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magazine MARCH 2011 ISSUE 43
TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR
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Welcome!
CONTENTS NEWS
In this issue, we indulge in the world of coffee by hearing from some ‘coffee geeks’, and hopefully offer some informative insight to those still getting to grips with life as a barista, blends of coffee and espressos. We also highlight several café concept ideas, as well as reveal how designers approach the creation and eventual ‘look and feel’ of coffee shops. At the time of going to press, this year’s Café Society Awards shortlist has been announced (turn to page 12 for details), with the winners to be announced at the awards lunch at the Rooftop Gardens in Kensington, London (22 March 2011). We look forward to meeting many of you at this event which not only recognises innovation and high standards in the industry, but offers a great networking opportunity!
4 UK coffee drinkers demand perfection. 5 Coffee hits a 34 year high.
ARTICLES
7 Teknomat launches new range of Italian espresso machines.
28 It’s good to grill – a closer look at Pantheon’s range of contact grills.
8 Boston Tea Party Café hires a coffee guru.
30 Taking care of hygiene – Julie Ray of SCA discusses hygiene issues for outlets.
CAFÉ SOCIETY 12 Café Society Awards 2011
Clare Benfield - Editor Editor Clare Benfield, Tel: 01291 636336, E-mail: clare@jandmgroup.co.uk Advertising Manager Paul Steer Tel: 01291 636342 E-mail: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk Production Manager Jayson Berry, Tel: 01291 636339, E-mail: jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk Subscriptions and Customer Service Tony Lorimer, Tel: 01291 636333 E-mail: tony@cafesociety.orguk 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
34 Café concepts – ways of differentiating your café or coffee shop.
PREVIEWS 20 Caffè Culture 2011 40 The Natural Food Show 2011
FEATURES 14 Coffee shop couture – tips and advice from outlet designers. 22 Coffee geeks – ‘behind the bean’ with some coffee enthusiasts.
38 Q&A with… Joanne Fairweather, UK Barista Championship technical judge.
REGULARS 42 Barista talk – your barista questions answered. 44 Coffee clinic – your maintenance questions answered. 45 New products. 46 Product listings. 47 Checkout.
Visit us at CaffÈ Culture stand no. K28
DON’T MISS YOUR COPY. SUBSCRIBE NOW! CALL 01291 636333. www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk
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NEWS
UK coffee drinkers demand perfection
rport will g London City Ai Travellers usin enjoy the Illy soon be able to e. Café experienc te Espressamen
SSP wins London City Airport contract SSP has secured a multi-million pound deal to operate five cafés and restaurants at London City Airport. Two new cafés will begin trading by the summer, and three existing outlets will be refurbished and enhanced during a programme scheduled to be completed by August of this year, say SSP, with passengers able to choose between high quality bespoke bar and restaurant offers, designed to meet the needs of the discerning City Airport traveller and the tastes of a unique mix of travellers. Bringing an authentic café experience to the terminal, Illy Espressamente Café will offer premium artisan coffees. It will also serve Italian-inspired bakery products, together with a range of savouries. The new facilities will also include two Panopolis bakeries, one located landside, one airside. With an impressive range of premium quality breads and inspired, creative fillings, Panopolis will appeal to the urbane City traveller in a new development that marks the brand’s debut at a UK airport. Tony Keating, CEO of SSP UK feels that the successful proposals were based on SSP’s extensive knowledge of the airport consumer, founded in the company’s detailed programme of consumer research as well as specific understanding of the traveller at City Airport. “We are providing world-class innovation in food quality, supported by a high quality service proposition and are delighted to be joining forces with City Airport at this exciting time in its development,” he said in a statement. All staff currently employed at the existing bars and restaurants will be retained by SSP, say the company. 4 MARCH 2011
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The key ingredient in choosing the perfect coffee shop is the quality of the coffee itself according to a survey of 3,000 UK coffee drinkers carried out by independent coffee roaster, Matthew Algie. A total of 38% of the respondents to the poll listed coffee quality as their most important criterion when choosing a coffee shop, as opposed to price (19%) and convenient location (18%). The survey was conducted on behalf of Matthew Algie, and quizzed coffee fans across the UK to find out what is important when choosing a cup of coffee. The survey also revealed that in an ideal world, nearly half of the UK’s coffee drinkers (41%) would prefer a coffee which was Fairtrade, organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified (triple certified) – an issue that is a already a top priority for Matthew Algie, say the company, who take time to visit suppliers in Central and South America, Africa and Asia to work on initiatives that make a difference to coffee quality, as well as growers and the environment. According to the survey, the latte is Britain’s preferred coffee drink, with 27% of coffee drinkers choosing the milky beverage as their favourite, closely followed by the cappuccino at 22%. But it appears that the latte is less popular with men (22%) than women (29%), with an espresso being favoured by more than twice as many men (13%) than women (6%).
More than anything else, the quality of the coffee they drink matters greatly to UK customers, observe Matthew Algie.
Coffee fans also seem to regard coffee consumption as more of a social activity - not rushing to work or on the train, but at elevenses with something indulgent as a pre-lunch boost. Despite being a must have drink in the morning, Matthew Algie say they also discovered that 36% of the UK coffee drinkers they surveyed would rather have their favourite coffee as a mid-morning coffee pick me up accompanied by something sweet such as a slice of cake. Meanwhile, Ant and Dec have emerged as the most popular dream coffee companions, with 20% of respondents listing the Geordie duo as the people they would most like to join them for a coffee! Take That bandmembers came a close second at 17%, with Simon Cowell taking third place on 13%. The survey quizzed 3,000 coffee drinkers from across the UK and was carried out by One Poll (onepoll.com).
Yeo Valley to support Bath Coffee Festival The Bath Coffee Festival 2011 (Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May 2011) is growing in size and support, with organisers welcoming organic dairy company, Yeo Valley, on board as headline milk sponsor. The Somerset based business, known for its innovative and popular ‘Yeo Valley rappers’ advertising campaign fully backs the event and as well as sampling its products to consumers at the festival, will be providing all exhibitors with milk for the weekend. “Yeo Valley has seen milk sales increase over the last ten years and being the core ingredient in all of our products we are keen to encourage consumers to choose organic, particularly for their coffee,” said Ben Cull at Yeo Valley. “Our organic milk comes from a West Country co-operative, OMSCo, whose farmers take great care of their dairy herds and pride in the quality of the milk they produce.” The festival is also pleased to welcome HSBC as a main sponsor, supporting the World of Coffee, a newly introduced zone
which will include representatives from different coffee growing regions showcasing information about their growers, coffee production, taste and quality of their beans. The line-up also includes coffee experts Taylors of Harrogate and Lavazza, training provider Smart Training and Recruitment, as well as The Co-operative, complemented by coffee consultancy Coffea Arabica, handmade biscuit and cake producer Marshfield Bakery and specialist coffee roaster Martin Carwardine & Co. The festival will feature expert-led demonstrations, tastings, lots of samples and excellent family entertainment. Visitors will also be treated to an additional dose of education with workshops being run in the Coffee Academy, where industry experts and top baristas will give out handy hints and tips, such as how to make the perfect cup of coffee and how to create latte art (www.bathcoffeefestival.co.uk).
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NEWS
Costa acquires Coffee Nation and announces Costa Express Investec Growth & Acquisition Finance reports that it has now successfully exited its preferred equity investment in Coffee Nation, the UK brand of self-serve gourmet coffee, following the £59.5 million sale of the company to Costa Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant group, and generating an IRR of 27% (2.0x multiple) on its money. Coffee Nation has been providing premium quality gourmet coffee via selfservice outlets in 900 locations throughout the country, including Tesco, Welcome Break, and Moto, and has an annual turnover in excess of £20 million and in March 2008. Milestone Capital Partners led a £24 million secondary management buyout of Coffee Nation, backing the existing management team (Investec provided a preferred equity investment of
£5.25 million in support of their bid). In the wake of the takeover, in addition Costa has also now announced its own plans to launch a new brand of its own – Costa Express - aimed at customers who wanting Costa coffee on the go. Costa Express will be available from “self-serve coffee bars” located in supermarkets, motorway service areas, railway stations, hospitals and universities and other busy public spaces. These units will dispense a top quality cup of coffee using fresh milk and freshly roasted coffee beans from the Costa Roastery, say the company, who have plans for 3000 Costa Express bars in the next five years. Costa says that it is confident that there will be huge demand from customers for their new product with Costa Express self-service coffee bars likely to start appearing from June 2011.
Starbucks turns 40 and unveils a new look Starbucks has marked its 40th anniversary by revealing a new logo, innovative store designs and a fresh approach to food and coffee. The new ‘siren’ logo is part of a renewed design approach from the look and feel of the store to the cup in each customer’s hand, say the chain, and marks a further step in the transformation of Starbucks business, coming as the company reports that it is now serving a record number of customers in the UK. The company is also using the celebration to strengthen its commitment to supporting local communities, having announced a new partnership with UK Youth to offer young people the skills to make a difference where they live. This will be launched as part of a global day of service across Starbucks which will contribute 200,000 volunteer hours on April 5. The refurbished store in Knightsbridge’s Brompton Road has been designed to fit in with its neighbourhood, featuring reclaimed materials, one-off items of furniture and its environmental performance aims to reduce water and lighting energy consumption by up to 40%. The new logo features on the store sign, on new cream mugs and takeaway cups, with new Starbucks Reserve™ now on offer – rare, limited edition coffees made slow-filtered, one cup at a time, by specially trained baristas. New products
like the Cocoa Cappuccino - a novel twist on a classic favourite – and Starbucks Petites – a range of mini-treats for sharing including Cake Pops and Whoopie Pies have also been added. “In our 40th year, we are determined to be true to our original promise – to deliver the highest quality coffee and customer service in exceptional stores, and we will never compromise on our founding principle of running a business that is socially and ethically responsible. That means doing good in the communities where we work whether that’s in coffee growing countries or here in the UK,” said Darcy Willson-Rymer, managing director, Starbucks UK & Ireland (pictured below).
Coffee hits a 34 year high A combination of poor weather across a broad base of countries, speculator interest in soft commodities and increasing demand in emerging markets are all contributing factors towards the exceptionally high price of coffee with current stocks of green coffee at their lowest levels since records began in the 1960’s. More increases for 2011 are expected, but by how much, it is difficult to say, feel industry observers. A Reuter’s poll in New York on the 9 March 2011 forecasted raw coffee would have hit the psychologically important figure of $3.00 per pound by the end of this month. “These are difficult times for all of us but the only alternative is to continue to pass these increases along to our customers. Coffee has always shown itself to be resilient and as long as it is still perceived to be an ‘affordable luxury’ consumers will continue to buy,” said Martyn Herriott, executive director of the Beverage Standards Association. Coffee prices in February recorded further increases in relation to their levels in January 2011, with the monthly average of the ICO (International Coffee Organisation) composite indicator price up from 197.35 US cents per lb to 216.03 US cents per lb (the highest level recorded since June 1977). Market fundamentals continue to favour firm prices, report the ICO, who, given the limited availability of Arabica coffee on the international market and the strength of domestic consumption in Brazil, add that high levels of production in Brazil in crop year 2010/11 failed to have a negative impact on prices. Moreover, say the ICO, world stocks need to be replenished since they are at their lowest levels for many years. At the same time, however, current price levels do not encourage producing countries to retain stocks. Notably, in Vietnam producers continue to export and take advantage of high price levels, observe the ICO and additionally, adverse weather continues to affect the many coffee growing regions.
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NEWS SCAE to meet in Maastricht Coffee professionals and enthusiasts will come together at the Maastricht Exposition and Congress Centre (MECC) to celebrate, discuss and learn about the fascinating speciality coffee industry at the SCAE World of Coffee between June 22 - 24 2011. The event, expected to attract over 5000 attendees, will showcase the latest trends from the ever-expanding industry and encompass every stage of the coffee journey from bean to cup say the event’s organisers. Exhibitors will range from green bean importers and artisan roasters through to the many skilled barista in attendance. Business owners and coffee fans alike will be able to discuss the merits of different brewing methods, and learn how making good espresso can make a huge difference to their business, whether it be a hotel, bar, restaurant or café. For the first time ever workshops will be offered forming a part of the forthcoming SCAE Coffee Diploma programme and another new feature to this year’s event will be The Village an area designed like a market place and small theatre which will present the newest trends and companies within micro roasting. During the two day event the world’s top baristas and roasters will be also competing for the much coveted titles at the World Championships being hosted at the show: the World Cup Tasters Championship; the World Latte Art Championship; the World Cezve/Ibrik Championship and the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. SCAE World of Coffee will also be host to Europe’s first Brewers Cup competition, which will showcase different brewing methods and highlight to the audience the many alternative ways to produce great coffee. To truly get involved visitors are welcome to join in the Gold Cup Research taking place at the show. A research booth will be set up within the show, whereby visitors will be invited to take part in tasting five differently brewed (but the same) coffee and filling out a short questionnaire as to what coffees they liked/disliked, the results of which will form part of an ambitious task to reconfirm the basis for the prestigious Gold Cup Programme for today’s coffee world (to find out more, visit www.scae.com).
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Summit looks forward to exciting times ahead Sponsored by United Coffee, Solo Cup Europe and Dawn Foods, Allegra Strategies’ UK Coffee Leader Summit 2011 (31 March 2011, Millbank Tower, London) says that it will be focusing on what it sees as the exciting times that lie ahead for the industry. “After more than a decade of analysing this market, I have never seen such exciting developments in the UK coffee shop market. In 2010 the market grew by more than 12% compared to 2.5% for the UK retail sector, adding more than 800 outlets in challenging economic times,” said Jeffrey Young, managing director of Allegra Strategies. “With increasing quality of coffee, better environments from both chains and independents and greater consumer appreciation of coffee and coffee houses, the market is poised for significant further growth over the next three to five years.” 300 senior industry executives from across the UK coffee shop food-to-go and food-for-now sectors are set to meet up at the event and share and gain latest market insight, say Allegra. Opening the summit, Darcy WillsonRymer (managing director, Starbucks UK and IE) and Jim Slater (marketing director, Costa
Coffee) will discuss how big businesses can stay ahead in today’s highly dynamic and competitive marketplace. Allegra’s Jeffrey Young will then exclusively share latest insights from the recently launched Project Café10 UK report, the research company’s definitive annual study of the UK coffee shop market. Next on the agenda, Mark Lilley (CEO of Abokado), Richard Reed (marketing director, Innocent), Vincent McKevitt (managing director, Tossed) and Stephen Leighton (owner, Has Bean Coffee) will look at ‘Building Brand Success’. After lunch, David Rogers (sales and marketing director – retail, Lavazza) will analyse what is happening in domestic coffee consumption, and Shelagh Ryan (owner of Lantana) will share insights and learnings from the scene in Australia. Michael Stiff (director, Stiff+Trevillion) will survey what lies ahead for design in foodservice and the store environment and George Miller (CEO, Tiger Coffee) will look to the future for coffee equipment. A lively open floor debate entitled ‘Coffee consumption: what does the future hold?’ will round off the day.
Roehampton student wins iPad in Coffee Nation competition As part of its Freshers’ Week promotional activity in September 2010, Coffee Nation held a Student Coffee ‘Tache competition on Facebook. To take part in the competition, students simply had to grab a Coffee Nation drink, take a sip to create their coffee ‘tache, take a photograph, upload it to Coffee Nation’s Facebook page and the winning participant could win an iPad! After much deliberation at Coffee Nation’s HQ, a panel of frothy coffee ‘tache experts agreed that Joseph Hart Green, a Film Studies student from Roehampton University should be the winner. Joseph was presented with his prize in February by Chris Zulerons, head of Coffee Nation business development and new ventures and Simon Peel, catering manager at Roehampton University. Runners up in the competition included QM Angels (Queen Mary University of London’s Cheerleading Team) and Mark Campion and Andru Dunn from Roehampton University - all of whom received £50 in Waterstones vouchers. Commenting on the winning entries, Scott Martin, chief executive of Coffee
Pictured left to right are Simon Peel, Chris Zulerons and, iPad winner, Joseph Hart Green. Nation said: “It is fantastic to be working with so many universities and colleges across the UK and to see students engaging with our brand. By getting involved in promotions and competitions like this we not only promote gourmet coffee as part of a daily routine, but at the same time give something back to our student customers and have a bit of fun in the process.”
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NEWS
Fracino’s hat trick of appointments
Compass are now in charge of Liberty’s Café Liberty.
