Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 29

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magazine NOVEMBER 2008 ISSUE 29

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

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INSIDE

CONTENTS NEWS 4 Roadchef barista is Costa’s champion.

5 Independents must have a premium offering.

6 BB’s triumph at bakery awards.

7 O’Briens cafés to open.

Welcome!

EVENT REVIEWS 28 European Coffee Symposium 2008.

In time for the festive season this issue includes some indulgent beverage and food ideas for your menu, and after a busy exhibition year we air some of your views on which events you liked best.

Espresso machines are often the focal point of many cafés and coffee shops, but require attention to detail when it comes to their use. Turn to our Machine maestros feature for some top tips from those in the know.

Next year looks set to be a very challenging one for many businesses as they compete not only with one another, but fight off the effects of the economic slowdown. In 2009, once again, we will set out to provide you with plenty of ideas and innovation to help you weather the financial storm, reporting on, and showcasing the sector’s continued development.

FEATURES

32 Exhibition trail – advice and views on the sector’s trade exhibitions.

ARTICLES 38 Machu Picchu adventure – Peros’s Peter Goodey tracks down the origin of some of Cafédirect’s Fairtrade coffee.

41 Understanding the zero split – zero or 17%?

42 Café food need not go to waste – environmentally friendly disposal of food waste.

12 Creative cocktails – how to turn coffee, hot chocolate and speciality wines into premium cocktails.

REGULARS

16 Seasonal treats – festive fayre for cafés and coffee shops.

46 Coffee Clinic – your maintenance queries answered.

22 Machine maestros – how to ensure that you are getting the best coffee out of your coffee machine.

47 New products.

48 Checkout.

50 Product listings.

Clare Benfield Editor

Editor Clare Benfield, Tel: 01291 636336, Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: clare@jandmgroup.co.uk Advertising Manager Paul Steer Tel: 01291 636333 Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk Production Manager James English, Tel: 01291 636339, Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: james@jandmgroup.co.uk Subscriptions and Customer Service Stephanie Mayo, Tel: 01291 636338 Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: steph@jandmgroup.co.uk Editorial Address Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 5DB Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: cafe@jandmgroup.co.uk www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk Opinions expressed in Café Culture are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group Ltd or Café Culture. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors. Café Culture is published by J&M Group Ltd. and supports Café Society. It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the café industry. © 2008 J&M Group Ltd Paper used in the production of this publications is sourced from sustainable managed forests and the magazine is printed by The Manson Group, Hertfordshire

When you have finished with this magazine please think of the environment.

DON’T MISS YOUR COPY. SUBSCRIBE NOW! CALL 01291 636338.

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NEWS

Roadchef barista is Costa’s champion osta has crowned 20-year-old Kat Finch as its official World Barista Champion 2008.

Kat, from Costa at the M5’s Strensham Roadchef service station, competed against nine other finalists from all over the world at the annual Costa Barista of the Year Competition held at Costa's roastery in London before a panel of industry expert judges (wine expert and TV presenter, Charles Metcalfe, Costa's master roaster, Gennaro Pelliccia, technical coffee specialist, Flavio Urizzi, and expert drink creator, Alexandre Lapierre).

The competition celebrates the art of coffee making and recognises the tough but rewarding job that its baristas face on a daily basis. The contestants were also tasked with creating their very own speciality signature coffee drink.

Kat aptly named her winning coffee creation Heaven and Hell, made using a

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combination of coffee and chillies.

Kat was presented with a trip to a coffee growing region for two including spending money, a custom-made winner uniform shirt to proudly wear in store and the all-important Barista of the Year Trophy for 2008. Guillermo Florez who works in the Costa in Argyll St, London was runner-up with his Café Refrescante creation and Carlos Martinez from Dubai came third in the competition with his Copacabana signature drink.

"I'm lost for words. I never thought industry expert judges would be praising my very own coffee creation and I'm thrilled that I managed to convince them that I really do have a passion for coffee,” said Kat after picking up her award. “Winning the award for best barista in the world has truly blown me away. I was so shocked, I could not stop Above: Kat Finch, Costa’s World Barista Champion 2008, crying when they handed me the creating her winning speciality drink, Heaven and Hell. trophy!"

Expansion at Fracino Fracino, the UK’s only manufacturer of cappuccino and espresso machines, has continued to expand with a new appointment.

Engineer Grayson Brougham has joined the award-winning family firm, which is based in Birmingham. He comes from Sheffieldbased coffee distributor Cooper’s Coffee, where he performed a similar role, and will work as part of Fracino’s dedicated sevenstrong installation and after sales service team, reinforcing the company’s reputation for providing excellent customer care.

Fracino now employs 24 people and reports that it is currently celebrating a year of double-digit growth and unprecedented success. The company’s expanded portfolio features 55 products, and they now produce more than 1500 machines a year, including its latest Cybercino - a sleek, bean-to-cup coffee machine, which combines retro styling with state-of-the-art technology.

“This has been an exciting year for the company, and while we continue to invest in product development with the launch of the Cybercino, we are keen not to forget our reputation for excellent after-sales service,” said Fracino’s MD, Adrian Maxwell. “Grayson’s appointment is part of a continued drive to make sure the Fracino experience only begins with the installation of one of our espresso machines.”

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Sponsors sign up for the UK Barista Championships ollowing a review of bids received for sponsorship of the 2009 UK Barista Championships the committee of the UKBC have announced that SanRemo will be the competition’s machine sponsor for the next three years.

“On behalf of the committee of the UKBC I have to say we are very pleased with the response we have had to the tenders for sponsorship for the three years, 2009 to 2011,” said John Sherwood, executive co-ordinator UKBC. “There was great competition in the bidding for the espresso machine sponsorship and we are delighted to welcome SanRemo as our new UKBC espresso machine supplier.

“We are equally delighted to welcome back Arla and their excellent Cravendale brand as our milk supplier sponsor. Their generous support has ensured they will continue as the UKBC’s preferred milk supplier and we look forward to continuing to work together to raise the profile of Cravendale milk.”

Announcement of other sponsorship categories will follow shortly, say the UKBC. Some categories are still open including grinder manufacturers and

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green coffee suppliers, roast coffee suppliers, flavoured syrups and roasting machines, disposable cups and porcelain / tableware (interested parties should contact John Sherwood on 01258 471843).

The dates for the regional heats of the UK Barista Championships have been announced.

January 2009 14th/15th Northern Ireland (Belfast) 21st Scotland (Edinburgh) 28th West England & South Wales (Cardiff) February 2009 4th/5th South West (Exeter) Date TBA Midlands (TBA) 18th North (Newcastle) 25th South East (Lewes) Early March 2009 Semi finals and final - Scotland Baristi wishing to register to enter the competition should send a cheque for £35 (£25 for SCAE members) payable to SCAE UK to Paul Meikle-Janney at Coffee Community, Midway House, Huddersfield Road, Meltham, Huddersfield, HD9 4AF, United Kingdom, or email paul@coffee-community.com, or visit www.scaeuk.com for further details.

