to attract them? Do I give my

customers a reason to travel that bit further (can I become a “destination”)? Do I communicate with my customers well (see further on)? And ultimately, should I move?

How do I communicate with my customers?

For most existing cafés this question is possibly the most important of all. Everything we do gives our customers clues as to whether they should visit us your name and brand, your design, your product, your price, your merchandising, your sales activities and your name.

Marmara Decor:Fusion were approached by the owner of several establishments down Manchester's famous curry mile, and who opted for their comprehensive design package (cost £995).

The brief was to design the client’s café/restaurant (Marmara) to incorporate a corporate branding - which included bold lime green, black and white - into a space that maximised covers but still retained a modern crisp finish in an open plan space.

The client had installed a mezzanine level into the space and by using a glass balustrade the designers retained the open plan element. They also incorporated Italian floor tiles into the entrance. By using bold feature stripes in

the company’s corporate colours on the wall they created maximum impact, coupled with funky wall transfers created the modem crisp finish they asked for.

They also had bespoke seating made with Italian leather in the bold green that the client loves. This helped the space stay cohesive.

Their client needed also needed flexibility, as their open day had not been finalised, so Decor:Fusion worked closely with them, managing the programme and working to accommodate them.

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BRANDING

Pigwidgeon & Pye Pigwidgeon & Pye is a nonsense name for a very serious and successful new café bar on the main high street of Royal Tunbridge Wells. In fact, the description ‘coffee shop’ does it scant justice. Certainly it sells coffee, but it is also a glorious mixture of coffee shop, restaurant, takeaway, wine bar and delicatessen.

The two partners in the business are Sunil Patel and Mark Stevens, who opened the café bar in October 2010 with help and advice from coffee shop consultant, Daron Goldsmith of Café Concepts, who found the site and helped manage the project with the pair.

Having been open just a few short months, Pigwidgeon & Pye was delighted to be rated the best coffee in the town by the local newspaper, the Kent & Sussex Courier which, in a recent survey, placed it above many other chain and independent coffee shops in the area. Mark credits his coffee supplier, the Drury Tea & Coffee Company and the training they received from Daron Goldsmith with their success to date.

“Daron has been using Drury coffee in his own businesses for some time and trained us how to use the machines and how to make the perfect cup of coffee the Drury way,” reports Mark Stevens.

Pigwidgeon & Pye is perfectly located at the town’s main crossroads. The

What do Starbucks, Nero and Costa have in common?

They are all people’s names and don’t inherently have

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ambiance is light and airy and it has a pavement terrace, which is very popular in good weather. The establishment serves teas and coffees, of course, along with snacks and light bites.

There is also a more substantial restaurant menu, which has proved popular with the local clientele at lunchtime, in particular the hand-made pies, which are now established as menu favourites.

Service is offered at the counter, where customers place their order, which is subsequently delivered to table by waiter service. This reduces the queues at busy times. Much of the produce used in the café is available for sale in the adjacent delicatessen along with some select wines and a range of fine Drury coffees.

“We are proud to have established an experience that is quite different from that offered by the chains – of which there are many on this high street alone. But, make no mistake, coffee is at the heart of our offering and it is what drives the business,” adds Mark Stevens. “We are very pleased with the help given to us by Café Concepts, but particularly for introducing us to Drury and for the detailed training given to us and our staff by both parties. They are extremely knowledgeable in blending and roasting coffee on the one hand and the operation of coffee shops on the other.”

anything to do with coffee (Starbucks is a character in the novel Moby Dick!). They are a blank canvas that we now

associate all their brand values with.

Choose a name that does not restrict what you do – does a name like Coffee Corner tell customers that they can also get a sandwich or a light lunch?

I always laugh when I see hairdressers with names like Curl Up and Die. I appreciate the humour, but I wouldn’t want to get my hair cut there!

So make sure the associations of the name you choose reflect the customers you wish to attract.

Your design Ever since the rise of the American style espresso bars on our high streets we seem to be obsessed with counter based service. I blame the show Friends that started thousands dreaming of owning a café like Central Perk, complete with token sofa.