Compass to run Liberty’s café Compass Group UK & Ireland’s Sport, Leisure and Hospitality business has signed a new contract with Regent Street’s iconic department store, Liberty, to operate its second floor restaurant, Café Liberty, and the 60-seat restaurant’s menu will begin to change, say Compass, taking on a distinctive British flavour with a modern European influence. Alex Craciun, who has previously worked for Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin starred restaurants under the direction of Jason Atherton at Maze, will split the menu into distinct day parts, each with its own identity, including a new light small plate dining evening menu to accommodate late night shoppers, West End theatregoers and destination diners. In addition, a new breakfast and weekend brunch offer will be introduced so that Liberty shoppers can enjoy a relaxing start to the day. Roy Westwood, creative manager for sport, leisure and hospitality at Compass Group UK and Ireland, said: “The concept will develop and evolve gradually over time. We want the menu to reflect the quality and character
of the store and so while regular visitors to Liberty will continue to see items such as afternoon tea on the menu, we will be making changes to refresh the offer throughout the day. Provenance of ingredient will be key and for this reason, the menu will change throughout the year to reflect not only the seasons but the changing months. It’s all about making the restaurant a true reflection of the changes in the seasons in store.” “Compass impressed us with their creative approach to Café Liberty. They came up with a concept and menu ideas that will make our customers want to spend even longer at Liberty. Constantly changing and refreshing the menu at Café Liberty reflects the dynamic nature of our store and fulfils the needs of our customers,” added Ed Burstell, managing director of Liberty Ltd. Compass has also recently partnered with bookshop retailer, Blackwell’s, in a new contract at Nottingham University. This joint venture comprises a new Costa Coffee café within the Blackwell’s bookshop in the University’s Portland Building.
Following its recent landmark expansion to an additional 24,000 sq ft workshop next to its premises in Aston, Birmingham, which enables the award-winning business to manufacture more components in-house, Fracino, the UK’s only manufacturer of cappuccino and espresso machines, has announced a hat trick of new appointments. Walsall-born Peter Day, who has amassed over 15 years’ engineering experience takes on the role of press breaker and laser operator, and said: “I was thrilled when Fracino invited me to join their new in-house engineering department. It’s reassuring to be working for a progressive and thriving company in today’s financial climate.” Taking their first steps on the career ladder, school friends Charlotte Barnett and Stacy Langdon are warehouse operators on the newly established production line.
Charlotte, from Birmingham, said: “I’m really enjoying the variety of my new position – from assembling machine parts to welding – it’s a great handson experience that keeps me on my toes.” Stacy, who is involved with the production team working on Fracino’s first dedicated home coffee machine, the Piccino, added: “It’s extremely satisfying to be part of the world-class manufacturing process from start to finish and I’m glad to be part of a Birmingham-based company which is doing so well.” Fracino exports its range of 55 products to an increasing worldwide market, including India, Australia, China as well as to discerning coffee lovers in Spain and Italy. Fracino’s new recruits (left to right) - Charlotte Barnett, Peter Day and Stacy Langdon.
Teknomat launches new range of Italian espresso machines Teknomat UK Ltd has announced the launch of the new Synchro range of espresso machines to complement their popular existing range of Expobar machines aimed at the traditional espresso market. The Synchro is manufactured in Italy and designed by barista champion, David Makin, to include the latest technology in single boiler espresso machines. The company was founded by an ex Astoria employee who realised that there was a gap in the market at the time and now produces around 8,000 machines per annum in an impressive factory in Treviso near Venice. The new range features a larger copper inner boiler to provide increased steam
capacity during peak times to ensure the machine is one of the most thermally stable coffee machines available. It has increased heat exchanger volume and restrictors to provide stable espresso brew temperatures with a shot timer and three brew buttons for simplicity of use and increased consistency. The machine is available in red, orange, black and chrome (white on special order), with either two or three group versions. “I have been searching to find another range to satisfy the needs of a more discerning market,” says managing director of Teknomat, Mike Graham. “I wanted to offer my trade customers a high end quality
manufactured machine at a competitive price as well as the existing Expobar Elegance range that offer great value for money.” To find out more about the latest Synchro range visit www.teknomat.co.uk.
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Cornwall’s pasties protected National Doughnut Week This year CSM United Kingdom says that it will be supporting National Doughnut Week by offering £10 vouchers off Craigmillar Doughnut Concentrate 16kg (FVB) or Kielder Doughnut Concentrate 25kg (KIN), or £5 vouchers off Readi-Bake Topped Ring Doughnuts 36 x 60g (DMR) to those bakers who join planning on joining in the fun, annual event. “National Doughnut Week – 7 to 14 May is celebrating its 20th anniversary and we are hoping that even more bakers will join in this year. It has already raised over £710,000 for children’s charities by selling over 14 million doughnuts – that is enough to reach the International Space Station and back!” says Lisa Boswell of CSM United Kingdom. “Whatever the size of your bakery, however much or little you raise, this is an event for all craft bakers. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get involved, boost your doughnut sales and help children at the same time.” For the first time National Doughnut Week will be featured on Facebook, with national TV, radio and press coverage planned and a host of celebrities such as Ainsley Harriet lending their support. Bakers can also take advantage of a free point of sale kit designed to help attract additional customers to their shops, and increase the volume of doughnuts sold and other lines too (www.nationaldoughnutweek.org).
The Cornish Pasty Association (CPA) is celebrating after receiving Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for its world famous pasty - a popular take out or eat item at many cafes and coffee shops. The decision from the European Commission means that from now only Cornish pasties made in Cornwall and following the traditional recipe can be called ‘Cornish pasties’. The CPA submitted the application for PGI in 2002 to protect the quality and reputation of the Cornish pasty and to ensure that only Cornish bakers who make genuine Cornish pasties use this denomination when selling and marketing their produce. Authentic Cornish pasties can still be baked elsewhere in the country but they will need to be prepared in Cornwall. “Receiving protected status for the Cornish pasty is good news for consumers but also for the rural economy,” said David Rodda from the Cornwall Development Company. “By protecting our regional food heritage, we are protecting local jobs. Thousands of people in Cornwall are involved in the pasty industry, from farmers to producers, and it’s important that the product’s quality is protected for future generations.” A genuine Cornish pasty has a
distinctive ‘D’ shape and is crimped on one side, never on top. The texture of the filling is chunky, made up of uncooked minced or roughly cut chunks of beef (not less than 12.5%), swede, potato, onion with a light seasoning. The pastry casing is golden in colour, savoury, glazed with milk or egg and robust enough to retain its shape throughout the cooking and cooling process without splitting or cracking. The pasty is slow-baked and no artificial flavourings or additives must be used. It must also be made in Cornwall. Championed by David Rodda of the Cornish Pasty Association, the Cornish pasty has now joined 42 other British protected products, including Cornish Clotted Cream, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Arbroath Smokies.
Boston Tea Party Café hires a coffee guru With its continuing commitment to coffee excellence, the Boston Tea Party has hired its first ever head of coffee, Andrew Tucker, who has worked with such notables as Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Thomasina Myers as well as the former National Barista Champion, Hugo Hercod. Sam Roberts, managing director of the Boston Tea Party, said: “The experience and expertise of Andrew Tucker rather insisted upon this new role all by themselves. His unadulterated focus on all things Boston coffee will reinforce our reputation as purveyors of some of the finest coffee on Britain’s high streets.” Andrew Tucker first worked as a barista at the age of 18 when travelling in Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne Australia, cities famed for their quality cafés and coffee offer where he trained under the best
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and his passion for all things coffee was born. Back in the UK and after a brief interlude in the non-coffee world he returned to his first love by working with independent Cornish coffee company, Origin, where he built expertise and knowledge by providing training for baristas to enter into National Barista Championships eventually training one of the winners. He went on as a consultant and manager of the celebrity owned Jika Jika Coffeehouse in Bath, finally setting up his own business, the Perfect Palate, working with Andrew Tucker has joined the South West’s Boston Tea Party Café chain as its coffee guru.
food merchants all over the South West. “Having grown up in Exeter I have long been a fan of Boston Tea Party and their very high standards of coffee which have made them stand out from the crowd. I was impressed with the coffee focus of the business and very keen to get involved with the company as I love its commitment to quality and ethics. I am excited to be helping push the company’s coffee standards to the next exceptional level,” said Andrew Tucker on his appointment. Andrew will be responsible for the procurement of coffee across all the cafés and says that he will be experimenting with blends and suppliers to provide an outstanding coffee experience for the Boston customers. He will also be taking over the company’s barista training, selecting the very best to enter national and local barista championships, a new venture for Boston Tea Party who want to show off the skills of their baristas.
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NEWS
SHORTS Northern heat winners The Northern heat of the UK Barista Championships held at Lancaster & Morecambe College saw Dale Harris (Has Bean Coffee, Milton) come first, Neil LeBihan (Exchange Coffee, London) and third, Luke Byrne-Perkins (Bold Street Coffee, Liverpool). In this heat, Best Cappuccino was won by Neil LeBihan, Best Espresso by Dale Harris and Best Signature Drink by Casper William Steel of J Atkinson & Co, Lancaster.
Amanda Hamilton’s successful Drink Me Chai brand will be hitting the road this year with a number of tastings planned at festivals and food exhibitions across the country (visit www.drinkmechai.co.uk).
Bakery merger In a key strategic step to building one of the leading specialist frozen bakery distributors in the UK, Mantinga and Boulangeries de France have announced the merger of their businesses. The combined businesses will generate turnover in excess of £8M in the first year and it is anticipated that with a focus on profitable growth all 52 employees will be retained to build the business from its solid 2,000 plu customer base to supply all the sectors of the UK bake-off market. UK business insolvencies fall The latest Insolvency Indexfrom Experian®, the global information services company, revealed a positive picture at the start of the year, with the number of business failures in January down by more than 10% compared to January 2010. 1,266 businesses failed in January 2011, representing 0.07 per cent of the UK’s business community (this compares with 1,426 in January 2010). FPA members elect new chairman The Executive Committee of the Foodservice Packaging Association has ratified the election by the members of Neil Whittall to the position of Chairman of the Association (FPA). Neil Whittall is commercial and contracts director at Huhtamaki (UK) Limited and succeeds outgoing chairman, Greg Fitchett, of DayMark UK, who will remain as a member of the Executive Committee. Cara Cottam of WRAP Film Systems will continue in her role as vice-chairman, and Mark Byrne of Anchor Packaging has been elected to the new role of joint vice chairman. Fairtrade coffee sales soar Overall sales of Fairtrade products, such as coffee, chocolate and bananas, soared by 40% in 2010 to an estimated retail value of GBP1.17bn (US$1.9bn) compared with GBP836m in 2009. However, other Fairtrade products, such as cotton, have struggled in recent time, thought in part to be due to the fact that ethical ranges struggle to compete with the persistent trend for cheap, high street fashion.
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CAFÉ CULTURE
Niche drinks company wins business award Drink Me Chai, based in Kent, has won the Best Small to Medium Sized Business category of the national Best Business Awards. Entrepreneur Amanda Hamilton’s passion for tea led her to discover Chai Latte and launch an authentic instant version into the UK market. With no previous business experience or food industry knowledge, she developed the business from operating from mobile tea bars to now being stocked in high street coffee chains and all the major supermarkets with a turnover of £1.5 million and exporting to eight countries in just a few remarkable years. “Passionate about customer service and her brand, Amanda Hamilton’s Drink Me Chai is an outstanding example of a successful niche business in a competitive market full of conglomerate global players,” commented Andrew Areoff,
chairman of the judges. Since being established in 2005, Drink Me Chai which supplies to the multiples, independents and food service has become the leading Chai Latte brand in the UK with a 41% market share (according to Mintel) with Amanda having taken the company’s export from from 5% to 20%, exporting to Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, South Korea, South Africa, Spain and Ireland. “We are delighted to have won this award and feel it represents the hard work we have put in to make Drink Me Chai the success it is today. Our range of authentic tasting instant Chai Latte drinks, made with a sweet blend of exotic spices, tea and skimmed milk, is a great alternative to tea and coffee and we are noticing a real rise in consumers searching for something new and different in the hot drinks sector,” said Amanda Hamilton.
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NEWS
New range of premium doughnuts Foodservice bakers, Lantmännen Unibake UK, are launching a new range of premium doughnuts from its sister company Bakehouse. The new range incorporates six flavours – Glazed, Double Choc and Maple & Pecan ring doughnuts and Choc & Crème, Lemon & Crème and Strawberry & Crème filled doughnuts offering a tempting treat to suit every taste and eating occasion. Although interest peaks at the weekend, doughnuts see good purchase levels across all the weekdays and all day parts, point out Bakehouse, indicating the numerous consumption occasions these products meet. Doughnuts are also popular with consumers who want to treat themselves or their family and are perfect for nibbling mid-morning or midafternoon with a fresh cup of coffee or milkshake, or as a lunchtime indulgence. “This is an exciting new venture as for many years now the Bakehouse brand has been synonymous with authentic Danish and Viennoiserie products,” said Nicky Cracknell, business development Controller at Lantmännen Unibake UK. “The launch of the Do-licious Donuts range broadens Lantmännen Unibake UK’s sweet offering further and is a great premium addition to our range.” Bakehouse was acquired by international
STOP PRESS! This year’s winners in the UK Barista Championship have been announced after the finals were held at this year’s IFE exhibition in London. UK Barista Champion 2011 - John Gordon
Premium strawberry and crème filled doughnuts from Lantmännen. bakery group, Lantmännen Unibake UK in 2010. Following the acquisition, foodservice customers will now be supplied by Lantmännen Unibake UK, and retail customers will be supplied by Bakehouse, say the firm, with customers of both businesses now set to benefit from the broader and enhanced range of innovative products.
2nd - Neil Le Bihan 3rd - Dale Harris 4th - Maxwell Colonna Dashwood 5th - Hayley Draper 6th - Alice Cook Best Espresso John Gordon Best Cappuccino Neil Le Bihan Best Signature Drink joint winners Neil Le Bihan and John Gordon
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The Café Society Award This award will be given annually to an individual or organisation considered by the judges to have been exceptionally influential in shaping the café market in the UK. The Café Innovation Award This award aims to encourage innovation in the market, either by operators or suppliers. The judges in this category will be looking for successful innovation that has been influential across the market. The Café Design of the Year Award This award aims to encourage good design practices in the sector bearing in mind the importance that the atmosphere of an outlet can have on its success. The judges in this category will be looking for good practical design that sets new standards. New Product of the Year Award This award aims to encourage the development of products (including drinks and equipment but excluding food) for the market. The Café Food Award This award aims to encourage the innovation and development of food products specifically for the Café Society market. Café/Coffee Bar Chain of the Year This award aims to recognise the work being done by leading operators to set standards and drive the market in terms of innovation, standards and consumer satisfaction. Café/Coffee Bar Independent of the Year This award aims to recognise the work being done by entrepreneurs in the industry to develop successful independent café/coffee bars.
Awards 2011 In these challenging times, it is all too easy to let standards slip and to put innovation and creativity on a back burner - yet the long term future and integrity of the café market depends on us all maintaining the high standards and reputation that the industry has achieved to date. The Café Society Awards 2011 is intended to encourage good practice, innovation and standards by recognising those who continue to push the boundaries and lead the way in promoting all aspects of the Café Society in the UK.
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CAFÉ SOCIETY AWARDS 2011
The Café Society Awards 2011 Luncheon at the Roof Gardens, 99 Kensington High St, London, on Thursday 22nd March When seven awards will be presented by
Angela Maxwell OBE Former Commercial Director, Fracino and European Advisor to UK Trade & Investment.
The Café Society Awards 2011 Short List The judging of the Café Society Awards took place on 23 February 2011. The quality of the entries was exceptionally high and the judges had the difficult task of considering the numerous entries for each of the seven categories, to arrive at the short lists featured here. THE CAFÉ INNOVATION AWARD Short list Rail Gourmet – Mobile Brew Café Longblack Ltd – byocup Electrolux – High Speed Panini Grill Kavis – The Spooncup Tri-Star Packaging – Porta Tray THE CAFÉ DESIGN AWARD Short list Lavazza Espression M & S Café Coffee #1 Cooper & Co NEW PRODUCT AWARD Short list Top Tea – Nepalese organic loose leaf teas Esquires – Loose leaf Suki tea range Caffe Vinci – Hot Choc Heaven Foodservice Support – Cool Berry Frozen Yoghurt
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Rail Gourmet – Mobile Brew Café La Marzocco – Strada MP Espresso Coffee Machine Longblack Ltd – byocup THE CAFÉ FOOD AWARD Short list Snowbird Foods – Thai meatballs Natura Amore Ltd – Sicilian Cake Range Caffe Gusto – Flatbread and sandwich range Caffè Ritazza – Firecracker chicken and chorizo panini melt Kerry Foodservice – V*Go Mediterranean Vegetable Cous Cous THE CAFÉ/COFFEE BAR CHAIN AWARD Short list Coffee #1 Rhode Island Coffee Caffè Ritazza Caffe Gusto
THE CAFÉ/COFFEE BAR INDEPENDENT AWARD Short list Tina, We Salute You – London Allpress Espresso – London Kaffeine – London Cooper & Co – St Helier, Jersey Ground Coffee House – Brighton THE CAFÉ SOCIETY AWARD There is no short list for this award. We would like to thank Simon Stenning of Allegra Strategies and Martin Bates of the Craft Guild of Chefs for helping with the judging process, and thanks also to Marco Arrigo of Eurofood Brands for helping with the judging, and for use of his premises for judging.