08, l.

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Independents must have a premium offering uring July and August this year, café sector market researchers, Allegra Strategies, conducted research with more than 200 owners and operators of independent coffee shops, and the results have now been published in its annual UK Independent Coffee Shop Report.

The report revealed that the UK coffee shop market has almost doubled in size over the last decade, fuelled by the expansion of the branded chains.

However, independent coffee shop operators are currently facing a highly challenging trading environment, not only due to a difficult economic climate and low consumer confidence, but also because of the increasing competition from branded chain operators.

Despite recent difficulties, further market growth is expected in the longterm with increasing consumer demand for quality coffee drinks and a growing café culture in the UK, say Allegra. To fully benefit from market opportunities, independent coffee shop operators must provide premium coffee quality, a highly personalised service and attractive store environments, feel the market

D Another win for Boston Tea Party Hot on the heels of Boston Tea Party’s recent success at the Best Beverage Experience Awards 2008 comes another national award, this time for Best Small Branded UK Coffee Chain 2008 presented at the recent European Coffee Symposium, organised and hosted by café sector market researchers, Allegra Strategies.

The European Coffee Symposium was an industry first – an inaugural gathering of over 300 high-profile industry leaders and executives from across the European coffee shop and food service sector which aimed to recognise the top independent coffee shops of 2008, as well as some of the significant lifetime contributions to the industry.

“It was an honour to be nominated and we are thrilled to have won,” said Sam Roberts, managing director of the Boston Tea Party. “The Symposium was a gathering of the great and the good – from MDs of the multinational chains to the CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation – and an exciting and interesting event to be able to attend. The real award for us is that this was the result of consumer research and real recognition from our customers which is all the reassurance we need that we are doing a good job.”

The Boston Tea Party is one of the West Country’s best known and popular independent cafés with coffee houses in Barnstaple, Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Honiton. It is famous for its coffee and tea and has established a reputation for creating delicious and affordable meals with an emphasis on using local and ethical suppliers.

Pictured are Melanie Roberts and Sam Roberts at the European Coffee Symposium Awards held at the Park Lane Sheraton Hotel Ballroom in London.

STARBUCKS

Above: Expanding chains such as Caffè Nero are fuelling the growth of the UK coffee shop sector. researchers, thus building lasting relationships with customers and guaranteeing repeat business (turn to page 28 for more details from the report, as well as the organsation’s recent European Coffee Symposium).

in deep water over dipper wells

Following accusations from environmental groups such as Water UK and Transition Tunbridge Wells and Waste Watch that it has been wasting water unnecessarily via the use of dipper well systems (which use a stream of continuous running cold water to rinse away food residue to help keep utensils clean at their stores), Starbucks has announced that it is renewing its efforts to tackle the problem.

“We recognise that the amount of water used by the dipper well system is unacceptable and we have been working since 2007 to find a solution that balances the urgent need for water conservation with the critical need for customer safety,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Café Culture. “Our customers have urged us to expedite this process. This feedback has prompted us to redouble our efforts to find an alternative method and we are committed to finding a safe alternative to the dipper well for all our markets worldwide.

“Over the coming weeks, tests will take place in the U.S., the U.K., China and Singapore with the goal of identifying and implementing a global solution that is proven safe for our customers, complies with regulations and effective at conserving water. As of Friday, October 10, Starbucks locations in UK have been testing a hot rinse procedure as an alternative to the dipper well system. This procedure involves using a spoon once and rinsing it with hot water immediately after use.

“Each of these tests has the potential to reduce our overall water use associated with dipper wells while maintaining our standards for customer safety. We are committed to phasing in new practices as they are proven safe and effective and hope to do so in the very near term.”

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NEWS

Starbucks addresses climate change threat Starbucks Coffee Company has announced that as well as now having introduced customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa to the company’s 100% responsibly grown, ethically traded espresso, it will also address the threat of climate change.

Part of Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ the company’s global commitment to doing business responsibly - their espresso comes from farmers and suppliers who follow the company’s exacting sourcing standards and guidelines for social, economic and environmental responsibility developed in partnership with the environmental nonprofit organisation Conservation International (CI).

"I am proud to introduce our responsibly grown, ethically traded espresso to our customers,” said Howard Schultz, CEO and chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company. “Since our founding, we have worked to positively impact the lives of farmers and their communities. This espresso is an example of our commitment to doing business the right way. It is our assurance to customers that they are making a difference every time they enjoy their favourite espresso based drink in their local Starbucks.”

As part of coffee giant’s commitment to working with farmers and coffee growing communities, the company says that it has renewed its work with CI to address the critical issue of climate change. The same forests that produce the world’s best coffee and sustain millions of farmers also extract and store vast amounts of carbon dioxide, and according to CI, approximately 20 per cent of carbon emissions come from tropical deforestation. Starbucks and CI are launching a new effort to work with coffee farmers to promote tropical rainforest conservation by taking conservation beyond coffee farms and into surrounding landscapes.

“Our partnership with Starbucks plays an important role in our effort to mitigate the effects of climate change in some of the most threatened areas of the world – tropical forests,” said Peter Seligmann, chairman and CEO of Conservation International. “By integrating the work of coffee farmers into its overall efforts to combat climate change, Starbucks is addressing head-on one of the most important issues of the day.”

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Latte art is cream of the crop!

Esquires Coffee Houses barista, Katie Sutton, has won a place in the coffee chain’s UK Barista Championships, and a city break in Italy, thanks to her unique coffee creations.

Katie joined Esquires Coffee Houses in the Eldon Square Shopping Centre just seven months ago and has already earned a strong reputation for her welcoming nature, in-depth coffee knowledge and latte art skills. With this expertise in hand, Katie travelled to Coventry to join baristas from Esquires Coffee Houses across the UK in an annual challenge to find the chain’s most talented coffee artist.

Entrants were marked on a range of criteria including their ability to create the perfect espresso and their milk frothing techniques. They were also asked to create a signature beverage and a piece of latte art for the judges.

Katie beat four regional

Above: Katie Sutton (right), will be going on to compete in Esquires Coffee Houses’ UK Barista Championships. finalists with a signature Chocolate-Chilli Mocha drink and a latte art dragon to secure her title as Esquires Coffee Houses UK champion. As a result, she will represent the franchise in its nationwide UK Barista Championship in 2009 and enjoy a holiday in Italy, courtesy of Esquires Coffee Houses’ coffee supplier, Matthew Algie.

“I’m delighted to have won the title, especially

after facing such stiff competition from my colleagues,” said Katie.

