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magazine JULY 2013 ISSUE 57
TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR
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Welcome! Our thanks go to all those who attended this year’s Café Society Awards, held on 19 June at the Roof Gardens in Kensington, London. We would also like to thank sponsors, Café Bronte and Bel UK, the judges, and this year’s guest speaker, James Dickson of Workshop Coffee Co. In the wake of new planning law, this issue outlines the implications for the sector with help from Chris Green of Town Planning Services. We also take our regular look at tea and give several well-known names from across the industry the chance to talk about their favourite brew methods for coffee. In a new column, we aim to tackle some of the issues associated with the increasingly vital role of human resource management (please forward your employee- or employer-related queries to clare@jandmgroup.co.uk).
Clare Benfield - Editor
CONTENTS NEWS 4 Caffè Nero UK announces a partnership with PHC Cyprus. 5 John Gordon becomes a three time UK barista champion. 6 lunch! shortlisted for fourth year running. 10 World’s most expensive coffee arrives in the UK.
EVENT REVIEWS 14 Café Society Awards luncheon 2013. 22 Caffè Culture 2013.
FEATURES 26 Brew methods - favourite ways to brew coffee. 34 The tea shop challenge addressing consumer concerns about tea quality in the out of home setting.
44 A clear message – advice and suggestions to define your café’s marketing.
ARTICLES 50 The planning minister your new flexible friend?
PROFILES 32 A company steeped in history - Coburg Coffee is celebrating 50 years. 42 Real coffee - profile of a semi-seasonal roaster and specialist coffee supplier. 56 Fresh pasta and fresh coffee - BB Pasta Bar.
REGULARS 52 Barista talk - your barista questions answered. 54 New products. 58 Human resources - your employee and employer questions answered. 59 Checkout.
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
www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk
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NEWS
SCAE World of Coffee ends on a high Europe’s largest coffee industry event - SCAE World of Coffee, Nice 2013 ended on a high note with the announcement of the winners of the four world coffee competitions, which took place at The Acropolis - Palais des Expositions. The three-day event in June was packed with workshops, competitions, the World Roasters Summit, forums and the trade fair also produced a number of other winners throughout the show including the New Product of the Show Awards, the SCAE Awards for Excellence and the SCAE Coffee Photography Competition. There were approximatively 3,000 visitors and in the region of 140 exhibitors in attendance. World Coffee Events (WCE), a sister company to SCAE, announced the 2013 World Latte Art Champion, 2013 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion, 2013 World Cup Tasters Champion and the first-ever World Coffee Roasting Champion. A total of 28 National Latte Art Champions, 21 National Coffee in Good Spirits Champions and 35 National Cup Tasting Champions competed in these events. With the World Coffee Roasting Championship taking place for the first time at this year’s World of Coffee, there were 11 National Roasting Champions taking part. The 2013 World Latte Champion is Hisako Yoshikawa from Ogawa Coffee Co. Ltd, and the 2013 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion is Victor Delpierre from Cafés Richard, France, together with the 2013 World Cup Taster Champion Lajos Horvath from Hungary and the 2013 World Coffee Roasting Champion Naoki Goto from Japan. Also victorious, were the winners of the New Product of the Show Awards, including Cimbali, Beyond the Bean and Lilokawa. David Veal, executive director of the SCAE announced at the show that SCAE World of Coffee 2014 will take place in Rimini, Italy. The WCE also announced that they will be bringing the World Barista Championship, the World Brewers Cup Championship and the World Coffee Roasting Championship to SCAE World of Coffee, Rimini 2014 (10-12 June 2014, www.worldcoffeeevents.org).
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Caffè Nero UK announces a partnership with PHC Cyprus Caffè Nero, the largest independent coffee house group in Europe, with over 500 stores in the UK and approximately 70 stores internationally, has announced a new partnership with PHC, a food and beverage operator in Cyprus. The franchise agreement with PHC, which operates brands such as Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, Wagamamas, KFC and Taco Bell in Cyprus, Serbia and Greece, will create a fourth international territory for Caffè Nero, alongside Turkey, the Middle East and Poland. The first of the Caffè Nero stores in Cyprus opened on Makenzy beach in Larnaca in May and the partnership has a planned rollout of between 15-20 stores over the next five years (for Caffè Nero, this will mean opening a new store approximately every four days somewhere in the world, say the company). Speaking about the partnership between Caffè Nero and PHC, Gerry Ford, Caffè Nero founder and CEO, stated: “Cyprus presents a fantastic opportunity for Caffè Nero to work with an established company in an exciting territory and
Caffè Nero at Makenzy beach in Larnaca, Cyprus. enables us to grow our brand further internationally. Both companies have an exceptional reputation for offering a personal service, and high product quality in food and drink. By working together, we hope to create a coffee house offering that brings the best of both businesses into one setting. We want to create a whole new style of coffee house in Cyprus and this partnership is a step towards achieving that.”
Australian International Coffee Awards winners announced The inaugural Australian International Coffee Awards (AICA) has named Victoria’s Cartel Coffee Roasters as Champion Australian Roaster and New Zealand’s Toasted Espresso as Champion International Roaster. Announced at the opening day of the 2013 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE2013), the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) presented two champion roaster trophies and three best in class trophies to local and international coffee roasters as part of the AICA. Champion Espresso was awarded to New South Wales’ Belaroma Coffee Roasting Company for its Belaroma Single Origin, while Champion Milk Based Coffee was presented to Queensland’s The Coffee Roaster Pty Ltd for its TCR 33-BYS. Cartel Coffee Roasters also took out Champion Filter Coffee for its Cartel Roasters Sumatran Lintong. A total of 174 medals were awarded – four gold, 30 silver and 140 bronze. RASV CEO Mark O’Sullivan congratulated winners and said the success of the AICA was testament to Australia’s strong coffee culture. “On behalf of the RASV, I congratulate all trophy and medal winners on their success at the inaugural AICA,” he said.
“Australia is recognised globally for its outstanding coffee and its reputation as an international coffee capital has been further strengthened with the introduction of the AICA, which has been embraced by the coffee community both in Australia and abroad.” Australia’s first international coffee roasting competition, which is a related event of MICE2013, attracted 603 entries from more than 130 coffee roasters across the globe. Entries were judged by a panel of 28 experts, including highly acclaimed barista and consultant Emma MarklandWebster, over three days at Melbourne Showgrounds. The AICA provides coffee roasters with an opportunity to have their coffee assessed and benchmarked by industry experts. Entrants also receive valuable feedback and can market their coffee with the AICA’s seal of excellence. Best in class trophy for Champion Sustainable Coffee was not awarded due to entries not meeting the AICA’s high standards of excellence (for more information, visit http://www.rasv.com.au/coffee and follow the AICA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusCoffeeAwards).
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John Gordon becomes a three time UK barista champion 28 April 2013 saw six baristas from across the UK compete in a thrilling UKBC Final in front of an enthusiastic audience who filled the entire UK Coffee Events performance arena at the Old Truman Brewery during the London Coffee Festival (the event was also broadcast live to 39 countries around the world). With two performances already completed by each of the finalists in the heats and semi-final of the competition, all that stood between them and the Reg Barber 2013 UK Barista Champion trophy was 15 minutes in which to serve the judges four espressos, four cappuccinos and four espressobased non-alcoholic signature drinks. The eventual winner, John
Gordon from Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London, took the judges back to their childhoods to discover the sweet and bitter attributes of the coffee whilst providing them with a full sensory experience. He used a mixing deck and Sennheiser wireless headphones to provide the sensory and head judges with classical music whilst he was making his coffee. The audience was also played three alternative tracks chosen by John. The final sensory experience came from a smoking chamber filled with an aromatic that complemented his signature drink espresso, filling the glass the ingredients were mixed into, before being drawn through a glass pipe.
The 2013 UK Barista Championships Results (with scores) Score Barista 644 John Gordon (pictured centre) 627 Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood (pictured right) 610.5 Estelle Bright (pictured left) 602.5 Joe Meagher 548 Chee Wong 524.5 Don Altizo
Festival a sell-out success More than 6,000 industry professionals attended the sold out London Coffee Festival 2013, held at the Old Truman Brewery in London in April. The event, which took place from 25-28 April, reached unprecedented attendee levels of 16,209 (a 38% increase from 11,728 in 2012), attracted more than 160 exhibitors and raised more than £50,000 for Project Waterfall, the charitable initiative delivering clean drinking water in African coffee-making countries. The hybrid B2C/B2B event, which extended from one to two industry days this year, welcomed more than 6,000 industry professionals and 10,000 consumers through the doors during the four days. “Taking the decision to move from one industry day to two was not one we took lightly,” said Ludovic Rossignol, head of events for festival organisers, Allegra Events. “We had to consider our exhibitor needs, the hybrid nature of the event as well as the overall feel of the festival. It was important that the event maintained a sense of celebration as well as deliver an excellent business opportunity for our clients and industry visitors.”
The unique festival model has been designed to ensure that the industry sessions provide an ideal platform for visitors to source new products and innovations as well experience the vibrant mix of interactive coffee experiences, coffee and artisan food tastings, live demos, oneto-one tutorials and educative workshops available during the public sessions. Commenting on their experience at the festival, Lizzie Bain, co-owner and operations manager at Ozone Coffee Roasters said: “Our primary reason for exhibiting was to raise brand awareness and meet with existing and potential wholesale customers. We really liked the mix of clientele and focus over the four days and were delighted by how many excellent sales leads came from the show.” The festival programme included L’Accademia di Cimbali (La Cimbali’s homage to the MUMAC Museum in Italy that celebrates the brand’s 100 year history). Cimbali showcased coffee throughout the ages, bringing with them some very special vintage machinery, and teaming up with coffee historian, Jonathan Morris, to deliver educational talks in the Lab about the history of espresso.
La Marzocco’s True Artisan Café was another firm favourite on the festival programme. The pop-up coffee shop partnered with more than 30 independent coffee shops and roasters, inviting visitors to savour bespoke coffee creations. The Make Decent Coffee Lounge by United Coffee provided a space for visitors to try their hand at home-brewing while Union Hand Roasted’s ‘Roastery on Tour’ demonstrated exciting craft coffee live roasting. The event also saw the return of the UK Barista Championship and Brewers Cup for the second year running and added the exciting Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits, Ibrik and Cupping competitions to its programme (dates for 2014 are 3-6 April).
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NEWS
lunch! shortlisted for fourth year running The premier trade event for the food-to-go market, lunch!, has once again been shortlisted for a pair of prestigious industry awards by the UK’s Association of Event Organisers (AEO). The recently announced nominations see lunch! up for its fourth consecutive Best Trade Show Exhibition (under 2,000sqm) Award – an accolade that the event first won at the AEO’s Excellence Awards in 2010 (followed by a second triumph in 2011). The lunch! team will also be defending its Best Marketing Campaign of the Year Award, which it won last year. Renowned for attracting top buyers from across the food-togo retailing and contract catering industry, lunch! has enjoyed growing industry prominence
and support since it launched in 2008 with around 100 exhibitors. lunch!’s meteoric rise to the forefront of the UK’s food and drink trade show calendar has seen attendance surge from 2,197 to 4,403 (that’s up over 100% in just five years). 2012 was a momentous year for lunch! all round – which marked its switch to a bigger venue by increasing its exhibitors by 42% and selling out four months early in the process. 2012 also witnessed increased interest from international buyers (up 32%, on top of a 76% increase the previous year) drawn to London on the promise of seeing a wealth of new launches from the food-to-go sector’s most cutting-edge food, drink, packaging, equipment and
Taylors of Harrogate goes big for latest coffee offering Taylors of Harrogate is expanding its coffee brand with the introduction of a new 100% Arabica 1kg espresso bag, which offers all the quality and flavour synonymous with the UK’s favourite coffee blender (Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 14 April 2013), but in a new convenient out-of-home format, say the company. Inspired by the espresso of northern Italy, the Rainforest Alliance certified, dark roasted coffee blend is made up of six different components from key coffee producing regions to create a rich, full bodied and complex blend with excellent chocolate and nutty notes. John Sutcliffe, out of home and convenience controller for Taylors of Harrogate, said: “We’re committed to the out-of-home market and so when our customers demanded a bigger format we delivered. The new 1kg espresso bag means that operators can enjoy the same great quality Arabica coffee that has made us the UK’s number one coffee beans brand – all in an optimum format.” The 100% Arabica espresso blend is roasted and vacuumed packed in a foil bag within two hours to maintain freshness, and the new larger pack is available now in cases of 3x1000g.
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technology suppliers. “From day one we wanted lunch! to be different, to really stand out from the event crowd, and to be a real buying experience that visitors – from the biggest multiples to the local cafes and coffee shops – all actually enjoyed coming to. Five shows and three industry awards later and the word that still appears more often than any
other in testimonials about lunch! is “innovation”,” commented the lunch! team group event manager, Chris Brazier. Confirmed exhibitors to date for this year include Equip Line, Impress Sandwiches, Delice de France, Cafe Deli Wholesale, Odysea, Tayto, Bagel Nash, ABDA, Tudor Tea & Coffee, The Food Doctor, Magrini, Wrigley UK, Simple Simon Foods, Delifrance UK, Freshfayre Chilled Foodservice, First Pack, Crown Foods and Warbutons. lunch! will take place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on 26-27 September 2013 (for further information and to register for a free trade pass, visit www.lunchshow.co.uk).
Young entrepreneurs aim to take on coffee giants Two young entrepreneurs are set to take on UK’s coffee giants after launching an online business and having their idea awarded by the start-up loans company (www.startuploans.co.uk), an initiative led by James Caan. Roland Sade and Armin Naimi, both 23 from Newham, London say that they have launched Coffee Tailor (www.coffeetailor.co.uk) in an effort to supply expertly curated speciality coffee over the Internet. Despite the economic downturn, the former school mates are confident the idea could catch on. “Each month you will receive coffee that after a blind evaluation process is featured in our box,” explains co-founder Armin Naimi. “Coffee Tailor is about raising awareness. The coffees we receive and taste are already speciality coffees and now we want people to experience the best of the best.” “It’s for people who are very passionate about coffee and who like that special cup of coffee in the morning,” adds co-owner Roland Sade. “Research shows 65% of coffee is consumed in the morning. People have been excited and they love the idea.” The duo plan to target coffee enthusiasts nationwide, and have been busy contacting roasters across the UK for samples of some of the nation’s best coffee. They also hope to expand to Europe in the future while they plan to develop coffee themed mobile phone applications and technical products for the industry. Newlywed, Armin who is busy balancing a computer science degree with a start-up
Roland Sade and Armin Naimi have started a new online subscription coffee business. outlined how the idea was born after browsing the internet casually. “I was reading article after article until I came across the subscription e-commerce business model. After close revision with Roland, we set out to create a company which will set a standard for coffee in the UK,” he explains. “The instant coffee market is huge, but you see a shift or a trend in people switching to speciality coffee. They’re becoming much more aware of what they’re drinking. I’m passionate about giving people a good experience. We believe in transparency and customer-oriented, excellent service and wish to deliver them an outstanding product that they appreciate and that is truly worth paying for. Research shows around £730 million was spent on coffee last year while it’s estimated two billion cups of coffee are consumed daily worldwide.”
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From dealing with issues on legislation to providing advice and help to support members, The CafĂŠ Society is an exclusively retail focused body which aims to encourage and promote excellence across the cafĂŠ/coffee bar sector.
tel: 01291 636333 web: www.thecafelife.co.uk/cc57 QUOTE: CC57
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NEWS
Roasterb Coffee Co. gets boost from business guru A small, Windsor based coffee business received a business boost from TV Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis. Small Business Sunday (SBS) is an initiative set up by Theo Paphitis that runs weekly. Each week thousands of hopefuls describe their small business in a single tweet including the all important hashtag #SBS. Theo Paphitis then personally reviews and carefully selects his favourite six small businesses. Roasterb Coffee Company was recently chosen as one of Theo Paphitis’s SBS winners. The business investor re-tweeted Roasterb Coffee Co’s message to his 357,000 followers and as a result, the Windsor based start-up coffee company (www.roasterb.com) report that they now have 200 more followers and experienced an increase in orders for their SBS deal packaged specifically to celebrate their SBS win. They are also profiled on a new web site (www.theopaphitissbs.com) that is exclusive to Small Business Sunday winners. “It is great to have support from Theo because it’s been challenging trying to raise our profile. To personally get recognised for our hard work and good coffee helped spread the word about our signature coffee blends. It shows hard work, ethical business and good coffee always pays off,” commented Roasterb Coffee Company’s Stefan Terblanche. The winning tweet was At @roasterbcoffee we only make use of premium, 100% Arabica, ethically traded, fresh coffee beans! #perfect #coffee @theoPaphitis #SBS, and anyone looking for a re-tweet from Theo Paphitis should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5 PM and 7.30 PM and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re-tweeted every Monday at 8pm and then invited to enter their profile on the new web site. This is done free of charge (the new web site is sponsored by Ryman Stationery of which Theo Paphitis is chairman).
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Speciality & Fine Food Fair set to unite industry The Speciality & Fine Food Fair (London Olympia, 8–10 September 2013) is promising to bring together industry professionals to celebrate the best of speciality food and drink from across the UK and further afield. Over 10,500 buyers are expected to attend the show to source produce from more than 600 exhibitors, as well as learn about the latest trends and tips that will help improve their product or service offerings. What’s more, visitors will have the chance to be the first to see and sample the winning products from the Great Taste Awards 2013. To provide visitors with food for thought, the Fine Food Forum returns with high-profile chefs offering practical tips on exciting flavour trends, produce selection and menu design to help improve profit margins. Live cookery demonstrations will run daily with chefs including James Golding, head chef at the Pig Hotel, Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, owners of La Cucina Caldesi , Lawrence Keogh, head chef at the Wolseley. In addition to this, business owners will be able to gain crucial business advice in the Small Business Forum designed to help them get ahead of the competition and increase profitability. Industry experts will cover a range of topics from routes to market, e-commerce,
marketing, product innovation, packaging design, social media and food safety and much more. Attendees can also take advantage of the Business Mentoring Centre where free one-to-one advice is on offer to help solve general and specific business issues. Commenting on this year’s exhibition, event manager Soraya Gadelrab said: “The food and drink industry continues to flourish thanks to consumers’ increasing interest in provenance and focus on quality. We’re gearing up for another exciting event this year and are pleased to once again bring together some of the industry’s biggest and best names to discuss the latest trends and inspire new business opportunities.” Running alongside the main exhibition, Speciality Chocolate Fair – the UK’s only trade event dedicated to fine and artisan chocolate – is back for 2013. As part of this, renowned patisserie chef Will Torrent will host Speciality Chocolate Live, where demonstrations by Damian Wawrzyniak, Alistair Birt, Philippe Wall and more showcase the latest techniques and trends in luxury and gourmet chocolate. You can register for your free visitor badge and learn more about the Fair at http://www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/.
