November/ December 2022 Coffee Notes from Nestlé Coffee Partners

NOTES

Welcome to the November/ December issue of Coffee Notes.

This issue starts with festive favourites – the role they play in society and why we love them so much. From there, we’ll take you on a deep dive into the past, present and future of coffee branding – how it’s changed and developed with the times and where it could be heading. We’ll then share with you three ways you can make your coffee last longer, before leaving you with a fantastic technique for understanding an espresso: the Salami Technique.

As always, we’re here if you have any questions or want to talk through anything you’ve read here today. You can get in touch with us at: coffeepartners@uk.nestle.com

FESTIVE FAVOURITES: THE ROLE OF SEASONAL DRINKS IN SOCIETY AND WHY WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH

When it gets to this time of year – the sun sets a bit sooner, the nights stretch further and the day-to-day feels cold – we like to reach for comfort. Sometimes it’s the cosiness of a jumper or a thick blanket. But, for those of us who love a hot drink, we can’t resist reaching for a festive favourite. Festive drinks, for us, are a sign that the season is upon us. Braving the cold in search of one becomes an eagerly anticipated event – a celebration of tradition, reflection and promise – and once that first sip is taken, it becomes an appreciation of craft, comfort and flavour.

A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION

Little says “seasonal drink” quite like a hot chocolate or mocha with whipped cream; or a warm syrupy delight shared with friends and family to the backdrop of soft jazz; or wrapping your hands around a steamy chai latte to the hum of Christmas chart music.

Coffee shops have always been a place where people gather, but festive drinks become an extra reason to gather, a topic of conversation. “Have you seen the latest festive menu?” is often followed by an impromptu visit to the local coffee shop to taste and savour in true, festive delight before the season is over.

IT’S ALL IN A NAME

How do

Rolling back to

It all

the

And the closer to Christmas we get, the more we see menus take on more festive, warmer tones.

come with toffee nut tones or

with

like the latte

waffle-flavoured

and

Hot chocolates become

The move into the festive season gives coffee brands the opportunity to explore and experiment with

through exciting names with the intent of

and entice

the imaginations of the

PICTURE PERFECT

Whether it’s to the backdrop of a coffee shop, the high street, the Christmas market or the comfort of home, festive drinks make for the perfect subject for festive photos. Hashtags like #christmascoffee appear on Instagram in 96,000 posts, while #festiveflavours has been used 6,600 times. 2 Scroll the stream of photos and you'll find the soft foam of a cappuccino sprinkled with cinnamon, snowmen latte art, whipped cream and candy canes sticking out of hot chocolates. Name a better subject to create a more festive feeling, we’ll wait…

SYNONYMOUS WITH CHEER AND JOY

We’ll all have a specific drink in mind when we think of 'festive favourites'. Even if the days are shorter, the nights longer and the temperatures colder than we ever remember them being. While each festive drink may be different in name, size and taste, they all carry meaning, warmth and are synonymous with cheer, joy and the festive season. Maybe this reason alone is why festive favourites are national treasures throughout the world.

READ

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF COFFEE BRANDING

Coffee has come a long way since its humble beginnings – not just in terms of how it’s brewed and consumed, but how it’s perceived and marketed. As it stands, Brits alone consume 2.8kg of coffee per person, per year on average. 3

How did it reach this level of significance in a nation renowned for its tea drinking? While there’s no definitive answer, we can largely put it down to great marketing. Advancements in print, radio, TV, smart phones and social media have played a huge part in coffee becoming a staple in our lives and shaped how and when we consume it.

Starting from the origins of coffee, let’s look at how coffee marketing has changed over the years and how it could shape up in the future…

WORD OF MOUTH

Before marketing as we know

was through word of

culture

others from the

form of

the communities in regions such as Ethiopia

was an established

was an event and

it

hosts

PRINT AND PRIVILEGE

As colonialism spread in the 1600s, coffee made its way from Africa and the Middle East to the shores of North America and Europe, where the first known printed advert for coffee was published, in 1652, by a man called Pasqua Rosée. Although he was responsible for opening one of the first coffeehouses in London, he made absurd claims in the advert about the pharmacological effects of coffee, claiming that coffee was good for the “digestive tract, curing headaches, coughs, tuberculosis, edema, gout and could even help to prevent miscarriage.” 4

Like today, a coffee shop was a place where people gathered to socialise, network and catch up on news. The coffee itself was more of a catalyst for conversation and had become a symbol of enlightenment and reason, almost completely isolated from its African roots.