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DESIGN
Coffee shop
couture
Apart from offering good coffee and good food, cafés and coffee shops are increasingly becoming extremely pleasant and stylish places in which to just be, but how is this achieved? Those in the know would seem to agree that it’s not so much about colour schemes and materials, but rather having a clear understanding of your brand values and then making sure that your outlet functions well for your customers.
Who’s the customer? “Outlets who have carefully conceived brands have a clear picture of their brand values, target audience and how they will utilise their space,” says Abi Perry-Jones, senior design consultant at Catering Design Group, who have done work for the Costa concession for SSP, and have over 20 years experience in front and back of house design work. “Consideration has to be given to the outlet’s use and developing the brief so as to get a good understanding of the target market. Is it at a grab and go audience, or would you like the customer to linger, relax and graze? Perhaps you want to attract business users who may use the space for informal meetings, or ‘yummy mummies’ meeting for morning coffee with push chairs? If it is all of the above, then it will be a real challenge to get the balance right!” In recent times, there have been trends for an opulent look, just as there have been trends for a more pared down feel, but in either case, with cafés often being home to an entrepreneurial mix of businesses (bookshop, deli,
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smoothie, tea room or farm shop to name but a few), it can make the job of design quite a complex issue, which is why outlets should not underestimate a good brief, feel Catering Design Group. “Style statements can sometimes be dangerous, especially if you’re hoping to attract customers from numerous audiences. It is important not to make potential customers feel alienated. In addition, a particularly stylish ‘uber cool’ interior could quickly become dated,” explains Abi PerryJones. Incorporating that all important soft seating, for example, can often take up valuable space, Abi PerryJones also warns, but it can be balanced successfully by mixing it with high stools located close to a drinks shelf. Bench seating and long tables work well to get more covers in a space and are also perfect for large groups. However, it is questionable if lone customers will feel comfortable sharing tables with others. Thus, on the furniture front, the secret is to find furniture which looks inviting and comfortable, but
that takes as little space on plan as possible. “If it is your aim to appeal to a wide audience, then this will be difficult,” says Abi Perry-Jones. “It needs to be edgy enough to attract the uber cool young clientele, sophisticated enough for business users, or have a cosy domestic feel for older customers or families. Be warned that it is extremely tricky designing an outlet to appeal to all audiences and can lead to the space looking like a mismatched furniture store!” The answer, then, would appear to be keep it simple. “Let the brand sing, and complement it with painted walls and fabric covered furniture. Let your product be the star,” advises Abi PerryJones. “Position your coffee machine in a prime location so that the sounds and smells create a real buzz at the heart of the operation. “The most successful cafés are successful because they have got it right operationally, not because they have the best choice of wall paint colour or style of chair. To get the operation right takes major planning from a design
point of view, in terms of laying out the counter, back of house and front of house seating space. In my opinion, there should be attention to detail on how it works as opposed to how it looks.” Having said that, how an outlet looks from the outside is also key when creating any design strategy, as this will be a potential customer’s first impression, point out Catering Design Group. So consider a printed awning with your logo (Costa, for example, trialled a stripped awning which gave great visibility on the high street and which could be seen from a distance). “External furniture can help to give a continental feel. Even if there is only space for one or two tables that will be rarely used, it helps to shout ‘coffee shop’,” suggests Abi Perry-Jones. “Place an olive tree or similar by the doorway and an A-board listing daily
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DESIGN
External seating, such as the new Resysta range lines for 2011 from GO IN UK (www.goin.co.uk) which are 100% wood-free, requiring little maintenance, long-lasting and eco-friendly, can help boost an outlet’s ethical credentials as well as differentiate a café from other types of outlets. specials. Signage should be clear, crisp and illuminated where possible. Internally, if there is sufficient ceiling height hang pendant lights close to the window to create a real glow from the outside. Soft seating should also be visible from the outside and gives an inviting feel.” If taking over an outlet or refurbishing, then consider fitting a new shop front or a larger window to really show off the interior, suggest Catering Design Group, although this is likely to require planning permission.
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Boutique style Opening soon in Kensington will be an authentic culinary adventure, say its creators - a modern and unique café and delicatessen called the Blanche Eatery that will be presented as a boutique, designed by Space Design Studios (an award winning London based interior design and marketing company). The first Blanche Eatery was created a couple of years ago, but the owners wanted to expand it without becoming a roll-out high street band and they recognised they needed professional help. The challenge was to expand the brand, yet maintain individuality in each branch. After considering some design companies, they choose Space Design Studios to be responsible for the interior design. Creating a concept that draws from traditional elements of Kensington Church Street area presented in a modern contemporary style, Blanche Eatery will offer an authentic culinary adventure complimented by a unique design so as to create a new delicatessen experience of a high standard, say its owners. Therefore, the brief has been to develop a look that will set it apart from its competitors. Many cafés have adopted a very brightly lit, modern look using harsh and live colours and metallic finishes for their interiors, generally reflecting their production line appearance, feel Blanche, who say they have a very different style. Priding itself on using only the freshest ingredients – everything is made-to-order - it was important that this freshness was personified and reflected in the design, say the company, and so the attention to detail and quality is to be achieved by using mainly the white colour to show the unity and simplicity of the brand, as well as the cleanliness of the place. In contrast to the whiteness, the table tops will
TOP TIPS ■ Keep the interior space as light and airy as possible. ■ Internal lighting is crucial for displaying and highlighting the product offering and counter. ■ Lower lighting levels help to make the seating areas feel relaxed and cosy (however, if you don’t want customers to linger, then stronger, brighter lighting has the adverse effect). ■ Ensure that furniture, wall and floor finishes are fit for purpose, easy to clean and maintain. ■ Ceramic tiles or hardwearing vinyl work well (avoid a lot of fussy finishes and keep it simple and bold). ■ Everything should reflect your brand (if your brand credentials include sustainability and organic produce, then use natural, sustainable materials that reflect this). ■ Art and graphics (aspirational imagery all work well to inspire customers and make them feel relaxed if chosen carefully to enhance the environment). ■ Zoning (locate high seating for lone customers where there is something to see, such as baristas and passersby, with softer seating ideally located in a quieter area).
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DESIGN
Artist’s impression of the latest Blanche Eatery. be lavender, a royal color that reflects the elegance and royalty of Kensington area. Bespoke feature counters are being designed and made with composite stone, and with glass on the top in order to expose all the food in an organised and beautiful way reminiscent of a Boutique, as well as ensuring the durability and quality of it. There will also be a chilled food display in the window to ensure that the freshness of the food grabs attention. The contrasting floor will be made of hexagonal tiles to give a contemporary look. There is also feature texture wall made by a plaster artist and elements of sandblasted wood shelving are included to reinforce the historical selling tradition of Kensington. Lighting plays a very important role in all of Space Design Studios projects, and this time they have opted to use large bronze lanterns, strengthening the tradition of the surrounding area which used to be dominated by antiques shops. In addition, the framed menus and the artwork will be illuminated by LEDs, enhancing the contemporary feel of the delicatessen.
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No has bean Central Bean is a good example of an independent chain that is at the cutting edge of independent coffee houses, aiming to serve the very best coffee in an inviting contemporary environment. With three outlets in Newcastle city centre (Gallowgate), Jesmond and Morpeth, Central Bean says that it is spearheading the coffee revolution in the North East, having already established a sound reputation with coffee purists since it was launched three years ago.
The Central Bean chain is part of Fluid Design Solutions, which specialises in stunning and inventive interiors for style bars, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, retail and coffee houses, in addition to operating its own portfolio of bars and restaurants. Fluid’s ethos is simple - the staff and service areas are just as important as the aesthetics of the interior. Central Bean in Gallowgate has more seating as customers there tend to linger longer.
“It’s no good if your venue looks great, but underperforms at peak times,” says director, and co-owner of Fluid Design Solutions, Dave King, who is clear about the design influences and infrastructure elements that have made the Central Bean brand a success. “Central Bean was designed as a roll-out. Our aim was to create a contemporary, yet timeless, design which would appeal to a wide demographic. We wanted to move away from the typical dark hues and traditional styling so often seen in major coffee brands,” he explains. “Applying the British public perception that the American Pacific North West is the origin of modern coffee culture, we support our brand identity by incorporating stone and wood elements closely associated with Seattle or Vancouver along with more industrial elements from the modern school of design in those cities. A totem pole guards the entrance making a clear statement that the experience that lies within will be very different to that of any other coffee chain in town. “We also required portable design elements which could be used to punctuate the space of the retail units. These take the form of logo etched
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Outdoor furniture 2011
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Call now 0845 4500 500 info@caffesociety.co.uk Email: inf fo@caf o@c fesociety y.co.uk www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk
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DESIGN Style statement – the exterior and interior of Central Bean in Jesmond is mostly geared towards take-out trade.
glazed screens, lime green room dividers, branded conversation tables, bespoke lighting, carpets and wallpaper, plus our corporate colour palette throughout. The colour scheme represents a modern and playful interpretation of earth, foliage, sky and water.” At Central Bean, the custom designed furniture is laid out in three different spaces with consideration for customers in mind. Firstly, the standing bars and high table chairs for the business commuter, then a seated area for coffee and business or personal conversations and the third area is a recreational style space for casual gatherings. Each Central Bean has a combination of grab and go serviced and impulse retail displays, ensuring maximum product exposure whilst customers place their order at the counter. An automated call off system displays customer’s beverage selection on screen until the barista calls off the order at the coffee drop. This significantly reduces the risk of operator error and speeds service, say Central Bean.
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Future expansion From the outset, part of the business plan for Central Bean was to create regional pods made up of one central distribution unit and up to six satellite units. In addition to the coffee house and the service area, the central distribution unit has larger storage facilities and a substantial catering kitchen. Here food and beverage items can be distributed to smaller satellite units, as well as servicing our own retail space. “As the brand expands, it is envisaged that larger satellite units will have small catering facilities to allow sandwiches to be prepared on site, whilst still drawing on the storage facilities and deliveries from the central distribution unit. The smaller satellite units have no requirement for a catering kitchen and have minimal storage facilities,” adds Dave King. “This system maximises public space. For instance, an additional 300 square feet of retail space at Morpeth was utilised as public area rather than storage. We were also able to take advantage of a very small unit in Jesmond due
to the distribution capability of nearby Gallowgate. As we grow, we are able to invest in the next three sites safe in the knowledge the necessary infrastructure is in place.” Consultancy Central Bean (www.central bean.co.uk and www.fluid designsolutions.com) says that it has an absolute commitment to quality in every aspect of design, and which then translates into the quality of presentation of their beverages and food, and the contemporary environment in which they are served in. “We are great believers in utilising the skills of the very best people in the development of our business,” Dave King continues. “Upon setting up Central Bean, we embarked on a search for the best coffee consultant in the world, which took us all the way to Hawaii where we discovered exactly the right person for the job world champion coffee consultant, Andrew Hetzel.” Andrew Hetzel is the founder of Cafemakers, a coffee industry business consultancy based in Hawaii. Cafemakers provides business
counselling, engineering and quality improvement services for speciality coffee brands and agricultural businesses worldwide, and Andrew has advised on nearly every aspect of Central Bean’s development. “Retail decor is extremely important for two reasons,” says Andrew Hetzel. “To establish value in the mind of consumers or potential consumers, and to provide a space that supports your brand experience. “Consumers use visual cues to form their impression of retail brands and to anticipate the value of products and services, long before experiencing them firsthand. Numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between visual perception and taste, so retail decor can not only make a good first impression, but can arguably improve the perceived taste of beverages. “Decor is not necessarily difficult - maintaining a corporate culture that embodies the brand message is a far more complex task, and will ultimately determine any difference between how you want to appear and how you do appear to your customers.”
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MARCH 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 19
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PREVIEW
Caffè Culture 2011 With less than two months until Caffè Culture 2011 (18 and 19 May, Olympia, London), the UK’s premier industry event will bring together a unique blend of exhibitors, leading industry professionals, practical workshops, seminars and clinics to give café bar owners and managers all the inspiration and business support needed for the year ahead. Practical guidance New for 2011, the Caffè Business Workshop programme will offer an entirely practical look at the business functions of café bars, providing expert advice on all aspects of managing and running a successful operation. Accountant Sean Farnell will offer a comprehensive guide to effectively managing the finances of your business covering profit and loss, bookkeeping, a guide to VAT, tax and payroll. Café consultant Chris Brown will host a session dedicated to “The Food Issue” – giving visitors a chance to explore how to deliver an attractive and,
Scanomat's new Top Brewer (a bean to cup machine designed to be built into any table or counter top, with only the stylish curved pouring spout visible above, so leaving precious counter space free for additional sales & customer service opportunities) will be on stand C24, with the company using the show for its inaugural visit to a UK exhibition by also showcasing lots of established Scanomat beverage systems.
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most importantly, profitable food offering. Learn Purple will provide the tools needed to effectively manage, train and retain your staff, whilst Robert Henry of Another Cup will be offering a comprehensive guide to running your day-to-day operations to deliver a fast, efficient and profitable enterprise. Back by popular demand, the Coffee Boys - Hugh Gilmartin and John Richardson - will provide a step-by-step guide to setting up a coffee shop and retailing specialist Clare Rayner will explain how to attract new customers, retain your existing ones and increase the spend of both. This is just a taste of what to expect from the new workshops streams (for more information and to book places, visit www.caffeculture.com). The Caffè Fundamentals Workshop programme will deliver a series of practical sessions on the operational side of running a business. Including sessions on fundamental and advanced barista training – from an introduction to the basics through to techniques for espresso preparation, milk texturing and latte art pouring. There will be workshops hosted by international tea expert Malcolm Ferris Lay on every aspect of tasting, making and serving tea. Peter James will look at improving your overall coffee offering in a session titled “Beyond Espresso” and Hasbean Coffee will host a session on “cupping a different table” (for a full programme and to book places visit www.caffeculture.com).
Elliot Gard, event director, comments: “Our programme of presentations and workshops are always extremely popular
This year’s exhibitors include ARTISAN BISCUITS BELVOIR FRUIT FARMS BEYOND THE BEAN BOTTLEGREEN DRINKS COMPANY BRECKLAND ORCHARD BUNZL CATERING SUPPLIES CAFE DO BRASIL CHARLOTTE PACKAGING CLASSIC FURNITURE GROUP COFFEE EDUCATION NETWORK DAVID RIO COFFEE & TEA DRAGO MOCAMBO DRINK ME CHAI DRURY TEA & COFFEE CO ELECTROLUX FRANKE COFFEE SYSTEMS UK GAGGIA ITALIAN BEVERAGE COMPANY JEEVES & JERICHO JURA PRODUCTS LA SPAZIALE MAGRINI MATTHEW ALGIE & CO METRO DRINKS MIGHTY LEAF TEA OWLET FRUIT JUICE RME – ROOIBOS SANREMO COFFEE MACHINES SCANDINAVIAN SELECTION SOLO CUP EUROPE SPECIALITY BREADS TAYTO (NI) TEAPIGS THE ARTISAN BAKERY THE HANDMADE CAKE CO YUM YUM BROS. For a full exhibitor list visit www.caffeculture.com.
and, with the addition of the Caffè Clinic and the two new business workshop streams, we are excited by the huge range of onsite training, business and key industry issues we’re able to deal with in this year’s programme. We’ve brought together a combination of some of the world’s leading café bar experts with a collection of the industry’s best suppliers to deliver a must attend event for anyone who works in the UK’s thriving café and coffee bar industry.” Caffè Theatre The Caffè Theatre will once again offer free to attend seminars dealing with some of the most significant issues faced by owners and mangers of hospitality related companies. Consultant Richard Wills will provide a strategic look at how to ensure your business survives and thrives over the next 12 months by examining all aspects from pricing structures through to staffing costs. Darren Betts, a former café bar owner, will offer a completely honest and lighthearted account of what not to do if you want to run a successful business - from someone who has been there and done it and learnt the hard way! Good and bad customer service will come under the spotlight with a keynote speaker highlighting how to grow your customer base and increase their spend with a simple refocus on the level of service offered, whilst Bill Gorman, chairman of the UK Tea Council, will explain how getting the right
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PREVIEW
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The new Almondy Toblerone tårta will be available for tasting on the Almondy stand (B23) - their classic almond tårta topped 〰 蠑ᆈ砋 with pieces of Toblerone, and following in the highly successful footsteps of Almondy DAIM. tea offering can ensure business growth. Gary McGann from Beyond the Bean will host a session titled “Your Brand in their Hands”, helping visitors to understand how, once a brand is built, they can protect it in the mass media world of social networking. There will also be a number of panel discussions with leading industry professionals looking at everything from the impact of the rising costs of green coffee on independent café bars, through to the latest trends in coffee preparation (a full schedule is available at www.caffeculture.com). Also new for this year, Caffè Culture is offering FREE one-toone consultations in the Caffè Clinic. Visitors can book 30 minute sessions with a host of experts on café bar management – allowing you to explore solutions to a specific problem you may be facing in your business. Consultants will
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include Hugh Gilmartin, John Richardson, Richard and Jill Wills, Sean Farnell and Clare Rayner (for a full list of consultants, their areas of specialism and to book appointments visit www.caffeculture.com). Responding to research among visitors about the sorts of companies you would ideally like to meet at the event, Caffè Culture has ensured this year’s event delivers a broad spectrum of the very best products and services for the sector, from small local producers through to large international suppliers. Cravendale will once again be the official milk sponsor for the event, giving visitors the chance to sample its range of products. Having undergone a unique filtration process prior to pasteurisation to remove more of the bacteria that can cause milk to turn sour, Cravendale milk keeps fresh in the fridge for up to 21 days (making it ideal for businesses relying on having a plentiful supply).