It may be the right format for you, but there are other options. Brands like Pret and Eat, have achieved great success by their format of banks of fridges for customers to self select. They increase their turnover and satisfy their customers’ need for speed.

Carluccio’s, a personal favorite of mine, combine retail space, a deli counter and table service to offer a wide range of options to their customers throughout the day and evening.

In short, make sure your format suits your customers needs. Further still, make sure customer flow and work logistics are considered, to make your café easy to use and efficient for all. Finally, make sure the aesthetical look of the café speaks to your target customers. Your own tastes in décor may not be shared by your customers!

Your product Again think in terms of your customers – what do they demand? Offering mainly coffee with a few pastries may not be enough to pay the rent. Your food range is of equal importance. The American style espresso brands, for example, often didn’t excel in the food

department – in America rents were lower and the demand for take away coffee was great and so they could thrive without huge food sales. This is not so in the UK. With high rents you need to maximise the average spend of your customers and that means selling food along with the coffee. Entice them not only with the main food purchase but get them to add on extras like snacks and sweets.

Choose products that are of a quality that again meets your customers’ expectations and bear in mind that the level of quality will affect your sales price.

Coffee is one area that you don’t need to compromise on quality. Good coffee costs little more per cup than mediocre beans, but if you are serving high quality then you need to explain that to your customers.

Lay out your “credentials” through good point of sale information and creating a “hero” product through design and merchandising.

Your price Don’t undersell yourself. If you are serving customers who demand high quality then they are likely to have low price sensitivity and they will be willing to pay for your expertise. The more differentiated and unique your offer, the more control you have with the prices you charge. If your products can also be brought from other cafés then the more price competition will play a part.

Make sure you are aware of your costs when pricing to ensure you get a healthy margin (and stick to these costs via specifications and portion control) but always keep in mind your competitors prices and your customers expectations.

Your merchandising Poor merchandising is one of the most common problems I encounter. Food and drink, no matter what its quality, is often poorly packaged and presented. Luckily it is an area that is simply solved.

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BRANDING Does your product have ‘curb appeal’? Can the customer see the wonderful range of products you have from outside your café and be enticed in?

This could be an opulent food display highlighting the freshness of your sandwiches or pastries. Use ways to make your fridge displays more attractive through wooden or stone boards and effective labelling.

Coffee has little ‘curb appeal’, but you can increase it with good signage outlining the providence and flavours in your beans, or perhaps use retail coffees or alternative brewing methods to focus the customer’s attention.

Your sales activities Finally, if you have sorted things out in your café, it is time to tell people about it and that may not mean splashing out on expensive advertising. Simple leaflets hand delivered to local businesses may be much more effective. Use your staff to sell – never underestimate the effect that well trained hospitable staff can have.

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“

Sweet talk Complimentary and yet essential, sugar is used by just over half of all customers drinking a tea or coffee, reports Barry O’Dwyer of Sugar Branders (www.odwyerbespoke.com) and can play a part in branding by conveying messages to your customers.

“The sugar that you provide for your customers - if personalised - can play an important role in enhancing your brand or communicating a message. It would be unthinkable for your location not to be branded, together with takeaway cups, packaging, bags, menus etc so why then give free advertising to sugar manufacturers to whom you are paying to promote?” says Barry O’Dwyer. “When you have control over those items that are literally handled by your customers it makes sense to ensure that the only name

on the sugar should be yours.

“Selecting sugar for your business is also much more interesting now that there are a range of packaging options to consider. Maybe it’s time to ask yourself some questions regarding what you present.

Has your current supplier offered you different sachet shapes and fills? Have you actually asked what the exact fill of sugar is packed in what you are currently ordering? Are you aware of the range of sugar fills available such as 4g-5g as used on the continent instead of the 2.5 fill that you are probably being supplied with in the UK? It could even lead to less sugar sticks/sachets being used by your customers!

“Will you offer white sugar, brown sugar or both? Will you simply print your name/logo or have you considered using the sugar packaging as a mini mailer to promote another service – such as an office

delivery service or an order website or email? There are numerous outlets that don’t even have their web site on the packaging, which of course is a wasted opportunity as it doesn’t cost any extra to include on the packaging, and many sticks and sachets are taken by the customer for later use in the office, and also at home.”