World’s most expensive coffee arrives in the UK A new luxury coffee born from out of the blue of the Jamaica Blue Mountains making it one of the world’s most exclusive coffee brands to have arrived in the UK, with a recommended retail price of £25 per 125g – has arrived in the UK. Oubu (www.oubu-coffee.com) originates from what is indisputably one of the world’s most respected and renowned coffee growing regions, the Jamaica Blue Mountains, and officially launched here during the London Coffee Festival. Oubu is made from hand-picked coffee beans obtainable from only the few very high altitude farms that sit atop the Blue Mountains grown between 4,500 and 5,500 ft. (the lower than average temperatures and near constant cloud cover deliver a slow maturation period). The maturation rate from bloom to harvest in the Jamaica Blue Mountains average ten months, as compared to five or six months that is standard in other countries, point out
Oubu. The result is a rich, more complex bean, with an exquisitely smooth taste. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is widely acknowledged as one of the finest coffees in the world with Oubu, obtainable from only the few very high altitude farms that sit atop the mountains, claiming that theirs is possibly the finest. A rich, complex bean with an exquisitely smooth taste, it is hand-picked for excellence and a coffee for those whom simply want the best in life. Oubu was launched in 2013 by Courtney Bramwell, a born and bred Jamaican who moved to London at the age of 25, as a result of his appreciation for and knowledge of premium niche products sourced from Jamaica.
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NEWS
Caracoli’s head barista crowned UK latte art champion The award winning (Telegraph magazine’s Best Food Shop in Britain 2012) coffee shop and food store, Caracoli, has received another accolade, after its head barista, Dhan Tamang, was crowned the best latte art barista in the UK following his win at the UK Latte Art Championships, held during the London Coffee Festival. Nepalese Dhan Tamang was one of 12 finalists competing and wowed the judges with his flair and stylish latte designs to win a coveted place to represent the UK in the World
Latte Art Championships held in Nice, France in June, where, despite his best efforts, the competition proved too much. Latte art refers to the intricate patterns on lattes and cappuccinos that are produced by the way the velvety textured milk is poured into the rich brown crema of the coffee. The Latte Art Championship seeks to find the best barista in the country by testing their pouring power, nerves under pressure and artistic flair. Each finalist in the last round had just six minutes to pour
£1 million competition aims to transform the rail customer’s experience The GB rail industry is seeking innovative solutions which will lead to transformation of the rail customer’s experience, both passengers and freight customers. The Enabling Innovation Team (EIT) is running a £1 million prize-bearing competition for those innovative ideas with the most significant impact for customers. In addition to solutions from the existing rail supply chain, proposals are sought from non-rail sectors, including transferring best practice technologies, processes and business models from sectors who have
successfully transformed their own customers’ experience. The competition launched on 13 May 2013 - together with details of proposal criteria and guidelines - will remain open for a period of two months. Proposals will then be judged, feedback provided and finalists invited to a final award presentation event (September 2013). For further information and to submit your innovation please go to: http://www.futurerailway.org/ customers. Follow the competition via: Twitter: #futurerail, LinkedIn: EIT Rail Customer Experience Competition.
four lattes - two free pour and two designer lattes, all of which were then compared to photographs of the same drink taken earlier in the day (Dhan Tamang was selected by a panel of judges based on visual appeal of the drinks alongside technical skill and flavour). “I’m absolutely delighted to be named UK Latte Art Champion of 2013,” said Dhan Tamang following his UK victory. “At Caracoli we take our coffee very seriously and always strive to give our customers the very best coffee
possible. We love to add our own twist with a variety of patterns and pictures and the customers love it too.” Dhan Tamang has been visiting all the Caracoli coffee shops to demonstrate his skills. Excellent coffee is at the core of the Caracoli business and Dhan, who has been with the company which has stores in Alresford, Guildford and Winchester for over 18 months, has helped train all the Caracoli baristas to ensure exceptional artistic coffee is delivered time after time.
Rail commuters urn a visit from Yorkshire Tea! Commuters travelling through York Station were treated to a proper brew from Yorkshire Tea’s Little Urn after the trusty tea van appeared on platform four of the 134 year old station. Travellers and East Coast teams enjoyed a free a cup of Yorkshire Gold – the brew East Coast customers can enjoy onboard its service – and were given the opportunity to take-away a free sample pack, as well as have a photo with Little Urn, which has been busy keeping the barmy-army refreshed at cricket grounds around the UK, as part of Yorkshire Tea’s three-year deal as the
Official Brew of the England Cricket Team. The tea-to-go event built on the success of Taylors of Harrogate and East Coast’s partnership, which sees the train operator serve over one million cups of the luxury Yorkshire blend a year. Customers are also able to share their tea experience through the social media campaign #teaonthetrain, which encourages commuters to show their allegiance and share pictures of their very own proper brew while travelling.
Dawn scoops a Café Society Award Dawn Foods has scooped the prestigious Café Society Award for New Café Food (Sweet Category) against competition from six competitors for its new range of Scoop & Bake batters and doughs. The Scoop & Bake range is a unique innovation from the Evesham based company and six new flavour variants were introduced earlier this year including Carrot Cake, Wholegrain and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. The easy to use batters and doughs enable bakers and café owners to create a huge variety of freshly baked ‘just made’ muffins,
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loaf cakes, tray bakes, brownies, cup cakes and cookies without the need for any mixing, measuring or specialist skills. To win the award, Dawn’s chef patissier, Graham Dunton, made up a selection of finished products for the judging panel to try, and batter and dough samples were sent for judges to use for themselves at home. The feedback was that this product is in a class of its own and deserved to win. Karl Brown, UK & Ireland country director for Dawn Foods said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been acknowledged with
this Café Society Award for our Scoop & Bake range and we are honoured at this industry recognition. Everyone at Dawn Foods works hard to ensure we deliver the very best quality products combined with leading edge innovation to help our customers maximise the potential within their business. Scoop & Bake is a great example of our winning formula.” The six new variants launched in 2013 double the amount of Scoop & Bake flavour options, which include classics such as blueberry, the indulgent double chocolate, vanilla and toffee.
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NEWS
Fracino's coffee machines showcased at G8 Summit
Cimbali’s PGS is a winner Cimbali’s Magnum on Demand Bluetooth Grinder was recognised by the Café Society, winning Best New Café Equipment at the 2013 Café Society Awards. The grinder incorporates Cimbali’s innovative selfadjusting Perfect Grinding System (PGS) which takes all the guesswork out of making perfect espresso by effectively ‘talking’ to the Cimbali M39 Series traditional machine and regulating the grind as required through the working day to guarantee a consistent in cup quality, irrespective of the skills of the barista. According to the judges, the Bluetooth coffee grinder was “a particularly innovative piece of equipment that would be a great help to operators to improve and maintain the quality and consistency of the coffee served.” Carl Bjorkstrand, managing director of Cimbali UK who accepted the award from Alan Miller, Café Bronte, said: “As espresso forms the basis of the entire speciality coffee menu it is vital that operators get it right. Unfortunately, the industry we are in is known for the use of casual, inexperienced staff and a possible consequence of that is a drop in coffee quality. “As a manufacturer our goal has been to help operators address this challenge through the use of new technology. Our team of 40 design engineers think outside the box and use new technology and materials to drive up standards whilst making the barista’s job a lot easier with less room for error. The Magnum on Demand Grinder with PGS is a classic example of Cimbali technical excellence of which we are very proud. We are delighted that our innovative approach has been recognised by our peers from within the industry.”
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Prime Minister, David Cameron, and fellow leaders attending the recent G8 Summit were able to drink their coffee from machines produced by multi-award winning UK manufacturer Fracino. The Birmingham business, which is marking its 50th anniversary in 2013, was invited by Number 10 Downing Street to supply 11 of its Piccino machines to the prestigious convention during the year in which the UK is the host nation. Designed for the home market, the black and stainless steel Piccino (Italian for ‘little one') coffee machines, engraved with the Union Jack flag, were provided in the leaders' lodges - promoting British innovation and manufacturing expertise. 2013 is proving a momentous year for the family business which has scooped four awards - including the Winner of Winners highest UK accolade from manufacturing association the EEF - for its trailblazing exporting achievements. From a standing start in 2008, Fracino has developed an international trade arm, which distributes machines to over 50 countries across five continents - and exports now account for 28% of its £3.6 million turnover.
Fracino MD, Adrian Maxwell, commented: "This is the highest honour we could dream for in such a formative year, celebrating our 50th anniversary. The concept of the world's global leaders enjoying their coffee from our machines is amazing. It likewise reinforces our commitment to constantly innovating and striving for world class manufacturing standards." The 42-strong company, which has invested over £1m in doubling the size of its manufacturing base in Aston, is a third generation family business launched by founder Frank Maxwell in a garden shed. Frank's son Adrian Maxwell, a former RollsRoyce engineer is managing director, Adrian's wife Marion is the credit controller and their daughters Rebecca and Katrina work as service coordinator and on the purchase ledger respectively. Fracino’s Piccino machine has been enjoyed by Prime Minister, David Cameron, and fellow G8 world leaders.
The new 1m2 coffee shop! With a 1m2 footprint, Nestlé Professional™ has launched Nescafé® Milano Lounge - a revolutionary new touch screen self-serve coffee machine that can deliver up to 400 drink varieties and is set to be a game changer for the on-the-go coffee market, claim the coffee company. Catering for the growing consumer demand for quality and customised coffee ‘anytime, anywhere’, the state of the art machine is capable of producing up to 400 drink combinations - be that an extra shot of coffee, more chocolate, skimmed milk over semi skimmed or a variety of different cup sizes - thereby allowing consumers to customise their drink to their exact preference, without compromising on quality. The nutritional content of each individual drink is available with just a few taps and swipes. Matt Lane, Nestlé Professional’s head of beverage solutions said: “The launch of Nescafé Milano Lounge marks a completely new era for self-serve coffee as we know it. With coffee shop sales set to grow by 16% by 2016, this innovative machine offers customers the opportunity to grab a share of the market and deliver a coffee shop experience, whatever their size or catering capabilities. “Not only is the touch screen interface designed to engage the consumer and
encourage them to interact and customise their drink, but customers can optimise sales through personalised onscreen promotions and videos tailored to their specific business requirements. They can also connect to their machine wirelessly to access sales data and manage stock control.” Being self-serve, the machine is simple and easy to run as no serving staff are required and a patented in-cup mixing system means daily cleaning is kept to a minimum. In addition, an exclusive ProCare assistance package helps operators drive coffee sales through staff training and engagement, point of sale materials and technical and commercial assistance. To mark the launch, Nescafé® Milano Lounge will be taking to the road this autumn. For eight weeks throughout September and October, the brand will be visiting businesses up and down the country in a state of the art mobile ‘lounge’, giving them the opportunity to interact with the machine at first hand Nestlé Professional has launched the Nescafé Milano Lounge.
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NEWS
Salon du Chocolat and Chocolate Week join forces Salon du Chocolat, the world’s biggest chocolate show, is joining forces with the organisers of Chocolate Unwrapped to create what promises to be the most incredible chocolate show the UK has ever seen (Salon du Chocolat – London). Salon du Chocolat will be the grand finale of Chocolate Week, taking place on 18-20 October at National Hall, Olympia, with a VIP Gala Preview evening taking place on 17 October. Thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the show to see the best UK chocolate companies exhibiting alongside exciting international brands, plus demonstrations, talks and hands-on workshops from the UK’s top chocolatiers. A major highlight of the show will be Salon’s world famous Chocolate Fashion Show, which will be coming to the UK for the first time, and featuring models
walking the catwalk wearing couture outfits made entirely out of chocolate! Salon du Chocolat has enormous pedigree in the chocolate industry, hosting more than 23 chocolate shows around the world, with the biggest taking place in Paris, and featuring 600 participants and attracting more than 135,000 visitors over five days. Francois Jeantet, director of Salon du Chocolat said: “The UK chocolate scene is very exciting at the moment and we’re looking forward to working with Chocolate Week.” Chocolate Week takes place 14-20 October across the UK, promoting fine flavour chocolate, the independent artisan chocolatiers and the chocolate companies who work in direct partnership with cocoa farmers, encouraging consumers to pay a fairer price for their chocolate.
Packaging Innovations to return to NEC in 2014 Packaging Innovations will return to the NEC next February with the launch of Converting Innovations, a new co-located show providing converting suppliers a unique UK forum to meet their market. Taking place on 26 and 27 February 2014, Packaging Innovations, and its portfolio of shows makes its Europe’s top packaging event covering all parts of the packaging supply chain with visitors able to source everything from materials to machinery, contract services to print services, as well as the latest ideas for inspiring stand-out packaging.
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The BIG Packaging Debate will also be returning to the NEC, where a panel of packaging experts will form a lively Question Time-style session. There will be 50 content-rich learn shops seminars addressing hot industry trends and issues. Plus, six brave contestants will enter the ‘Lions’ Lair’, pitching their latest products to a panel of brand, retail and packaging experts. The second day of the show will bring industry experts together to discuss the crucial issues in print. Further information on visiting can be found at www.easyFairs.com/PIUK.
SHORTS World Barista Championship 2013 The 2013 World Barista Championship was held in Melbourne, Australia (22 to 26 May 2013) in conjunction with the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. The 2013 World Barista Champion is Pete Licata from the US. Matthew Perger (Australia) came second, William Hernandez (El Salvador) third and Colin Harmon (Ireland) fourth. Definitive coffee guide A new book - Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry – due out in October, aims to offer a definitive guide to the many rich dimensions of the bean and the beverage around the world. Experts from business and academia will consider coffee’s history, global spread, cultivation, preparation, marketing, and the environmental and social issues that surround it today. Tracing coffee’s journey from field to cup, this handbook promises to be an essential guide for professionals, coffee lovers, and students alike to one of the world’s favourite beverages, say its publishers (www.rowmanlittlefield.com). ICO report May 2013 trade statistics World coffee exports amounted to 9.75 million bags in May 2013, compared with 10.32 million in May 2012, report the ICO (International Coffee Organisation). Exports in the first 8 months of coffee year 2012/13 (Oct/12 to May/13) have increased by 5.2% to 75.69 million bags compared to 71.96 million bags in the same period in the last coffee year. In the twelve months ending May 2013, exports of Arabica totalled 68.22 million bags compared to 64.90 million bags last year, whereas Robusta exports amounted to 45.03 million bags compared to 39.45 million bags. Roman style coffee on the menu Not satisfied with the choice of coffees out there, Stefano Nicolai of Spianata & Co in London worked with a roaster to create Spianata 80/20 - a bespoke blend which delivers the perfect Roman taste. Hand roasted, the blend is 80% high quality Arabica, with its smooth, fine aroma and taste, and 20% Robusta, to give the ‘crema’ on top of the coffee and deliver a ‘kick’ on the palate. Available as of the end of June, this Roman-style coffee is served in a glass cup with a small glass of water on the side and sells at £ 1.45 for a single espresso and at £1.75 for a double. Sweet pickings at Coffee Republic Crosta & Mollica, suppliers of ‘really Italian’ authentic regional breads and snacks, have introduced their Torcetti light and buttery sweet tasting biscuits into Coffee Republic. Retailing across all UK Coffee Republic bars and concessions, the looped shaped biscuits, baked in the Italian region of Piemonte are enriched with butter and then sprinkled with sugar to give them their distinctive sweet taste and are available in both Classic and Cocoa variants making them a great complement to tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
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Awards 2013 Sponsored by Café Brontë and Bel UK, the Café Society trade association hosted its annual Café Society Awards with a luncheon held at the Roof Gardens in Kensington, London on the 19 June 2013. Recognition Once again, the event that is enjoyed by many as a good opportunity to network with their peers in the sector, basked in some hot, sunny weather! Over a hundred people were in attendance with awards being presented to large and small businesses in the UK café industry. The Awards were judged by a panel of experts with the aim of finding those who show genuine leadership in their
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sector. In each category the judges looked for evidence of success and innovation in all aspects – from venue ambiance, to the commercial viability of products and services. The previous year’s winner of the Independent Café/Coffee Bar Award - James Dickson of Workshop Coffee Company in London - addressed the gathering, with a talk on the importance of innovation and transparency of product offering.
The Café Society would like to thank sponsors Bel Foodservice UK and Café Brontë and all those who took part in the judging process, including Michelle Young of Foodservice UK, Simon Stenning of Allegra Strategies, Phil Brown, founder of Philpotts, Camilla Deane of Bel UK, Frank Boltman and Angela Trofymova of the Cheese Cellar for providing a suitably equipped judging venue.
The Café Society Award This is a lifetime award which may be presented to an individual or organisation that the judges consider merits recognition for the contribution they have made to the development, growth and prosperity of the café/coffee bar market. This year it was awarded to Paul Meikle-Janney of Coffee Community in recognition of his significant contribution to improving the standard of coffee making in the industry, both in the UK and abroad. Ben Townsend (right) of the Espresso Room, London receiving the award on behalf of Paul Meikle-Janney from Chris Brazier (left) of Diversified Communications (organisers of the lunch! show that will be cohosting the Café Society Awards in 2014).
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AWARDS
The Café/Coffee Bar Independent Award This award is for the best independent operators, judged on atmosphere, service, cleanliness and the general success of the business.
Camilla Deane (left) of Bel UK presenting the award to Peter DoreSmith of Kaffeine, London.
Camilla Deane (left) of Bel UK presenting the award to Gerard Fisher of Nude Espresso.
Gold award Kaffeine, London.
Winner: Nude Espresso, London.
Camilla Deane (left) of Bel UK presenting the award to Tracey Bovingdon of Tea Monkey. Gold award: Tea Monkey, Milton Keynes.
Camilla Deane (centre) of Bel UK presenting the award to Adam (right) and Emma Smith (left) of Elephant Coffee. Gold award: Elephant Coffee, Neston. Bragazzi’s, Sheffield. Driftwood, Emsworth, Hants.
The Café Design Award This award aims to recognise excellence and encourage innovation in the design of cafés/coffee bars both in the independent and chain sectors.
Camilla Deane (left) of Bel UK presenting the award to Mark Kent (right) of Tea Press Café, Debenhams. Winner: The Tea Press Café, Debenhams, Chester.
Camilla Deane of Bel UK (centre) presenting the award to Kevin (left) and Natalie Eastwood (right) of Espresso Coffee Bar. Highly commended: Espresso Coffee Bar, Chilwell. Lashings, Bristol. Koo Café, Chesterfield.