“My passion for coffee started in my previous job in Melbourne and my training at Esquires has only furthered this interest.

I like the creativity involved in making good coffee and I really enjoy the social, welcoming environment I work in. I’ve even had customers congratulating me on the win!”

BB’S TRIUMPH AT BAKERY AWARDS BB’s Coffee & Muffins won the Customer Focus Award at the prestigious Baking Industry Awards 2008 held in London recently.

The Customer Focus Award seeks out the most customer-orientated bakery businesses and was created in recognition of the craft, industrial and instore bakery sectors' constant determination to find new ways to improve levels of customer service. BB’s were awarded the prize in recognition of the work the company has done to Michel Young (centre) collecting segment its muffin range and broaden BB’s Customer Focus Award. the appeal to a wider range of customers as well as meet different eating occasions.

“We commissioned independent research to find out exactly what our customers wanted from their ‘muffin experience’ and as a result introduced our luxurious and indulgent Muffin Royale range, our unique handmade savoury muffins and made low fat, low sodium muffins a core part of our existing range,” commented Michele Young, retail and brands director of BB’s Coffee & Muffins.

“This is a great achievement for the BB’s teams in all of our cafés and we are delighted to have this work recognised by our industry. Our customers have reacted very positively to our new products and we will continue to tailor our range around their expectations and needs.”

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NEWS

It’s all in the box!

An innovative new solution, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, has been launched to make it easier for both would-be entrepreneurs and expanding businesses to open a café, coffee shop or other type of catering outlet.

Caffe in a Box (www.caffesociety.co.uk) is the brainchild of the commercial coffee equipment supplier, Caffe Society, and comes complete with everything that is required to start a café business from equipment and counters through to training and menus.

“We have come to understand all the stresses and challenges associated with opening a café, coffee shop, bar, restaurant or canteen area,” said Steve Mooring, director of Caffe Society.

“Whether it's buying suitable equipment at the right price, managing tradespeople or training staff, unforeseen problems will often arise that could usually have been avoided with the right advice and planning.

“This led to the launch of Caffe in a Box which offers a complete package that is individually tailored to the customer's requirements. We project manage and oversee the full installation process meaning all the business owner has to do is find suitable premises and they can then concentrate on the running of the business. Once installed, the client owns all the equipment so there are no franchise agreements or fees to limit the business's potential.”

The package includes front and back counter options with appropriate branding, a top quality coffee machine, furniture, refrigerated units, dishwasher, grill, menus as well as full training and technical support and all other necessary equipment.

Below: All you need to start a coffee shop is being offered in Caffe Society’s Caffe in a Box concept.

O’Briens cafés to open The Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre in Birkenhead town centre is home to the latest O’Briens Sandwich Bar in Merseyside, the first of several new cafés opening across England and Scotland this autumn for the hand cut sandwich and gourmet coffee franchise.

This is the third outlet for the O’Briens brand in Merseyside, with others at Castle Street, Liverpool, and John Lennon Airport, and 131st in the UK, as the operation celebrates its 20th anniversary as a franchise. The Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre food court café has been opened by franchise partners, John Irvin and Stephan Ashley of Parkridge Ltd, who have operated the Scottish master franchise for ten years and been the driving force behind the opening of more than 40 outlets north of the border.

Birkenhead sees the business partners, who also operate the Castle Street outlet, further expand their recipe for success into England, having been behind recent openings in Carlisle, Sheffield and

Above: Store manager Robbie Robinson (centre) with two of his staff, Sean McGowan and Laura Littler.

Blackpool.

Employing six staff led by manager Robbie Robinson, the express-style café features the expanded menu from O’Briens, and is all geared towards catering for the high footfall at the Grange and Pyramids, which welcomes around 300,000 visitors each week.

Zero per cent finance offer Dalla Corte UK has launched a zero percent finance package across its range of equipment with up to two years interest free credit.

The zero per cent deal, which Dalla Corte believes to be an industry first, is applicable on all Dalla Corte espresso machines as well as K30 grinders and no up front deposit payments will be required, say the company.

The deal offers up to two years free interest on Group 3 and 4 machines while 1 and 2 Group machines are available interest free over a period of 12 months (for example, a £1,695 Dalla Corte Super Mini machine will result in 12 monthly payments of £142, payable one month after installation).

“Having evaluated our customers' needs, we have introduced the zero per cent finance offer to keep cash flowing and increase competitiveness,” said David Cooper, managing director of Dalla Corte (UK Imports). “The zero per cent financing programme provides small and independent businesses with the financial flexibility to benefit from the quality of equipment their businesses need to succeed today.”

Ethical range extended Bunzl Catering Supplies, a division of Bunzl HoReCa, has added English Garden to its quality range of Fairtrade Certified tea which ensure that the tea planters and pickers have been properly rewarded for their efforts.

There is also an added incentive for customers to purchase English Garden teas from Bunzl Catering Supplies (www.bunzlcatering.co.uk), as for every 10 cases of product purchased one tree will be planted in the UK through the Leaves in the City initiative (each tree is worth £20 and will benefit the local community by regenerating urban areas).

“We were attracted to Bunzl Catering Supplies because of its excellent reputation and profile in distribution within the foodservice sector in particular. We believed this ethically sourced range was an excellent addition to the sustainable non-food products that Bunzl already offers – certainly the initial feedback has been very positive,” said John Williams, managing director of English Garden.

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NEWS

New cakes ‘to go’ Berkshire’s independent baker of handmade cakes, The Handmade Cake Company, which employs 110 staff and makes 40 different cakes, has broadened its horizons with the much anticipated introduction of its Cakes-to-Go range which features six individually packaged slices.

Already well known at home and abroad for their whole cakes and tray bakes, the company decided it was time to try their hands at a Cakes-to-Go range, responding to the many requests from their existing customers for just such products.

For all their one-stop cake shop ambitions, though, the company are keen to point out that their caring, hands on company approach – characterised by their handmade, small batch and real kitchen cupboard ingredient nature with ‘no artificial anything’ - will continue to apply.

The six colourfully wrapped 80g slices will include Boston Brownie, All Butter Flapjack, Caramel Shortcake, Cranberry & Sultana Flapjack, Chocolate Fruit & Nut Slice and a Maple & Pecan Slice and the suggested retail selling price (RSP’s) for these new slices is between £1.40 - £1.50.

REFRESHED TEA ‘TO GO’ OPTION

Left to right - Alex Rice, transport manager at Norbert Dentressangle Easton, Karl Fassnidge, supply chain manager at Bakehouse Ltd and Tony Rollinson, LGV driver.

Bakehouse’s branded distribution To celebrate Bakehouse’s longstanding supply chain partnership with Norbert Dentressangle, a new branded lorry has been hitting the roads across the country, distributing frozen goods to many of the firm’s customer depots.