This was the case throughout the second half of the 17th century, where it was solely associated with status and wealth among the upper classes, the only people who could afford to drink coffee.

Small-printed advertisements, like the one created by Pasqua Rosée, continued to be passed around and used to advertise coffee, though only describing in very basic terms how a cup of coffee was prepared and its supposed health benefits as a “herbal remedy and invigorating elixir.” 5

Coffee encouraged sobriety and created an atmosphere to engage in more serious conversation, perhaps in contrast to that of the alehouse at the time. This sophisticated representation of coffee would take some time to change, but that change did come.

THE FIGHT TO BE THE FACE OF COFFEE

The early 1900s saw a huge boom in coffee marketing. Why? Coffee brands were fighting to be ‘the face of coffee’ as it became more available to consumers of all economic backgrounds.

After World War One, the marketing of coffee took on more complex campaigns, with its focus turning towards how roasters could supposedly add quality to the coffee and therefore, add value.

One success story was the Morning Sip blend campaign by Alexander Sheppard & Sons. Advertised in 1916 as “pure, sweet and wholesome” thanks to the removal of the coffee’s 'overcoat', this small insight into the coffee process and how it was linked to the better taste created a fresh kind of consumer impression. In the case of Morning Sip, it became so successful that Sheppard & Sons had to build a new distribution centre just to keep up with demand!

By 1920, large US coffee roasters were spending as much as $3 million (equivalent to more than US $39 million today) on marketing throughout the course of the year.

1900s

THE INSTANT CONVENIENCE

After its introduction, instant coffee became a focal point of coffee marketing and saw coffee make its way away from being consumed in coffee shops and made by professionals, to being enjoyed at home by everyday folk.

At the time, the best way to get this message across was utilising radio time and billboard space along roads. By the end of the Second World War, coffee brands selling instant coffee set out to raise brand awareness further amongst the general public as it became even more accessible, both financially and geographically.

One brand in particular, George Washington’s Instant Coffee, printed an advert in 1945 using the slogan “no coffee pot, no grounds, no waste.” This showed just how keen the coffee industry was to hang its hat on something that has remained high on the agenda ever since: convenience.

WHEN CONVENIENCE MEETS LUXURY

In 1988 the game changed once again with the rise of Nespresso. Led by Jean-Paul Gaillard, who was inspired by the wine industry to market Nespresso's capsules as a luxury item. This was despite the fact that the capsules were reasonably affordable for most consumers. He also reduced the prices of Nespresso capsule machines so they could be sold in a greater number of stores.

They’d perfectly combined three marketing buzzwords that coffee brands had hung their marketing hats on for centuries in one product: affordability, convenience and luxury. Something that hadn’t been successfully executed before.

THE INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION

The invention of televisions completely changed the game for coffee marketing. Now, coffee brands had the power to deliver their campaigns straight into consumer homes using not only sound but visuals too.

During the 1950s and 1960s, household coffee marketing was more targeted towards women, with many adverts claiming that good coffee was necessary to 'please their husbands'. However, that approach changed and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the McCann Erickson campaign for Nescafé, the ‘Gold Blend couple’, captured the hearts of everyone, providing British TV watchers with a positive message about the role of coffee in romantic relationships.

But while the adverts offered a lot in terms of emotion and positive association, there was little information on the coffee itself.

TODAY

A PREMIUM PRODUCT

Though it remains a drink available to everyone, there are varying audiences for different types of coffee, from everyday coffee to speciality. With the progression of farming techniques, roasting technology and brewing methods, speciality coffee in particular has elevated in taste and texture, and the marketing of speciality coffee has reflected this in the detail that goes into explaining aspects like origin, roast level, processing methods, tasting notes and preferred brewing methods.