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Camilla Deane (left) of Bel UK and Yinon Guedj of Caffe Gusto. Highly commended: Caffe Gusto, Waltonon-Thames.
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AWARDS
The New Café Product/ Equipment Award
The Café/Coffee Bar Chain Award This awards aims to recognise excellence among café/coffee bar chains.
Equipment category Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Carl Bjorkstrand of Cimbali. Winner: Cimbali’s Magnum on Demand Bluetooth Coffee Grinder.
Camilla Deane (far left) of Bel UK presenting the award to (from right to left) – Nancy Scott, Liina Nutman, Jo Hamilton and Sarah Hill of Coffee#1 Winner: Coffee #1.
The Chain Café Development Award Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Diana Novoa (right) of Zacely Ltd. Highly commended: Teaforia Listo! Brewing System by Zacely Ltd.
This award is presented to non-core café businesses that have developed cafés within their operations.
Camilla Deane (left) of Bel UK presenting the award to Geoff Clegg (right) of Marks and Spencer. Winner: M&S Flavours Café.
Product category
The Café Marketing Award This award is intended to recognise the work being done by retailers and suppliers to market and promote businesses or products in the café industry.
Camilla Deane (left) of Bel UK presenting the award to Geoff Clegg (right) of Marks and Spencer. Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to John Young (right) and Anita Clarke (centre) of Huhtamaki. Winner: Huhtamaki ‘Enjoy’ Cup
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Winner: Marks and Spencer for its Macmillan Cancer Support Campaign.
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AWARDS
The New Café Food Award
The New Café Beverage Award Savoury category Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Lucy Rios Robert (centre) and Paul Beard (right) of Delifrance.
Hot category Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Brad Wright (right) of Marimba.
Winner: Delifrance – The Crois’ Sandwich.
Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Geoff Clegg (right) of Marks and Spencer.
Winner: Marimba – Hot Chocolate Melts.
Highly commended: JJ Darboven – Chaipur Hot Spicy Chai.
Highly commended: M&S – Fuller Longer Chargrilled Chicken, Mozzarella and Pepper Toastie.
Cold category Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Michelle Young (right) receiving the award on behalf of Belvoir Fruit Farms. Winner: Belvoir Fruit Farms – Raspberry Lemonade.
Sweet category Caption: Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Andy Henderson (right) of Dawn Foods. Winner: Dawn Foods – Scoop and Bake Range.
Caption: Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Howard Beveridge of Delice de France.
Allan Miller (left) of Café Brontë presenting the award to Amanda Hamilton of Bubblefroot.
Highly commended: Delice de France – Chocolation White Chocolate Croissant.
Highly commended: Bubblefroot.
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CAFÉ SOCIETY AWARDS
Innovation and transparency As a previous Café Society Award winner, James Dickson, executive director of Workshop Coffee Co. in London, was invited to address this year’s awards luncheon. In his talk, he focused on his belief that innovation and transparency in all things – namely coffee sourcing, roasting and brewing – should lie at the heart of the café and coffee shop sector.
Background James Dickson started his career in the property industry in 2002 before working in commercial portfolio valuations and corporate real estate management. His move into the speciality coffee sector, he reports, was brought about by an appreciation and respect for the emerging and innovative ‘Third Wave Coffee Movement’ which led him in to a much bigger understanding of on-site roasting, diverse brewing methods and espresso technology. His passion and appreciation for speciality coffee, combined with what he has previously described as “an immature market for speciality coffee in the UK”, resulted in his creation of Long Black Ltd (now called and known as Workshop Trading Ltd) and the trading brand Workshop Coffee Co. A new definition Upon starting out in the world of coffee, James Dickson said that his vision had been for an integrated customer experience centred round great food and the sourcing of great coffees from countries such as Kenya, Rwanda and Columbia. Indeed, Workshop Coffee has since gone on to work directly with farmers from these regions, he reported, and had invested a lot of time in this over the last six months, and he was proud of this aspect to the business. At the heart of things, James Dickson explained, was his belief in innovation and an understanding of what this means. “London at the moment offers great opportunities,” he said, “with the definition of ‘coffee shop’ undergoing change and redefinition. “Innovation lies at the heart of the
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industry. What we have stereotypically seen, or has been seen to be, a coffee shop, has the capacity to be re-defined, and we have the potential to do this. We can re-invent the industry into what we want it to be.” Typically, opportunities to do this were characterised by on-site roasting, diverse and improved brew methods, cutting edge interior design and new and appealing food offerings. “While there were early signs of this in the market place, we must be careful it doesn’t develop into a pseudo-intelligent culture,” added James Dickson. “Simplification and transparency of product should always remain at the core of the industry.” Transparency The type of transparency required should be the delivering of an experience which the customer can directly engage with coffee by seeing it roasted, hearing it roasted, and having two fundamental choices in brew methods – filter and espresso – suggested James Dickson. “We have the opportunity to engage with the consumer and encourage them to trial different brew methods (Aeropress, for example) by passionate baristas who see a career in coffee, as opposed to them being funnelled into choosing the regular latte,” he explained. “I believe that customers have the right to see and access information about what it is they drink, why they should drink it, and what they should expect to experience from it. “We still have a long way to go to improve this process, but if standards increase in the independents, the broader standards in the rest of the market should
improve and raise expectations.” A major challenge for the industry, he felt, was to focus on the quality of the product itself. “Emphasis should continue to be placed on the sourcing and roasting, and all the different types of brewing methods that are available, and also the customer. This is the essence of what should be behind transparency and be at the epicentre of the customer experience,” he stated. “There has been a movement from the mainstream brands looking to the independents for a more personal approach, bringing about new and innovative ways of serving coffee.” Food and ambiance “Once upon a time café food had a stigma attached to it, perceived as inferior to restaurant food,” said James Dickson. “This perception is on borrowed time. There is now no reason why café food should be inferior. “London has seen the emergence of a stylish brunch trade whereby customers can enjoy delicious meals of quality and value using ingredients sourced from quality producers and complemented by seasonal coffee selections to enhance the customer’s experience. “This new type of customer experience
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CAFÉ SOCIETY AWARDS
takes place in new and differently designed places, very different to the typical high street coffee shop. Before, it was just coffee, now it’s coffee in a stylishly-designed place.” The design phase, felt James Dickson, is a decisive part of the process in communicating core values – one of the limited opportunities to allow differentiation – and it was great to observe new types of experience. “The scope and potential to shape presents a challenge and this makes
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things new and exciting,” he added. “But there are still too many customers who ask for ‘just a coffee’, and too many staff members who don’t communicate the choice available. There are too many staff members who don’t realise that they have a career in coffee. “The coffee industry needs to develop professionally. Times are changing, and we must ensure we are moving in the right direction, by focusing on sourcing and roasting, and brewing, and being transparent about it.”
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REVIEW
A successful Caffè Culture This year’s Caffè Culture Show (Olympia, London, 15 and 16 May 2013), was a success for both visitors and exhibitors alike, report the show’s organisers with a total visitor attendance in the region of 5000 and more than 50 new products launched. As usual, the show’s vibrant and friendly atmosphere facilitated good networking and business opportunities. Focal point The Caffè Culture Show has become the focal point for the industry with buyers from big chains to independent operators, plus those wishing to enter the market, all looking for new ideas and innovative products resulting in an impressive quality and quantity of sales and leads across the show. “This year’s show has been a huge success attracting thousands of café professionals who all have a genuine interest in seeking out the latest innovations being showcased at the event,” said Elliot Gard, the event’s director. “With an audible buzz around the show, our visitors not only benefitted from the 1000s of products being showcased but were also able to walk away well equipped with some critical information gleaned from the many experts on hand. The feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike has been resounding in the fact that Caffè Culture continues to be the show to conduct serious business.” “The purpose of us taking a stand at this exhibition was to drive association of our products in the coffee and food to go market,” explained Stuart Smith – new business executive for Wrigley. “The event has been fantastic and obviously attracts visitors who are really serious about succeeding in this sector. For us this has meant that we can build informal relationships as well as network and introduce our new products and equipment in the most cost effect, targeted way.” Bethan Jones – project manager for Food & Drink Wales Showcase - added: “As a government initiative we had one clear objective and that was to meet chains and operators in the coffee shop sector. A niche show like this allows us to effectively reach a specific target audience.”
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Attending five to six exhibitions each year, Instanta’s sales and marketing director, Nick Neal, says that he uses industry shows as a key tool to reach
target audiences. “This is the best industry show we’ve attended in the last two to three years,” he said. Whether an established brand or a
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REVIEW new start-up, the show provided the perfect environment for showcasing products, meeting existing customers and building awareness amongst newer operators. “We’re very keen on the Caffè Culture Show mainly because it’s a local show. London is big enough to carry this show and it’s the perfect way for us to reach café and restaurant owners in this region. We’ve had a massive amount of interest from both major chains and independents - the quality and quantity of footfall has been very good,” added Sven Henningsson of Stable Table. Franke managing director, James Nicholson, commented: “The Caffè Culture Show is a cost-effective way for us to meet with existing customers in one place over two days and show off our latest products.” National account manager, Margaret Johnson, from Wenlock Spring agreed, adding: “This show offers a unique opportunity to gain further industry knowledge and to meet with a range of international suppliers and customers.” A source of advice The Caffè Culture Business Theatre and the Caffè Culture Taste Experience Stage once again proved to be a big success drawing big crowds keen to gather free business advice from industry experts across all areas of coffee shop service, and see live demonstrations on ways to improve beverage and food preparation and presentation. “It’s a good place to come and get a feel for the current trends. If there are lots of suppliers doing something – like smoothies – then we, as operators, need
to make sure we’ve got the knowledge and equipment and products to cater for these trends so that we can be innovative and profitable,” said a coffee shop owner from north London. “I also found that the demonstrations were a great way of understanding the little ideas on how to improve what you’re already offering – some really small and obvious additions can be put in place to make your business stand out from the crowd – and it’s so important to be able to do that these days.”
New products Nearly fifty companies used the show to launch new products. Easipac launched a 6/7oz Ingeo PLA lined single wall compostable hot cup and Catering Equipment Ltd, the Kangabox (an innovative new high density EPP series of containers in which hot or cold items can be transported with an average temperature loss of less than 1°C plus or minus per hour within a temperature range of -40°C - +120°C). Foodservice Marketing Foods
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REVIEW launched a new Indian blend of Bondi Chai Tea Latte, and Coco Café a new Café Latte variant of its beverage. Regency Coffee launched the Toschi range of syrups and sauces, as well as Movenpick Coffee and Ghirardelli Frappes. Raynor Foods launched two new flavours of sandwiches – Jerk Chicken and Piri Piri Chicken. Erlenbacher launched several new cakes, including Sunshine Cake, Triangle Cake, White Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake Brownie, and Artisan Biscuits/The Fine Cheese Co. launched various new coffee accompaniments, such as salted caramel biscuits. Phat Food Co. launched Phat Porridge for the ‘to go’ market and Bonny Confectionary launched Marshmallow Melts. Cawston Press launched 330ml resealable cartons of Cloudy Apple, Apple and Ginger and Vintage Lemonade beverages. Zacely Ltd launched a raft of new tea-themed products including Monk Bubble Tea and Teaforia (a tea brewing system and high grade tea range). Managing director of Butt Foods, David Williams, introduced a new Fruit Bread into the coffee shop sector at the show, commenting: “As it’s not our traditional customer base we had to find a central access point into the café market and this show seemed like the right option. We’ve been delighted with the leads and feedback.” “Classic Desserts has introduced a large number of new products into our coffee shop cake range including mini sized individual cakes and shot glass desserts,” reported Ben Sharmash of Classic Desserts. “Our innovative desserts have received a lot of interest from coffee shops looking for something different whilst offering their customers affordable indulgence. This was our first time at the show and the quality and quantity of visitors – from large chains to small independent coffee shops, surpassed our expectations.” Lotus (www.lotusbiscuitstrade.co.uk), the company behind the popular ‘little red biscuits’ that are often to be found as a complimentary accompaniment to coffee, were in attendance showcasing a wide range of their latest product innovations (not least a speciallydesigned lid to hold the individuallywrapped biscuit that, as it does not contain chocolate, does not melt alongside a hot drink). They have also launched a pocket pack, and even a spread for those customers seeking to apply a liquid version of the biscuit to their toast. Mad About Coffee launched the second edition of Christine Cottrell’s
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UK at the company’s plant in Winsford, it ticks all the boxes for customers who have the most eco-friendly agenda and are concerned with how the products they buy are transported,” commented MD, Mike Turner. “Judging by the response we received from those attending Caffè Culture, it would seem that the industry still places green issues high on the agenda and is concerned by the environmentallyfriendly credentials of the products that they are purchasing and the suppliers they are purchasing from.”
Barista Bible (published by the Coffee Education network of Queensland, Australia, this book is now available in the UK through Richard Norman at Mad About Coffee servicing@madaboutcoffee.eu). A new web site (www.cafedesign.co.uk) run by David Kaye and focused solely on the business of helping to create high quality coffee shops, tea rooms cafe-bars, deli-cafes and ice cream outlets by providing an online point for advice, was also launched at the show. Packaging company, International Paper, created a ‘green space’ with visitors flocking to its stand to find out more about its ecotainer® product line. This range consists of hot cups, cold cups, food containers and lids made from fully renewable resources. One of the first environmentally-friendly offerings from a global packaging company, it remains among the greenest to-date, requiring less energy to produce than a traditional paper cup, claim the company (the inner linings are made from ingeo biopolymer, a plant-based material and fiber sourced from sustainably managed forests that meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®(SFI®) standards of the USA). “As a percentage of the ecotainer product line is now manufactured in the A full list of exhibitors who attended, together with details of the new products showcased can be found at www.caffecultureshow.com.
Helping hand A series of useful products were on display on the Mitchell & Cooper stand. Notably Bonzer’s Pro-Fondi Eazi Group which aids the extraction and cleaning of coffee grounds from the portafilter of espresso coffee machines. Less abrasive and quieter than the traditional knockbox, it means less damage to filters and groups, enhancing the overall ‘in venue’ atmosphere, claim its creators. The coffee ground waste is collected in a waste bag beneath, stored out of sight under a counter. The helpful Bonzer Hexadome – the stabilising cup and lid dispenser that helps to keep things organised and maintain hygiene at the same time – was also on show, as were the brand’s latest Burnguard gloves and a range of colourcoded food portioners. For cafés coping with small kitchens, Manitowoc was at the show, demonstrating their small solutions for small footprints. Live cooking demonstrations involved the Merrychef eikon e2 which, despite its small size, can still help cafés to maximise food sales revenues via its patented heat transfer method that enables speedy cooking of anything from pizzas and paninis to chicken wraps. Williams Refrigeration showcased its range of front of house equipment, including the company’s new Sandwich Chiller and its popular Gem Multideck series. Part of its popular Gem range, Williams’ Sandwich Chiller features an open-fronted, self-service cabinet which uses a new, more energy-efficient ‘aircurtain’ system which recycles the cold air which tends to be wasted in more conventional designs. According to Williams, the Gem Sandwich Chiller is the most sustainable open access grab and go refrigeration unit on the market. “The Sandwich Chiller is ideal for grab and go establishments,” said Martin Laws, marketing manager of Williams. “Not only is it easy on the eyes, it maximises retail display space, improves food safety and reduces running costs.”
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BREW METHODS
Brew
methods When it comes to preparing coffee, what’s your favourite brew method? We asked a number of people from across the industry to share with us their personal preferences and provide some insight into the nature of the methods they use personally.
The moka pot (Antonio Motisi, Caffè Fratelli) The moka pot is an Italian steam-based stove-top espresso maker that produces a dark coffee by passing hot water pressurised by steam through ground coffee. The coffee pot’s classic design with its symmetrical eightfaceted metallic body is easily recognisable and it has followed the same design for over 70 years, becoming an object of desire for the coffee enthusiast keen to sip the enticing full bodied flavour of espresso. The story of the stove-top espresso maker begins in 1918 when engineer Alfonso Bialetti returned home to Italy from France. He had been working in the aluminium industry and set up a workshop making metal household goods. Near his factory in Piedmont, Bialetti watched local housewives washing their linens in a sealed boiler with a small central pipe. The pipe drew the soapy water from the bottom of the boiler and spread it over the wet laundry. Bialetti decided to adapt this idea to make a coffee machine and transform the complex machines already
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seen in restaurants and cafés into a light and inexpensive domestic appliance that would allow Italians to have real espresso in their homes. Prior to that, coffeedrinking was, for the majority, a public affair managed in public coffee houses, usually by men. Coffee was mainly produced inside these coffee houses, which were also wholesale buyers and retail sellers of beans, as well as coffee bean roasters. When consumed privately, only the middle and upper classes had the means to brew high-quality coffee at home because the highquality coffee makers were all large and expensive machines used by baristas. Coffee was prepared by two simple devices - either a Napoletana (a reversible pot heated on the stove and then flipped over so that the boiling water trickles down through the coffee), or a Milanese (in which water is boiled until it seeps through the ground coffee held in a strainer near the pot's top). Both of them were, so to say, just a slow and pallid imitation of the ‘real’ espresso. During this period various inventors had begun to
experiment with steam in an attempt to emulate the strong and intense flavours of the espresso found in the public coffee houses. What became the ‘Italian’ way to brew coffee in the home, moka pot brewing was linked to the social, technological and economic changes that Italian fascism experimented during the 1930’s. In 1933 Alfonso Bialetti crafted the first aluminium stove-top espresso coffee maker. This coffee machine, the Moka Express, would find itself in 90% of all Italian homes, thus changing the essence of Italian coffee culture. It changed the image of domestic coffee in Italy because the invention brought together two symbols of modernity - coffee and aluminium - perfectly mixed with the Italian tradition for elegance and craftsmanship. Bialetti's solution was elegant and simple, an entirely self-contained aluminium unit made up of three principal pieces that could be heated on a mere stovetop, but capable of making the same intensely flavourful coffee as the one in the local coffeehouses. Years have passed but nothing had
changed, and the increasing number of moka pots sold everywhere in the world show us that the public is becoming more knowledgeable and demanding in their coffee needs. Coffee is now the second most popular drink worldwide after water, presenting itself not just as a food habit but as a source of nostalgia and affection for many Italians. Moka is, today as in the past, an essential part of Italy’s ‘cucina’, typically stocked with more than one moka pot, each designed to make a specific amount of coffee,
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BREW METHODS
from one single cup to up to 12 cups for big family reunions. Behind a moka pot lies exactly the same spirit we want to spread through our coffee shops - the real Italian experience, the flair and the sense of hospitality in our customer experience when visiting Caffè Fratelli. The espresso machine (Gennaro Pelliccia, Costa) For me, the extraction obtained from a commercial bar espresso machine has to be one of the best when measured by the soluble
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solids extracted, due to the controlled temperature and pressure of the machine, but obviously, as in many food preparation processes, it’s only as important as the other ones along the line. It has been instilled into me since my first experience in coffee 22 years ago, when I worked as a barista at Gatwick Airport, that a perfect espresso is determined by four important factors, known as the 4M's. La Miscela (the blend), La Macinatura (the grind), La Mano (the hand/skill of the barista) and La Macchina (the machine). So, if these are the four key determining factors in making great espresso coffee, how do they impact the result of the perfect espresso? Well, for the purpose of this article, I will focus on the coffee machine and try and whet your appetite. Let’s start by defining the perfect espresso. This, to me, is articulated by the visual appearance, aroma, taste and then the after-taste. With regards to appearance, here the crema needs to be the right colour - hazelnut brown with a deep red underlying tone. After the evaluation of the colour, the texture of the
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BREW METHODS crema is important, and here it needs to be tight with no large bubbles showing, and certainly no black coffee showing. Great crema also has a uniform shiny finish on top that completes the perception that you’re about to have a great experience. I call the crema, the ‘face’ of the coffee. It’s the first impression, and the first judgement you as a consumer will make about the coffee you are about to drink. The importance of the machine here is to deliver good, safe water at the correct temperature and pressure through the coffee to extract the desired compounds. Ideally, the water needs to be at around 92oC and at a pressure of 9 bar (average). Water too hot will introduce undesirable, less appealing compounds (typically more bitter). Too low a temperature and the end result does not introduce what is required, but will end up tasting too much like cereal and unnecessarily acidic. After the appearance comes the organoleptic (aroma) aspect. For the consumer, this reveals important facts about the origin of the coffee used, the way the coffee has been roasted but for the purpose of this article, also the skill of how effectively the barista has manipulated the coffee machine. Although less of a problem with the more modern coffee machines it is true that incorrect process or timing from the barista will have a considerable effect on the final cup. For example, brewing coffee whilst warming up a considerable amount of milk, or pulling hot water out of the machine boiler (machines fitted with one boiler and heat exchangers) can change the ideal temperature and pressure from their desired setting and result in a very different cup from the previous one.