Barry O’Dwyer adds that when he asked the owner of London-based, Raoul’s Gourmet Café chain why they have their sugar sticks personalised, he received a brief but clearly expressed answer ‘give the customer a personalised service’.

“Don’t just think sugar, think mini mailer, mini advertisement, and all at a mini price that no other media can match,” suggests Barry O’Dwyer. “Now, what would you like to say to your customers?”

”

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RISTA BA

Barista talk

TALK

“

TOP TIP Foam all the way any time.

”

Youri Vlag of training company and coffee supplier, Limini Coffee (www.liminicoffee.co.uk), tackles some of your questions and queries about your own barista skills, and offers some top tips to help you make high quality beverages. This issue, we ask what’s the difference between a caffe latte and a cappuccino?

What is the difference between a caffe latte and a cappuccino?

Q

This depends very much on who you ask as most baristas will have a different point of view. There are a couple of factors that are usually agreed upon, however. A cappuccino has often more foam than a caffe latte and the cappuccino has usually less milk than a caffe latte.

At Limini, we prefer our cappuccinos in 6oz cups and caffe lattes in 8oz cups. The cappuccino is served in a round cup and the caffe latte in a taller cup. Some people prefer the caffe latte in a glass.

The cappuccino is often a richer drink and sometimes served at a lower temperature.

Q

Froth or foam?

We always say foam. It might just be a different interpretation of the words but for us foam is dense and smooth without any bubbles. Foam has the consistency of melted ice cream and you can drink the

coffee through the foam.

Froth is more bubbly and airy. It is hard to drink the coffee through froth often resulting in drinking just the espresso with milk.

The foam should stay on top of the drink for minutes and not fall apart quickly. The quality of the foam is extremely important and will make a very important difference to the quality of the experience for the customer.

Q

How much foam?

A cappuccino should have a good depth of foam, about a finger depth (depending on your fingers of course!). The correct amount of foam is when each sip is a mixture of milk, espresso and foam. A caffe latte has a very small layer of foam, just cover the top.

Q

Does the milk make a difference?

Yes, it does. Whole milk will result in a different flavour then skimmed milk. The consistency of the foam will differ as well.

That said, you can create beautiful foam and do latte art with any type of milk including soya milk. A good barista will not blame the cow!

Make sure that the milk is very fresh and cold to start off with. Do not re-heat milk and

If you have a baristarelated query that would like answered, then please email clare@jandmgroup.co.uk, or write in with details of your 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 a reply for you!

only use fresh milk for each drink. The customer is paying for fresh milk after all.

The type of milk is a personal preference and we prefer whole milk for our drinks.

We recommend for you to try the different types of milk and find out for yourself which one you prefer best.

JULY 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 49

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PROFILE

Sweet success

A creative bakery in Cornwall has rapidly taken off in less than two years, in no small part due to the drive of its founder, Maxine Nelson (pictured), who, after making some life-changing moves, has since gone on to pick up several business awards.

Artistic input Maxine Nelson is the artistic director of Truro-based Tilly Mint Bakery, which produces whimsical cupcakes and other fantastical confectionary (she also runs the wholesale arm of the business called Cornish Cakery).

One thing Maxine says that she really understands is how much hard work is needed to create and run your own business. She initially trained as a nurse, and had been running a number of businesses in the UK, including a café and chocolate shop in Brighton, beauty salons, sunbed shops, and worked as a consultant to the cosmetic ingredient industry.

It was while on business trips to Belgium for this role that Maxine was inspired to take chocolate and patisserie courses because she was fascinated by the intricate and innovative creations she had seen.

“Café culture is all about sourcing the best in coffee, teas, artisan breads and fillings and we at Cornish Cakery looked at the popular cakes for cutting and decided they were ok, just ok,” says Maxine Nelson. “What I felt was missing was cakes made

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to order, delivered safely and delicious so customers come back for more. We also decided to stop following the norm and looked at the flavours, presentation and 'plate appeal'.