The lorry features large scale photography of Bakehouse’s (www.bakehouse.co.uk) product range of sweet pastries, savouries and breads which is sure to make motorists’ mouths water, whilst also giving the company recognition on the roads.

“This new lorry demonstrates both Bakehouse and Norbert Dentressangle’s commitment to working efficiently together within the supply chain,” said Karl Fassnidge, supply chain manager at Bakehouse.

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CAFÉ CULTURE

The latest Tetley On The Go Case now contains 300 Tetley Drawstring tea bags, and is now accompanied by 300 Tetley branded double wall cups and non-spill ‘sip lids’ – all contained in one easy-to-store and easy-to-use package – say the company.

The double walled cups eliminate the added expense of sleeves, or the need for double cupping, and their unique embossed outer layer improves insulation, allowing the cup to feel more comfortable when held, say Tetley, whose research shows that customers are more likely to purchase tea if they can see a recognisable brand being served. Tetley’s logo features prominently on all the cups and to help further boost tea sales, free point of sale merchandise is also available.

As a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, Tetley say that they have included the ETP logo on the new On-TheGo cup, so that customers can also be reassured that the tea they are drinking is an ethically sourced one (www.teaexperts.co.uk).

Cakes Cakes are are now now being being made made in in aa ‘to ‘to go’ go’ format format by

by The The Handmade Handmade Cake Cake Company.

Company.

New coffee grinders Italian grinder manufacturer, Anfim (www.anfim.co.uk), have launched a new range of On Demand grinders in the UK which allow the barista to grind exactly the right amount of beans for the coffee they are making at that moment.

This, say the company, means that there is no dispenser, and coffee is ground straight into the group holder, resulting in fresher coffee, less wastage, and a consistent dosage.

The range features Caimano On Demand, the Super Caimano On Demand, and the Mini On Demand, with all using an electronically controlled timer with variable programming for both single and double doses of coffee (they also have a manual push button and optional titanium blades).

Right: Anfim UK’s latest Caimano On Demand grinder in use.

Frozen fruits with multiple uses Brakes has announced the addition of four new fruit varieties to its frozen product portfolio, with a range of uses from blitzing for smoothies to reducing for sauces.

For instance, Brakes Blackberries can be incorporated in cakes or muffins, and Brakes Mango can be added to fruit salads to give colour and flavour, and mixed fruit options are also available. Brakes Dark Fruit Medley and Brakes Rhubarb & Bramley Apple Medley are ideal for creating pies and crumbles (all are available in packs of 1 x 1kg).

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NEWS

SHORTS

New Options Café Coffee range

Barista Jams The UK section of SCAE together with Pumphrey’s Coffee and Beyond the Bean will be hosting Barista Jams for future budding barista champions. The jams focus on all aspects of barista competitions (roasting and blending to perfecting milk and espressos, and the all important WBC rule changes).

There will be two jams to cover the north and south of the country (Tobacco Factory, Bristol, 29 Oct 2008 and Pumphrey’s Coffee, Newcastle 26 Nov 2008).

Made from real coffee with just over 60 calories per cup, new Options Café Coffee from Twinings comes in three varieties - Dreamy Cappuccino, Luscious Latte and Melting Mocha.

Unsweetened and with no HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils), the only thing you need to add is hot water, say Twinings (www.twiningsfs.co.uk), to create frothy and creamy, low calorie café coffees. As well as jars, available in single serve 14g sachets, the Options range of Café Coffees is ideal for self-service occasions out of home, including staff catering sites, leisure, conferencing and hotels who offer in-room beverage stations.

“Options’ success in hot chocolate has demonstrated the demand for a low calorie, great tasting hot beverage treat. As a high profile brand, the launch of Options Café Coffees not only enables operators to offer a complete low calorie hot beverage selection (without the need for costly machine investment) but it can also drive profits due to its premium quality positioning,” said Andrea Stopher, senior customer marketing manager for Options.

Rainforest Alliance The pub chain, Wetherspoon, has announced that it is now sourcing 100 per cent of all the coffee served in its pubs from Rainforest Alliance certified farms. The company serves more than 25 million cups of coffee a year across its UK pubs (previously 30 per cent of their coffee came from Rainforest Alliance certified farms).

Latest catalogue Glasgow based suppliers of ‘everything but the coffee’ to the café market – Espresso Warehouse – have launched their latest catalogue. New products include their first Gluten Free biscuit, some new syrups and Breeze Frappes, as well as their Suki Loose Leaf Tea Range (www.espressowarehouse.com) Encouraging café culture Enfield Council is launching a scheme to help promote continental style café culture via a policy that should make it easier for café owners to apply for licences to set up tables and chairs on the pavements (the council has also increased the number of streets where cafés can be set up from four to 52). In Paignton, Torbay Road could become pedestrianised permanently in order to help develop its own café culture.

Library cafés After announcing a review of England’s libraries at the recent Public Libraries Authorities conference in Liverpool, the Culture secretary, Andy Burnham, suggested turning libraries into ‘social places’, where people can meet up, chat and drink coffee or surf the net.

However, many library users fear that the possible removal of the ‘silence rule’ and later opening hours risks ruining the very nature of libraries.

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CAFÉ CULTURE

Peros launches 100% Fairtrade orange juice Peros, the independent Fairtrade coffee, tea, hot chocolate and snacks supplier, has launched a 100% Fairtrade Orange Juice in a one litre bottle, aimed at all markets, particularly foodservice and catering sectors for use in hospitality and corporate events.

Fruit Hit Fairtrade Orange Juice is sweet, tangy and refreshing, made from the most succulent oranges handpicked in Costa Rica and Brazil, say Peros and is packaged in a bottle, rather than a carton, in order to differentiate it from other juices and to create a distinct, premium feel. There are no artificial additives or colours, and no added sugar and each 250ml serving provides enough goodness for one ‘five-a-day’ portion.

As the juice has been packaging aseptically (under 100% clean, germ free, sterile conditions), the bottles can be stored in ambient conditions for up to six months, removing the need for chilled storage.

N LIMITED EDITIO WINTER ‘WARMER’ General Mills UK says that it plans to drive sales of the luxury ice cream category this winter with the launch of a new HäagenDazs Limited Edition variety - Häagen-Dazs Caramel Biscuit & Cream.

This latest ice cream debuted at the end of September and will be available for just six months, and features Häagen-Dazs creamy caramel ice cream and crisp pieces of caramelized Belgian Speculoos biscuits.

This year’s Häagen-Dazs winter range will also include the popular Baileys variety (500ml) as well as Vanilla, Strawberry Cheesecake, Cookies & Cream, Pralines & Cream and Belgian Chocolate (all 500ml).

Right: The latest ice cream from Häagen-Dazs contains Speculoos - thin, crunchy Belgian biscuits with a hint of cinnamon, traditionally served with coffee.