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Mood-related? “I always choose the extraction method with my mood,” reveals Peter van Eijl of Doppio Espresso in the Netherlands. “For milky, but concentrated breakfast drinks I usually pull myself a shot of espresso and froth some fresh milk for a silky smooth cappuccino, but later in the day I usually make time for a sweet subtle ‘single estate’ experience - drip coffee. At home, I usually have more time, so I create a ‘moment of goodness’ with the Chemex. At work I need something more practical and I mostly enjoy the performance of the hand-built Technivorm Moccamaster. “In fact, my favourite brewing method is the Technivorm Moccamaster (pictured). I have always liked the ergonomics and cup quality of the Technivorm Moccamaster. It's easy to use, very durable and very constant in hot water delivery. I mostly use the machine like a barista would in a bar. I calibrate the coffee grind, I weigh the coffee and I also weigh the needed amount of water (instead of using the lines on the water tank). “Don't forget to flush the paper filter, fill it with the freshly ground beans and hit the power button, and in a few minutes you can be enjoying your fresh brew! By doing all these easy steps you can control the extraction in a way that satisfies most coffee snobs, but with a lot more convenience then most drip methods.”
Thirdly, is the taste of the coffee which as consumers we assess through two sets of sensations - taste perception and tactile sensation. In summary, as this topic can be massively expanded, a good espresso will have a round, well balanced, bitter-sweet flavour, with a good body and medium but defined acidity that compliments the other attributes without it leaving a mouth puckering sensation. It should leave you with a clean, desirable taste at the back of your mouth and throat, which can also be described as the after taste (every good espresso should leave you with a lingering desirable feeling). The effects of the machine here are again driven by the temperature and pressure which will massively alter the profile. Let’s try and move away from the terminology of the coffee being ‘burnt’ by the
machine, as we all know that the coffee tastes burnt because it was roasted that way. Instead, let’s understand what is developed during the extraction process. Next time! Domestic brewing for the dilettante (Jonathan Morris, research professor in Modern European History at the University of Hertfordshire) As a historian of espresso, I suppose I really ought to be talking about my method for pulling ‘god’ shots, but frankly I’d be far too intimidated and I don’t have all day to spend playing with sophisticated machinery even if I could afford it. And I can’t: neither the time nor the money. My espresso brewing technique is simply to set up my Rocky Grinder and Rancilio Silvia to deliver me something close to the Italian parameters of 25ml in 25 seconds using 14 grams of coffee. Do I measure
this? Of course – I put two scoops of beans in the grinder, count 25 elephants, and keep an eye on the cups to check the shot volume looks about right. Oh, and if I turn the machine about the time I stop work in the garden, but before I finish tidying up and putting the tools away, then it’s reached the right operating temperature by the time I return. Do I make really great coffee this way? Of course not – although it tastes better than that served in any of the coffee shops in my immediate vicinity. So what’s my secret? Simple, what I make is good espresso with great coffee beans. And here’s the great irony. Mainstream coffee operators utilise commercial espresso machines whose capital costs are prohibitive for me to even contemplate – but what they can’t afford is the difference in running costs between using an average blend, and a stand-out coffee. On the contrary, I’m happy to pay a bit more for a bag of beans that enables me to achieve a distinctive taste in the cup, without having to do too much to achieve it. I’m never going to run up the 10,000 hours of practice that Malcolm Gladwill claims you need to make yourself an expert in something just by preparing coffee for myself at home. That would take some five and a half years working full time as a barista. Buying top quality beans, however, means I can make use of the years of experience and experimentation by producers and roasters, and simply concentrate on not messing up their product too much. Which explains why ultimately my favourite method of brewing coffee is the simple cafetiere, or French press as the Americans would have it. Every morning my wife and I prepare a large cafetiere of single origin speciality coffee. Again I take the same care over calibration as I do to prepare espresso. Four and a half heaped scoops of beans into the grinder, grind to
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BREW METHODS breadcrumb size, add hot water at around 90oC (our big investment was an ‘Ainsley Harriot’ kettle on which we could vary the thermostat setting), wait for four minutes (as measured with an egg timer) and plunge. If the beans are good, it will taste delicious: indeed, buy an outstanding single origin, and it’s like drinking champagne for breakfast. And it tastes like coffee – by which I mean it has those earthy notes and aromas that evoke the terroir from which it comes. For me, the filter and Aeropress brews can come through as too clean – pure and subtle tasting, but somehow losing their connection with the raw material itself. A mug and a half in the morning sets me up, and, as cafetiere is a caffeine intensive form of brewing, I’m happy to just have one or two shots of my home brewed espresso for the rest of the day.
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COMMENT Why so popular? “Espresso extraction works by forcing water at high pressure through finely ground coffee. The water collects coffee, solids, sugars, minerals, acids, alkaloids and other compounds, to create a concentrated coffee solution,” says Andrew Tucker, director of Sanremo UK. “Although many people perceive it as a slow method, espresso (meaning ‘quickly for you’ in Italian) is the fastest method of extracting coffee into water – taking just 2025 seconds. Other filter methods, can take from 1.5 to 6 minutes – which can create a real hindrance to a busy customer on the go. “In the context of our increasingly secular way of life, every cup of espresso is made quickly for the customer personally, rather than slowly for everyone. This could explain why it has become so uniquely popular. “The theatrical ritual performed on the customer’s behalf, by the trained barista, provides inner satisfaction to the customer. This, combined with rich caffeine liquor, to which many of us are lovingly addicted, is a
powerful habit forming activity, which has taken the UK market by the heart. “The larger volume methods, such as bulk brew, offer less personalisation and are often not served immediately, which can impair freshness. Many of the newer extraction methods, such as AeroPress and Chemex, can offer similar individuality as well as comparable quality. “However, none of the individually brewed methods can be prepared commercially at the same speed as an espresso, so it is likely to continue to dominate the market for the foreseeable future.”
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BREW METHODS Drip, or filter coffee (Sunalini Menon, Coffeelab, India) In South India, drip coffee or filter coffee is the most popular method of preparing an aromatic cup of coffee. This coffee is also referred to as South Indian coffee or Madras coffee and is more commonly drunk in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. Though coffee powder is available at coffee shops as a ready to use, many housewives in the South of India still roast coffee beans at home and grind them every morning, as the aroma and taste of freshly roasted and ground coffee is better than pre-ground coffee powder. In the South Indian home, the most popular method of making coffee is by using an Indian drip filter popularly known as dabba filter. This Indian drip filter has evolved from the ‘biggin’, which originated in France in 1800. While the biggin was a twolevel ceramic pot, holding coffee powder in an upper compartment into which water was poured, to drain through holes in the bottom of the compartment into the coffee pot below, the Indian drip filter, which works on the same principle as the biggin, is made of stainless steel and comprises two containers, placed one above the other. The top container has a perforated bottom. The ground coffee powder is placed in the top container, over which an inverted umbrella with perforations (stick filter) is placed on top of the coffee powder, to ensure that the coffee bed is not disturbed when hot water is poured over it. The hot water passes through the coffee powder by gravity and collects in the lower container as coffee decoction or coffee brew. The time taken for preparation depends on the amount of coffee powder, its grind size and the amount of water taken for the preparation. The decoction or brew can be made stronger by adding more coffee powder, by increasing the grind size or by
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The stainless steel Indian Drip Filter and davara for serving an aromatic cup of coffee. adding less water to the filter. The Indian drip filter is a manual coffee filter where one can control and vary the coffee powder, water etc., according to one’s taste. Most coffee drinking homes in South India own a stainless steel filter and in very traditional homes, the stainless steel dabba filter is a part of the trousseau of the bride when she leaves her mother’s home. The serving of coffee in a South Indian home is also an art and a science. At a traditional home or wayside coffee bar, coffee with bubbles of aroma is served in tall stainless steel tumblers or in a davara which comprises a stainless steel or brass tumbler within a small vessel, made of the same material. The purpose of the small vessel is to enable
the consumer to cool the coffee by pouring it from a height into the container. This also enables the formation of bubbles, which encapsulate the volatile aromas, which otherwise would escape into the atmosphere. Thus, the davara serves the dual purpose of helping the consumer to cool his cup of coffee to a palatable temperature and at the same time, it helps in locking-in the volatile aromas in the bubbles formed during cooling. As for the taste profile of the Indian filter coffee, we Indians, love our cup of coffee to possess a strong smooth mouth-feel, with lots of chocolate and caramel flavours and with a sweet-bitter finish to cut through the milk. Remember, our national coffee drink is with milk and sugar!
How to prepare coffee in an Indian drip filter Ingredients to make one cup (60 ml) of coffee decoction/brew and two cups (100 ml each) of coffee with milk. • Indian drip filter - 2 cups or 200 ml capacity • Coffee powder - 2 heaped tbsps or 20 gms • Water - 2 cups of 100 ml each (200 ml) • Sugar - 1 tsp per cup or according to taste • Milk - 1 1/2 cups or 140 ml Method to make coffee decoction/brew 1. Heat water. 2. Place the coffee powder in the top container of the filter. Place the stick filter on the coffee powder. 3. When the water is hot, pour it carefully on the stick. 4. Cover the filter (it will take about 15 minutes for all the water to pass through the coffee powder). 5. Your coffee decoction/brew is now ready to use. Method to make a cup of coffee with milk 1. Heat milk. 2. Take about 1/4 cup or 30 ml of coffee decoction / brew in a cup. 3. Add milk (70 ml) and sugar, according to taste. Stir. 4. Serve immediately.
NEW PRODUCT Marco’s Über boiler The Über boiler from Marco Beverage Systems is increasingly being selected by knowledgeable baristas for their Brew Bars to provide a reliable, controllable supply of hot water at a temperature that can be varied to suit the type of teas and coffees being served. Brew bars are becoming increasingly popular as the public has become more knowledgeable about different types and origins of coffee and tea. These bars offer customers the opportunity to try a broad menu of original and single estate products, using ‘single serve’ equipment such as the Chemex, cafetière, Clever Dripper, Eva Solo, Aeropress. The Über font itself is built into the work surface with the boiler itself neatly concealed undercounter. The barista simply puts the brew vessel on the Über scale, weighs the correct amount of product and sets the temperature for that particular brew. At the touch of a button, hot water is then delivered with an accuracy of +/- 0.1°C (call 01933 666488, or visit www.marco-bev.co.uk).
Tips 1. Make the decoction/brew thicker by adding more coffee powder or by reducing the water you add. 2. The taste and thickness will depend on the quality of coffee powder, the grind size of the powder, the freshness of the coffee powder, the quality of milk etc. Hence, experiment till you get your desired taste profile. As you can see, brewing a cup of aromatic coffee on an Indian drip filter is certainly not only a creative art, but also a science, ensuring the preparation of a delicious, tasty cup of coffee, to awaken the senses to a great day. Enjoy your India filter drip coffee!
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BREW METHODS AeroPress (Richard Williams, Nude Espresso, London) The AeroPress® is an ingenious, manual coffee maker designed to produce perfect filter coffee in just a few seconds. Because the coffee is made under pressure, created by a tight rubber seal on the plunger, the fullest flavour of the selected blend is extracted. Furthermore, the highly efficient filter method utilised ensures that no harsh residues from the ground coffee are allowed to pass through, resulting in a velvety smooth texture. Easier and faster to use than a pour and serve machine or a cafetière, claim its makers, the AeroPress can make between one and four coffees at a time. Nude Espresso is one of London’s leading microroasteries, operating two cafés, a wholesale service for trade customers and an online shop for consumers, and selling only the beans the
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Nude team have deemed to be the best available. Extracting the maximum flavour is the job of head roaster, Richard Williams and amongst his favoured methods is the AeroPress sourced from Cream Supplies. “It was creating quite a buzz on the London coffee scene when I arrived here from New Zealand two years ago. It extracts very quickly – in fact it takes just one minute 20 seconds to produce coffee against three minutes plus for comparable methods - and it allows a lot of control,” says Richard Williams. He especially likes the AeroPress for naturally processed coffee where its fast extraction helps retain the coffee’s oils, producing a rich, full bodied flavour. Furthermore, the highly efficient filter ensures that no harsh residues from the ground coffee are allowed to pass through, resulting in a velvety smooth texture.
As a new member I find
the magazines very useful, especially the industry news of events and
shows. With a new business I find the
some of our displays for Cafés and Bakeries
annual Trade Directory invaluable for
”
finding new suppliers – it’s always within reach in the café! Clara Stanley Putting Green Café Littlehampton, West Sussex
tel: 01291 636333 web: www.thecafelife.co.uk/cc57
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Call 0800 688 9085 or visit us at www.dwdisplay.com JULY 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 31
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PROFILE
A coffee company
steeped in history
As Coburg Coffee Company Ltd celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, we take a look at a coffee roasting house with a history firmly rooted in commitment to quality, consistency and customer care. The dedication and passion that drove the company’s founder, Peter Langdon, remains as strong today as it did back then, say the firm. From small beginnings Coburg Coffee Company began life in 1963 when PA Langdon (Coffee) Ltd was established as a supplier of coffee and tea to the catering industry. Based at the start in the City of London, as the business grew, Langdons subsequently moved to larger premises in Woolwich, close to the river. Peter Langdon had been in the RAF at the end of World War Two, flying Mustang single-seat fighters. After leaving the RAF in the late 1940s he began his career in Civvy Street, selling green coffee beans for a London coffee merchant and becoming increasingly interested in roasting coffee as well as selling it. So he decided to set up on his own and do his own roasting. A gifted salesman, he combined his passion for coffee with a flair for selling and steadily began to grow his business. Joined in the business by Joe Cimelli - an Italian who had a particular interest in the blending and tasting of tea as well as coffee - Peter Langdon’s enterprise flourished, and the business moved again to a
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larger, modern facility just below the Thames Barrier, where it remains today. Joe Cimelli and his family had moved to London soon after the end of the war, his childhood having been spent in northern Italy, near Piacenza. Like many Italians after the war, his family moved to the UK and established a successful catering business. They were based in North London and here as a young man Joe Cimelli developed a particular interest in the blending and tasting of tea as well as coffee. At the new premises, a state-of-the-art Neuhaus Neotec coffee roasting machine was installed. It was the first one to be built in the UK and roasted coffee to unusually high standards of consistency and flavour retention for its day, and helping to keep Langdons at the forefront of roasting technology in the process. The 1980s saw the emergence of espresso coffee as the driving force in the out of home coffee market, and Joe Cimelli's innate knowledge of how authentic Italian espresso coffees should be blended and
roasted meant the company was well placed to supply this growing demand. In 1987 Peter Langdon retired and the business was sold to Plantation & General Investments (P&G), a group that owned coffee and tea plantations in Africa and the Far East. Their experience of growing coffee and tea combined with Langdons' skills in blending, roasting and tasting made an ideal combination. Changes in the marketplace since the 1990s and developing consumer tastes have helped to give the company its current shape. The growth of espresso meant that whole beans were becoming increasingly important and steadily overtook roast and ground filter coffee as the company's leading product type, today accounting for over 80% of output. A new name During 2002, Langdons changed its name to Coburg Coffee Company, following the acquisition of a Croydon-based coffee roasting business of that name.
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PEOFILE
Konrad Legg (left, proprietor) and Eric Nkya (right, coffee director) at the office of Tudeley Estates in Masama, Tanzania. Another acquisition in 2003, that of Giovanni Rizzi, an Italian espresso coffee company, brought with it a major new customer - Caffè Nero. Although Caffe Nero has now moved on to roasting its own coffee, by delivering the very large tonnages required by Caffè Nero over a seven year period, Coburg Coffee was successful in establishing a track record as a reliable, large volume supplier. From Giovanni Rizzi it also gained further expertise in the fine art of creating and roasting the perfect blend of espresso coffee. In 2004, as a progressive roaster always aiming to invest in the most advanced equipment, the company once again upgraded the factory, installing a profile roaster made by Lilla, a leading manufacturer from Brazil, the world's biggest coffee producing country. The Lilla roaster, with its sophisticated control system, enables Coburg Coffee to offer its customers coffee of the highest quality, report the company, and as Fairtrade, Organic and Rainforest Alliance coffees gained rapidly in popularity, Coburg Coffee became certified to supply these and they form an important and steadily growing part of its product range. Freshness too has always been crucial, and it is something that Coburg Coffee says that it has always placed great emphasis on – roasting and packing coffee to order only.