While convenience remains one of the largest selling points of coffee – something that has been aided massively by technology innovations such as pod machines and speciality coffee sachets – a huge effort has been put into promoting the craft that goes into making coffee and selling the idea of the ‘home barista’, where the consumer can produce third wave, speciality coffee in the comfort of their own home – a huge elevation from the instant coffee evolution in the early 1900s.

TRANSPARENCY

Sustainability is vital for coffee marketing in the modern day. The carbon footprint of the coffee industry is well documented and there are now social, political and ecological pressures to address it in production practices. In addition, these pressures extend to using marketing to ensure brands are informing consumers of their sustainable standards.

Even Nespresso’s luxury messaging has changed. While 2006 saw the elegant and exclusive lifestyle message thrive, today’s coffee industry is different and coffee consumers need more than George Clooney. Since 2006 the brand has been even more proactive and innovative in addressing issues such as capsule waste, while continuing to discuss in detail its ethical sourcing practices.

Social media is one of the most direct ways for modern-day coffee brands to communicate sustainability messaging to consumers. Coffee brands can update consumers throughout the day on their latest views and progress in their sustainability journeys organically to current customers, or through paid advertising spend to attract new customers. They can now have a consistent dialogue with consumers, respond in real-time to current-day affairs and be part of conversations that enable them to gain customer insight.

STIGMA OF SPECIALITY

Part of marketing coffee – particularly speciality grade coffee – is trying to lessen the stigma attached to it. Third wave coffee led to people viewing coffee as a beverage for the 'pretentious' – a semantic, if not societal return to the pre 1900s view of coffee only being for a privileged few. While this definition doesn’t stretch the entire landscape of the coffee industry, speciality coffee brands are trying to remove this label through their marketing strategies, one of which is making their coffee available in supermarkets at affordable prices.

THE HOME BARISTA

The Covid-19 pandemic forced coffee brands to think quickly and adapt to the new reality, with roasters in particular seeing their sales in home subscription services and retail coffee bags skyrocket. Although the term 'home barista' had been a thing for some time, it became a buzzword again and a focal point for coffee marketing throughout lockdown and continues through the hybrid working model.

BRAND COLLABORATIONS

In recent years we’ve seen a rise in collaborations between brands, both within the coffee industry as well as with brands in other industries. Nescafé has recently been collaborating with speciality coffee roasters like Grindsmith Coffee Roasters to create instant coffee with speciality flare in an attempt to bridge the gap between everyday roast and ground, instant coffee and speciality grade coffee.

Further, we’ve also seen coffee and clothing brands sharing spaces in big cities, creating 'destination' shopping experiences. Partnering up with brands with shared values across other industries is a great way to market to larger audiences that perhaps wouldn't otherwise be aware of the coffee brand.

FUTURE

The current cost of living crisis in the UK was unforeseen and shows just how hard it is to predict exactly what tomorrow will bring. But immediately, coffee brands are having to adapt their approach to marketing premium coffee.

SUSTAINABILITY

The importance of sustainability and all that covers, from production, through transport, processing and the making of the final drinks is not going to go away. It should be fundamental to the way we all think about what we do. Brands will increasingly need to prove that their products are produced sustainably. By using social media for example, brands can share videos of landscapes, farmers and processing methods that produced a particular coffee, helping to give consumers a more direct look at what goes into their coffee.

HOME TOOLS AND TECH

We could well see a rise in the marketing of home brewing technology. What the pandemic did was show how consumers – with the right tools and educational material – can do what the professionals do. With this, coffee brands could market coffee equipment further, from filter and pod machines to home coffee roasters, alongside their own premium coffee products.