“As a result, Tilly Mint is now supplying cakes to many independent coffee shops and boutique hotels throughout the UK. The Cornish Cakery also partners A Slice of Cornwall, and there is nothing ordinary about our cakes, we have a passion for great cakes and that’s what we deliver.

“The most popular cake we do is the Triple Latte - a triple layer Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla sponge cake with a fresh coffee light buttercream filling and topped with a white chocolate crusted buttercream. A 9" cake weighs over 3kg, supplying 14-16 generous slices. Our buttercream is 50% less fat than standard buttercream and has a more mousse like texture.”

Lemon Sparkle, Orange Sparkle, Red Velvet, Nut Free Carrot Cake, Frosted Coconut Noodles Cake, Ginger Milk Chocolate Tiffin, Cornish Star Scones are a few of the other more popular cakes they make, all made with free

range local farm eggs and no preservatives or flavour enhancers.

“We care about our customers and are happy to make cakes they feel their business needs. We are happy to supply cakes and cupcakes for all business customers who can have them sent to their premises or collect if they wish,” adds Maxine. “The important feedback we have is that the cakes do not taste in any way mass produced, they don't collapse once cut or have deep wells disguised with buttercream. We adhere to SALSA guidelines and are fully compliant with HACCAP.” Life-changing decisions It was just 18 months ago when Maxine decided to leave her life behind in France and come back to the UK, but with no real idea of where she would go or what she would do next.

Landing at the airport with just her hand luggage she had to think fast about her future, she recalls, but hasn’t looked back and her success now includes being selected for Cornwall Enterprising Women’s (CEW) Growth Programme. This eight-part course, run in association with

Truro and Penwith College’s Empowering Smart Women scheme through European Social Fund Convergence money, is designed to help ambitious female entrepreneurs in the county (whose businesses already turn over more than £100,000 a year) learn how to develop their companies even more by focusing on areas such as sales and marketing, HR, and finance.

“Being on the programme has helped me focus on a number of areas that are crucial to my bakery’s success and I have gained invaluable knowledge either by cementing what I already know or picking up new ideas,” says Maxine.

It was in a bid to ease up in respect of work commitments, that a family decision was made to up sticks and move to France to start a new slowerpaced life in rural bliss.

However, the idyll was fine for a while, reports Maxine, but the tiredness she had been feeling didn’t disappear, despite trying to take things a little more easily.

“I couldn’t shake the lethargic feeling and went to see a doctor in 2004, but that appointment changed the

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

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Address:.............................................................................................. ............................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................ course of things forever,” she says. Having been diagnosed with cancer, she required major surgery and developed brittle bones as a side effect of her treatment. However, Maxine refused to let things stop her and once on the mend, began to run a small café.

After going through such a tumultuous time Maxine says she began to take stock and although her husband and youngest daughter found living in France enjoyable, she had begun to feel isolated and started to re-evaluate what she really wanted out of life.

So in 2007, she sold the café and the house was put on the market, but four days before completion the buyers pulled out.

“This sent me into a downward spiral. Even though I had kept on doing consultancy work for the cosmetic ingredients industry, having no business and no house sale made me depressed and on the spur of the moment in 2009 I booked a flight back to the UK,” she says. “It really was a singled minded decision but I knew my husband and I at the time wanted different things, I just needed to start doing

something for myself.”

So Maxine scribbled down some ideas on scraps of paper which became the catalyst for her decision to move to Cornwall and put her confectionary skills to good use. Once there, Maxine managed to save some money so she could make enough cupcakes to attend Falmouth Week in 2009, and the Cornwall Pride event in Truro where 500 quirky cupcake designs were snapped up.

This success enabled Maxine to open a stall in the Pannier Market in the city and eventually open a café and a bakery, running both with the help of a small team.

Now she has expanded her business to supply handmade style cakes to other businesses and suppliers with Slice of Cornwall and The Cornish Cakery seeing a further growth spurt for her thriving cake business.

Meeting other innovative businesswomen on the Growth Programme has also brought potential new business to her bakery. “Life is sweet and I intend for it to get sweeter still and the Growth Programme has certainly put me on the right track,” concludes Maxine.

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Cheques should be payable to Café Society and returned to: Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB or contact Tony Lorimer on 01291 636333 or email on Tony@cafesociety.org.uk Alternatively, if you wish to pay by credit card, please enter your details below.