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Personal touch A key element in Coburg Coffee's philosophy is the personal touch, and despite its modern equipment producing highly consistent coffee day in day out, every single batch is still checked personally by a skilled master roaster. Another important trend has been the growth in private label coffee, with coffee wholesalers developing their own strong brands both regionally and in specific trade sectors, such as vending. Coburg Coffee has responded with a comprehensive service aimed at addressing the needs of private label customers of all kinds, whether these are major catering groups or smaller, regional customers who only wish to order in limited batches, perhaps 10 cases at a time. The company has also never lost sight of the fact that many of its customers today grew from modest beginnings like it did itself. For private label, tailor made blends can be developed, and very attractive, full colour packaging can designed and provided at no extra cost (ranging from a simple but attractive colour label, right through to pre-printed laminate comparable to that of the most sophisticated retail packs). New ownership In February 2012, Coburg passed again into new ownership, being acquired by Tudeley Holdings Ltd. Tudeley is owned by Konrad Legg and his
family, who have had a long association with Coburg Coffee, from having been major shareholders for nearly 30 years, and they say that they are now delighted to have finally become its sole owners. Tudeley has its own arabica coffee estates (Kibo, Boloti, and Kikafu) near Moshi in Tanzania, within sight of Mount Kilimanjaro, and some of the coffee they grow there is now used in Coburg Coffee's blends. Coburg Coffee likes to think that this is something else which sets it apart from its competitors - it has always been run by people who are coffee enthusiasts, but for much of its 50-year history, as now again, it has been owned by people who actually grow coffee. Today's team at Coburg Coffee brings considerable knowledge to bear on the solutions it offers to its private label customers. The managing director, Bryan Stockley, and marketing director, Jeremy Maynard, have between them over 40 years’ experience in all aspects of coffee buying, blending, and roasting - and an understanding of their customers' marketplace. By combining state-of-the-art processing methods, a depth of experience, and a tailor-made solution for every customer's requirement, they aim to remain a progressive and forward-looking coffee roaster that will continue to meet the changing demands of the 21st century's out of home coffee market.
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The award winning Davenport’s Tearoom in Northwich, Cheshire.
The tea shop
challenge
From the quality of water used to the environment in which it is served and nature of afternoon tea occasions to be enjoyed, there are plenty of ways to impress your customers with a new and improved tea offering, as long as you set out to address consumer concerns about tea quality in the out of home setting.
Premiumisation The quality of their tea service is becoming increasingly important to more and more retailers. Tea Monkey, which claims to be the UK’s first high street chain of tea cafés, has not long announced its partnership with Mothercare to provide in-store cafés to enhance the customer shopping experience at Mothercare’s flagship store in Leeds, and Top Tea, a relatively new brand of tea from Nepal, is in final negotiations with Wagamama about the restaurants stocking their tea. “Britain drinks an enormous 165 million
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cups of tea per day according to recent United Kingdom Tea Council research, which shows just how big a part of our culture it is,” observes Anthony Spruce, sales director at Brita Professional. “However, the majority of this tea is prepared and drunk at home, not in our high street coffee shops, cafés and restaurants, and according to our research, the main reason behind this consumption pattern is that consumers aren’t getting the tea experience they want on the high street. “Service issues are a big concern, with – according to One Poll research conducted
on our behalf in 2012 - almost 25% of consumers choosing not to order tea, simply because they have nowhere to discard their used tea bag! There is also a lack of personalisation in the experience, with 15% of consumers being discouraged from ordering, because they are not asked how they would like their tea served. But the overriding issue was taste - they didn’t get a cup of tea that tasted as good as they could make at home or at work. “This is something that can be easily addressed. We’re already seeing improvements in tea out of home with
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TEA operators expanding their range with loose leaf, herbal and fruit teas and looking at the overall quality. To achieve a tea offer that really delivers what the consumer wants, operators need to look at all the ingredients, including the main component in a cup of tea - water. Making up 98% of the drink it significantly impacts the look, smell and taste and has the potential to completely change and enhance the overall experience. “By using Brita filtered water, for example, you can improve the look, smell and taste of tea by balancing the mineral content and reducing the variables that have a negative impact on the taste of a customer’s drink. We are able to fit a range of filters to hot beverage equipment and coffee machines, helping to produce optimum water quality for tea. “It’s my belief that the out of home market for tea can only improve if operators can create a unique drinking experience for customers that makes their purchase tasty and worthwhile, and a vital part of this is perfecting your water.” “Researching the market, listening to customers and training staff ensures that you’ve got the best tea menu, so don’t be let down by your service,” adds Andrea Stopher, customer marketing manager at Twinings. “It’s often the simple things that make a big difference in terms of customer satisfaction and repeat purchase out of home – a waiter taking your coat, tasting the wine before it’s poured, for example – and the tea drinking experience is no exception. “It can easily be ruined by over-brewing, adding too much milk or being served in chipped crockery. What’s more, our research has shown that 15% of operators end up losing tea drinkers to other establishments by simply not asking how they would like their tea served.” Online resource In a bid to help raise standards and support caterers in realising the profit opportunities associated with tea served out of home (OOH), Tetley has launched its exclusive Tea Academy (www.tetleyteaacademy.co.uk). An online resource that will continue to evolve and be kept up to date with the latest
insight and industry trends, the Tetley Tea Academy aims to be a font of information for caterers looking to put the passion, quality and professionalism back into tea, say the brand. Caterers will also be able to sign up to a monthly e-newsletter that will provide education on different tea blends and how to market them simply by visiting the Tetley Tea Academy web site (according to Kantar World Panel research, the popularity of tea across the OOH sector continues to gain momentum on coffee as it competes to be the drink of choice, report Tetley). Consumer tastes continue to develop and this provides significant opportunity for operators to extend their offering far beyond traditional black tea and capitalise on the growing popularity of Redbush, Green and herbal varieties, feel Tetley. As the tea market continues to expand and consumer expectations become more discerning, the need for education and knowledge in order to menu and market a successful tea offering is paramount. “With the launch of the new Tetley Tea Academy we pledge to offer not only commercial promotions but lend our support and expertise to help drive operators’ tea sales by leading the resurgence of tea out-of-home and exploiting the huge growth potential for tea,” says Dorothy Sieber, Tetley marketing director OOH EMEA. “From advice on serving the perfect cup of tea and the art of personalisation, to capitalising on associated food sales and marketing a menu, the Tea Academy is home to practical advice for each and every channel to make their tea offer personal to their customers. “We’re stronger together with our catering partners and we hope that as the Tetley Tea Academy develops it will provide valuable insight and support to the foodservice industry.” To launch the Academy, Tetley is also offering ten outlets the chance to win free products as well as advice and insight from its tea experts on how they can make the most from their tea offer (operators should email their details to info@tetleyteaacademy.co.uk, and the first ten to respond will win). New launches In May, Twinings unveiled a new and improved Everyday blend designed to help caterers premiumise their offering and get Britain drinking a better quality cup of every day tea, say the brand. The new Everyday blend now combines African and Indonesian teas with Assam and Yunnan leaves – a rare but vital ingredient that helps create a premium and unique blend for consumers who demand more
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Twinings’ top tips for a five star tea service • The customer is always right. Ask them how they would like their tea served. This shows customers that you have a range of teas available and that you are paying particular attention to how they like to drink it. Let them have full control over their tea and allow them to serve it themselves. Putting the customer in the driving seat means they will enjoy the experience more. Personalisation is everything. • Ensure your crockery complements your tea service. Good quality, white china crockery really sets the tone for traditional afternoon teas, but for loose tea and infusions try glassware. Allowing customers to watch as the loose tea infuses adds to the overall ‘theatre,’ especially when using flowering teas. • Pay attention to the details. Little things like providing tea timers and descriptive tea menus outlining the story behind each blend will help add to the premium feel of your offering. This will, in turn, allow you to price the tea service that little bit higher and positively influence your bottom line. • Invest in team tastings. Speciality teas are often compared to fine wines, all offering individual tastes and flavours to suit a range of palates. Just as a wine sommelier would be able to recommend wines based on customer taste, your staff should have a good understanding of each of your teas and how to serve them. So get them to taste each blend you are serving. This immediately gives them a deeper understanding of which teas are ‘traditional tasting’ and can be served with milk, which are fruity Infusions (and should definitely not be served with milk) and why Green Teas should not be over-brewed, or made with boiling water! • Know your brewing times. Brewing teas for too long or at the wrong water temperature will damage the leaves and leave a bitter taste (Twinings recommend 95-98°C for their Everyday and speciality teas brewed for 3-4 minutes, infusions require 3-4 minutes brewing with water just off the boil at 95-98°C and many also choose to leave the bag in for additional flavour). Do not use boiling water on green or white teas as this will burn the leaf (Twinings recommend 70-75°C and a brewing time of 1-2 minutes).
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TEA
A tea service partnership A sense of theatre and heritage characterises the family-owned Davenport’s Tea Room at Northwich in Cheshire, which has just been named Top Tea Place 2013 in the annual Tea Guild awards. Its extensive range of loose-leaf teas and locally-sourced food from a small number of specially selected suppliers, themed rooms and attention to period details such as the lace tablecloths, fine bone china and silver plated scone servers has enabled owner Belinda Davenport to create a truly special tea experience that fully celebrates the resurgent tradition of afternoon tea. Northwich has hosted a Davenport’s bakery and tea room since 1927, but the current tea room launched with just 12 covers in 2007 alongside the newly-opened family farm shop. It grew organically through word of mouth, learning its craft with the help of customer feedback – and invaluable knowledge and advice courtesy of Taylors of Harrogate (www.taylorsoutofhome.co.uk) from nearby North Yorkshire, which has partnered Davenport’s from its first year. Belinda Davenport reports that they came across Taylors in her search for a supplier of an unusual South African black tea blend, Kwazulu, and discovered a like-minded business that shared many of her values. Also family-owned, Taylors has built up its expertise in tea and coffee since 1886 and developed practical shop-floor knowledge through operating its own tea room, the world-
renowned Bettys. The company certainly shares Belinda Davenport’s passion for quality and provenance – an important selling point when it comes to marketing a wide range of teas from across the globe, feel both parties. “Having exotic teas puts us on the map in terms of our range. It encourages people to talk about us to friends and relatives, which until the award, was our only form of marketing,” says Belinda Davenport. However, as customers were initially wary of ordering from a menu that they had never heard of, Taylors’ ability to provide the Davenport’s staff with a compelling origin and story behind each variety proved to be an effective way of communicating the breadth of blends on offer. Such knowledge was also a crucial factor in the Tea Guild’s decision to award Davenport’s Best Tea Room (the Guild upholds a strict marking criterion that encompasses the quality of both tea and service). With quality top of mind, Belinda Davenport says that she opted for Taylors’ premium Tea Room loose-leaf blend, which proved a best-seller right from the start. “I would certainly recommend Taylors of Harrogate’s Tea Room blend and loose leaf teas in general, as you can tailor the quantity of leaves and the timing to suit your needs. Not only is it a more premium choice, it’s also a more cost-effective way of making tea,” she says. Also, as many people weren’t familiar with tea leaves,
from their everyday cup, feel the tea company. “Drinking tea, especially out of home, should be a quality experience that customers are willing to pay more for. That’s why we’ve introduced a premium offering to the category and with 300 years of blending expertise, we’re confident that our new Everyday Tea blend delivers a truly exceptional drinking experience,” commented Andrea Stopher at the launch.
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Davenport’s added Taylors’ highly popular Yorkshire Tea and Yorkshire Gold varieties to bolster the menu options. Davenport’s amplifies the theatre inherent in its loose-leaf teas with regular special events being held at its two themed dining rooms, such as the Mad Hatter Tea Parties held in the Alice Room (a nod to author Lewis Carroll who was born nearby). Belinda Davenport has also found that period dramas such as Downtown Abbey have revived interest in the afternoon tea experience, and the costumed Victorian Christmas teas experience – complete with period candelabras and flowers – hosted in Davenport’s’ Queens Room has been known to attract up to 200 bookings in a single month. “With less money in people’s pockets, they want that experience and the theatre,” Belinda Davenport adds, with provenance also proving equally useful in encouraging customers to buy Davenport’s locally-sourced
Twinings says that it challenged itself to produce the ultimate every day tea and the new proposition will entice tea drinkers away from a ‘mug of builders’ and into something more premium. To encourage the trade up, Twinings Everyday Tea launched in aspirational new packaging designed to reflect a modern, premium feel complete with the reassurance of the Twinings brand. “When paying a premium, customers won’t accept an anonymous bag in a cup,”
food with their tea or coffee. “Going to the effort of explaining the provenance of our food or telling customers how some of our items are made provides a 90% chance that they will buy once they have tasted.” The 42-seat tea room which can accommodate 70 customers in the summer, is averaging 60 to 100 covers a day since winning the Tea Guild award, and in the wake of the accolade, Belinda Davenport says that she was thrilled to receive a call from Taylors congratulating her on the success. “We have been working with them from 2007 and they have supported us so much, not only with their knowledge of teas but their serving suggestions. Although we wanted to focus on tea, we needed to offer a coffee alternative too, and they have been superb in giving us advice from the beginning in terms of cafetières and how Bettys serves their coffee,” she reports.
added Andrea Stopher. “The bright new packaging is designed to reflect the main USP of our Everyday blend - ‘satisfying, uplifting and that extra bit special.’ By updating their everyday offering to a blend that can be marketed front of house as a brand that consumers trust, operators can instantly justify a higher price point and drive profits.” An eye-catching range of POS and merchandise is available to support
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TEA operators in promoting the new Everyday Tea, which is available in cases of 2 x 1100’s bulk catering bag, 5 x 100 String and Tag and 6 x 50 envelopes (www.twinings.co.uk/foodservice). To further shake up the category, Twinings has also expanded its range of fruit and herbal infusions with the introduction of a brand new variant called Apple Crunch, a new blend that will appeal to consumers in search of a fruity and flavoursome infusion that is naturally caffeine-free with all natural ingredients. Apple Crunch joins the existing range of great tasting fruit and herbal infusions already available out of home, including Camomile, Lemon & Ginger, Cranberry & Raspberry, Peppermint and Mango & Strawberry. Bistrotea has introduced the innovative TeaPod - a single use, high-tech tea diffuser with a unique filtration system that produces a richly flavoured and fragrant cup of tea, claim the company. Unlike a tea bag, the TeaPod requires no squeezing or wringing to extract the flavour and its innovative design also eliminates the need for a teaspoon as it can be used to stir the tea. Plus, it does not drip tea when you remove it from the cup, minimising mess. Each TeaPod is packed at point of origin using premium grade, organic tea leaves, harvested, selected and processed in Sri Lanka on Fair Trade estates. It works by simply putting the TeaPod in a cup, adding boiling water and stirring the TeaPod for a few minutes before letting it stand for a minute to further infuse. It can then be used to stir in any additional sugar and milk, if required. When finished, the TeaPod can be returned to its Italian designed, moistureproof and tear resistant envelope for recyclable disposal. The TeaPod is made in Germany from triple laminate food grade foil that remains stable up to 121°C (FDA certified) and conforms to ISO22000 Food Safety Management Systems. Twelve different blends are available, including black tea, English breakfast, Earl Grey, apple cinnamon, red tea, jasmine lotus, strawberry, vanilla peach, green tea, ginger, lemon grass and peppermint (www.bistro-tea.co.uk/media). Exclusive teas The Teahouse Exclusives range of teas is not sold via supermarkets as each pouch is individually made, and production is limited to trade customers only, say its UK suppliers, UCD. Big commercial brands, no matter how quaintly packaged, are essentially production line products and therefore although often cheaper per bag, do not necessarily offer cafés and restaurants the security Teahouse Exclusives teas can, feel UCD. The Luxury Teahouse Exclusives range
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Individual tea pouches and transparent cups and teapots can transform the tea drinking experience. features high quality loose teas presented in flavour pouches (each pouch is biodegradable and individually loop stitched with a tag detailing both the blend and the brew time). The 3.5g tea pouches are perfect for small pots and UCD recommend using clear glasses and pots for the perfect experience. The company say that they can order loose tea on special orders, but have found the theatre and interaction of their luxury pouches to be far more enjoyable for drinkers, some of whom have commented as follows. “Loose tea is pleasant but in reality a bit messy. Generally the first cup is weak, the second perfect and the last one leaves an unpleasant memory as it’s over brewed”. “The delight with these gorgeous tea pouches is we have control. It’s easy, not at all messy, and visually totally delightful; we love the tags having the brew times - a little touch - but very thoughtful.” Because of the large bag size UCD recommend their luxury brand for the slower afternoon tea experience. The range is
extensive and also includes a ‘wellness’ series, ideal for health clubs, salons and spas. Teahouse Exclusives also offer a finer cut of these loose teas which presented in a traditional machine produced string and tag bag (called the Teahouse Exclusives Gourmet tea range). This has 2g of tea and is individually wrapped. The smaller bags are ideal for faster service but again benefit from superior quality and the promise that they will not be sold in supermarkets. “I was brought up with great tea because my grandfather was a tea grower, and I was encouraged to try different teas because of this. I fully admit for years I was disappointed and felt the general teas on the market were poor on many levels. There were a few companies offering great loose teas but none quite fitted the bill and I fully admit I was looking for something exceptional,” says UCD’s Sally Sadler. “Teahouse Exclusive amazed me. The tea was perfect but what really clinched it was the presentation and concept. It brought the idea of quality loose tea into the modern age without neglecting a little bit of ceremony. The flavour pouches design was captivating (like a precious gift) and our drinkers agree – the individual clear wrappers draw the eye with their beauty and opening the them gives an immediate burst of delicious fresh aromas. These teas reward the drinker – it is a delightful experience.” Emeyu, an award-winning tea brand available exclusively from Mozzo Coffee (www.mozzocoffee.com), has launched seven of its most popular teas in beautiful, new tins reflecting the striking silks of Chinese emperors’ robes, say the company, and helping to add a vibrant splash of colour to any bar or beverage service point, as well as enabling quick identification on shelf for the operator. As with all of the Emeyu range, these luxuriously coloured tins are filled with teas that have been carefully sourced from ancient tea gardens in China, the Himalayas and India. They are packed in biodegradable, hand-made, muslin tea bags and include the full-bodied and invigorating Organic Assam, the spicy and ‘too good for you to be true’ Pu-erh Chai, the awardwinning Organic Red Fruits, and Emeyu’s signature blend, Eight Butterflies Green Tea, offering choices for both caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks. The range also comes with a variety of display trays so that the teas can easily displayed or transported to and from meeting rooms. They are easy to refill with pre-packed bags of 40 teabags. “As well as encapsulating the essence of tea culture, the new look for this range emulates Emeyu’s passion for Chinese
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TEA symbolism as each colour has its own meaning, enhancing the company’s ethos to promote the ritual of drinking tea. But it also has a practical benefit; allowing the operator to easily identify the tea on shelf during busy periods of service,” points out Rachael Potter, Emeyu tea master. The Emeyu experience can already be enjoyed at the Four Seasons London at Park Lane, 45 Park Lane (part of the Dorchester Collection), At the Chapel (Bruton), and the Royal Garden Hotel and reported celebrity fans include Victoria Beckham, Claudia Schiffer and Jemima Kidd. Mozzo is currently giving away one of the range to the first twenty readers to apply (all you have to do is email offers@talkingfood.co.uk by 31 August 2013, stating where you saw the offer, your name, business name, daytime telephone number and address). The latest range addition to the Eilles tea range has been a Fair Trade and Organic (Bio) collection to complement their existing ‘standard’ tea assortments. Furthermore, a new tea concept has been introduced as an alternative for ‘coffee to go’ for people who prefer good quality leaf and broken tea combined with the convenience to be mobile and not having to worry where to discard the tea bag. Eilles Tea to Go offers eight of the most popular flavours and could be easily be used by coffee shops, bakeries, delis, and hotels for guests “in a hurry”. The handling is made very simple, since the tea bag is integrated in the lid which fits on to a double wall paper cup. After sufficient steeping time, the tea bag is easily pulled out of the water and stowed underneath the lid. Thus, the tea remains at perfect taste as desired by the customer. The Eilles tea brand has a tradition of more than 130 years. Founded in 1873 by Mr Joseph Eilles in Bavaria, the brand has come to represent high quality and innovation with only a few selected stores sell Eilles tea for retail. The Kensington Tea Company (www.kensingtontea.com) reports that it has now expanded into the luxury chocolate market with the launch of a brand new range of products. The company is now offering premium chocolate truffles, but with
a difference. Each of the eight types available is infused with the delicate flavours of Chinese and Japanese teas, including sumptuous Japanese cherry tea with white chocolate and Genmaicha, a green tea with popped rice combined with sea salt to give a wonderful combination of sweet and savoury, say the company. The Norwich based Kensington Tea Company has been working with a leading chocolate truffle manufacturer, who can count Fortnum & Mason amongst its customers, to develop a range of unique chocolates. “We came up with the flavour combinations and worked with the manufacturer to perfect the range,” says Kensington Tea Company founder, Lorraine Tosh. “We are really thrilled with the results and are already working on our next range of truffles. “Tea is the nation’s favourite beverage and I suspect chocolate its favourite sweet so we thought – why not combine the two? We believe we have spotted a gap in the market for tea infused chocolate which we are aiming at the premium end of the market for people to indulge themselves.” Tea making equipment It is widely accepted that tea tastes much better if it’s made from filtered water, free from contaminants, and one way to achieve is to invest in an automatic fill water boiler with built in filtration, suggest equipment supplier, Lincat (www.lincat.co.uk). An automatic fill water boiler is also a simple and effective way to speed up service for customers in a rush, particularly when they all arrive together (instead of having to fill and refill the kettle, you have all the hot water you need, literally on tap). Lincat’s FilterFlow range of automatic fill water boilers features built-in filtration to improve the taste of tea and hot beverages,
Readily identifiable – the Emeyu range of premium teas.