MANTINGA’S NEW BREADS Mantinga, the specialist bread company has taken on Manoucher’s distribution outside London and the M25.

Manoucher, known for its range of soft, Mediterranean-style breads, has established itself within the M25 with key customers and airlines such as British Airways and Virgin over the past 15 years, but up until now, has not had the logistical capabilities to expand beyond Greater London. Mantinga (www.mantinga.co.uk) supplies its customers nationwide with a range of artisan frozen breads, pastries and Viennoiserie ready for bake off or thaw and serve.

“I am very excited about this partnership as we share very similar values and a passion for bread,” said Steven MacKintosh, director of Mantinga. “The Manoucher breads provide a variety of serving options such as cost effective sandwich solutions with the pre-sliced Barbaree loaf, as a gourmet accompaniment to gastrostyle dining and for retail sale, with all products available individually wrapped.”

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COCKTAILS

Creative cocktails

Nestlé Professional® have devised a series of helpful recipe cards for outlets.

As we illustrate here, with a little creativity, coffee, hot chocolate and speciality wines can all be utilised by cafés and coffee shops to make some impressive cocktails for retailing at a premium over the festive season.

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COCKTAILS Up-selling

Nestlé Professional’s Iced Cookie Blast (cookies dissolved in 10-15ml of Nescafé® Alta Rica® coffee with 15ml chocolate syrup, 200ml cold milk and a splash of double cream, then blended until frothy for serving over ice in a tumbler and topping with whipped cream and chocolate shavings).

“There’s a great opportunity for cafés over the festive period both to be creative in their offer as well as up-sell on the value,” says Martin Lines, marketing director for Nestlé Professional®. “And, this Christmas, here at Nestlé Professional®, we’ve taken a look at how we can support our customers and help drive the bottom line.

“The result is a series of quick, easy-tomake, recipe cards, each accompanied by a pack of helpful point of sale material to help encourage that impulse purchase.

The pack is completely free to our customers and specially designed to work in café outlets. It includes posters, tent cards, strut cards and branded stickers. By simply adding a little value, and offering as a premium hot drink during the festive period, you can drive purchase and boost revenues.”

For example, what Nestlé Professional call their Millionaire’s Hot Chocolate can be made using Aero® Hot Chocolate and hot milk (or hot water), caramel sauce, whipped cream and a few shavings of fudge. At a cost to the café of only 39p per serving, establishments can price this drink at £1.99 or more, suggest the drinks company.

Ice Cold Aero Frappe

Aero Hot Mint Sensation

Ingredients 1 heaped scoop Aero Bubbly Hot Chocolate Add Milk (or Instant) 90ml (6tbsp) cold milk (or 90ml cold water if using Aero Instant) Large glass full of ice

Ingredients 1 heaped scoop Aero Instant Hot Chocolate (or Aero Add Milk) 200 ml hot water (or hot milk if using Aero Add Milk) 3 Nestlé Aero Mint Bubbles Whipped Cream

Method Pour the water (or milk) into a blender and add the Aero hot chocolate. Blitz on a low setting until well mixed. Add the ice and blitz again until well blended. Pour into a tall glass and serve. Cost per serving is approximately 15p plus ice.

Method Make the Aero Bubbly Hot Chocolate with 200ml hot water (or 200ml hot milk), according to tin instructions Drop in 2 Aero Mint Bubbles and stir until melted Top with whipped cream and balance a mint Aero Bubble on top Cost per serving approx 29p

Velvety Smooth Aero Brandy Choc Toddy Ingredients 1 heaped scoop Nestlé Aero hot chocolate 200ml hot milk (or water) 1tbsp brandy Dark chocolate shavings Chocolate Florentines or petit fours (optional)

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Method Make the Aero hot chocolate with hot milk (or water) in a large cup or mug according to the tin instructions. Stir in the brandy.

Top with a few shavings of dark chocolate and serve immediately with a chocolate Florentine on the side. Cost per serving is approximately 35p (without chocolate Florentine).

NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÉ CULTURE 13

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COCKTAILS The Norfolk wine producer, Broadland Wineries, have also been promoting the cocktail potential of their range of wines.

They describe their blackcurrant wine as having the same notes as a young cabernet sauvignon and their apricot wine offering the same taste as the viognier grape which is used to make the rather expensive French wine, Condrieu. Their retail price is £5.49 and all are available to the trade via www.broadlandwineries.com, giving outlets the chance to add an alcoholic beverage to their menu, together with an element of local sourcing that is becoming increasingly important to consumers.

The Columbus Ingredients Juice of a lime 3 /4 oz Broadlands apricot wine 1 1/2 oz gold rum Method Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

The Cawston Ingredients Mint leaves and sprigs 2 sugar cubes 1 1/2 oz Broadlands ginger wine 1 /2 ice cold vodka Soda Method Crush the mint leaves and sugar cubes in a large glass with a pestle. Add a good deal of crushed ice, the ginger wine and vodka.

Fill to the top with soda, stir well and garnish with a mint sprig.

El Diablo Ingredients 2 oz tequila 1 /4 - 3/4 oz Broadlands blackcurrant wine Ginger ale Lime Method Stir the tequila and blackcurrant wine over ice cubes in a straight-sided glass, fill with ginger ale, squeeze lime wedge over drink and drop it into the glass.

Appletiser mojito 50 ml light/golden rum 1 lime 25ml simple syrup 4 or 5 large mint leaves Top with Appletiser

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IMPULSE BEVERAGES No sooner will the Christmas rush have come and gone, than outlets will need to be prepared for consumers on the look out for ways to combat the effects of any seasonal excesses. Cafés are often the first port of call for some healthy beverages to help out with any New Year detox or dieting plans.

This month, the healthy lifestyle company, Together Health (www.togetherdrinks.co.uk), is launching an innovative product range for the impulse beverage market - three lifestyle ‘shots’ to combat aging, provide energy and help detox. Each shot includes a carefully selected vitamin and mineral rich superfood combined with high levels of additional vitamins and botanicals to target specific health functions, say the company. All are packed 150 ml bottles and

feature fruit.

Together Health will launch in midNovember with a national sampling campaign and retailer network, including Planet Organic and The Nutri Centre, and the RRP of their drinks will be £1.79 per bottle.

“We created a product range that simply wasn’t available and in doing so have created a new sector where busy people

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ICE ADVICE With ice often forming a significant part of many cocktails, it is important for outlets to keep in mind its preparation and hygiene. It is a legal requirement of the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 that ice must be made, stored and handled so that it is not contaminated.

Contamination from micro-organisms, chemicals, dirt, food or pests can happen at several stages between water entering the machine and ice being served to customers, therefore conscientious maintenance is necessary. Les Simmons, general manager of ice making equipment supplier, Hoshizaki (www.hoshizaki.com), has the following advice for outlets.

can easily access potent targeted nutrition.