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Jura (Stand F35) will be exhibiting its IMPRESSA range of fully automatic coffee machines (the top of the range X9 Win can produce lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, white coffee, espresso and other speciality coffees at the press of a button with 20 different specialities directly assigned to a touch key and your own individual personal tastes).
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COFFEE
Coffee geeks For those willing to look ‘behind the bean’ and get to grips with the nature and origins of coffee, a fascinating world of taste, aroma and travel awaits. Here, a number of baristas all consumed by a passion for coffee - share with us some of the knowledge they have acquired from their own experiences of the world of coffee.
The Brewed Boy For over a year now, Rob Lockyear (main picture, aka ‘Brewed Boy’ – www.brewedboy.wordpress.com) has been serving up freshly made coffees from his coffee cart in Rupert Street, Soho, London, but freely admits that at the start of things, he did struggle with the taste of espressos… remember the espresso that changed it for me. There was I busily pumping out the shots, proud of my extraction time and the unctuous layer of crema. I sent out those little cups confident I had performed my function to the letter like the good little robot barista I was. There was just one little problem – I didn’t actually enjoy my espresso! I drank it, but I would always brace myself for the assault on my senses. It was like letting an Atlantic roller break onto your head – invigorating, but not particularly enjoyable. I didn’t know any better, but then Square Mile came into my life and for the first time I was able to taste something strange. I then realised that I what I was tasting was the plantation, not the roast. This was my first encounter with a lighter roast, and the beginning of a tumultuous love affair that has brought me to the brink of mental collapse 100 times over. What a fickle mistress coffee can be! The blend in question was 2009’s Winter Espresso brewed by Square Mile maestro, James Hoffman. The first shot filled my mouth with such a mind-blowing, complex variety of taste I could not comprehend what had just happened to me. Every pre-conception of what I expected coffee to taste like was flipped on its head. I’m sure I looked like I had just been slapped up the side of the face, but James was kind and pretended not to notice the stunned look on my face. As I tasted more I started to dial in my palate. Different parts of my tongue were firing as the layers of flavour emerged. From that point onwards I decided that sensation was
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what I wanted from coffee. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure I even liked that first espresso. The nerve jangling acidity puckered my mouth – a reaction I would normally associate as negative - but as the acid subsided, layers of fruity sweetness began to emerge that were a revelation. As roast times increase we are removing these sensational attributes. Beautifully sourced coffee can be destroyed but more importantly poor quality beans can be disguised. It is non-committal, safe, boring. I had never questioned the produce supplied by the giant brands of the coffee world and all of a sudden they didn’t cut it any more. I encourage you to question what you are putting through your machine, and if your roaster isn’t supplying you with something that excites you and your customers, I suggest you find someone who can. Balancing act But beware. Those magic qualities of lightly roasted espresso are difficult to unlock. It is a constant balancing act of grind, dose, temperature and freshness that can leave you tearing your hair out or leaping with caffeine-ridden joy. For some reason I chose to work outside. Making espresso work is hard enough without battling the elements as well. I work hard figuring out the right dose only for a squall to blow the grinds to the wind before they even reach the basket! Ambient temperature and humidity will also affect extraction. But no matter where you are, making good coffee is a commitment. Sometimes you get so caught up in
capturing the perfect shot you find you have strayed off track completely and are lost in a fog. A good roaster will be there to talk you back. Roasters who go lighter generally want to show off the inherent qualities of their coffee and spend time, energy and money sourcing the best beans and building lasting relationships with the farms that produce them. As baristas and coffee drinkers we have to give those beans a fighting chance. I have found few absolutes in my short time making coffee, but there are a few things that are non-negotiable if you are looking to make or purchase a good cup of the black stuff. Clean that machine as if you were going to give birth on it. I have helped cafés and restaurants improve their coffee, and every single one of them has had a machine as black as a cauldron. This is often the result of an employee's belief that the machine needs to be "seasoned". Old, burnt coffee tastes terrible and will destroy the taste of your espresso. Anything that comes into contact with the brewed coffee needs to be cleaned. Unscrew and clean the shower screen and the block every week. Clean the portafilter to bare metal and flush the
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great but you don’t need this. Dose using a leveled basket – this will let you grind what you need and ensure you are producing the freshest cup. Brewing espresso is still a mystery to me. It is challenging, elusive but very rewarding. If you are new to speciality coffee don’t be intimidated by tasting notes or those telling you what you should be tasting. There are no hard and fast rules when it come to the tongue. Get out there. Drink lots of espresso and go back to what you enjoy!
machine with cleaning powder every day. Coffee should be used within a few weeks of roasting. I saw some coffee from an Italian brand recently that had a best before date two years in the future. I would be reluctant to use mine after two weeks. There are an ever-increasing number of quality roasters in the UK that will supply you with freshly hand-roasted beans. Don't buy a kilo if you make one coffee a day. Buy small quantities regularly. And if someone says a certain Italian brand is without doubt the best coffee in the world, disagree politely and encourage them to try some fresh, locally roasted beans sourced by someone dedicated to taste not profit. Grind fresh for every cup with burrs so sharp they could cut through the fabric of time. Ground coffee has a ridiculously short shelf life. One of my biggest turn-offs is seeing the dosing chamber of a grinder full to the brim with ground coffee. I know it will be bad before I see it go anywhere near the machine. And by the time they have started to reheat a jug of already burnt milk I am halfway out the door. I have a timer on my grinder that lets me grind the exact dose for one coffee at the push of a button. This is
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Alternative brewing Since realising the potential of coffee 14 years ago whilst working in a café in New Zealand, 2009 World Barista Champion, Gwilym Davies (pictured above), has also been on a mission of exploration to discover as much as he can about the ubiquitous bean. “I’ve learned a vast amount over the years, but there’s still so much more to find out,” says Gwilym. “Of course, during recent times a lot more information has been available and experiences shared because of the Internet.” Gwilym Davies has a particular interest in manual brewing methods as, not only is brewed coffee what most people drink at home but, he claims, it is also the best way (in some cases, the only way) to experience the finer flavours and characteristics of the vast number of different beans available these days. “I use several manual brewers and when I was told about the AeroPress®, a couple of years ago, it became one of my preferred methods of making coffee. It produces great results without fuss and, when I use it for customers, they are able to enjoy the coffee making process from start to finish. Also, because nobody’s ever seen anything like it before, it nearly always provokes a comment or question that starts a coffee conversation,” he explains. Gwilym Davies currently serves coffee from his Whitecross Street cart and from Prufrock in Shoreditch High Street, London.
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Budding barista? Of course, you don’t have to be ‘geek’ to make great coffee, but you do need to know the basics, feels Andrew Tucker, managing director of SanRemo UK (www.sanremouk.com), who has the following list of top tips designed to give budding baristas a good start in the profession. 1. Buy a good espresso machine. One with an effective temperature control system or TCS (the SanRemo Verona TCS machine was the official machine of this year’s UK Barista Championships) which will keep the brewing temperature stable throughout service. 2. Invest in a good grinder. Grinders are equally as important as coffee machines to produce great tasting drinks. On-demand Grinders like our Fiorenzato FSR75OD, for example, can dispense in an incredible 1.7 seconds per shot and will give you freshly ground coffee for all your drinks. 3. It is vitally important to clean all machines properly at least once a day to ensure consistently high coffee quality as well as to prolong the good working life of the machine. Cleaning is always best done at the end of service so that the machine is ready for action the next day or service period. 4. Make sure the steam arm of your machine is clean – frequent wiping with a clean cloth throughout the shift will help. At the end of day clean thoroughly with suitable milk cleaning product (do not immerse in water as dirty water can be sucked back into the system). 5. Make sure your machines come from a
However, to stimulate the public’s perception of coffee, to educate them and to teach them the best way of making it at home, Gwilym Davies, together with business partner Jeremy Challender, say that they have plans to open a café complete with a totally accessible ‘coffee school’ facility. Here, coffee lovers will be able to taste various blends in both espresso and filter formats and learn how they can make fantastic coffee at home. “I can guarantee that the AeroPress features within the plans,” Gwilym Davies promises. “As people become more curious about the sheer versatility of coffee and want to experience the incredible array of flavours, there will be a very real demand for brewed coffee. After all, no matter how extensive an espresso menu is, it’s really just
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reputable distributor. Internet offers might look tempting when you are starting out but if you have to travel 300 miles to get it serviced and replacement parts take three weeks, that cheap deal suddenly won’t seem so good as you lose thousands of pounds in sales as you wait. You also need to look carefully at the service agreement with your machine supplier and you need to ensure that you have access to real service back up. By this I mean access to a real person not a message service, engineers who can give you advice and if necessary can come out in hours not days. So make sure your machine comes from a reputable distributor who can also offer you proper barista training to get the maximum return from your machine – getting you into profit as quickly as possible. 6. Get a proper feel for the machine before you buy. Compare machines and get hands on at trade shows or read what you can in the trade press it makes all the difference and avoids you making a business critical mistake. 7. Don’t forget to enjoy the decision making process – after all this is the most business critical decision you can make. Aim for the best you possibly can to optimise your new business and give you every chance of winning over the competition.
one blend of coffee alongside varying quantities of milk!” From a personal viewpoint, Gwilym Davies reports that he enjoys good, black, filter coffee, but rarely comes across a café that serves it. However, on his extensive travels overseas – almost all on coffee related business, of course – he does ensure that he has the capability to be able to brew his own coffee by packing his own AeroPress. Luxury blend Demonstrating that luxury coffees need not always be the preserve of independent retailers, is United Coffee’s premium latest blend of coffee called Grand Cru, but what makes it special? “The quality of a coffee starts right at the
crop,” explains United Coffee’s specialist barista and UK latte art finalist, Lynsey Harley. “Grand Cru is a hand-crafted, credible coffee, sourced from plantations where the farmer really cares about the coffee. All the coffees in the blend have been selected from the best harvest and two are Cup of Excellence award winners. With each new harvest, the blend will develop, reflecting the best of the season and the vibrancy of the coffee’s fruit. It really stands out from other coffees because it offers a unique taste experience, with a signature flavour that’s fruiter than other blends. “To ensure that consumers enjoy the most exquisite Grand Cru experience, all our customers are trained on how to extract the best flavour and how to serve the coffee. Grand Cru is always served in an 8oz cup as the smaller measure results in a richer, more intense flavour experience that accentuates the depth and complexities of the coffee. “As a skilled coffee-smith, I want to get the absolute best out of the coffee and inspire others to do the same. Coffee making is an art - the grind, dose and temperature of the group head all need to be correct to ensure the coffee is extracted within the parameters needed to deliver an outstanding taste. An understanding of the science behind extraction is crucial if your operation uses traditional equipment. Baristas should be proud of their craft and add value to their business by educating consumers on the coffee’s blend, origin and taste profile. “Fresh milk must be used for every drink – reheated milk is big no-no. Each dose of coffee should be freshly ground, as the moment you grind coffee you’re exposing it to the elements which means it will start to deteriorate. Our Mythos on-demand grinder from Nuova Simonelli doesn’t hold any ground coffee, but grinds coffee when it’s needed, ensuring that each dose is fresh. “Cleanliness is a crucial part of the science of coffee. Whilst the essential oils in coffee beans create the rich crema that tops an espresso, they can result in a rancid flavour if the equipment is not cleaned on a daily basis. The oils emulsify, leaving a film which will plug the holes of the filter basket, impairing the extraction process. “Although it’s been around in the artisanal coffee shops for the past few years, single-origin brew coffee is fast becoming the next big thing for the ever-growing coffee market. I believe that filtering coffee is the purest way to extract the flavour from coffee. And, if it’s done using the most exquisite beans, you can create the most amazing drink. At United Coffee, we’re currently developing our own range of exclusive brew coffees, sourced from the single origins of our Grand Cru coffee blend - Colombia, Kenya, Costa Rica and El Salvador.”
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Visiting the producer As a freelance coffee trainer, it’s no surprise to learn that Daisy Rollo (pictured above) likes to travel to coffee plantations in order to meet the farmers and pickers, and witness the different methods and traditions used on the farms in order to produce the quality coffee that we are all raving about in the UK. Only by witnessing this first hand, says Daisy, does she then feel able to pass on information. Earlier this year, she visited Ethiopia… Undiscovered? I got in touch with Heleanna Georgalis, the daughter of Yanni Georgalis founder of Moplaco (one of the oldest quality exporters in Addis). Heleanna is an inspiration to me, the work of love she is
putting into Moplaco is incredible, where, after the death of Yanni Georgalis, her dad, she took on the responsibility of running the company in 2008, and continues to run it with the same love, passion and quality as her father.
There are thousands of coffee varieties undiscovered, growing in their natural environment across the country. Climate, soil and shadow offer a unique and ideal climate for the coffee. Producing some of the most elegant and unusual coffees found anywhere in the world, from the blueberry mocha flavour of Harrar to the exceptional citrus and floral flavour of Yirgacheffe washed, Ethiopia has still a breadth of coffees to discover and unveil to the world. 90% of Ethiopia's coffee is produced by small farm holders. Government plantations make up approximately the remaining 10%. 45% of this production is what is known as garden coffee - a small land of no more than 0.1 hectare, where a house is hosted and the farmer plants bananas, false bananas, potatoes and other crops. The coffee is used as a cash crop. 45% is known as semi forest. In fact, most coffee in Ethiopia is semi-forest. Farmers own land just below the canopy of the forest. They then thin and select the forest trees to ensure both adequate sunlight and proper shade for the coffee trees. 5% is purely wild forest coffee. In the unique microclimates of Ethiopia, this coffee grows wildly, by the defecation of birds and animals. No one is allowed to
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COFFEE
plant in this forest land. Farmers simply collect the coffee when the harvesting time arises. 5% is government plantation coffee. Most of these plantations are around Djimmah and Teppi area. In the last few years, small commercial farms of a minimum of 30 hectares have started to make their timid appearance. Ethiopian Commodity Exchange My journey started with a visit at the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) in Addis. Since 2008 the ECX established a platform for the trade of coffee, wheat, maize and sesame. The ECX enabled a more efficient platform for trading commodities such as maize and sesame that were previously traded in an unregulated market. Unfortunately for the coffee, it has resulted in the loss of traceability and also the loss of the uniqueness of an appelation controlee that Ethiopia could have established. Today around 75% of the Ethiopian coffees is sold throughout ECX. Then I went to the auctions. The Ethiopian auctions system is very different to any other auctions in other coffee growing countries. It provides an electronic platform for trading such as the one in
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New York where buyers and sellers auction their coffee and bid for it, among screaming and shouting. The touch of hands concludes the business. This platform provides a live update of all prices of coffee in New York as well as prices for maize, and sesame that are trading during the day. The buyers unfortunately do not know what he/she is buying, but has to rely on a grading that was given by ECX trained cuppers in the country side. The sellers usually represent a group of suppliers (wet station owners or dry station owners). Yirgacheffee Yirgacheffe lies as an ‘island of land’ called Gedeo in the middle of Sidamo at an altitude between 1790m and 2200m. It is recognised for its exceptional citrus and jasmine flavours found in its washed coffees. We visited small garden coffee farms in the vicinity of Kochere. This year being the low cycle of coffee production, the quantity of coffee in the trees was minimal and most coffee was already handpicked. However, I still managed to take a few pictures of the last cherries of the season and learn the different varieties of tree species and soil of the region.