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and as well as removing impurities which can affect taste, the filter also removes limescale which can damage performance over time. There are six FilterFlow models in the Lincat range, and each features comprehensive onboard diagnostics with an easy-to-read LCD panel. This shows the operational status of the boiler and reminds users when to order a new filter and when exactly to change it (the filter cartridge is as easy to change, with no need to disconnect the water supply, or seek the help of a service engineer or plumber, point out Lincat). Zacely Limited, innovators in the speciality tea sector, have launched a revolutionary new technology and exclusive tea bag range under the Teaforia brand that promise to reduce the average tea brewing time from four minutes to only 30 seconds whilst maintaining the integrity, taste and full benefits of whole loose leaf tea. In the primarily speciality coffeedominated industry, where tea has usually been left to the traditional yet mundane brewing method of steeping a bag in hot water, more preparation choice has been long overdue, feel the company. The choice consumers get when ordering from a widely varied coffee menu is never offered as an experience to tea lovers, but Teaforia aims to change this. Its Listo! range of teas and the unique technology of their brewing systems aim not only to give tea drinkers a choice, but to stir the general view of how tea is made and to stretch its boundaries, say the company. Their 30 second tea bag was carefully developed to sustain the pressure applied in the brewing process, and Teaforia tea is made entirely from whole high-grade tea leaves that are cut to a specific size to match the requirements of their brewing machines. Hot or cold, from sweet English Toffee Black Tea, to the exclusive Black Dragon Pouchong Tea, Teaforia promises to offer something for everyone. In addition to this, Teaforia not only solves the problem of speed, but its pressurised technology will extract the full benefits that the various teas have to offer, such as antioxidants, point out Zacely Ltd. Established in 2010, the Dorset-based company, Zacely, has been fully dedicated to develop products that are unique and
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Tea Monkey Tea Monkey (www.teamonkey.com) was founded in 2011 with the unique concept to bring tea cafés to the UK consumers’ doorsteps and bridge a gap in the market for a high street chain that provides a high quality and extensive range of teas served in a modern environment. The cafés are designed for people to take some time out and enjoy a pot of tea and freshly prepared food. Tea Monkey serves over 40 types of loose tea and an extensive range of pyramid tea sacks and wellness teas, as well as award winning coffees, snacks, light foods and cakes with a funky kids range and gluten free options. The brand was recognised in 2011 as the Best UK Tea Café by the Beverage Standards Association. This year, founder, Tracey Bovingdon’s stores won the Best Tea Experience at the Grab and Go Awards (sponsored by the Rainforest Alliance) and received a 5 Cup Award at the Beverage Standards Awards 2012. Tea Monkey was one of five outlets that won the ‘Five Cup’ accreditation (the maximum
available at the awards), and also picked up a Café Society Award this year. Its latest partnership with Mothercare is the first the chain has made in the retail sector and speaks volumes in terms of confidence in the brand. Tea Monkey’s founder Tracey Bovingdon, is delighted to have secured a partnership with Mothercare (a brand worth nearly £300 million). This refreshingly different partnership with Mothercare aims to provide child-friendly, ethical concession cafes onsite, the move complementing Mothercare’s customer experience by providing families with a haven to relax in and refuel whilst out shopping. The first Tea Monkey café in the partnership opened in one of Mothercare’s flagship stores in Leeds which has rebranded. The event featured a host of children’s entertainment with cupcakes being given out by Tea Monkey’s mascot and Tea Monkey infusers being given away to the first 100 customers through the door. The partnership was a natural one as both companies have similar values in terms of
The Teaforia brand is challenging the nature of both tea’s preparation and its serving.
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aiming to provide accessible and appealing facilities for families whilst providing their customers with the highest level of service and quality products. The signature Tea Monkey iPads, mounted on the wall in every store, will have games to keep the kids entertained as parents enjoy their well-deserved cuppa. Tea Monkey offers a huge range of tea blends as well as herbal and wellness teas and it’s not just tea, the brand serves award winning coffee, hot chocolate, a freshly prepared and funky kids food range and gluten free options, accommodating for everyone’s needs including a wide selection of products for pregnant ladies to enjoy too.
revolutionary solutions for the industry in response to customer feedback, having already being taken up by speciality tea shops in Shoreditch, London. Artis (www.artis-uk.com), a supplier of glassware and tableware, has launched a new range of stylish cafetieres and teapots within the Tea & Coffee section of its new Art of Artis 2013 catalogue. There are three designs of coffee presses, all offering quality and tremendous value for money, claim the company, and ranging in price from £5.99 for the stainless steel 35cl Chatsworth cafetiere, £6.99 for the Chia 35cl cafetiere with a flip-seal lid, to £13.25 for the 1litre polished stainless steel Blenheim Globe Tea Press (all the tea and coffee presses have spare borosilicate glass liners that are available to be purchased separately if required). Artis has also launched a new 1litre Oriental Teapot, a traditional pumpkin shape, but produced in porcelain so that it’s lightweight. The Oriental Teapot is priced at £12.87 and there is a pair of oriental style
“I am delighted to partner with Mothercare to provide an enhanced all round customer experience. As a mother of two, I understand what demands are put on parents and by uniting our brands under one roof, we can provide parents with the opportunity to take some time out with their children to refuel during a busy day shopping,” said Tracey Bovingdon. “We are a nation of tea drinkers and as somebody who loves tea, I wanted to provide people with an ethical brand of cafés to quench the British thirst. I hope that this partnership with Mothercare will be the first of many in the retail sector, working with brands that match our values.”
cups, presented on a slate base, priced at £2.45 for the set. Complementary items from the new catalogue include a porcelain sachet holder (£2.16), a stainless steel tea strainer from WNK (£29.50) and an unusual stainless steel globe shaped sugar bowl (£5.97).
Part of Artis’s Tea & Coffee selection.
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PROFILE
Real coffee Coffee is a natural product. Its availability is seasonal and depends on the harvesting period, which in turn varies from one producing region to another. Coffee Real (www.coffeereal.co.uk) is a semi-seasonal roaster and specialist supplier, buying green beans when they are available, storing them in optimum conditions (in food-grade bins with airtight lids to keep the beans away from bright light and prevent deterioration from exposure to oxygen) and then roasting them to order for its wide range of customers who are increasingly developing a taste for top notch coffee. A different level Frustrated with what they generally considered to be a mediocre standard of coffee served to them at a high street level, Gary Best and Maarit Lotvonen decided to do something about it. Their idea was to roast and present very good quality coffee to a local customer base, with the emphasis on working with customers who are also passionate about coffee. In 2007 they installed a 12kg Probat coffee roaster in their garage and Coffee Real was up and running. The sales pitch was simple top quality coffee at a competitive price point. “Most cafés, hotels and restaurants don’t realise they are serving a mediocre coffee until they try a truly top quality coffee. However, once they recognise the difference, naturally they want the best!” says Maarit Lotvonen. Coffee Real grew rapidly, moving out of the garage and into a barn, which provided scope for further expansion until, in November 2012, the company moved to its present premises - a modern 2500 sq. ft. facility in Horsham, West Sussex. This houses their roastery, packing operation, storage of green beans, as well as a barista training/coffee cupping centre. However, their business essentially still remains a lean operation with the focus firmly placed on the quality of the coffee, say the company.
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retailers to quench the consumer’s increasing thirst to try new and different coffees.
The difference Coffee Real roasts to order single estate filter coffees and espresso blends and then supplies them to foodservice and retail customers, as well as directly to the consumer via the Internet. Their foodservice customers include selected hotels, cafés, restaurants and caterers who all share Coffee Real’s passion for coffee and want to buy a product they perceive as being the best, and who aspire to take coffee beyond espresso to a menu of filter, single estate coffees. Coffee Real points out that it is very protective of its brand and works with its foodservice customers so as to ensure that the carefully sourced coffee served to the consumer is perfectly prepared. Via the Internet, they retail single estate filter coffees and espresso blends in 250g bags. Roasted to order, these are weighed out and packed by hand before mailing to the
customer by Royal Mail or courier for next day delivery. Coffee Real also supplies farm shops, local stores and delicatessens with the emphasis on independents. Its retail product range is bespoke, different and always changing, say the firm. A starter range for retail would typically include industry staples, such as a mixture of single origin filter coffees from Brazil, Kenya, El Salvador, Ethiopia and a decaffeinated product. However, Coffee Real say that they also take delight in being able to supply small retailers with more unusual coffees and even micro-lots, which by definition are only available in small quantities, enabling these
Sourcing and ethos Coffee Real sources its green beans either directly from the farmer or from wholesalers mainly based overseas. This approach enables them to buy beans from farms that are not widely available to UK purchasers. As a result, they have built up relationships with farmers and have a policy of supporting farmers at origin by paying a premium, which in all cases is higher than the Fairtrade minimum, say Coffee Real (working directly with farmers also helps them to gain a better understanding of processes and continually challenges the them to learn and develop, say Coffee Real). Their business philosophy is clear and simple – to focus on top quality single estate coffees, with no gimmicks or frills. In this grass roots approach the important flavours are the classic notes of the coffees themselves, as influenced by the terroir of the region in which the plant is grown. Always something new At times, report Coffee Real, they may be successful in purchasing a one-off, micro-lot of green beans from a specific origin. Such coffees will only be available for a short period of time which in turn means that Coffee Real’s product range and particularly the availability
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PROFILE of its single estate filter coffees changes on a weekly basis, giving customers the opportunity to try new coffees and different flavour profiles. The company sources its single estate filter coffees from producing nations worldwide, including the Americas, Africa and Asia. In a single estate coffee the flavours of the individual coffee, as dictated by the climate, altitude, soil and conditions of the farm on which it was grown, are preserved and celebrated. Coffee Real does not blend its filter coffee, preferring to let the integrity of the farm stand up in the cup. The company is also able to create well-rounded and complex espresso blends by carefully selecting the beans to blend from its single estate coffees so as to produce espresso with great flavour, depth and body. Typically, they have some 12 espresso blends available, all of which are given quirky and descriptive names such as “Holy Moly” and “Polar Espresso”. Its espresso blend called “6am”, for example, is a blend of Ethiopia Djimmah Wild Grown, Guatemala Finca El Bosque and India Sethuraman Pulped Natural. They describe its cup profile and tasting notes as “creamy and smooth with a little bright acidity, lovely good depth, body and crema”. “Gone for Lunch” is a blend of Brazil Nossa Senhora de
Fátima, Guatemala Pasajquim and India Sethuraman Pulped Natural, and Coffee Real describe it as having “huge body and a rich base with some sweet nuttiness, underlying fruity acidity and a lovely true rounded finish”. Their “Perfect Secret” espresso coffee is a blend of Ethiopian Limu, Kenya Kikai and India Sethuraman Pulped Natural, and has a bright fruitiness with an aromatic complexity and a thick, juicy mouthfeel, say Coffee Real, making for a vibrant and fairly multi-faceted blend which stands up to milk very well. Investment in technology Today, Coffee Real roasts more than 40 different single estate filter coffees and offers around 11 espresso blends designed from its menu of single estates. The company has just invested £90,000 in a new small batch roaster (36kg) from Loring to increase its production capacity. This latest Loring roaster is considered by many to be the world’s most advanced small batch roaster currently in existence. Loring Smart Roast uses a unique and patented roasting system called FlavorLock Roasting Technology. This system produces a unique clarity of roast whilst benefiting the environment by reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere, and the particular model specified by Coffee Real
is the only one currently in use in the UK and one of only a handful in Europe. For a small coffee roaster, choosing a new roasting machine is a big decision to make and top of Coffee Real’s list of priorities were the quality and clarity of the roasted coffee and the level of control provided to the roast master. Coffee Real add that they also wanted to be able to benefit from the latest technology, not generally available in small batch roasters, and the Loring Smart Roast met these criteria. Sophisticated programming offers an instant response over many variable parameters giving Coffee Real greater control over the roast. For one thing, the patented Flavor-Lock Roasting Technology produces coffee with a cleaner, fresher taste than conventional roasting processes and a more consistent roast. It also heats the air rather than the roasting drum itself, which is considerably gentler on the coffee bean, say Loring. In addition, the smokeless process also ensures a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The smoke created by the roasting process is itself incinerated within the machine. The clean, hot air is continually re-circulated and at the end of the process, cleaner, cooler air is exhausted into the atmosphere. Coffee Real calculates that based on roasting coffee for
four hours a day, five days a week on the new Loring Smart Roast its CO2 emissions will reduce by 66,000 lbs per year, which is the carbon offset equivalent of planting 768 trees or taking six cars off the road annually. Enhancements to the technology in the latest Loring Smart Roast Kestrel model as specified by Coffee Real further improve the environmental credentials of this machine. At the end of the roasting process, just before the roasted beans are released for cooling, the residual smoke is diverted directly into the incinerator, resulting in 99.9% of the smoke being captured and therefore virtually eliminating smoke emissions into the atmosphere. Coffee Real managing director, Gary Best, is delighted with the new roaster. “We could have halved our investment and bought a traditional roaster,” he explains. “But as a company we have to challenge ourselves to improve constantly – we believe this is important for us and our customers. “We chose the Loring Smart Roast because of the control it gives us over the roast and the quality and clarity of the roast. Its environmental credentials are an added bonus, giving us even more flexibility. We are pleased to be able to do our bit to help the environment, but the quality of the coffee remains the most important factor to us.”
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MARKETING
A clear message In competitive times, your café or coffee shop marketing needs to send out a clear message that differentiates you from the crowd and enables you to engage effectively and profitably with your target customers. An appreciation of the core role of branding, investment in point of sale material and a social media strategy are key. Brand identity For cafés and coffee shops, it is their brand that essentially encompasses their identity the personality you want your customers to remember you by. And in a busy high street, your branding can be the one thing that separates you from the competition, grabbing the attention of potential customers. Whether it’s the design of your menus, signage, your web site or even the name of your business, these are the very things that can really make a difference when it comes to success and growth, says Gregg Corbett, marketing director at Avery Office & Consumer Products (www.avery.eu/smallbiz ), whose small business range of easy to customise blank marketing materials and free design and print online software, have been helping cafés, coffee shops and independent businesses to create professional, eyecatching marketing materials. “When it comes to deciding on your branding, don’t rush the initial ideas stage!” Gregg Corbett cautions. “If you’ve taken time and care over your food and drink offering, don’t spoil this by overlooking things like your logo and messaging.
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Try to imagine an identity which will evolve with your business as it grows. Getting it right at an early stage will mean that you won’t need to spend time and money on an expensive re-brand once your reputation starts to grow. “Firstly, check out your competition. Are there any cafés or coffee shops similar to yours? Who else is trying to reach the same market as you? Look at how they’re doing it and ask yourself how could you do it better? Compare your branding and think about why customers should pick your establishment.” Cafés also need to consider their colour schemes carefully, advise Avery. Do they send out the right message? “As human beings, we naturally associate different colours with all sorts of different emotions, so think hard about what you want people to feel about your business and choose your colours accordingly. If you’re selling scrumptious, luxurious food and drink what colour combinations are going to best convey this?” Gregg Corbett continues. “Your fonts – typefaces need to be thought about carefully too. Think about your target audience and make sure
that your messaging is clearly visible and legible. This applies both online and in print. Don’t be tempted to go for a font that’s so stylised and artistic that it makes your important messages or menu offerings hard to read. “And don’t forget to be likeable! People are loyal to the things that they like, so consider this in everything you do from your social media interactions through to the way you describe your food and drink on your menus. Put the love you have for your food and drink into your branding and show your customers how much you care.” However, caution Avery, do not let your branding make promises that are impossible to keep. Make sure you can produce what you say you can, as nothing is more likely to frustrate a customer than being let down, or disappointed (if your messaging talks about ‘the world’s best coffee’, then make sure it at least comes pretty close, for example).