THREE WAYS YOU CAN MAKE YOUR COFFEE LAST LONGER

It’s becoming more important than ever to make money and the things we invest in go further. Coffee is a commodity that comes in all shapes and sizes, from instant coffee tins to coffee sachets, pods, filters, ground coffee, whole beans and more. While some are designed to last a long time (e.g., instant coffee, coffee sachets, pods etc.), ground coffee and whole beans tend to have a shorter shelf life.

So, with a focus on coffee beans and ground coffee, we’re going to explore five ways you can make your coffee last longer.

Store it right in airtight containers

The greatest enemies to your coffee are air, moisture, heat and light.

The retail packaging that coffee comes in is generally not ideal for long-term storage and battling these enemies.

The best way to combat these and keep your coffee fresher for longer is to store them in an opaque, air-tight container at room temperature, ideally in a dark and cool location, away from the oven and not on kitchen tops.

Buy and grind the right amount

If you like to limit your coffee intake, try to buy smaller batches of coffee – enough for one or two weeks. If you prefer to keep your beans in an accessible container, you can divide your coffee into smaller portions, with the larger, unused portion in an air-tight container. This is especially important when buying pre-ground coffee as it’s had much more exposure to oxygen.

If you buy whole beans, grind the amount you need before brewing, rather than grinding the entire bag of beans.

In both cases, use scales to weigh your beans/ grounds and measure your yield (how much coffee you end up with).

The more accurate you can be, the more you can save.

Make the freezer your friend

Going on holiday or away for a long weekend? If so, freezing your coffee will essentially lock the flavours into the coffee beans and keeps the coffee in the same state as it would be a few days after roasting. Will it taste as good as freshly roasted? Maybe not, but it’ll be very close.

Note: It’s still important to store your coffee in an airtight container!

An overriding theme is being mindful about your coffee. From buying and brewing to storing your beans, think about how you can get the most from your coffee and minimise the amount of coffee waste. Even after you’ve brewed your coffee, there are still things you can do with your used coffee grounds!

THREE WAYS YOU CAN MAKE UNDERSTANDING ESPRESSO: THE SALAMI TECHNIQUE

Dialling in espresso is a daily routine for baristas. It’s an essential process that ensures the best tasting and most consistent coffee possible. The process can be tricky and if you’re somebody who doesn’t know all the ins and outs of coffee, it can be a very tough task.

But as is the case with many things in life, if you break something down or take something apart, you can gain a much deeper understanding of what goes into it and how it all comes together.

In this case, it’s the espresso. So, how do we break down an espresso? We could take apart an espresso machine and see how the mechanics of it work, but for more on the coffee machine, it’s best to check out our piece on its history, here . Although, understanding the coffee machine doesn’t do much when trying to understand the taste and texture complexities of an espresso.

There’s a technique recommended by leading baristas around the world, including Chris Baca , co-founder of Cat and Cloud and former US Barista champion. It’s called the Salami Technique. This technique unpacks the stages of espresso extraction and the tastes that occur during each stage. This is a great technique for teaching new baristas how to pull better shots.

TASTING THE SHOT

Start by tasting cup #1 and the first little bit of the espresso shot. Smell it, taste it, think about it. Write down your experience. Is it bitter, sour, strong, weak, bright, dull, flavourful? Record as much as you can.

Then, take a sip of water and clear your palate. Record your observations for each cup, going straight down the line. What do you notice? How does the taste and smell of each cup change?

While the flavours will vary depending on which coffee you’re working with, you’ll notice significant changes with each cup. With a good double shot of coffee, the following generalities should apply:

Extremely sour, thick in texture and too intense to enjoy on its own.

Brighter, but still a little too sweet and very strong.

Bright flavours coming through. Still sweet but not unpleasant.

Balanced with a subtle sweetness and nice mouthfeel. A pleasant middleground.

Flavour notes starting to become more defined.

Flavours start to dilute. Texture is dry, thin and watery.

For help with identifying flavours, we recommend using this flavour wheel

Pull another shot of coffee. Stir it thoroughly, taste it and compare it to the six cups you’ve just tasted. Which cup is closest? This Salami Technique gives you a simple frame of reference for troubleshooting your espresso to make simple changes to improve its flavour and balance.