The next day we visited Konga washing station that belongs to the Yirgacheffe Union and also a private washing station. The views around us, the smells of the wet coffee and the sounds of the ladies singing as they were picking the defects seemed like a dream. So many beautiful smiles and so much energy here! The next day we were on our way to a Sidam. We visited a part of Sidamo called Yirgalem. This part of Sidamo area is up to six hours by car from Addis around 340km and produces fine washed and exceptional unwashed coffees. Sidamo coffee has many varieties and many coffees in Ethiopia are classified as Sidamo Type Borena, Guji, Kambata, South Omo, Sidamo, Arusi and parts of Bale. However, every region is a unique environment that develops unique characteristics for coffee. In Dilla we visited the Djimmah research centre that caries on an extensive research on the varieties of coffee and the preservation of these varieties in the local areas. In this Centre, coffee plants are analysed for the strength, their branch spacing, their cup, their resistance to disease and then by a natural selection process the best plant is simply used to reproduce the next seedlings. Finally, last but not least we visited The Bale Mountains, a range of mountains in the Oromia Region of Southeast of Ethiopia South of the Awas River. Famous for its national park, Bale Mountains is a natural habitat for coffee. Coffee here grows wild! The cup profile of Bale is spicy, gingery in taste, of full body and full acidity. A coffee little known, yet full of secrets to reveal if well processed. Fully sun-dried coffee, but till now unfortunately infested by earthy taste and mouldy beans due to the poor process. Back at Addis and the Moplaco head office, I carried on filming the journey of coffee with the grading and sorting of the beans before export. Finally I put my training skills to good use and with the team, and had a lot of fun fine-tuning their barista techniques. It was a real pleasure to be sharing information and knowledge with the team at Moplaco as they were so enthusiastic! I have to say, we bonded. This is something I will bring back and keep as a little present to myself. I love Ethiopia, it is a stunning country. Daisy will be exhibiting her business, Coffea Arabica, at the Bath Coffee Festival 2011 (21 and 22 May 2011, The Recreation Ground, Bath) and also speaking about her trips and experience, and holding a couple of workshops in the Smart Coffee Academy over the weekend (for more information and to sign up for these workshops, visit www.bathcoffeefestival.co.uk and www.coffeaarabica.co.uk).
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MARCH 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 27
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CATERING EQUIPMENT
It’s good
A marinated artichoke heart and halloumi panini cooked on a Pantheon contact grill.
to grill In the start of new series of articles taking a closer look at particular pieces of catering equipment being utilised successfully in the café sector, we hear more about the potential of the Pantheon range of small grills and ovens that have become extremely popular with cafés due to their small footprints and versatility. Enhanced food offering To ensure your café attracts a stream of customers and keeps them coming back for more, it is important that you can deliver a good, well thought out menu that offers variety, quality and consistency. Hot food is undeniably a major draw as the aromas generated are instantly tempting and, unlike cold food, there will never be the nagging question in customers’ minds that they could have bought similar in a supermarket or brought something in from home. A good, hot menu will be perceived to be unique to you. Thus, a grill is a great way for many cafés looking to introduce or extend a hot food menu. Pantheon say that its plug-in equipment has been designed to be compact and reliable, built to withstand constant and heavy use. Also, perhaps most importantly, for budget conscious café operators, it is also fairly priced. “We offer real solutions for real people,” explains Nick Pendlebury, Pantheon’s managing director. “Pantheon equipment doesn’t burst at the seams with unnecessary and rarely used features and
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technology. What it does do, however, is deliver what it promises – great results, day in, day out.” Although the Pantheon range extends across many products, Nick claims that when space and budget are restricted, by simply opting for just two items of kit – a contact grill and a baking oven – a vast range of foods can be prepared. Contact grill Pantheon’s contact grill comes in 10 variant models offering smooth or ribbed options in a range of sizes. With their stylish stainless steel exteriors, they look good in any front of house setting, while the solid cast iron grill plates will withstand constant use. Also, the adjustable grilling temperatures of between 50°C and 300°C and counter balancing top plates that promise even results, make them suitable across a wide range of foods. Contact grills cook food very quickly because both sides have contact with the food meaning it cooks twice as fast as usual. This method of cooking also helps to keep food moist as the tight contact prevents air circulation which could, otherwise remove the
Recipe ideas An obvious idea for a meat based menu is burgers. However, instead of buying them in, why not try making your own? Ingredients (makes approximately 8 x 4oz burgers) 1 kg coarsely minced beef 1 medium onion, finely chopped 4 tbsp fine bread crumbs 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 red chilli, finely chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp mustard power or mustard 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 cloves garlic, crushed Method Pantheon’s CGL2R large, 1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl double, ribbed contact grill. using hands so that the mixture doesn’t compress too much. 2. With wet hands shape the mixture into eight burgers about 2cm thick. 3. The burgers can now be stored in a fridge until required and then cooked on the contact grill for around five minutes. 4. You can ring the changes by adding extra onion, herbs, extra pepper, chillies or ham during the mixing process. Do experiment until you have a product that you’re proud of and that will keep customers returning. 5. Offering a range of pre-devised toppings (rather than just hoping customers will know what to choose) can extend your burger menu considerably. 6. Serving ideas include a Pepperoni Pizza Burger (a grilled burger covered with pepperoni, Mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce) or a Greek Burger (topped with herby feta cheese, black olives and onions).
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food’s natural moisture. And, because oil and fat drain into a generous, removable, oil collection drawer, food is delicious and moist without being greasy. The choices and recipe options are endless, point out Pantheon, so it’s a good idea to limit your menu to a group of foods that will not require constant cleaning in between customers’ orders, or become tainted by flavour transference. If that isn’t possible, then consider a double grill as twice as many options become available, advise the company.
Keep it simple Of course, the simplest idea, at least initially, should be to concentrate on toasted sandwiches and paninis, advise Pantheon. A grill with a ribbed surface will also pattern the surface of the sandwich or panini with distinctive score marks. When the café is quiet, you can use the contact grill to prepare foods for sandwich and panini fillings – grilled Mediterranean vegetables (such as peppers, onions, courgettes, mushrooms and aubergine), bacon, marinated chicken or turkey and Halloumi cheese (which won’t melt in the grill), for instance. Ideas for fillings - which can just as easily be used within a toasted sandwich - include a Pizza Panini (pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, grilled vegetables and black olives), Turkey Club Sandwich Panini (sliced, cooked turkey, Swiss cheese, cooked bacon, tomato slices and mayo), Wafer Thin Smoked Ham, Cheddar Cheese, and Tomato Panini (add mayonnaise and/or mustard), Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Panini (layer thinly sliced ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and sprinkle with garlic, if desired, before grilling), Marinated Artichoke Hearts and Halloumi Cheese Panini (add mayonnaise if desired or drizzle with Italian dressing. Serve with olives) and Grilled Vegetable & Pesto Panini (spread a little pesto on the panini surface and use a scoop of your pre-grilled Mediterranean vegetables cheese or ham can added as required).
If you need to offer customers something more substantial, but that is still easy to cook, a contact grill can be extremely versatile, but Pantheon’s advice is to keep it simple. A short, but well thought out, menu is manageable and is more likely to enable you to provide consistently good results than a long, multi choice menu, feel the company.
Pantheon’s twin fan convection oven is ideal for bake-off.
Convection oven The other item of equipment Pantheon supply that will help complete the perfect café menu is a convection oven. Pantheon’s competitively priced, compact CO1 oven is small enough to be sited front of house and versatile enough to get excellent results across a range of foods. Bake-off is an obvious first application. The evocative aromas of baking undoubtedly stimulate appetite and increase sales. Not only that, but the strong image created of freshly made food helps improve sales generally.
Their oven is also ideal for simple baked foods like baked potatoes, quiches and pasta bakes, say Pantheon, but is also ideal should you want to cook off some prime ingredients like chicken or beef. That way, while the café is quiet, you can save money by roasting the meat for the next day’s sandwiches and paninis. Four sturdy interior shelves accommodate the maximum amount of food and an audible 120 minute timer ensures cooking times are monitored accurately (for more information, visit www.pantheonce.co.uk).
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MARCH 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 29
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Taking care of hygiene Tork manufacturer, SCA, is a global organisation providing hygiene solutions for the catering and hospitality sector as well as other key industries, providing Tork wipers for kitchen surfaces and equipment plus hand hygiene systems for wash stations and the washroom. Here, the company’s product and hospitality segment manager, Julie Ray, explains why outlets need to take food hygiene and cleanliness seriously.
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HYGIENE A no-brainer Everyone who works in the food preparation industry knows the important role that hygiene plays in any sustainable catering business. By neglecting hand hygiene in the kitchen, or allowing cross-contamination to become an issue, a café owner can potentially make their customers unwell which of course is highly undesirable. Besides the human suffering it may potentially inflict, this will lead to dissatisfied customers, damage to the establishment’s reputation and an inevitable loss of business. So it is a nobrainer that hygiene is crucial in a successful food outlet. However, when a consumer contracts food poisoning, or any other illness, it can be difficult to trace it back to where it was picked up. So in a restaurant kitchen the chef and his or her assistants may not always be held to account for any lapses in hygiene. Many restaurants are addressing this and use Best Practice Systems to ensure that rigid hygiene systems are in place and that compliance levels are high, but the issue becomes more complex in establishments such as cafés, pizzerias and fast food outlets. Here the staff often work in full view of their customers so there is no hiding place since any lapses in hygiene will be seen by the customers and potentially colour their enjoyment of the food. For example, a customer who witnesses a chef sneezing into a tissue before going on to sprinkle cheese into their panini by hand may well be unwilling to eat at that café again – particularly if the customer develops a cold soon after the event. The customer may also decide to report what he or she saw to others which will lead to the establishment gaining a poor reputation.
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There are any number of illnesses that can result from food borne contamination, some of them lethal. Listeria, which may be found in foods such as coleslaw, milk and cheese, causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, chills and fever. Testing conditions Many cafés, pizzerias and fast food outlets are required to serve large numbers of customers very quickly, too, and may also be working in cramped conditions with limited hand washing facilities. This makes it doubly difficult for staff to carry out rigorous hygiene practices. The Food Standards Agency’s latest hygiene rating scheme is poised to raise the stakes still further. Launched last November, the scheme will apply a star rating to all restaurants, cafés and takeaways throughout the country. A food safety officer from the local authority will inspect the outlet and the hygiene standards found at the time of inspection will be rated on a scale from nought to five. The criteria considered will include how hygienically the food is prepared and handled - and of course, the public will have full access to the results. Add to this the reemergence of swine flu this winter, and it becomes clear that now is the time for every food establishment to take a long, hard look at their hygiene practices. The risks There are any number of illnesses that can result from food borne contamination, some of them lethal. Listeria, which may be found in foods such as coleslaw, milk and cheese, causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, chills and fever. The listeria bacteria can also be passed on via the hands, knives, cutting boards and counters.
Careless food handling practices can also give the salmonella bacteria a chance to multiply. Salmonella infections can cause diarrhoea, upset stomach, chills, fever and headache. They can be life-threatening for the very old or very young or in anyone whose immune system is already weakened by disease. Another deadly strain of bacteria is E. coli 0157:H7 which can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting and in severe cases even death. E. coli can be transmitted to meat by poor hand hygiene during food preparation. And Hepatitis A is another leading cause of foodborne illness. This virus is excreted by infected people and can be transferred to food via the faecal-oral route. Symptoms of Hepatitis A include fever, nausea, poor appetite, abdominal pain and jaundice. And of course colds, flu and even swine flu can be transmitted via contaminated food, though the risk here is relatively slight. According to the US Center for Disease Control, flu viruses can survive on food surfaces for between two and eight hours and the customer or member of staff could become infected by directly inhaling the germs or touching their nose, mouth, or eyes after coming into contact with the contaminated surface. Precautions However, there are a number of simple steps that anyone working in the food preparation industry should remember. Food should only be touched by hand when necessary, with clean
utensils being used instead wherever appropriate. Any rings should be removed when preparing food since bacteria can collect beneath them and the ring itself could contaminate the food. Staff who become ill should stay at home to avoid passing an infection on to customers. Gloves should be worn when preparing food and these should be changed between tasks. The hands themselves should be washed before putting on gloves since if these contain any tiny puncture holes – which does sometimes occur - any bacteria on the hands will grow and multiply on the warm, damp conditions created by the gloves. And of course, hand washing should take place at frequent intervals, followed by a thorough hand drying since damp hands can transmit 1,000 times the bacteria as dry hands. Thorough hand washing Hand washing can also be facilitated if the right ‘tools’ are provided to wash and dry the hands thoroughly. Plenty of sinks should be provided and a sufficient number of dispensers containing soaps and hand towels should be installed at a comfortable height above them. Lowmaintenance dispensing systems for hand towels and soaps should be supplied to avoid the risk of the products running out between maintenance checks, an issue that could compromise hygiene. Disposable hand towels are now widely accepted as the most hygienic handdrying option there is since they provide a fast, efficient drying solution using a clean towel every time. Recent research carried out by scientists at the University of Westminster revealed that traditional warm air dryers can increase bacteria on the hands by up to 254%, whereas paper towels reduce the bacteria by up to 77%. The hands should be
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HYGIENE Effective hand washing regimes can go a long way towards minimising the risks posed by many types of bacteria. washed before handling food; after using the washroom and after touching any part of the body such as rubbing the eyes or blowing the nose. They should also be washed between food handling tasks – particularly between touching raw meats and other products – and after throwing anything away in the bin. The way the hands are washed is also important. Particular attention should be paid to those areas that are usually neglected such as the backs of the hands and the areas between the thumbs and fingers. The washing process should take at least 30 seconds and should be followed by a thorough drying, since damp hands are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.
Surface cleaning When it comes to cleaning surfaces, dishcloths and sponges should be avoided since these tend to be reused again and again. Research carried out in the US has revealed that an averagesized kitchen sponge contains more than seven billion bacteria so in a large catering kitchen where there may be many such sponges or cloths, the quantity of bacteria present is potentially huge. The types of pathogen that may be found on a typical dishcloth include salmonella, campylobacter and E.coli O157 which can subsist on protein particles such as meat, eggs and milk. Research indicates that boiling dishcloths for several minutes will effectively kill the bugs, but this takes time and energy and the process needs to be repeated at frequent intervals to avoid a new build-up of pathogens. The ideal catering wiper,
Recipe Ideas Parma-Maple Breakfast Pancakes Serves 6 Ingredients for 12 homemade pancakes 150g self raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder Cook’s tip: pinch salt, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, You can always 1 large egg, lightly beaten, 1 x 250g tub buy Scotch ricotta cheese, 2 ripe conference pears pancakes to 12 slices Parma ham, Maple syrup, to drizzle save time! 150ml (5 fl oz) milk, 2 tbsp melted butter A few drops of vegetable oil, to grease Method 1. First make the pancakes (sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl, the add the egg, milk and melted butter, and whisk together and leave to stand for 15 minutes). 2. Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter to coat the surface of the pan. Drop tablespoons of the pancake batter into the pan and flip over after a couple of minutes, when tiny bubbles start to appear on the batter surface. 3. Leave the pancakes over the heat for a further 1-2 minutes, until both sides are golden brown. Repeat this process until you have 12 medium-sized pancakes. Layer the pancakes on to six serving plates with ricotta cheese, sliced pear and Parma ham. Finish with a final slice of Parma ham and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.
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Easter Morning Eggs and Parma Ham Toasts Serves 2 Ingredients 4 large free-range eggs, 4 slices farmhouse white or wholemeal bread, butter, for spreading, 8 slices Parma ham, cut in half lengthwise, salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook’s tip: Pop the toast back under the grill once it has been buttered to keep its crunch!
Method 1. Cook the eggs in gently boiling water for three or four minutes, depending on how runny you like the egg yolks 2. Meanwhile, toast the bread on both sides, then trim off the crusts. Butter the toast and cut each slice into four strips. 3. Wrap Parma Ham around each toast, then serve with the soft-boiled eggs, seasoned with a little salt and pepper.