“When it comes to merchandising your food and drink offering, selling your own produce like cakes and biscuits or even just takeaway packaging, consider printing your product labels and tags rather than handwriting them,” suggests Gregg Corbett. “There are lots of ways to make your merchandising materials still appear personal and unique without having to hand write them onto every product - after all this isn’t a very practical or efficient longterm solution. We help businesses to create some personalised designs with free software via our Design & Print Online service, saving time whilst still giving your labelling a boutique feel – the designs can then be saved and printed as and when you need them. “This one sounds obvious, but it’s so important! And that’s to check everything carefully. A grammar or spelling mistake on your branding materials will not help you appear professional. If you don’t do this, how can
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MARKETING
“
COMMENT “Look for the differences you have against the big boys,” says Ann Elliott, a former regional operations director at Whitbread and member of People’s 1st’s Top 100 Women in Hospitality, Travel and Tourism, and now a marketing consultant at Elliott Marketing & PR. “Do you offer a more personal service? Do you offer anything that represents added value compared to a larger operator? The trick here is to delight the customer, and you can do this by positioning your differences as major positives. “Your personality is your brand as an independent. Be yourself every minute, every day by bringing your personality to work with you. Employ staff for their personality too,
you expect new customers to trust that you’re careful about what your café or coffee shop serves up?” A good way to connect with the smart phone generation is to add a QR code label to your products and takeaway packaging, suggest Avery. Your customers can then simply scan the QR code label with their phones before being
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that’s the thing customers will walk away remembering. At the same time, treat your customers with the utmost reverence and respect, and be professional. Being an independent doesn’t mean you can be lax! “Get your community involved in your business; larger operators won’t be able to do this. Get out there and get the views of the local people, get them involved in your business. At the same time, ensure you’re noticed in the community: use eye-level window displays and give local journalists, bloggers and opinion formers a loyalty card to encourage them to visit, and hopefully tweet about, your business.”
instantly taken to your web site or social media page, where you can offer them discounts or special offers to encourage repeat business (you don’t have to be an IT expert to create QR Code Labels either - Avery’s QR Code Labels and free online software have been designed to make it easy via a simple step-by-step process).
”
“Finally, once you’ve created your first set of branding materials, don’t forget to test them out with someone unbiased to get an objective opinion, just as you would with a new product or recipe you might look to sell. Take on board all feedback, good and bad, and look to address any issues,” says Gregg Corbett.
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MARKETING Standing out “In the UK it’s very easy to spot at least one café or coffee shop on every high street – from international chains to local independents, but each has to stand out from the crowd. This means that from your quality of product and service to the design of the interiors, everything in an independent café needs to reflect its unique brand and proposition - and the point of sale materials chosen will have a big part to play in this,” says Debra Jamieson, sales and marketing director at UK Point of Sale. “With so much competition on the high street, it is important that an outlet identifies how it wants to position its brand and reflect this through all marketing, including point of sale. Furthermore, marketing messages can effectively be communicated via point of sale such as ‘A’ boards situated on the pavement, poster frames behind the counter or window display systems to entice potential customers as they walk past. “Undoubtedly, recent trends in point of sale show that establishments want to create a traditional look through the use of wooden accessories, including chalkboards. The focus on local and organic produce has come to the forefront over the past year and point of sale design has evolved to reflect this. Inside the café, table top chalkboards and framed chalk wallboards offer establishments a flexible but fashionable point of sale solution, which can be updated to reflect new menu items or prices. Any limited edition products are easily added to the offering, but just as easily taken away (due to the flexibility of the boards), while something as simple as using coloured chalk pens or creative handwriting can set your café apart from the others on the high street.” At the same time, it is vital that point of sale products are maintained and taken care of, warn UK POS.
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“From our experience of working with the hospitality sector, from large national and international chains as well as independent outlets, nothing is more off-putting than seeing dreary promotional posters stuck to the wall using sticky tape, or an old worn and torn ‘A’ board sat lonely and unloved outside the front of the store!” adds Debra Jamieson. “Point of sale should look clean, streamlined and, most importantly, professionally consistent to draw customers in. This can easily be achieved by investing in new POS materials and print. First impressions are often the deal-breaker, our advice is always to make the most of your store’s appearance.” UK POS (www.ukpos.com) has been manufacturing point of sale products for nearly 25 years and is continually adapting to changing market trends when it comes to working with retailers to market their offers. A preferred partner to some of the biggest names in supermarket,
department store and highstreet retailing, it can offer retailers over 3,000 quality items - ranging from acrylic and PVC holders to pavement signs, its best-selling products include acrylic free-standing poster holders and snap frames. The majority of these items are made in the UK at the company’s own manufacturing facility and all are available for next day, nationwide delivery. The company can also offer bespoke solutions.
A social media voice Back in the old days – 2004? when businesses wanted to directly market to consumers, it was a costly affair involving printers and the Royal Mail. Now businesses large and small have the ability to market directly to customers pretty much for free thanks to the web. But it can be a minefield out there, with new online channels popping up all the
time. And it’s not always easy keeping track of how each one works, and how best to utilise it. It can be timeconsuming. However, there are some basic rules and tips to keep in mind, say community marketing and digital specialists, electricjelly. Based in Covent Garden, London, the electricjelly team of hospitality, marketing and digital specialists, carry out consulting for some of the world’s most prestigious hospitality brands. Founded in 2008 by Gregg Hone, a graphic designer and marketing expert with over 16 years in the hospitality industry, electricjelly provides creative concepts (electric) with what it terms transparent integrity (jelly) to businesses in the sector. Their approach starts with a thorough evaluation of the business and aims for improved profitability and raised profiles via a bespoke mix of creative and highly strategic marketing, social media and PR, web design and development, sales and revenue management and business development. “Like mother used to say, when it comes to social media ‘it’s not what you say, it’s the way you say it!’” says electricjelly’s founder and creator, Gregg Hone. “It’s important to find your voice, the tone with which you want to represent yourself, brand and business and then stick to it.” Thus, firstly you need to match your voice to your target audience. “The idea of social media is to engage with your audience on a mutual level of understanding. So if you’re a street clothing brand you may want a voice like the ‘kidz innit’, however, if you’re a firm of lawyers, you certainly don’t!” explains Gregg Hone. “Whether stuffy, or street, you want to be conversational. Ask questions, invite feedback, discuss relevant news and events, run promotions, polls and competitions.”
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MARKETING It is important to create guidelines, say electricjelly. All team members blogging, Tweeting etc. on behalf of the business need to know how to go about it. For example, is business speak banned, or encouraged? Do u allw txt spk? (if your audience is over 25, and your brand is aimed at professionals, perhaps not). What will you, and better still, what won’t you be sharing about your business activities, employees and financial matters? “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all,” adds Gregg Hone. “Never get involved in a social media slanging match, and don’t share anything defamatory. Do, however, address negative feedback and criticisms from customers if they come in via a social media channel, but remember to handle them faultlessly professionally – remember millions of people have the potential to see how well or badly you address the issue.” So you’ve found your voice, what next? Plan ahead, say electricjelly. Even though the nature of social media is to respond to what is happening now, you need a plan in place and it’s very hard to prioritise if you don’t have a structure to follow (you can also use it to review what went well and what didn’t). As well as a plan, it is essential that things like brand standards, social media policies and objectives have been decided on and implemented, advise the firm. Setting up your social media profiles and ensuring they are populated correctly with all the correct information and images is essential to get the right traffic to you pages. Try to do one thing well. Decide what your objective is (the most common are sales, brand awareness or loyalty) and work towards one objective – not all of them! You will also need lots of different people and departments to contribute to social media, even if it’s not directly. So make sure your
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whole team are aware and excited about your presence and are ready to give support when necessary – turnaround needs to be quick to get relevant information out in real-time, point out electricjelly. “You can have a blog hosted on your web site, or blog somewhere else, but make sure you blog!” says Gregg Hone. “It gives a reason for people to visit your site or social media platforms, is great for email marketing, engagement and SEO (search engine optimisation).” It is also advisable to focus on one channel at a time. “Better to use one channel well than lots badly. Pick one the most appropriate one for your target demographic - and focus on that before you start adding any more,” suggests Gregg Hone. “And be consistent. If you have a profile on a channel then make sure you are using it and that you are setting expectations for your fans and living up to them. “The first thing people will look at when they find you on social media is when your last update was, and if it wasn’t recent, then they are not likely to follow or trust that page. But don’t bombard. Equally, don’t post too often or do loads of posts or re-tweets in one go. Make sure that you are using the appropriate frequency for each platform.” Even if your main objective is in actual fact sales, however, this should still not be the focus of what you mainly write about, say electricjelly. This is not broadcast media. You need to be social, listen, reply, and build relationships over time. So be patient. You are not necessarily going to get to grips with social media or see fantastic results overnight, or even within a couple of months. It can be about trial and error, building rapport and trust, and developing your strategy – you are in it for the long term so need to be patient in order to start reaping the rewards.
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MARKETING Evolve is electricjelly’s new free on and off line hospitality community launched this year (it includes free resources, industry data and news and can be found at www.electricjelly.com/evolve). Neighbourhood connections Nextdoor.com - a private social network for your neighbourhood - is coming to the UK next year, and whereas current social media platforms are usually about connecting people globally, Nextdoor is all about connecting people locally. Launched in the US in October 2011, Nextdoor is currently connecting some 12,600 neighbourhoods across 50 US states, and growing. 26% of discussions via this platform are recommendations of local businesses and services – a new development in the hugely influential peer review platforms. As a result, social media-savvy local businesses are getting involved by offering preferential rates and promotions for their Nextdoor neighbours. “We strongly believe that this move to local - placing people at the heart of the community - heralds a major shift in marketing and social media that will continue to grow as more of Generation Y (sophisticated, tech wise and immune to traditional marketing and sales pitches) enter their late 20s and 30s, settle down and become economic forces,” explains Gregg Hone. A recent report - Social Media Use in the Restaurant Industry: A Work in Progress by Abigail M.Needles and Gary M. Thompson - found that the restaurant industry is embracing social media, but often without a clear strategy or objective. However, platforms like Nextdoor will give social media outreach a clear strategy and purpose, enabling businesses to reach potential new local customers, engage with them and encourage footfall.
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New digital coupon platform Retailers and brands can now distribute coupons to consumers via digital channels and measure the results with Print@Home - a new one-stop solution from UK coupon company, Valassis. Print@Home offers can be accessed from web sites, social media, email and blogs and then printed securely by the consumer, say the company. It streamlines promotional activity and enables integration of every stage of the process from set up, distribution, redemption, to clearing and analysis. Retailers and brands can also be reassured of the security of Valassis’ Print@Home solution with several features in place to prevent fraud, say the company. Each coupon can be personalised and given a unique PIN code which links to the individual redeeming the coupon. This deters an individual from redeeming a coupon more than once and enables the promoter to identify the individual. Lock down features also prevent the consumer from saving coupons onto a computer system, and control the number of prints per consumer and coupon. “Print@Home enables brands and retailers to target consumers where and when they engage digitally. The new solution takes care of every stage of the coupon process from set up through to clearing and analysis, and is a useful extension and complement to cross media promotions using other more tried and tested techniques such as direct mail and door drop,” explains Penny Dryden, commercial director of Valassis. “Its results tracking also allow the promoter to compare its performance against other media and gather other useful insights.”
“Whether you are a local restaurant, café, bar, salon, shop or hotel there are obvious advantages to building a loyal local cliental,” says Gregg Hone. According to Nextdoor’s
stated objective to bring communities together and recreate the neighbourhoods of 30/40 years ago, the beauty of social media is that it can help to breakdown initial shyness, especially for
traditionally reserved Brits who can reach out online and start conversations before meeting up in real life. It can only be good news for the hospitality industry that people want to interact again in the real world. Therefore, finding communities online, and coaxing them out to meet in the real world is a sound strategy, something which can be adopted right now in advance of the arrival Nextdoor and similar platforms that are set to launch in the UK. These communities don’t have to be neighbours. They can be communities of people with a shared interest in a certain food, wine or activity, and businesses such as cafés and coffee shops can find them online and reach out to them, inviting them for a coffee tasting event, say, or similar gathering. Tips for creating a community hub ■ Look for relevant online communities (locality, tastes, interests, for example). ■ Join the group as a real person not a brand (namely the manager, barista, chef, or whomever is the appropriate person and who has a genuine interest). ■ Get to know and be known (interact regularly - use HootSuite, for example, to schedule messages on the likes of Facebook and Twitter so you can have messages going up even when you are busy). ■ Offer relevant promotions (ask people what promotions they’d actually use). ■ Go old school (invite them down for a drink/coffee). ■ Go big (if you have enough interest, host an event). ■ Be honest! In small communities especially, you will be found out fast and the business will suffer if people suspect you of being less than truthful.
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PLANNING LAW
The planning minister your new flexible friend? The food and drink sector has battled for years against planning policies that have tried to preserve town centres by protecting the role of retail in high streets, preventing other uses from ‘diluting’ its attraction. Restaurants and cafés were banished to the peripheral areas, but does recent new planning law mean that things are changing? Here, planning consultant, Chris Green, discusses the implications.
Back at the heart of things As a planning consultant who has acted for coffee shops and restaurants for a number of years, I have listened to all the arguments that they have somehow ‘pushed out’ retailers, discouraged people from visiting town centres and distracted shoppers from spending their money. It has taken some time, but the tables have finally turned and there is now widespread recognition that cafés and coffee shops should be at the heart of our town centres. Indeed, they might just save them. And following the town centre review by Mary Portas and after lengthy consultations, the government has finally relaxed the planning regulations for commercial premises by introducing 'flexible uses'. The changes relate to 'permitted development rights' and allow various changes of use to take place in commercial premises without the need for planning permission. Properties currently in any one of the following uses classes, can now be used as a café (under Use Class A3 'Restaurant and Café'): • Use Class A1 'Shops' • Use Class A2 'Financial and Professional Services' (banks, building societies, estate agents etc) • Use Class A4 'Drinking Establishments' • Use Class A5 'Hot Food Takeaways' • Use Class B1 'Business' (offices etc) • Use Class D1 'Non-Residential Institutions’ (clinics, public libraries, art galleries, churches etc) • Use Class D2 'Assembly and Leisure' (bingo halls, sports halls and leisure uses etc) Planning permission is no longer required, you simply need to notify the local planning authority when the use starts. And importantly, the changes apply to across the board, not just in town centres.
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Chris Green is a director at Town Planning Services (www.townplanningservices.com) and has over sixteen years’ experience as an independent planning consultant with particular knowledge of retail and leisure proposals. He regularly acts on behalf of coffee shop operators such as Caffè Nero, and has advised major retailers as well as developers and landowners.
Sounds great doesn't it, but is it too good to be true? Well, naturally there are some important caveats. Caveats Firstly, it only allows a 'flexible use' for a period of two years - once this period has ended, the premises will revert to their previous lawful use. This may be fine for 'pop up' uses, but is unlikely to suit more
permanent operators who will need to spend money on an expensive kitchen fit out. If the return on investment can't be achieved in two years, then it simply won't work. Most operators would therefore require a longer lease term. Similarly, many landlords are unlikely to want short term lets. Of course, it might be easier to get permission at the end of your two year
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PLANNING LAW period, once you are established. But in a climate where investment risks are minimised and funders scrutinise every detail, is this really a risk that will be accepted? I suspect that many will still opt to apply for permission regardless to give them comfort and certainty, particularly smaller independents that can't afford to gamble their investment. It will also be important to check if anyone else has already occupied the premises as a flexible use. The clock starts ticking when a unit is first occupied under any one of the flexible uses, so if another business (which could be a retailer, estate agent, or an office as well as another restaurant or café) has already used the premises as a 'flexible use' and served notice to the council, then you will have already lost some of the two year period. Secondly, the legislation only allows a change of use to take place for up to 150 sqm in a building. This will mean that larger premises will still require permission, although there could be scope for a concessionary arrangement (which might potentially be regarded as 'ancillary' and not need permission in any event). Thirdly, it does not apply to Listed Buildings. This seems odd to me, as Listed Building Consent isn't even needed for a
“
change of use and you would need consent in any event to do physical works or alterations to a Listed Building. Our town centres contain a significant number of Listed Buildings and if you think the premises could be one of them, check with the council. There are also exceptions for sites that form part of a 'military explosives storage area' or a 'safety hazard area', but they perhaps don't make the best locations for restaurants and cafés! Finally, you will still need planning permission if you intend to make changes to the building, such as a new shop front. Likewise, the installation of air conditioning or ventilation equipment with external flues and plant will also need permission (and can often raise issues such as noise etc.). Getting these permissions in place is not always straightforward and can be time consuming. Be aware that you will also need to comply with any other restrictions that may have already been imposed on the building. In particular, there may be planning conditions in place relating to the hours of use, preventing you from opening later in the evening. It is always wise to check if any operational restrictions apply at an early stage when looking at premises.
Opportunities? So, the government's introduction of flexible uses might open up opportunities for many. In particular, it could allow smaller operators and startups with a trial period. It certainly removes what can often be a daunting and time consuming obstacle. However, its restriction to a two year period seems to be the biggest constraint and many operators might still opt to apply for permission for the sake of certainty. Whilst I'm not convinced that it will be the permanent solution that town centres really need, its greater significance is perhaps the clear message it sends that restaurants and cafés are now welcome in the heart of town centres: restrictive planning policies have had their day and this can only be a good thing. Please be aware that the legislation on the permitted development rights and flexible uses is very detailed, and issues relating to the use classes order are not always straightforward. Although I have summarised the key points, it is very important to seek professional advice or check with the local planning authority before proceeding.