Our first priority is to help people achieve a healthier lifestyle and each shot has been developed by leading nutritionists to alleviate an aspect of modern living that we can all do without,” says founder, Lee Robertshaw.

Acai Age Defence uses the Amazon’s Acai Berry along with Gingko Biloba, Omega 3, Lutein and Green Tea, each ingredient playing its own role in guarding against aging from within. Aloe Vera Digest Detox combines traditional Aloe Vera with Milk Thistle, Artichoke, Prebiotic Fibre and Ginger to help detox the body naturally after over indulgence or when your digestive system needs a boost. Goji Natural Energy includes ingredients that help provide sustained energy using the Goji Berry, Ginseng, Carnitine, Coenzyme Q10 and Liquorice for those suffering from tiredness or the mid afternoon energy slump.

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1. Always wash hands before attempting to remove ice and always use the proper implements. A glass is not suitable and can pose a real danger if it breaks.

2. The scoop should be kept in a safe, clean place so that it is only touched by staff with clean hands. In any event, the handle should never be in contact with the ice.

3. Never collect ice with bare hands.

4. The ice bin must never be used to cool bottles or foods.

5. The door should be closed at all times other than when ice is being collected.

6. If ice is kept in a bucket, it should have a lid and should be placed away from customers’ reach.

7. As soon as the ice starts to melt it should be discarded.

Regular maintenance “At least once every two weeks, all ice should be thrown away and the ice bin should be cleaned and sanitised with a suitable taint-free product and then rinsed with fresh water,” advises Lee Simmons.

“If any mould or slime is ever seen to be present, the cleaning has not been sufficiently thorough and must be rectified immediately.

“All accessible surfaces of your machine (both inside and outside) must be kept clean with an anti-bacterial cleaner on a daily basis. All items such as ice buckets, scoops, and tongs must be cleaned and disinfected daily. The machine should be serviced as per the manufacturer’s recommendation which is usually twice a year. This is especially important in hard water areas as scale tends to harbour bacteria.”

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FESTIVE FAYRE

Seasonal TREATS

For cafés and coffee shops looking to add some festive fayre to their menus, ease of preparation combined with minimal waste are essential. Outlined here are some tempting seasonal treats to help independents enhance their food offering at this busy time of year.

IES AFFORDABLE LUXUR A festive feast A flurry of festive food is now available from Country Choice (0800 521366), ensuring a colourful and tasty display to keep the tills ringing in the run up to Christmas. Designed to boost biscuit sales, their Gingerbread Christmas Tree and Snowman are fully-baked, sweet and chewy traditional gingerbread products, handdecorated with chocolate, colourful icing and sprinkles.

The thaw and serve biscuits are individually wrapped and packed in mixed cases of 2 x 15. Three varieties of hand-decorated Festive Friend biscuits topped with marshmallow will attract the children. The 70g Snowman,

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Reindeer and Father Christmas figures are ready to defrost and serve, and come packed in mixed 3 x 12 cases.

No Christmas display is complete without the mince pies and Country Choice has four varieties this year. The standard shortcrust mince pies are supplied in cases of 60, and are ready to bake. The fully-baked shortcrust pies, on the other hand, are ready to defrost and serve and come in cases of 36. The luxury standard mince pies with brandy come ready to bake in cases of 120, while the premium Gold Cup Express puff pastry mince pies with brandy are also supplied ready to bake, in cases of 84. Their

A lavish Irish Cream Latte, two delicious limited edition festive muffins and Christmas sandwiches, rolls and paninis will be tempting customers to forget the credit crunch and treat themselves at BB’s this Christmas.

“At BB’s we are known for the indulgent products we make from scratch every day in our stores and which we sell at affordable, value for money prices. This year particularly, customers will want to treat themselves but are likely to be more careful with their spending,” says BB’s retail and brands director, Michele Young. “Irish coffee is a big favourite at Christmas so we feel our customers will enjoy the indulgence of the BB’s non-alcoholic latte version and it should put them in the right spirit for their Christmas shopping!”

BB’s 2008 limited edition seasonal Christmas muffin range will feature a yoghurt and cranberry muffin made with cranberries and a rich yoghurt flavoured chocolate topping and BB’s signature Christmas crumble muffin which is a customer favourite and is brought back every year by popular demand.

Following the indulgence theme, there will be a sandwich range of festive Turkey fillings and the classic brie and cranberry filling, available in a range of bread options.

Christmas items will be in store from 3rd November.

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fruit packed Christmas Cake squares are topped with marzipan, and decorated with icing and holly. Fully baked and frozen, they come in cases of 24.

To satisfy the savoury cravings this Christmas, Country Choice is offering a Turkey & Cranberry Bake, a

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combination of turkey, cranberry sauce and pork stuffing in gravy, encased in crisp puff pastry. It will also be possible to jazz up your sandwich and baguette selection with the help of a Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry sandwich filling. Sliced turkey breast, sage and onion stuffing, bacon, sausage and cranberry sauce is combined with mayonnaise in a 1kg pack. Alternatively, for those who tire of turkey Country Choice can offer a Pork, Stuffing and Apple sandwich filling combining tender pieces of pork in apple sauce with traditional sage and onion stuffing.

Sausage and meat balls specialist Snowbird Foods (www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk) has developed its first ever product utilising turkey. Turkey Tuckers are frozen, fully cooked meat balls with a Moroccan flavour profile, and fruit has been added for sweetness and chilli for heat.

Following Moorish tradition, Turkey Tuckers are flavoured with mint, chilli, cumin, fresh and ground coriander, salt, onions, garlic, figs and apricots, with the fruit helping

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FESTIVE FAYRE to deliver a sweetness that renders ketchup superfluous, say Snowbird. The products are fully cooked in the factory in a combination oven which steams and roasts the balls.

They are then flash fried to enhance visual appeal and packed IQF in three kilo bags.

They can then be heated from frozen in seconds in a microwave, and will also oven bake.

An adult portion of up to five balls delivers plate appeal when served with cous cous, pasta, long grain rice or potatoes and a green salad, suggest Snowbird, and once heated, they will hold for hours under lights and retain their distinctive flavour and juicy texture. “We have presented the product to two group buyers and both immediately shortlisted them for future menus because they are so different,� says Snowbird sales director Roy Anderson. “There is nothing like them on the

ird Turkey Tuckers from Snowb

market at the moment so they are deservedly attracting a lot of attention and the choice of turkey products available for caterers is at its lowest for many years.�

From luxury mince pies and succulent fruit cakes to versatile cranberry bread, Delice de France are another foodservice supplier who are helping to ensure that catering

Foods.

for Christmas couldn’t be easier or tastier. Their range features 12 unique products including five varieties of mince pie, indulgent seasonal muffins and two large, limited edition cakes. The easy to handle thaw and serve pastries and cakes are especially convenient during this busy period of the year. “We are particularly

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NEW On The Go Turkey and Cranberry Bakes from Country Choice.