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HYGIENE therefore, is one that is thrown away after use. UK food preparation professionals tend to favour blue wipers since few foods are blue in colour and the risk of losing a blue wiper among food ingredients is slim. Disposable wipers such as Tork Advanced Blue are a good solution because these can be housed in a hygienic dispenser that give out the paper in individual sheets, ensuring that each wiper is touched only by the user. Tork Advanced Blue can also double as a hand drying and surface wiping disposable which makes it convenient for use in a busy food environment. When working with disinfectants and detergents or cleaning up fatty spills, a heavy-duty food wiper is required. This should be tough enough to be used as a dishcloth and also sufficiently absorbent to soak up liquids such as water, detergents, solvents and disinfectants. Tork Premium 530 Blue is an example of this type of product. Colour-coding is a simple yet highly effective method of avoiding cross contamination in hygiene-critical food preparation areas. When different coloured buckets and cloths are used for specific tasks, staff training becomes very simple. Staff quickly come to associate the correct colour cloth with the appropriate task and adhering to a strict regime becomes second nature. An example of such a product is Tork Premium Specialist Colour Coded Cloths in red, blue, green and yellow. These cloths come in compact packs that can be stored or transported on a cleaning trolley. Clean conditions Besides equipping a café or fast food outlet with hygienic cleaning systems for staff, it is also important that the customer washrooms are clean and sanitary. These are often shared by staff and
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customers and should therefore be kept constantly equipped with soap and consumables to ensure high levels of hygiene while providing a clean, hygienic image. Again, hand towels should be used instead of warm air dryers to remove as much bacteria as possible from the hands after washing. A recent survey carried out among 2,000 diners by Tork showed that if the washroom in an eating house is clean, 59% of customers will assume that the kitchen will also be clean. The study also revealed that nearly a third of us are worried about catching various infectious diseases when using restaurant toilets. So it makes sense to use the washrooms as a hygiene ‘showcase’ for the establishments to impress the customers and reassure them that hygiene standards are an important consideration at your premises. Mild, user-friendly soaps such as Tork Premium Extra Mild Liquid Soap – which comes in a sealed cartridge to prevent crosscontamination before use will encourage hand hygiene among staff since it can be used for frequent hand washing without causing chapping. And high quality disposable hand towels such as Tork Premium Hand Towel Roll will also encourage staff and customers to dry their hands since this is extra soft, and which again helps to prevent soreness. The importance of hygiene in the catering industry cannot be over-emphasised. An unhygienic catering business is simply unsustainable as it will gain a bad reputation, fall foul of increasingly stringent legislation – and potentially endanger lives. So any outlet that sets itself high standards for hygiene, cleanliness and customer satisfaction is already well on the route to success.
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CAFÉS
Café concepts Cafés and coffee shops have become much more than places in which to consume coffee and tea. Increasing competition is putting more and more pressure on new, as well as existing, outlets to find profitable ways of differentiating themselves. A number of the sector’s suppliers are now offering ‘ready made’ concepts to help make the task easier, just at the operators themselves are creating offerings that go beyond coffee. On site bakery It claims to be America’s favourite freshlybaked cookie brand, and thanks to Delice de France, Otis Spunkmeyer® says that it is now taking the UK by storm with its onsite bakery solution that has been designed to suit businesses large or small. Made with the very finest ingredients the wide range of Otis Spunkmeyer® cookie flavours can help add flair to any offering, feel the brand, and with the burgeoning coffee culture the promise of a delicious aroma and the warmth of an oven-fresh cookie is certainly one way to draw in consumers and boost operator profits. “There has never been a better time to bake quality products on the premises,” says Ian Toal, Delice de France’s managing director, UK & Ireland. “The aroma of fresh baked goods has been shown to encourage footfall and even in these tough economic times, products that deliver that special little treat have continued to help drive operators’ sales as consumers treat themselves to affordable luxuries.” Otis Spunkmeyer® has developed 18 different varieties across three distinct options designed to fit into any operation from cafés and colleges, to hotels, conference centres and everything in between. The cookies are delivered in a frozen format meaning operators need only bake off to their requirements ensuring a truly fresh product without any wastage. Supreme Indulgence is at the top end of the Otis Spunkmeyer® range and the name says it all. A premium and unique offering, it is designed to deliver fantastic fresh product time after time with minimum space and labour and at an affordable cost. The Supreme Indulgence range offers exceptional variety with four different flavours and eight different products – four cookies and four Bronkies®
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(a Bronkie® is a cross between a cookie and a brownie, a concept that will allow you to offer your customers something new, point out Delice de France - best described as a cookie with the texture of a brownie). There is also the Sweet Discovery Otis Spunkmeyer® range, which has been designed to deliver a range of delicious cookies ‘just like mum used to make’. Featuring varieties including chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and white chocolate macadamia nut and using the pre-set Otis Spunkmeyer® cookie oven so as to guarantee consistent quality, Sweet Discovery can help a busy café with its catering. There are also five Education Sector cookies which were created in-line with FSA guidelines as part of a balanced meal offer, and are designed for outlets operating on a tight budget and with their own oven/kitchen facilities and catering staff (the current best seller in this range is the Otis Spunkmeyer® Brownie Cookie). All Otis Spunkmeyer® products are delivered frozen for freshness and convenience, say the company, and there is also a full concept available on request including an oven, packaging solutions, posters, tent cards and display solutions to help operators make the most of impulse purchasing within their outlets (visit www.delicedefrance.co.uk for more details). A café in a box Caffé in a Box is a café concept package provided by Caffé Society, a UK coffee and espresso machine supplier. For many years Caffé Society have been providing high quality coffee machines to their customers, and as a result report that they have been able to see the many delays, pitfalls and complications associated with opening new sites.
Good presentation and the tempting aromas of freshly baked cookies are central to the popular Otis Spunkmeyer® bakery solution now being promoted by Delice de France.
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CAFÉS Three years ago, the company set out to put together a new café concept designed to take many of the complications away from the client thereby making opening any new site easier, faster and ultimately cheaper. It was apparent that customers were often let down by suppliers, fabricators or equipment vendors leading to costly delays on the whole project, and so Caffé Society set out do something about this. Through the combination of the various divisions of Caffé Society, and the expertise of its people, Caffé in a Box was born. Caffé in a Box overcomes many of the traditional problems with opening a new site and deals with them in a simple bespoke package including counters, beverage equipment, catering equipment, display equipment and pre-engineered services distribution. “This frees up valuable time for clients, allowing them to concentrate on other elements such as walls, floors and ceilings and associated site paperwork,” says Phil Dixon, Caffé Society’s commercial catering manager. “We are not aiming to be shop fitters, or manage the entire project, but what we can do is take a huge chunk of the front of house operation and solve many of the teething issues before they become problems at site.” Initially, representatives of Caffé Society will discuss requirement with the client, and from that first conversation they are able to ascertain what menu the site will be offering, what display equipment will be needed, what cooking equipment will be needed, and which size and type of coffee machine is right for them and their site. “This information, combined with a basic floor plan of the site, allows us to come up with the perfect size for the server counter and a list of equipment that will Caffé in a Box offers a quick and easy way to deploy all the elements a café requires, but still enables outlets to put their own mark on the overall concept.
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need to go in and around it,” explains Phil Dixon. “From this very first conversation we are also able to start to create a bespoke list of requirements, and this is the first great advantage of Caffé in a Box. Every package is different and is put together for each individual client making sure they get the equipment they need and require, ultimately giving efficient use of the budget. You will never find any set packages for Caffé in a Box, as we firmly believe every client’s needs are different and therefore approach every project with this in mind.” At this stage, Caffé Society put together an indicative initial quotation that will contain details on all the equipment and counters involved. A package will typically include a bespoke counter system, refrigerated or heated display, a selection of catering equipment (refrigerated storage, crockery, furniture and beverage ingredients, for example). The options are truly endless, say the company, giving the concept another advantage in that whatever it is you have imagined your site doing Caffé Society can provide the relevant equipment. Installation One of the aims of their concept, say Caffé Society, is to make the whole process quick and worry free. Once the package has been agreed with the client then the manufacturing process begins. A typical package can be built and delivered in as little as four weeks, with the entire system being built away from site and meaning there are no delays on site associated with shop fitters or other options where the counter systems are built from the ground up. This leaves the site free to have its shell prepared. Walls, floors and ceilings can be worked on at the same time as the counter - one does not have to wait for the other. Once the client informs Caffé Society that site is ready then a delivery date will be agreed and the installation team will arrive at site, not just with the counter system but also with all the equipment within the package. This means that the end user has everything delivered on one day - a real bonus for the client now not having to wait on site for several different delivery dates and several different acceptances. Another major advantage is the speed of install. A typical Caffé in a Box system can be delivered, installed and set up in one working day, says Phil Dixon, including the counter, the catering equipment, beverage equipment and any other goods involved. This is enabled by the distribution systems being built into the counters. All the requirements for power and water are prebuilt as it is already known where everything will be going (i.e. there will be full plumb works and a full electric
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CAFÉS
Caracoli has become a haven for foodies, as well as a café. distribution board giving each piece of equipment exactly what it needs). The result of this system is that the client only has to provide one power and one water point saving time and money on expensive electricians and plumbers. The Caffé in a Box system simply connects up to these supplies on site, all the hard work having been done back in the factory. “Once the initial installation is complete and all items are set up we send in one of
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our specialist coffee engineers to set up the coffee machine, and carry out full barista training for all staff on site, ensuring when the client opens their doors the product is as good as it gets,” says Phil Dixon. Flexibility The final advantage of the Caffé in a Box scheme is its flexibility, feels Phil Dixon. “Nothing is dictated to the client,” he explains. “The counter can be any size, shape or colour needed, the equipment involved can be anything required and the coffee machine is tailored to suit the site’s
COMMENT “In recent years, the B&I (B2B) brand marketplace has had to evolve as it strives to compete with what the high street has to offer. As consumers, our tastes have become much more sophisticated and we now expect a lot more from our brands – it takes more than a logo to engage and build loyalty!” says Patrick Jones, United Coffee’s creative director with a wealth of experience working on café brand concepts for clients ranging from contract caterer, BaxterStorey to Debenhams department stores. “You don't get a second chance at a first impression, with the amount of choice on offer throughout the coffee world, there’s also an element of 'seen it all before' that comes into play. The window of opportunity for customer engagement is extremely narrow, so you need to create something memorable in the blink of an eye. A cleverly, crafted brand proposition and personality can turn the level of market saturation in your favour and push your brand into its very own niche. “At United Coffee, we have an experienced team who literally eat, sleep and live brand creation to add value to our customers’ propositions. To do this, we take a look at the whole consumer experience, brand
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personality, brand environment, livery (uniforms), promotional strategy and web media. It’s all about finding an angle to create something iconic that’s not only valuable to our customers in the short term but for many years to come. “We regularly draw on the experience and insight of the rest of the United Coffee team which not only makes for some interesting brainstorming sessions, but ensures the endproduct is in 'market-tough' shape and ready to have immediate impact. We are much more than a value added service and can provide a comprehensive brand agency offer bespoke to the client’s needs. “We've already developed a number of successful bespoke brands for our customers that continue to go from strength-to-strength. Our own United Coffee brands of Grand Cru and Grand Café continue to grow and we have two B&I brands we are about to launch in conjunction with a major contract caterer. “We continue to work with funky, youthful brands such as Tossed & Bills, major blue-chips such as Barclays and are currently fine-tuning an exciting concept for Debenhams which will roll-out later this year.”
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needs. Caffé in a Box provides a framework for the client to create the site they dreamt of, rather than telling them what they can have, like modular counter systems or franchise operations and quite often offering all this while being cheaper. "Caffé in a Box was originally devised to help out new start business in setting up a site from scratch. However, because of its flexibility it soon became apparent that it was also suitable for any existing business wanting to diversify or add additional revenue streams. All systems can be made to any size and installed very quickly with minimum disturbance to the existing business So far, the concept has been specified and supplied to book shops, commercial canteens and service stations. These new system can be fully personalised and if needs be supplied with branding or logos to keep in line with the existing company’s image and identity.” The foodie café After travelling around Australia, Gail and Chris Nichols were struck by the number of stylish, contemporary cafés offering amazing coffee, delicious cakes and light lunches, and that also incorporated a food store selling a selection of premium groceries. They could think of no equivalent outside London, and yet felt that the English lifestyle was well suited to this concept. And so the seeds were sown for Caracoli. After returning to their home in Hampshire in 2005, the plan to open a coffee shop got underway, with the town of Alresford being targeted as the perfect location. Gail had run an outside canape catering company for some years, but started to seek out a property to house their dream. It so happened that a well-positioned shop came up for sale in the main street in Alresford and so this is where Caracoli took root. The name was chosen to reflect the premium nature of the business and the definition forms a mural (it is the rare situation when a coffee cherry houses only one special bean rather than two). Caracoli is the hub of Alresford and on any day it is bustling with people of every age. The atmosphere is friendly and informal, the cakes and groceries are beautifully displayed, and the team of staff are knowledgeable and efficient, but due to the confines of the building, Caracoli could not expand. At this point, Gail and Chris’s son, James, who had been a manager forHotel du Vin saw the potential in his parents’ business and joined them with a view to grow Caracoli into a small chain. The question of where to open the next coffee shop was one they took very seriously and so they started to research towns around the south east. Quickly they
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CAFÉS recognised Guildford as a great opportunity, but a street presence in there was prohibitively expensive, so they moved on to other towns. In November last year they had found a site in Chichester and were doing their sums when James happened to learn about the availability of a bespoke 1500sqft café space in Guildford, above the upmarket cookshop Steamer Trading that was seeking a tenant. Once James Nichols and his parents had seen the space they were sold. “We were struck by the amazing light drawn in by an enormous plate glass window that offered views all the way down the cobbled High Street and to the hills of the North Downs beyond. A perfect place to sit and enjoy a delicious coffee,” recalls James Nichols. “The space also benefited from a beautiful, contemporary staircase and a lift as well as having a roof terrace. It ticked all the boxes!” They moved in quickly with their café and food concept, and by the end of November had opened Caracoli Guildford – a coffee shop that has received a warm welcome from many new customers. Caracoli is not only a coffee shop and food retailer, it also has an internet grocery business selling its own brand, homemade cakes and other products (many of which have won Gold Stars in the Great Taste
Modular approach Catersales, based in south London, say that they have developed a new modular system based on ‘work stations’, which allows operators to combine refrigeration, ambient storage, knock out drawer, sink etc, in any combination required, making the working area fully equipped with everything needed, whether they want to serve coffee, juices or smoothies. The most popular work station is proving to be their Coffee Machine Station, say the company, which can range from 1.4m, to 2.1m in length, and includes a fridge for milk, ambient shelving for cups, a water softener cupboard, knock out drawer and hand sink. As a result, baristas can have everything at their fingertips to make the perfect cup of coffee quickly and
Awards), preserves and breakfast cereals. In addition, it offers other groceries that Chris and Gail discovered during their travels (such as T2 teas from Melbourne, and manuka honey from honey New Zealand).
efficiently, as well as a design that looks sleek and professional to the customer. Other off the shelf work stations available from the company are the washing up station which incorporated a dishwasher, washing up sink and storage for dishwashing chemicals, and a juice/smoothie bar station which incorporated a freezer for storing frozen products such as fruit, an ice maker and storage for takeaway cups etc. With plinths included, this offers an ideal hygienic and workable service area, but with a fitted look. The good thing about this system, say Catersales, is that they are also available as front sited units, clad with a large range of colours and finishes to compliment/match your front display counters.
“We plan to continue to grow Caracoli over the next few years to four or five coffee shops and food stores, but we are mindful of maintaining our reputation for the very best coffee and delicious food in a stylish environment,” says Gail Nichols.
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MARCH 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 37
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INTERVIEW
Q&A with… Joanne Fairweather, UK Barista Championship technical judge
Joanne Fairweather was in attendance as a technical judge at this year’s UK Barista Championships. She is also account manager at Beyond the Bean, a well known company to many in the coffee world, having become successful innovators in the ancillary coffee sector, supplying everything needed to run a successful coffee business (everything that is, apart from the beans and machines). Beyond the Bean were also a sponsor of the UK Barista Championship 2011 with the championship regional heats beginning in London in January, and having continued throughout February by visiting four other regions nationwide. The semi-finals and finals were held earlier this month at the UK’s largest food and drink trade event, IFE1, at London’s ExCeL centre on 15 and 16 March. How did you become a judge? I came across an advert looking for more judges about four years ago. I had been part of the coffee industry for four years at this point and thought it would be a great way to get more involved – and that it would be a good challenge! What’s required to become a judge? Are any particular qualifications required, or experience essential? Any new or existing judges need to
attend calibration each year. Of course, all judges are involved in the coffee industry in some way and therefore already have an in-depth knowledge of coffee and barista skills. Calibration allows us to get back into competition mode after a six month break – reinforcing the competition rules, ensuring that all the judges are judging to the same level. From a sensory side, lots of espressos are tasted and cappuccinos evaluated,
Competitor, Megan Barker, being scrutinised in the Scottish heat of the UK Barista Championship.