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NEW PRODUCTS

New, retro style soda siphon from Cream Supplies

Revolutionary system uses a fraction of the energy of conventional processing and improves flavours Malmesbury Syrups are using pulsed white light generated using a patented system utilising a magnetron, waveguide and lamps free of electrodes and ballast systems to process its liquid foods and beverages.

The finely tuned light breaks the cell wall of any pathogenic bacteria (plus dealing with any yeasts or moulds that may be present), making the product free from pathogens that would have been killed by the normal process of pasteurisation (heat treatment).

As the best flavours tend to be natural - and potentially quite delicate - heat treatment can affect the flavours, but the MicroTek system appears to make the flavours bettermore flavoursome and slightly stronger. Malmesbury Syrups can also use lighter packaging meaning more weight-saving so that postage is cheaper and more secure due to reduced breakages (call 01666 577379, or visit www.malmesburysyrups.co.uk).

A stunning, retro-style soda siphon from Cream Supplies is brand new to the UK market, capturing the essence of vintage design visually, but providing contemporary functionality. The siphon is made from heavy glass, encased in steel mesh. A rubber base protects surfaces and also prevents the siphon from slipping.

It is very easy to use and can either be filled with tap water or still mineral water up to the one litre red marker line and then charged with a CO2 cartridge. Water will retain its fizz for several days. The list price for the siphon is £33.32 and a pack of 10 x CO2 cartridges retail at £2.49 (call 0845 226 3024 or visit www.creamsupplies.co.uk).

QED supplies Coffee Shop System to vibrant new café in Troon, Scotland The Number Three Coffee Shop & Eatery is situated in the picturesque and historic town of Troon on the West Coast of Scotland and enjoys a prime location, just one mile from the famous Royal Troon Golf Club.

One of the major investments the café’s owners, Alan and Tracy, made was a new serve-over counter, bar and shelving system from Quality Equipment Distributors. The Continental Coffee Shop System from

New, gentle action, undercounter glasswasher A new undercounter glasswasher has been added to Nelson’s Advantage range, promising perfect results on all types of glasses, keeping them looking as good as new, even after multiple washes.

It features a ‘fine crystal’ option that can be selected at the touch of a button, and which will reduce wash time by 30 seconds and lower rinse water temperature to 70°C (instead of the usual 85°C), preventing the conditions which can so easily make fine glassware become

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opaque. This option also delivers the initial water jet at a reduced pressure to avoid breaking and chipping the most delicate items.

A built in water softener removes calcium deposits which can potentially reduce the efficiency of the heating elements and increase energy consumption. It has the added advantage of reducing detergent and rinse aid costs by up to 70% (call 020 8993 6198 or visit www.nelsonwash.com).

QED includes refrigerated, heated and ambient glass counters with matching bar units, back bar storage and shelving and many other practical accessories.

Alan and Tracy chose Decoration J, one of eight separate designs in the QED Continental System which offers all of the benefits of a bespoke, shopfitted scheme, but at a more affordable price (visit www.qualityequipment.co.uk or call 0141 779 9503).

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NEW PRODUCTS

The breakfast sausage – a pretty tasty idea An alternative to the ubiquitous bacon sarnie has been developed by Snowbird foods - an all-in one Breakfast Sausage that’s tastier and significantly more convenient, and delivers a distinctive breakfast taste experience.

The 60g pork sausages are in natural casings and are flavoured with quality diced bacon, mushrooms, baked beans and cherry tomatoes. The colourful ingredients make this one of the prettiest sausages ever produced and the

accompanying blend of seasonings, which includes a smoke flavour, delivers a memorable eating experience.

Fully cooked to an even golden brown and then frozen in the factory, Snowbird Breakfast Sausages will oven bake or microwave straight from the freezer in seconds – faster than it is possible to warm the bun in which they are sold!

Snowbird is part of the VION Food Group (call 020 8805 9222 or visit www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk).

Scanomat UK bean to cup with support!