“

We are particularly pleased with our latest Christmas offering which combines the most innovative festive ideas and flavours with convenience

pleased with our latest Christmas offering which combines the most innovative festive ideas and flavours with convenience,” says marketing director David Girdler. “The comprehensive range is designed to help our customers significantly increase their sales and profits during the vital Christmas period with cakes, bread, pies, muffins that taste as good as they look and visually very attractive products are one of the features of this new range.”

Mince pies continue to be a keystone, and Delice de France has five mince pie variations including a luxury vegetarian shortcrust mincemeat crown (sweet shortcrust pastry is shaped into a crown and filled with mincemeat and brandy, perfect to serve as a dessert either hot or cold, suggest the company). Other varieties are a

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thaw and serve traditional mince pie, a thaw a serve deep filled luxury mince pie and a mincemeat and brandy lattice square (ready to bake bite-size puff pastry filled with delicious mincemeat).

Other highlights of Delice de France’s Christmas range includes Spiced Fruit and Cherry Mini Bite (a festive take on the existing mini bite range and suitable for vegetarians, it comes pre-wrapped and is nut free), Cranberry & Orange Mini Loaf Cake (topped with white chocolate, it’s also thaw and serve and vegetarian) and Winter Spiced Muffin and Belgian Chocolate & Orange Swirl Muffin.

Their Cranberry and Rosemary Rustic Roll will add interest and choice to menus, and contains 6% cranberries and rosemary. It can be used either as a sandwich carrier, an

Everything you need to get your tea sales moving!

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FESTIVE FAYRE

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20 NOVEMBER 2008

CAFÉ CULTURE

accompaniment to soup or sliced thinly and served as crostini, suggest Delice de France.

Chocolate & Cherry Bundt Cake and a Fruit Cake generously topped with glace fruits and nuts will be on Delice de France’s sweet desserts menu. Both these limited edition cakes have a unique appearance which will add interest to any cake counter, and are pre-portioned to control portion size and weight.

The festive look The opportunity to drive food sales during the festive season can be further developed by creating a festive look and feel.

“The dining experience at Christmas should be about impact, which can easily be created with co-ordinated ranges of disposable tableware, leaving the customer with a great first impression, such as enhancing the meal ‘experience’ with quality crackers or party boxes,” says Chris Wakeman, national accounts director for Bunzl Catering Supplies.

“This year Bunzl Catering Supplies are offering their biggest ever range of disposable festive season tableware and crackers to provide our customers with a choice of ranges to suit all dining room colour schemes,

all types of event from sit down meal to finger buffet and most importantly all budgets.”

Using disposable ranges of tableware at Christmas and New Year, rather than linen, say Bunzl, can help ease some of the operational pressures and costs associated with this time of year. A good ‘value’ disposable tableware range with a one ply napkin is available from Bunzl again this year in small pack sizes so that even the smallest party can be affordably catered for (Bunzl’s full Festive Season 2008 catalogue is available by calling 01372 734 293 for more information).

The Really Sensible Trading Company is targeting the Christmas market with a range of thermally insulated cafetières in a striking ‘jazzy’ red colour. The products are distributed exclusively by The Really Sensible Trading Company and all three of Planetary Design’s cafetières are available in the new colour - the Double Shot, the Desk Press and the Table Top Wide Base model.

Enterprising coffee shops might like to offer the Double Shot and Desk Press for sale, or as a loyalty giveaway, suggest Really Sensible (list prices for the respective models are Wide Base Tabletop £11.23, Double Shot £11.23 and Desk Press £10.76).

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COFFEE MACHINES

Machine

maestros

Below: A traditional espresso machine will have been chosen for its ability to produce a truly excellent speciality coffee experience for customers.

Whatever type of coffee machine you have chosen to be at the centre of your outlet, your customers have a right to expect a superior cup of coffee so your staff will need to be confident in the coffee machine’s operation. As several café sector suppliers are keen to emphasise here, the right skill levels and good coffee making procedures are required.

Blueprint for success Due to the established café culture in the UK, and continued competition from the high street chains, operators are honour bound to offer a comfortable, Italian-style coffee house environment and authentic Italian coffee experience to match, feels Metropolitan Coffee Company’s managing director, Angus McKenzie.

“It is imperative for any coffee serving environment to understand how to serve the perfect espresso, the basis of so many popular coffee based drinks,” he says. “We feel that this is so important that we have actually launched a new complimentary service to our customers which will provide a blueprint for their staff to follow.”

Called the Metropolitan Customer Coffee Audit, this service involves establishing a few ground rules for machine use. Firstly, it involves checking that bean freshness is optimised (both in the bean hopper and the ground coffee dispenser), and that the grinder has the right setting to produce perfect espresso shots. The audit also includes a

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demonstration of how to produce quality milk and the necessary steaming techniques, as well as the importance of cleaning of the machine (to include cleaning of group handles and filter baskets), back flushing and skill levels of the operator.

“Finding the right machine for your needs can appear to be a daunting task when there are so many coffee systems, traditional and bean to cup machines available on the market,” Angus McKenzie continues. “This is why we have selected the Franke Flair, a versatile bean to cup machine which represents a cost-effective entry point package that is suitable for small to medium-sized cafés, bars and restaurants.”

A built in automatic milk foamer in this bean to cup machine ensures high quality foamed milk at the push of a button, say Metropolitan (www.metropolitancoffee.co.uk).

The machine can deliver up to 100 cups a day (10 fluid ounces maximum fill) and there are eight drinks selections, including

The Franke Flair machine in silver.

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ASICS GOING BACK TO B For outlets using traditional espresso machines, a full appreciation of the different stages and variables is needed, and there is no escaping the commitment to good barista training.

“A traditional espresso machine will have been chosen for its ability to produce a truly excellent speciality coffee experience for customers – an experience which combines the taste of the coffee with the sense of theatre a skilled barista brings to the creative process,” says Steve Penk, business development director of espresso machine manufacturer La Spaziale UK and heavily involved in the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (as SCAE Board director and UK coordinator).

“Additionally, the customer can see that their beverage is freshly made each time they order and there is great flexibility in the process to meet their individual taste preferences. Using a traditional machine offers the barista exceptional control over the variable factors that affect the final taste, for example grind quality, tamping and water temperature. However, in the wrong hands, and without adequate understanding of those variables, this advantage can lead to awful results.”

wands can be supplied with both models.