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Lynsey Harley is a Q grader and also UK chapter co-ordinator for the Speciality Coffee Association Europe (SCAE), and the 2012 UK Cup Tasting Champion. Following her overview of the benefits of taking part in the sector’s barista competitions, this month she outlines what it takes, and means, to be a Q grader. Career pathway The coffee industry is a vast domain of people fulfilling many jobs and functions, with a few individuals lucky enough to have those ‘dream’ jobs at the top of the chain. That could be anything from barista training manager, head roaster to green coffee buyer, or even managing director. The unfortunate thing in the coffee industry is acknowledging qualifications that allow people to see a clear career pathway, and then showing them a route that will enable them to progress into these jobs, and how. The SCAE’s diploma system for instance is a good example of an education system which gives people a good understanding of the basics barista skills, green coffee, roasting, cupping etc. However, the experience that is gained from doing the work day in, day out cannot be quantified. Invaluable experience One system I’m a huge believer in, is the Coffee Quality Institute’s Q Grader programme. Not just for the six days of sensory exams required, but getting to spend one week with other industry cuppers, or green buyers, is a truly awesome opportunity to share knowledge and learn something new. In 2010, the first Q grader course was organised in London, with each participant singing the praises of the course. So in 2011, I had no
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option but to sign up mysef, the intrigue being enough to make me want to try it. I convinced myself I wouldn’t pass, mainly as I sat in the room and when everyone introduced themselves, and their experience and their knowledge, I felt somewhat underprepared. However, I was one of the group that passed and since then I’ve not looked back. The Q grader programme is a six day course consisting of some 22 exams, five triangulations, five cupping
tables, four olfactory, sensory skills A, B and C, organic acids, roasted sample ID, green grading, roasted grading and finally general knowledge. Common language The programme is designed to give a common language to describe qualities in coffee and is used from the farmer to the consumer. It is essential when describing acidity levels, or overall scores, that we are all singing from the same hymn
TALK
Barista talk
RISTA A B
sheet. When coffee is ‘scored’, it’s scored out of 100. There are ten attributes aroma/fragrance, flavour, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, sweetness, cleanliness and overall impression - each with a maximum score of 10. The Q course focuses on the SCAA (Speciality Coffee Association of America) cupping forms, which is the industry standard for cupping. Many people embark on the Q course, from farmers, exporters, importers to green buyers, and now baristas, all hoping that this qualification will help them onto the next level. Each one of these groups of coffee professionals choose to certify as a Q grader for many different reasons, but they all share the common theme of consistency of coffee quality. Roasters and green buyers use this to ensure that the quality of the coffee they buy matches pre-shipment samples, and that they can honestly and objectively appraise a coffee. Exporters and farmers use this to communicate with importers and green buyers to make sure when we say “88, notes of blueberry and peach, citrus like acidity and juicy body”, we know what to expect. I often get asked “would you recommend doing the course?”, and I’ve never said no yet, and I’m sure that won’t be happening anytime soon!
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NEW PRODUCTS
RescueSpecs - courtesy reading glasses and display stand Opticaid UK – an optical specialist with over 24 years’ experience - have just launched a new product called RescueSpecs for the restaurant industry. RescueSpecs are a set of three courtesy reading glasses (in three convenient reading strengths) with a quality compact display stand and are
ideal for customers who have forgotten their reading glasses or are struggling with the small print – perhaps on a menu, or the bill. They have quality aspheric lightweight shaped lenses, durable sprung hinges and come in an attractive unisex style. They will not harm your eyes, but are a simple
Uni chalks up another impressive pen range Uni has developed a range of Liquid Chalk Markers. These wet-erase markers are a must for businesses who use sidewalk signs to draw customers inside and also for those using various signage within their establishments to promote daily offers, live events and menus. These non-permanent markers are suitable for use on menu boards (black and white boards), metal and plastic signage, shop windows, plus a wide range of non-porous surfaces. They contain a water-based liquid chalk delivering a smooth consistent write/draw line that is weather resistant when dry but can be easily removed at
any time with a damp cloth. Coming in two nib sizes and eight vibrant colours white, light blue, red, violet, fluorescent pink, green, yellow and orange – they offer caterers and retailers an effective way to convey their latest promotions, inside and outside their premises (call 033 0100 9933 or visit www.uniball.co.uk).
magnification aid (reading small print can often become a problem from the age of 40). Opticaid are currently offering readers the chance to buy a RescueSpecs package for £24.99 and receive a second package at half price (call freephone 0800 169 3760 or visit www. rescuespecs.com).
Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd launches the new Thermamite® Thermometer The new Thermamite thermometer offers improved accuracy, flexibility and ease of use, coupled with the durability and reliability that is required by the food and catering industry in helping to meet today’s food hygiene legislation. The thermometer incorporates a clear LCD display with a precise read-out of temperature over the range of -50 to 300°C with a 1°C resolution. Low battery and open circuit indication are also displayed, when applicable. The unit will power off automatically after ten minutes, maximising battery life. Thermamite
QED supplies new refurbished servery system with induction cooking to Bellahouston Leisure Centre Bellahouston Leisure Centre is in Bellahouston Park, south west Glasgow and provides facilities for every major indoor sport. Completely renovated in 2001, the restaurant at the leisure centre has recently undergone a major refurbishment, carried out by Glasgowbased catering and refrigeration specialists Quality Equipment Distributors (QED). The main servery counter has been completely redesigned, with a new colour scheme and the addition of two new
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drop-in display counters, a new condiment counter and a new custommade induction wok for making quick stir fry meals. The improvements to the servery system have provided the catering staff with greatly enhanced display space for chilled snacks, cakes, pasta and salads, as well as a much cleaner and more modern image in order to attract the many customers of all ages that frequent the leisure centre (call 0141 779 9503, or visit www.qualityequipment.co.uk).
thermometers have the Biomaster Antimicrobial Technology moulded into instrument cases and probe handles at the time of manufacture. The Biomaster antimicrobial finish inhibits the growth of bacteria, reducing the risk of cross-contamination in the kitchen environment and is increasingly accepted within HACCP and due diligence procedures as an important extra level of defence (call 01903 202151, or visit www.etiltd.com).
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NEW PRODUCTS
A high speed hot dog, New York style! Adding a new dimension to the burgeoning street food scene, the fully cooked and frozen sausage and meat balls manufacturer, Snowbird foods, has developed a British version of the New York Hot Dog. Snowbird is presenting a traditional British sausage made of bowl chopped (not minced) quality cuts of pork which it fries and oven bakes in the factory to a uniform golden brown before freezing. The iconic hot dog flavour profile features a complex yet balanced recipe of rapeseed oil, both standard and smoked salt, rubbed marjoram, standard and smoked black pepper, garlic, coriander and ginger. Made in London, the all British New York Hot Dog can be produced in various sizes. Snowbird research has identified
International Paper – exhibiting a greener ‘culture’ 100g as ideal because this delivers a 28mm sausage which gives a good filling to a standard hot dog roll (call 020 8805 9222, or visit www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk).
International Paper ‘tools up’ for growth in the UK vending market International Paper is preparing to storm the vending market with the arrival of new tooling which will allow the paper cup manufacturer to produce 7oz and 12oz paper cups to fit any vending machine for the very first time from its UK base in Winsford. The 7oz cups, which have a 70.3 mm diameter, will be manufactured primarily for the European market while the 12oz cups will be available to all vending operators in the UK. “By spending an extra couple of pence or so, the vending operator can give the end customer the same quality cup as he or she might expect to get if buying a coffee from a High Street chain – but obviously at a
fraction of the price,” explains MD for International Paper Foodservice, Mike Turner (call 01606 552537, or visit www.ipfoodservice.co.uk).
Global packaging company, International Paper, created a green space at this year’s recent Caffè Culture event with its ecotainer® product line. The ecotainer® range features hot cups, cold cups, food containers and lids, all made from fully renewable resources. One of the first environmentally-friendly offerings from a global packaging company, it remains among the greenest to date, requiring less energy to produce than a traditional paper cup. The inner linings are made from ingeo biopolymer, a plant-based material and fibre sourced from sustainably managed forests that meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®(SFI®) standards of the USA. “As a percentage of the ecotainer® product line is now manufactured in the UK at our Winsford plant, it ticks all the boxes for customers who have the most eco-friendly agenda and are concerned with how the products they buy are transported,” said MD, Mike Turner (call 01606 552537, or visit www.ipfoodservice.co.uk).
Spicy sausages have chorizo hit Another money-spinning idea for midspend profit sector restaurants has been developed by those innovative brains in the fast-moving new product development department at Snowbird foods who have added a new flavour to their growing portfolio of products that will heat for service in seconds in a microwave or in minutes in an oven. Pork & Spiced Chorizo Sausages weigh in at 50g and have a pork content of 80%. Presented in beef collagen casings and oven baked to a golden
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brown in the factory before being individually quick frozen, these innovative new speciality sausages contain diced chorizo and are seasoned with smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, ginger, parsley and garlic. “Our special chorizo is an ideal solution for those restaurants looking for a sausage that is so different their outlet will stand out from the crowd and attract repeat business,” said Snowbird sales director, Roy Anderson (call 020 8805 9222, or visit www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk).
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PROFILE
Fresh pasta and Fresh coffee BB Pasta Bar is a family-owned restaurant and opened in London in February 2013. Their two Italian chefs - Martina and Zampier - have both worked in Michelin-starred restaurants back in Italy and are now realising their dreams of creating a good local Italian restaurant in London. With an emphasis on high quality and authenticity, they recently selected Nespresso to ensure that their coffee offering is just as good as their pasta. Coffee partnership Nespresso (www.nespresso.com) teamed up with BB Pasta Bar (www.bbpastabar.com) in April, installing a Gemini CS 220 PRO from its professional Business Solutions range. The Gemini CS 220 PRO enables restaurants to create exceptional barista quality coffee without the need for specially trained staff. It is fitted with double head technology and a milk frothing function, making the machine perfect for latte lovers, and helping to make flawless cappuccinos and latte macchiatos at the touch of a button. And what is it that is most important to Italians when eating at their favourite local restaurant? “The pasta and the coffee,” says Martina Mosco. “So our partnership with Nespresso is pretty important to us!” The Nespresso Business Solutions team worked with BB Pasta Bar to ensure that they had a machine which met their needs. It is a fast paced kitchen with a high volume of covers
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over lunch and dinner service, so it was imperative that the coffee is also served efficiently and consistently. “The Gemini machine allows the user to make multiple coffees at the same time – it is very time efficient. And because of the portioned system there is no waste – the portion is controlled by the machine to ensure the perfect cup of coffee, time after time,” says Ian McDonald, B2B commercial manager at Nespresso. The entire process of creating a coffee using the Gemini CS 220 PRO – from the blending, roasting and grinding of the coffee beans to the speed and flow of the coffee through the machine – influences all aspects of the quality of the coffee. The extraction system works in union with the Nespresso capsules to carefully release the rich aromas and character of each coffee bean so that the quality is always consistent. Martina Mosco agrees, but as a chef, also places emphasis on the quality of Nespresso coffee. The Italian native
instinctively recognises good coffee, she points out, and so it needed to match up to her high standards – just as every other ingredient that comes into her kitchen does. “We chose Nespresso for a number of reasons. We make fresh pasta from scratch every day, and our food is hearty, homemade, fresh and authentic. Nespresso can genuinely meet the standard we set for our food – because of the portioned system the coffee is fresh and of a consistently high quality.” Customisation Martina Mosco is the head chef
at BB Pasta Bar and her mix of traditional Italian dishes, coupled with a modern twist on the classics, makes for an interesting and varied menu. You can personalise your dish by choosing your favourite type of pasta, the topping, which cheese, and even which type of oil you would like, making it a unique dining experience. As well as the fresh pasta made daily on site and the best Italian ingredients, they also use free range farm poultry, farm reared meat and fresh vegetables from around the UK. BB Pasta Bar also offers a varied and extensive wine list (traditional Italian classics as
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PROFILE
well as the choice of new world and other European wines to complement their dishes). The restaurant can be booked for parties and is just down the road from their BB Bakery shop. “From the start we wanted to make pasta the star here,” says Martina Mosco. “We make different varieties of pasta fresh from scratch in the kitchen every day, and diners are invited to personalise their dish. For example, you can have a spaghetti ragu on your first visit but come back again and choose ragu sauce with fusilli pasta which is a totally different dish,” she points out. “And the choice we offer on
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our menu extends to the coffee we serve. With Nespresso we can offer a coffee menu where diners are able to choose from a full bodied Ristretto, or an aromatic Lungo Leggero – this is a pretty special and unique offering and our guests love it. They know as much as we do how important the perfect coffee is to end a great Italian meal.” Premium positioning Nestlé Nespresso SA has become a pioneer and reference for high quality portioned premium coffee. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, it now operates in
more than 50 countries with more than 7000 employees and in 2011 it operated a global retail network of 270 exclusive boutiques. The quality of its coffee has resulted in Nespresso being chosen by many internationally renowned chefs, professional associations and high-end hospitality groups as their coffee partner. The brand has formed partnerships with prestigious culinary organisations and chefs around the world to interact and share viewpoints with key players in the industry. It also has agreements with over 15 international luxury hotel chains and it is a recognised partner of Relais & Châteaux. In the UK, Nespresso supply more than 15 Michelin starred restaurants including The Fat Duck (Michelin 3*), Hibiscus (Michelin 2*), The Square (Michelin 2*), The Ledbury (Michelin 2*), Simpsons (Michelin 1*) and Casamia (Michelin 1*). Globally, over 650 Gault Millau and Michelin star restaurants have selected Nespresso for its premium quality, and it also supplies restaurants around in the world in countries such as China, Singapore, the USA, Russia and the rest of Europe. The company has created eight Grands Crus coffee blends specially for its restaurant and business customers. Each Nespresso Grand Cru offers unique aromatic notes to meet individual taste preferences, and each of the eight Grand Cru coffees have distinct aromas, tastes and levels of intensity,
say the company. The Nespresso team manage every aspect of the quality process from selecting those countries that supply the coffee used in each Grand Crus, to working closely with farmers to produce premium beans using sustainable methods, to making use of the 25 years of continuous innovation which enables Nespresso machines to precisely control all of the elements necessary to prepare the perfect cup of coffee. Both Nespresso and BB Pasta Bar have noticed that the habits of their customers are evolving and that they are increasingly appreciating, selecting and demanding superior quality coffees both at home and out-of-home. Nespresso and BB Pasta Bar share this passion for the perfect coffee, and work together to anticipate and cater to the expectations of customers, aiming to create the ideal coffee experience for guests. “Increasingly, consumers expect to find the quality coffees they enjoy with their home Nespresso systems when they are away from home,” says Ian McDonald. “We work with the world’s leading hospitality businesses to recreate Nespresso moments away from home and deliver on the expectations of our consumers. Our relationship with BB Pasta Bar and our other hospitality partners enables us to work together to provide coffee lovers with the quality coffee they have come to expect.”
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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Human resources Liz Strama of specialist human resources company, HR Protected, answers some of your human resource management queries. HR Protected have worked with clients to develop and implement strong and efficient HR systems, having also developed a cost-effective, easy to use specific HR pack aimed at cafés and coffee shops (www.hrprotected.co.uk). Question I have a great team of employees, but there are two people who are always arguing and conflicting with each other. It’s bringing the rest of the team down and I need to get this resolved quickly. Answer It sounds simple, but have you actually sat down with them one-on-one to ask what the problem is? Most of the time, it’s usually because a small issue has been blown up out of proportion. Once it starts gathering momentum, it’s then difficult to resolve without intervention. Issues can also occur when people have personalities that clash. You can’t change people’s personalities, but you can help them to understand each other which goes a long way in resolving the problem. Another great way of resolving the issue is to do some team building events which make your employees realise they have to work together to get the best results!
Question My employee keeps taking time off ill, but I’m suspicious her illnesses are not true. What can I do? Answer The first question is do you have a sickness absence policy in place? If so, what does your policy state? If you don’t have a sickness absence policy you should implement one straight away. This policy should clearly state how you will deal with sickness absence. The policy should also state that unauthorised absences will be subject to disciplinary procedures. Additionally, we would recommend using the Bradford Factor procedure, which is effectively a ‘point-scoring’ process. If an employee is absent they accumulate points, and if the points reach a certain level they can be dealt with via disciplinary procedures.
New pension provisions There are new laws around workplace pensions that are affecting employers all over the UK. The hospitality sector in particular has a huge challenge ahead of them in understanding what is required of them by law, and how to go about meeting their duties, warn the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST www.nestpensions.org.uk/emp loyers). 2012 saw the biggest shake up in retirement provision in the last 100 years. Starting with the largest employers and rolling out over the next five years, some 11 million people working for around 1.2 million employers will be automatically enrolled into
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pensions. The new laws mean that practically every employer must automatically enrol their eligible workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and make contributions. What does automatic enrolment mean for you? The challenge for the catering and hospitality industry is big. 64% of workers in the sector are eligible for automatic enrolment and only 14% of those employees are currently saving into a scheme. What do you need to do? A good starting point is to understand your ‘staging date’ and work back from that. Your staging date is the date you
need to comply with the duties by. You can find this out from the Pensions Regulator’s website, along with other guidance on the rules. Who do I need to enrol? An eligible worker is aged between 22 and State Pension Age, working in the UK and
earning above £9,440. You will also need to consider what scheme or schemes you will use to meet the automatic enrolment requirements, decide on your contribution levels for different groups of workers and ensure your payroll systems (if you have them) can manage
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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
How long does it take to prepare for my employer duties? If your staging date is over a year away it can be tempting to push it to the bottom of your ‘to do’ list. However, many employers are underestimating how long it can take to get the implementation of automatic enrolment right. It can take between six and 18 months to get ready, depending on the size and complexity of your business. Whatever their size, the vast majority of employers will face similar decisions and activities, although on differing scales.
changes will affect them). Pensions are often seen as confusing. A recent survey conducted by NEST found that the majority of consumers (71%) agree they may not have put enough aside because they don't want to make the wrong decision about saving for retirement. Nearly half (47%) agree it’s because they don’t know enough about what would be their best option. These figures suggest that many workers lack confidence about workplace pensions and this may mean more questions for you as an employer. If you communicate ahead of the changes, in clear language, you’re likely to reduce the number of queries from your employees.
What do I need to tell my workers? Your workers will need to be told about the changes in writing, either by paper or email. The information you need to tell your workers is set out in legislation and includes details of the pension scheme you use and the contributions for your workers, as well as where your workers can go for more information (NEST has templates you can use, both to meet your legal requirements and materials to help your workers understand how the
How much do I have to contribute? Minimum contributions will start at 2% of qualifying earnings from 2012, of which the employer must contribute 1%; then they’ll rise gradually over the next few years to a total minimum contribution of 8% of which employers will have to put in a minimum contribution of 3% of those earnings. NEST also advise employers not to assume that your existing provider will be able to help all of your workers, so
pension payments every pay period.
start a conversation with them early on to see what they can do (NEST has a Public Service Obligation which means that NEST can work with every employer of any size or structure to help them meet
“
their duties and is currently working with over 400 household name employers from a wide range of sectors, including Greene King Pubs, Spirit Pub Company and Elior UK).
As someone who has spent time researching their new café (opening soon) I was very impressed with the information provided by the Café Society. They also made some good connections for us and it was certainly worthwhile joining in advance of opening. Their on-line Hygiene training course was just what we needed to open fully trained.
Pauline Hennessy Croydon
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