Brand new company, Scanomat UK, has burst on to the scene with two major launches in its Venezia range. The machines brew any type of coffee from espresso through to latte and cappuccino, as well as hot chocolate and hot water for tea. The Scanomat Venezia Bean to Cup hybrid coffee machine offers fresh ground coffee, backed up with a soluble option.

With its state of the art technology, focus on energy saving along with uncompromising coffee quality and user friendly operation, this really is the future of coffee machine development, says the company. Scanomat B2Ci has a modular brew unit that can be removed in

seconds for cleaning and maintenance. Operators can choose either one or two grinders and up to four soluble cannisters making the B2Ci coffee machine one of the most versatile machines on the market (call 0800 032 7581, or visit www.scanomat.co.uk).

Cola Cao is Spain’s leading brand chocolate drink!

Cola Cao is a high energy chocolate drink with vitamins and minerals from Spain that’s now available to the UK coffee shop market through Cafe Trade Ltd. Cola Cao comes in powder form in individual, portion controlled sachets and is intended to be mixed with milk (but can also be mixed with water or soya milk).

It’s thicker than the hot chocolate drinks traditionally found in the UK. It does not dissolve quickly, is served with a tea spoon and real favourite with children. Preparation 1. Select a tall mug / glass 2. Warm 200ml of milk (can also be served cold) 3. Serve the unopened sachet on top of the mug / glass along with a long tea spoon.

Part of the Cola Cao experience for the customer is to open the sachet and mix the contents into the milk themselves (especially children). Call 01244 312993 or visit www.cafetrade.co.uk.

Crackers add pzazz to Christmas eating Snowbird foods (part of the VION Food Group) has created an exciting alternative to that familiar seasonal special Pigs in Blankets. Christmas Crackers are fully cooked and frozen 25g chipolata sausages made from moist and tender turkey thigh meat and flavoured with quality diced bacon and cranberries. They can accompany a traditional Christmas meal and are equally suitable as a buffet item as they can be eaten hot or cold.

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The savoury flavours of the meat are complemented by the sharp, sweet taste of the cranberries. A unique blend of herbs and spices completes a flavour profile which delivers an exciting eating experience.

From frozen, Christmas Crackers can be microwaved (in seconds) or oven baked to 75˚C, have a wonderful golden brown colour and will hold under lights for long periods (call 020 8805 9222, or visit www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk).

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Introducing

Vouchercloud Café Society members can now take advantage of a great new marketing tool following agreement between the Café Society and Vouchercloud, rated the UK’s leading consumer voucher app by the Sunday Times, Sun and Daily Telegraph with over 1.3 million downloads.

Promotions Vouchercloud enables businesses to run voucher promotions over mobile phones, providing consumers with an instant incentive visit their outlet. Furthermore, because it is localised, even individual cafés and coffee shops can use it as a means of promotion – and you can change the promotions from weekto-week, month-tomonth or even day-today. You can also control how many vouchers each person gets with each voucher campaign as well as how many in total can be redeemed. With every redemption you also receive a digital receipt.

For the consumer, the apps are free to download, free to use and deliver a fantastic range of money-saving offers from popular national brands, such as Odeon and Vue cinemas to Debenhams, as well as local businesses.

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Using GPS technology, Vouchercloud instantly identifies the deals nearest to where the consumer is located when they are out and about. Alternatively, they can choose any location they will be travelling to in the UK to check out what’s on offer.

Food, drink, entertainment, leisure, travel professional services and shopping – they're all there, with new ones added every day. So there is a real benefit.

User friendly Vouchercloud is also extremely user friendly and using the app is as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1) Consumers simply browse for an offer by category or using the search facility.

2) Then they read the terms and conditions, and 3) When in store, press the USE VOUCHER button, show the next screen when paying and press SHOW CODE when prompted to do so.

The voucher use is then recorded through the system.

Benefits In setting up an arrangement with Vouchercloud, the Society has agreed a 12.5% discount for members off the annual rate for a business to use the system. For a small café, this brings the annual cost down from £199 + VAT to £174 + VAT. Any members wishing to take up this offer (or get more information on it) should contact Tony Lorimer at the Society on 01291 636333 (tony@cafesociety.org.uk) to obtain the special discount code.

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CHECKOUTS

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