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while from the technical side we evaluate all the espresso being made, and are even tested on visually guessing the weight of waste coffee grounds. It is quite an intense programme, but at the same time a vital process. At the end of calibration, each judge needs to take an exam (and of course needs to pass!) to be able to continue judging. So what does calibration involve exactly? Calibration basically involves making sure all the judges are assessing at the same level. For example, I spent a day with my fellow judges doing exercises and tests to ensure we were making their judgements on the same basis. For example, one of the things the competitors are judged on is the amount of coffee grounds they waste. So, I spent some time before the calibration day getting my eye in by judging the weight of various piles of coffee grounds by sight so that I could accurately assess the wastage during the competition. By practising this, you can became exceedingly accurate and then, at calibration, my ability to do this was tested and she I was able to guess the weight of the wastage, sometimes to within half a gram – but often spot on! As points are deducted for wastage, this skill is really important to competitors – and it’s essential that all the judges are
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INTERVIEW training is to ensure that the judges maintain their objectivity throughout the whole day. I’m sure the sensory judges need to have a break from coffee the day after though!
accurate and consistent to be as fair as possible across all the heats. Is any preparation required beforehand, or on the day? Again on the day, the judges will get together to calibrate by tasting espressos and cappuccinos to get their taste buds in gear for the day ahead. What would you say is the most challenging part of the judging process? It is so important to keep consistency between the first competitor and the last, especially if it is a full day of competitions. The competitors have invested so much time into getting ready for their 15 minute routine, so it is important that the judges give it justice. What did you find to be the most pleasing aspect to this year’s competition? It is always encouraging to see new baristas coming into the competition, especially those starting out. Being a barista can actually be a career rather than just a job. More competitors are returning, having improved on their performance and their skills from the previous year. We always give the competitors feedback on their routine so
In what aspects do you think UK baristas currently excel? Since I’ve started I have definitely seen an increase in the baristas’ knowledge of the coffees that they are using and they are certainly becoming more adventurous. Latte art champion, Paul Whitehead, under the watchful eyes of the judges in this year’s competition, during which technique as well as beverage taste, was assessed. that they can learn from the experience and feel encouraged in continuing to promote quality coffee. After tasting so many different beverages in a competition, does it get harder to maintain objectivity? If so, what can you do? Personally I do the technical judging so I don’t actually get to taste any of the coffees – although after a long day of technical judging I could actually do with one! One of the aims with our calibration
What would be your advice for would-be entrants in next year’s competition? Think about the coffee you are using and know the coffee you are using. The sensory judges like to know what they are drinking! And most importantly read and re-read the rules! It may sound boring, but it is a shame to have to mark competitors down on things that can be easily avoided. Make each point count!
For more information about the results of this year’s UK Barista Championship, as well as to find out how to become a judge for next year, visit www.scaeuk.com.
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PREVIEW
Natural Food Show to draw a healthy crowd London Olympia’s Grand Hall is set to be transformed into a vibrant showcase of the very best in natural and organic food and drink when the newly launched Natural Food Show opens its doors to thousands of industry food buyers next month on 3-4 April 2011. Growing movement Reflecting growing consumer demand for healthier, more sustainably produced food and drink, the Natural Food Show – the new name for the food and drink section at Natural & Organic Products Europe trade show – aims to showcase the sumptuous diversity that lies at the heart of the natural and organic movement. “There has been a huge increase in the understanding of the benefits of natural and organic food, including sustainability, the environment, health and animal welfare,” comments Carsten Holm, managing director of the show’s organiser Diversified Business Communications UK. “As a result, organic has moved from being essentially a specialist niche product, to having a much broader massmarket appeal and relevance. Following feedback from key brands and buyers, we concluded that the show name should change to reflect this change and to enable the show to evolve and appeal to a broader spectrum of buyers from both the UK and abroad. It’s very exciting and we have had a fantastic reaction from everyone in the industry.” New launches As the only dedicated trade event for natural and organic products in the UK, Natural & Organic Products Europe has built a reputation for being the place to source the widest choice of natural, organic, biodynamic, Fairtrade, free from, artisan and speciality foods from producers all around the world. Hundreds of new launches are timed specifically to coincide with the event, and the much-publicised New Product Showcase is one of the most popular areas of the show. This year’s offerings include Nakd Cocoa Mint Raw Wholefood
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“I love the fact that healthy and organic foods are available and the fact that the show proves that natural food doesn't have to be dull but can be interesting and delicious.” Aldo Zilli Bar from Natural Balance, Kay's Kitchen Organic Preserves from Orchard Organics, ‘Suma/Iris Organic Cooperative Pasta from Suma Wholefoods, and Baby Zilli Organic Baby Food distributed by Food Sellers. Suma, an independent wholesaler of vegetarian, natural and organic foods, will be showcasing new authentic recipe pastas made for them by their commercial partners, and fellow co-operative, Iris in Italy. The company offers ambient, chilled and frozen delivery to natural product retailers, caterers, delicatessens, farmshops, public sector etc throughout the UK and abroad and has a portfolio of 7000 ambient, chilled and frozen products. Yogi Tea® will be unveiling a quartet of new blends - New Yogi Tea Licorice Mint, Yogi Tea Ginger Orange Vanilla, Yogi Tea Pure with Lemon, and Yogi Tea Ginger. “The four new organic teas further demonstrate our brand’s commitment to truly delight consumer palates while supporting overall wellbeing. This allows Yogi Tea to stand out from others in the category,” says Robert Ziehl, Yogi’s global marketing director. “Spice and herb tea
drinkers are sophisticated consumers that welcome flavoursome and purposeful teas into their daily drinking repertoire. By introducing four new Yogi Tea blends, we are meeting the needs of these shoppers, extending their choices and delighting their senses.” Following a successful launch in Japan and Italy, GO*DO will be introducing their brand to the UK. In Italian the word ‘godo’ means to enjoy sensual pleasure, and the company is aiming for the taste of their chocolate to become an integral part of enjoying life. Their dinky, 35g handbag-sized bars are available in six flavours – dark, dark with Sicilian almonds, dark with espresso coffee, milk, milk with Piedmont hazelnuts and vanilla. Several new pavilions will also be making their debut this year, including local food group FoodLovers Britain. Led by the organisation’s founder food writer, Henrietta Green, the pavilion features a host of specialist FoodLovers Approved food producers, including It’s Only Natural with their 100% natural Fruit Freezies, ethical chocolatiers the Organic Seed & Bean Company, Easy Bean with their range of one-pot meal dishes and Perry Court Farm, whose healthy Apple Crisps are made by hand from apples grown, picked and prepared on their farm in Kent. The international presence at the show remains as strong as ever this year, with new pavilions from Organics Brasil, PROARGEX Argentina, Sudde France, Thailand and Latvia (joining France, Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand, and a significantly expanded Italian presence). Wide selection Retailers seeking differentiation will find an eclectic mix of products from smaller
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PREVIEW
WHO’S WHERE? STAND NUMBER Clipper Teas Ltd Dragonfly & Tick Tock Teas
5030
Equal Exchange
8043
Food Sellers Ltd
7015
Hampstead Tea London HEATH & HEATHER
artisan producers plus many big name brands in the show’s Fairtrade Trail, Vegetarian Trail and the popular Soil Association Marketplace, which promotes local delicacies from innovative new startups. The west and south-west of the UK – well-known for being a natural and organic geographic hot spot – is also well represented across the show floor, with Clipper Teas, Devon Cottage Organic Fudge and Pukka Herbs all making a welcome return. Whilst this year’s West Country Food & Drink Pavilion participants include organic food producer Carley's of Cornwall, Styles Farm – the largest producers of sheep's milk iced dessert in the UK, organic handmade chocolate producer Feed Your Imagination, Tideford Organic Foods and Queenswood Natural Foods. The Organic Trade Board (OTB) – Britain’s lead trade association for the organic industry, along with many of its 130 member companies (such as Green & Blacks, Kallo Foods, James White Drinks, Infinity Foods Wholesale, Doves Farm Foods, Essential Trading, Alara, and Clearspring) will also be exhibiting. Formed just over three years ago, the OTB has already made a major impact on the industry and is currently spearheading (along with Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming) the launch of Britain’s first organic consumer ad campaign ‘Why I Love Organic’, aimed at boosting sales and bringing awareness of the benefits of organic to a wider audience. It’s not just the exhibitors at the Natural Food Show that promises to draw in the crowds however. The Soil Association’s official trade launch of its Organic Market Report 2011 is set to take place in the show’s Keynote Theatre on Monday 4 April at 11am. Live kitchen
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demonstrations are also back on the menu, with the new Natural Food Kitchen featuring top chefs with some serious organic and eco credentials, including Aldo Zilli, Barney Haughton of Bordeaux Quay, and pioneer organic pub owner and caterer Geetie Singh – winner of an MBE for her services to the organic pub trade. Experts in attendance "I am delighted to be involved in the Natural Food Kitchen,” says Aldo Zilli. “I love the fact that healthy and organic foods are available and the fact that the show proves that natural food doesn't have to be dull but can be interesting and delicious. I am proud to be showcasing my new organic range of baby food, Baby Zilli here and look forward to hearing the feedback about it from visitors to the show." Returning for 2011 are nutritional experts Christine Bailey and Dale Pinnock – who’ll be creating recipes from his new book Medicinal Cookery: how you can benefit from natures edible pharmacy plus Barny Haughton from renowned Bristol restaurant and cookery school Bordeaux Quay, who helped launch the show’s Organic Kitchen back in 2007. “There is a difference between belief and practice in how we engage with food. Most people in the UK think organic food is a good thing – for all the reasons – health, biodiversity, soil, food culture, community etc, but in practice they do little or nothing about it. This is the dismal truth and we should stop being polite about it,” says Barny Haughton. Natural & Organic Products Europe takes place from 3-4 April at Olympia, London, and is free to attend for preregistered trade visitors (for further information please visit www.naturalproducts.co.uk).
7111
8005 4040b
Infinity Foods
7008
Judges Bakery/Gusto Organic
9006
Koyu Matcha Green Tea
8006
Marigold Health Foods
6038
Metropolitan Tea Co. Ltd.
9073
Moo Free Chocolates
9005
Mrs Willis Hot Honey Cordials
2019
NATURAL COFFEE COMPANY
9011
NUMI ORGANIC TEA
7012
Pukka Herbs Ltd
5070
Queenswood Natural Foods Ltd 7046 Storm Tea
6002S
Suma Wholefoods
5012
teapigs organic matcha
7004
The Raw Chocolate Company
8022
Tree of Life UK Limited
5026
YOGI TEA
8076
Zotter Chocolate
8008
Au'some UK
9055
Crispy Snacks Ltd
8072
Freedom Brands
7081
Gluten Free Foods Ltd
7070
Go*Do
9067
Green & Black’s
6001
MOOD FOODS LTD
7076
Natural Balance Foods
7104
Saveurs et nature
5090C
The London Seed Company
2017
Windmill Organics
7040
Natural Food Kitchen line up Sunday 3 April 2011 • 11.00-11.45 Christine Bailey • 12.15-13.00 Dale Pinnock • 13.30-14.15 Aldo Zilli • 15.00-15.45 Jason Vale, aka ‘The Juice Master’ Monday 4 April 2011: • 11.00-11.45 Henrietta Green • 12.15-13.00 Barney Haughton • 13.30-14.15 Jeni Cook • 15.00-15.45 Geetie Singh and Sara Berg
MARCH 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 41
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RISTA BA
Barista talk In the first of a new, regular column, barista, Youri Vlag of training company and coffee supplier, Limini Coffee (www.liminicoffee.co.uk), tackles some of your questions and queries about your own barista skills, and offers some top tips to help you make high quality beverages. First up? The hot topic of whether or not you really ought to be using a thermometer. Should we use a thermometer in our coffee shop? Definitely yes! We get asked this question many times, especially when we teach barista or latte art training in-house with experienced baristas. There is a perception within the industry that using a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the milk is unprofessional. After all, a good barista should be able to gauge the temperature of the milk simply by touch. I couldn't disagree more! There is nothing wrong with using a thermometer just like there is nothing wrong with using scales to measure the coffee dosage. It is a tool a barista can use and if it helps you to serve better coffees and make your customers happy then there is absolutely nothing unprofessional about it.
TALK
Q A
If you have a barista-related query that would like answered, then please email clare@jandmgroup.co.uk, or write in with details of your name, location of your café and question to Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB and Café Culture magazine will endeavour to source a reply for you!
TOP TIPS 1) Never re-heat milk. It doesn't create good foam, doesn't taste great and the customer pays for fresh milk, not for old used milk. 2) Calibrate your thermometers every once in a while. 3) I have heard of theories where the thermometer will cause a turbulence and you will not be able to steam milk perfectly. Sorry, not true! 4) Always remember, there is a delay with a thermometer.
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But surely you can just judge the temperature by touch? The truth is actually that not everybody is capable of gauging the temperature accurately or consistently by the touch of their hand. Many people who we teach can not hold a milk jug when the milk reaches 50oC. Their hands are simply too sensitive and it can become uncomfortable for them. Which would be an unfair situation to put your staff in. Some baristas can hold a milk jug up to 75oC. I can personally judge the temperature between 55oC and
Q A
70oC to within one or two degrees. Does that make me a better barista? And can I really do this all day long more accurately than a thermometer? In fact, we have actually found that most customers in coffee shops see a thermometer as a good thing. Isn't it more professional to always serve a cappuccino with the correct temperature? One of the most frustrating things for a customer of a coffee shop is receiving a coffee that is too hot or too cold. And even more frustrating when the temperature is inconsistent from drink to drink or day to day, leaving the customer unsure as to what to expect. A thermometer will ensure that every barista in the coffee shop serves the drink at the correct temperature. By correct I mean the temperature set by the coffee shop, which ideally should be between 60 and 70oC. So how hot should the milk be? Personally, I like my coffees around 60oC, yet in a commercial environment I serve drinks at 65oC and at 70oC if the customer likes it a bit hotter. Always make sure that the drink goes in to a warm cup as opposed to a cold cup.
Q A
And how hot is ‘extra hot’? An extra hot drink would be around 70oC. I would never make the drink much
Q A
hotter than that unless the customer specifically requests it. Instead I would make the cup very hot by filling it with hot water from the espresso machine. Then empty the cup just before adding coffee. Why is the temperature so important? It has mainly to do with how your senses work. A hot drink will prevent your tongue from working to its full capacity, resulting in a hot sensation rather than a flavour. If the drink is too hot then it can even burn your tongue, impairing your taste buds. Unless of course your coffee is so bad that you don't want your customer to actually taste the drink! But lets assume that you are reading this because you are interested in serving your customers delicious drinks. A drink that is slightly too cold will in my opinion be better than a coffee that is too hot. However, many people like to enjoy their drink for a little while and a cold coffee is not exactly acceptable. In competitions we often serve cappuccinos around 55 - 60oC yet you have to appreciate that this is a different environment (this is worth a discussion on its own!). We serve to judges and other fellow baristas at these temperatures purely because the flavour comes out best. Milk also changes flavour as it gets hotter. Compare milk that has been boiled with cold milk and you'll see what I mean. Just do a little
Q A
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BARISTA TALK experiment and steam 3 jugs of milk - 60oC, 65oC and 70oC. Then taste the difference and see for yourself. At a certain temperature the milk will taste sweet. I like to call this the "sweet spot". The idea is that the milk should complement the coffee. Milk and coffee go really well together yet only when the milk is steamed and textured correctly and heated to the correct temperature. What is your experience when teaching people about milk steaming? I always have people using a thermometer when teaching. We see milk that is almost always steamed perfectly and is tasting delicious. You turn the steam off just before you reach about 55oC. There is a slight delay in the thermometer and you have to wait for the thermometer to catch up. If the milk is not quite hot enough then you heat it up for another second or so. I put great emphasis on milk
Q A
temperature and encourage people to drink coffees at different temperatures to see how the flavour differs. What can go wrong if you don't use a thermometer? Milk could be steamed to 50oC or way over 70oC. The foam will not be very good and there will a lack of consistency between drinks. I see this as a huge issue and strongly encourage everybody to use a thermometer.
Q A
Should you hold the jug during milk steaming? Definitely. This is important as two hands will give you greater control than just one. Also your hand will warn you when the milk is getting hot ensuring you will not overheat the milk.
Q A
Essential tool, or unnecessary extra? Use of a thermometer should not be seen as ‘unprofessional’, argues Youri Vlag.
magazine SUBSCRIBE NOW CAFÉ CULTURE is published six times a year and currently distributed at the promotional subscription price of £30 per annum (£60 outside the UK). Name:.................................................................................................................Job title: .......................................................................................... Business/Company Name: ................................................................................Address: .......................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................Post Code: ....................................................................................... Tel No: ............................................................................................................Fax No: ................................................................................................ email:..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Please provide the following information: Type of business (please tick as appropriate) Café/coffee bar Equipment supplier Coffee supplier Coffee wholesaler Food supplier Agency/PR Other (please state) ............................................................. I enclose a cheque for £28 (£45 outside the UK). Cheques should be payable to Café Society and returned to: Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB or contact Tony Lorimer on 01291 636333 or email on Tony@cafesociety.org.uk Alternatively, if you wish to pay by credit card, please enter your details below.
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FEE F O
CL
INIC
If you have a coffee machine-related question that you would like answered, then why not email clare@jandmgroup.co.uk or write in with details of the name, location of your café and question to Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB and Café Culture magazine will endeavour to source an answer for you!
The Coffee Clinic Here, Glenn James of maintenance company Coffix (www.coffix.com), responds to some of your frequently asked questions and concerns about the day to day use and smooth running of coffee machines by offering some practical advice and guidance. Question I hope you can help us with a dilemma we have. We are setting up a café bar at our outside theatre, but we've had different advice from the companies that have quoted us. We are not going to have a permanent water supply to the machine, and it will be only possible to have a machine that we can plug in as it wouldn’t be viable to run a generator. We have been quoted for a couple of gas machines but we are sceptical about the performance and safety of these machines. Are they a good option or do you have a better option? The Theatre Café Answer Options a plenty we can do!! Starting with the gas options, they are a good option if you have an area where you can locate the gas bottles safely as
these will allow a bigger machine to be used meaning more capacity output. You also may have the option of running a 20amp heavy duty commando connector that you could un-plug at the end of each day. This option would be only available if you have a spare 20amp supply in your building, but this also allows you to buy a larger machine which has a higher output due to the element being rated higher. If you can only use a plug option my suggestion would be to look for an element rated around 3KW, but I would also get a hot water boiler also rated about 3KW as this will mean that you share the load across both machines causing less down time waiting for the espresso machine to get back to temperature. The water situation is an
Question My espresso machine has recently started to drop pressure very quickly. It is a two group compact espresso machine, and my partner has suggested it could be caused by hard water causing scale to build up in the boiler. Is this possible? If so, how can I get it working correctly again? Incidentally, we have been told the machine should have a water softener? Anne, Felixstowe Answer Give your partner a pat on the back and I'll give him a job! It’s not only possible, it’s pretty much a certainty that it’s scale related as you definitely should have a water softener fitted especially as you are located in a very hard water area.
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Two things could have happened to your machine. One could be that the boiler has filled with scale causing the element to have to work a lot harder to heat the water (imagine your element is placed in a house brick inside your machine, it has to heat the brick up
easy option as you can run a water pump (a Flojet System, say) out of a tank or a 20L water bottle. This is the best option as it gives you the correct water pressure allowing the machines to operate correctly. If you ran with the espresso machine and hot water boiler option you would be best to run them on separate pumps systems. I hope this helps.
first, then the water around it before it gets to the operating temperature. This also impacts on its recovery time so heating back up after use takes longer). All this adds up to a delay in getting the steam pressure back up to the correct pressure causing your fault. The other possibility is that part of your element has become faulty and is not heating up. This will cause a delay in the time your boiler heats ups as it’s only heating up on either half power or two thirds power. Either way, an engineer can repair your machine. If it’s only the element, the cost will not be a great deal, but it sounds as though your boiler will be scaled up and in need of a de-scale. This will be a larger cost as it’s a much bigger job. But please, if you get if de-scaled PLEASE, PLEASE fit a water softener!
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NEW PRODUCTS Melitta at Caffè Culture 2011 - Stand G39 Melitta will be showcasing the new C35, perhaps the most sophisticated fully automatic, speciality coffee machine available – and unequivocally the smallest of its type. Its super sleek matt steel and black coated glass exterior makes an impressive statement and won it a prestigious red dot award. Despite its minimal 35cm width, it has an outstanding performance capability of 250 espressos (or 200 cappuccinos) an hour from a menu
that can store over 100 options. A detailed touch screen display communicates exactly what is happening at any time, making it exceptionally simple for operators to interreact with it. Additional features to bar-cube will be on show (now supplied with a manual milk foaming wand), as well as the Alpha which features a triple level, touch screen control panel, complete with animated, illustrated commands to make it ultra simple to operate (call 01628 829888 or visit www.melitta.de/mss)
Newproducts
Marco up specs its best-selling Filtro Shuffle Marco Beverage Systems has improved its bestselling Filtro Shuttle bulk filter coffee brewer with a host of new features. Launched three years ago, the Filtro Shuttle is a six litre coffee brewer with a mobile urn, which may be removed for use at remote locations. It is a compact bulk brewer – less than 300mm in width - that brews filter coffee at the touch of a button, designed and manufactured to meet the European Coffee Brewing Centre’s standards and to deliver coffee in line with the SCAE’s Gold Cup certification standard. Being insulated, the urn will keep coffee hot with minimal deterioration for up to two hours. It is ideal for venues with a medium to high volume requirement for coffee, such as hotels and restaurants, where coffee needs to be prepared in advance and for self-service
applications, such as conference centres, workplace meeting rooms and staff restaurants (call 01933 666488 or email sales@marco-bev.co.uk).
World’s first tea espresso now available from Cream Supplies red espresso® – the word’s first espresso made from Rooibos tea – is now available for the first time in the UK from Cream Supplies. It is a premium quality Rooibos tea that has been refined, under patent, to a consistency that allows it to be used either in a semi-automatic espresso machine or in the handheld TWIST™ espresso maker from Cream Supplies). Naturally sweet with slightly earthy undertones, it provides a well-rounded mouth-feel with a refreshing, clean finish. Dark red in colour, it produces an excellent crema with the appearance of espresso coffee, lending itself to the speciality drinks usually associated with coffee – cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos etc - but being entirely caffeine free (containing over five times the antioxidants of green tea). As a red espresso®
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promotion, Cream Supplies is currently offering a free, 250g bag of red espresso® with every red TWIST™ purchased. List price (ex VAT) is £99.99 (applies for orders made up to midnight on 31 March 2011). 1 kg catering packs of red espresso® carry a list price of £14.99 (call 0845 226 3024, or visit www.creamsupplies.co.uk).
MARCH 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 45
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Index of members of the Café Society
For enquiries about the Café Society telephone Tony on: 01291 636333 tony@cafesociety.org.uk MEMBERS AL Fresco South Court, Marlow Shopping Centre, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1DX Contact: Fern Murto Tel; 07786 561723 Barista 108 The Rock, Bury BL9 0PJ Contact: Vicky Kay Tel: 0161 763 4161 Bea’s of Bloomsbury One New Change 83 Watling Street, London EC4M 9BX Contact: Bea Vo Tel: 0207 242 8330 contact@beasofbloomsbury.com Bea’s of Bloomsbury 44 Theobalds Road, London WC1X 2NW Contact: Bea Vo Tel: 0207 242 8330 contact@beasofbloomsbury.com Clipper Teas Limited Beaminster Business Park, Broadwindsor Road, Beaminster, Dorset DT8 3PR Contact: Penny Horne Tel. 01308 863344 Fax. 01308 861247 penn@clipper-teas.com Cuppa-Cino Limited 1 Boyle Farm Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0TS Contact: Andrew Roberts Tel: 07801 749 122 cuppa.cino@btinternet.com D Café Dixons Shopping Centre, Reepham Road, Hellesden, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 5PA Contact: Elizabeth Raven Tel: 01603 414 951 cafedixons@hotmail.com Deolali 23A St. Marys Row, Moseley Village, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8HW Contact: Ghanzanfar Zaman Tel: 07957 652792 lynnebrooks1@me.com Esquires Coffee Houses Unit 1.1 , 2-6 Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0AY Contact: Peter Kirton Tel: 0207 251 5166 Fax: 0207 251 5177 peter@esquirescoffee.co.uk Fresha 23 Bittern Road Sowton Industrial Estate Exeter, EX2 7XQ Contact: Ms Jo Hill Tel: 01392 447701 Fax: 01392 447702 Email: kitchen@fresha.org
Homes 4 U 414 Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester M20 3BV Contact: Jenny Critchlow Tel. 0161 236 0202 Fax. 0161 236 8202 city.sales@homes4u.co.uk iCafe 223 Great Western Road Glasgow G4 9EB Contact: Mr Umer Ashraf Tel: 01727 733258 info@icafe.uk.com Nilton Ltd. Lefkonico House, 505-507 Liverpool Road, London N7 8NW Contact: Tim Watts Tel: 0207 607 3162 t.watts199@btinternet.com Rhode Island Coffee Kearsley Mill, Crompton Road, Stoneclough, Radcliffe, Manchester M26 1RH Contact: Jan Horsefield Tel: 01925 417222 Fax: 01204 702339 jan_horsefield@ruia.co.uk The Pool Café Hathersage, Derby S32 1DY Tel: 07793 025464 Urban Grind Ltd. 26 Birrport Drive, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1QH Contact: Curtis Randall Tel: 01628 855425 curtis@urbangrind.co.uk
INDEPENDENTS 5M Coffee - Stanmore Allan, Wayne - West Kensington Allegra Strategies - London Amin, Shilpan - Wembley An Chovi - Scarborough Anglo-Himalayan Trading Company Ltd London Anhelo Caffe - Italy Aquinas College - Stockport Aramark - Chadwell Heath Archer, Robert - Enfield Armstrong, Jenny - Spain Autobar UK Limited - Bardon Hill B Sacarello Ltd - Gibraltar Bailies Hand Roasted Coffee - Belfast Bayley, N. J. - Redditch BB's Coffee & Muffins - Hemel Hempstead BCP Fluted Packaging - Blackburn BCW Ltd - Bedford Bean Loved Coffee Bar - Skipton Bennets Ltd - Cambridge Bestchart Roadside Service Company Waterlooville BFP Wholesale Ltd - Sevenoaks Blades - Northleach Blend 2010 Limited - Cheltenham Blue Onion Limited - Andover Bolling Coffee Ltd - Huddersfield Boswells Coffee Co Ltd - Didcot Bowman Integration Solutions Ltd. Rotherham Bridgford Interiors Ltd - Lichfield Bunzl Catering Supplies - Epsom Butternut (Long Island) - Exeter BWG Foods - Ireland Cafe 4 U - Antrim Cafe 67 - Norwich Cafe Amore - Bristol Cafe Connections Ltd. - Iver Cafe Espresso - St Albans Cafe Gabrielle - Birchley Cafe Loco Trading Ltd - London Cafe Rio - Manningtree
Cafe Su (Jules) - Glasgow Cafe Twocann - Swansea Caffe Nero Group - London Caffe V London - London Caie, Lorraine - Kilburn Calcutt Cafes Ltd - Swansea Camden Foods (SSP UK Food Travel Experts) - London Carrs Foods Limited - Manchester Casa Espresso Direct - Shipley Caseworks - Hull Casuscelli, Domenic - Ireland Catering and Leisure Supplies Ltd Portsmouth Centellas, Lisa - St Johns Wood Chives Cafe & Deli - Somerset Chocolate Drops Limited - Heswall Cinnamon Cafe - Windsor Cisco's - Stirling Coffee 2 - Halesown Coffee Mania Limited - Cardiff Coffee Mocha - Salisbury Coffee Square Ltd - Bedford Coffix - Loughborough Coinadrink Ltd - Walsall Comestibles - Midhurst Complete Beverage Solutions Ltd Thatcham Condor Ferries - Poole Consultant Services Group Heckmondwicke Cooper & Co - St Helier Cornwall College - Redruth Coverpoint Catering Consultancty Ltd Reading Crema – Manchester Cup Print Limited - Ireland Dancyfress - Southampton Dawn Foods Ltd - Evesham DCG Media Limited - Kingston upon Thames Double Shot Coffee Company - London DPKR Enterprises Limited - Worcester Driftwood Café – Emsworth Dunbavand, David - Uppingham Duncan, Elizabeth – Rotherham Dwyfor Coffee - Pwllheli Edgecumbe Tea & Coffee Co Ltd - Arundel Ellison, W. - Bognor Regis EME - Shaftesbury Espresso Solutions - Manchester Esquires Coffee Houses - Ireland Ferndale Garden Centre - Dronfield Flavours - Castleford Forestry of Wales - Dolgellau Frangos, Rokos - London Giagtzis, Athanasios - London Glebe Street Limited - East Dunbartonshire Godfrey, Lee - Ascot Gold & Silver Worlshop - St Andrews Greggs PLC - Newcastle Upon Tyne Gulf Coffee Co - Kuwait Harveys - Woodbridge Hassan, Gulnaz - Enfield Henry, Stephen - Londonderry Hodgson, Danny – London Holbrook, Mark - Weymouth Hopkins, Glynn - Bristol Hornby, Scott - London I-Crave Ltd. - Birmingham International Press-Cutting Bureau London Ionia - Ukraine J Atkinson & Co - Lancaster Java Brothers Ltd - Adel Jenner, Simon – Birmingham Jensen, Mads - Bicester Joe & Al Bread & Butter Boutique London Joe Black Coffee & Tea - Bootlle John Forest Bakery - London Josiah's Lounge - London Judge Business School - Cambridge Junaids Distribution Limited - Birmingham Kafeneion - Manchester Kasaverde Ltd - Cardiff Kate's Cakes Ltd - Ashington
Kays Real Chefs Real Food Ltd - Ireland Kimble's Cafe - Glasgow Kings Coffee - Norwich Kosher Kingdom - London Kropackova, Vera - Luxembourg Lang, Grant - Southampton Lilley, Hannah - Irvinestown Lin, Lee-Hsueh Tseng - Taiwan Lombard, Karin - Twickenham Lulabelles Lunches - Harrogate Macphie - Stonehaven Malmesbury Syrups - Malmesbury Mambocino Ltd - Twickenham Marimba World Chocolate Ltd - Sudbury Mason, Sam - London McBeth, Andrea - Oxford Merceica PR - London Milk Link Limited (The Cheese Company) Bristol Milk to Perfection - Benton Mintel International Group - London Mister Woods Cafe - Newcastle Upon Tyne Mountford-Smith, Peter - Edinburgh Mulmar Foodservice Solutions - Hatfield Nandhra, Gurjit - Birmingham Niblock, Craig - Woolwich Nisa-Today's (Holding) Ltd - Scunthorpe Norman Knights - Wickford Nourishing Ventures - London Ovenmill Limited - Hastings Pacific Foods - Ireland Paddy & Scotts - Woodbridge Plymouth Land Commercial Limited Plymouth Portabrands Ltd - Latchington Precise Media - London Press Index Ltd - London Presswatch Media - London Proactive Communications Ltd - Solihull Publiciencia LTDA - USA Quickfire Tableware - Sheffield Ramsey, Dan - Welwyn Garden City Rapid Retail - Cheltenham Rashidi, Sajde – Harrow Reaney, Stephen – Minehead Rheavendors Servomat UK - Crawley Ringtons - Newcastle on Tyne Rutter, Cara Marie - Bromsgrove San Remo UK Ltd - Buckfastleigh Seagrove, Debbie - Headley Down Seda UK - Blackwood Selecta UK Ltd - Basingstoke Serious Coffee - Altrincham Shutt, Michael - Guisborough Slice - Chelmsford Small, KJ – Bath Smoothie Fresh (Cheshire) Ltd - Chester Smyth, Michael - Armagh Soho Coffee Shops - Cheltenham SSP Group Ltd - Weybridge Starvin Jacks - Swansea Tanias of Hempstead - London Tastes Catering Ltd. - London TFI Lunch - Brighton The Coffee Bean - Aberdare The Coffee Cart Company - Hereford The Flying Coffee Company - Cambridge The Hive Cafe - Nr Bridport The Olive Grove Cafe - Londonderry The Real Tea Company - Witney The Upton Group – Selby The Wicked Coffee Company Ltd. Wetherby The Wordbox Group - Guildford Top Source c/o AMT Coffee - London Tossed - London Tuttle, Dave - Southport Universal Espresso Care - Aldershot University of Hertfordshire - Hatfield Valenzuela, Ruben Gonzalo Diaz - Chile Venetia's - London Wahid, Sabrina - Ilford William Reed Exhibitions - Crawley Xpress Coffee Commercial - Castlethorpe Young, Michelle - Princes Risborough
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MARCH 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 47
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