The two group machine would be supplied with one automated de-skilled turbo steam wand plus one traditional steam wand for those with barista skills (to book a free Metropolitan Customer Coffee Audit call 0208 743 8959).

producing two black coffees, espresso and Americano at once. This package costs £3,333 (excluding VAT), and includes water filtration, installation and a 12 month warranty. This cost is flexible where Metropolitan are supplying the customer the whole range of hot beverage ingredients, and machines can also be leased. The company also offers full marketing support, including POS, branded crockery and barista training.

“It is important to choose between a skilled or deskilled milk foaming operation,” advises Angus McKenzie.

“There is considerable choice on the market between hand steamed milk, powdered milk and thermostatic wand steamed milk capabilities. Traditionally it has been expensive to buy into this technology but now turbo steam, or regular steam wands, can be supplied to order.”

Metropolitan’s traditional range of San Marco espresso machines include both the 85 series and 100 series, and turbo steam

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The importance of brew-head temperature “Every coffee is full of hundreds of different flavours, not all of which are noticeable in every cup. Some of the flavours are sour, some astringent, whilst others are bitter or burnt – and these should not be present in the espresso,” explains La Spaziale UK’s Steve Penk. “It is the temperature of the water hitting the coffee that determines the flavours in the cup and, because every blend of coffee has its own unique sweet spot (the temperature at which it gives up as many of its positive flavours as possible without releasing the negative flavours), consistency of temperature for each shot is absolutely critical. A difference of just one degree Celsius can drastically alter the flavour of the espresso.”

Maintaining the consistency of the water temperature, therefore, is the barista’s greatest challenge feel La Spaziale UK. “Most machines use the water in their boiler as a source of heat, jacketing the pipe carrying the brew water and heating it on its way to the coffee. This means that every time hot water is dawn, the machine refills with cold water, causing a variation in the temperature of boiler water and, in turn, a variation in the brew water.

Consistency is not possible, which is why one espresso may be fantastic and the next one poor!” reveals Steve Penk. “This

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COFFEE MACHINES

arrangement can also give rise to another problem when the machine is standing idle for long periods. The boiler tends to overheat and the brew head fills with steam at well over 100 degrees Celsius, overheating the coffee and bringing out the unwanted flavours.”

La Spaziale machines have overcome the problems of inconsistent brew-head temperature. At the heart of all their traditional espresso machines, say the company, is a unique, patented heat exchange system. This uses steam to heat a small, separate individual boiler for each group, ensuring constant temperature of the water as it reaches the coffee regardless of the number of drinks produced or the time spent standing idle. A further benefit of this system is that it also helps to reduce limescale deposits within the machine which in turn makes regular maintenance easier to carry out.

“Another important factor on a machine is that the controls, such as those controlling temperature and pressure, are clear and easy to use,” adds Steve Penk. “It is also helpful for the barista if the all-important brew-head temperature is clearly indicated – this can be achieved, for example, by a row of highly-visible LEDs at

eye level along the top of the machine.”

USING AN E ESPRESSO MACHIN Grinding and tamping The preparation of ground coffee prior to the extraction is vital to the quality of espresso.

The freshness of the coffee should always be maximised so a freshly roasted bean, ground ‘on demand’ directly into the portafilter is the ideal to aim for.

Tamping should be consistent, but the regularity of the grind, ie the particle size, is just as important in determining the time taken to extract an espresso and ensuring that the maximum flavour is drawn from the coffee. The control and consistency of water pressure is also critical at this point.

Cleaning, servicing and maintenance Most traditional espresso machines are capable of consistently producing high quality speciality coffee beverages over many years usage. However the quality of coffee can be enhanced, and the life of the machine extended, by the careful cleaning, maintenance and servicing of the machine.

“Many good coffees are being ruined every day by the

A clean group will start to taste dirty after around 45 minutes of heavy use.

24 NOVEMBER 2008

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The temperature of the water hitting the coffee determines the flavours in the cup. lack of a cleaning procedure,” says Steve Penk. “The key areas that need to be addressed are back-flushing the system, cleaning portafilters and show-screens.”

For back-flushing, a blank basket or rubber disc is inserted into the portafilter to stop the flow of water from the group. With nowhere to go the water churns around rinsing out anything in the group. A water back-flush (without chemicals) should be done after any busy period of service as a clean group will start to taste dirty after around 45 minutes of heavy use. Adding a little chemical when backflushing cleans more efficiently, but many people use too much chemical, warns Steve Penk.

After a chemical clean the first couple of shots should be discarded as they are likely to be tainted. Portafilters should be cleaned daily. The baskets need to be removed and a quick scrub under warm water will remove any build-up and

make a huge difference to the coffee being served. The inside of the portafilter, under the basket, also needs a scrub. Show-screens need to be removed and manually cleaned, from every day to a couple of times a week, depending on turnover.

“Regular, daily cleaning should be carried out by the barista, whose passion for great coffee should ensure that this is done meticulously for the best results in the cup,” says Steve Penk.

“Ongoing staff training should ensure that these cleaning tasks become second nature.

“Maintenance and servicing should not be overlooked. After the initial commissioning of a machine, a long-term programme should be set up to provide for preventative maintenance, ideally at six-monthly intervals, as well as annual servicing. Ensuring that a professional servicing organisation is employed will

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MAXIBREW

FRESHCUP

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NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÉ CULTURE 25

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COFFEE MACHINES guarantee long life and trouble-free operation.”

The barista By far the most important factor of all in determining the quality of the final beverage more important than the espresso machine itself - is the capability of the barista. This capability must encompass not just technical skills, but also a passion for achieving excellence in the quality of the final beverage.

“This is why a carefully thought-through, ongoing barista education programme is imperative in raising the standard of espresso,” explains Steve Penk. “Too many organisations appear content to invest in mediocre equipment, delivered with only basic initial on-site training, which allows the operation to get up and running fast.

However, this training usually only covers the basic functions of the machines, and can only, at best, develop technical skills. Ultimately this training approach will lead to a poor return on investment because it will do nothing to arouse within the barista a passion and understanding for great coffee which could lead to a permanent rise in espresso standards.”

The training programmes developed and delivered by La Spaziale UK over the last five years have recognised that it is

not just practical expertise linked with high quality machines that leads to excellence in the cup. Their courses, besides teaching technical skills, are designed to get staff fully involved with the coffee being served – in short, to inspire a desire to create a better final beverage. This training, point out the company, needs to be a regular process, geared to individual progress of staff, to ensure the continued development of the barista, right up to competition standard if required.

Most advanced?

Visitors to The Drury Tea &

Coffee stand at the Caffè Culture show back in May will have seen the Classe 10 USB espresso machine (pictured above), imported into the UK on an exclusive basis by Drury’s associate company, The Coffee Machine Company, and offering plenty of high tech’ features for the modern day barista.

After 80 years of manufacturing espresso machines, the Italian manufacturer, Rancilio, says that it regards its Classe 10 USB as the being the finest machine ever to come out of its Milan factory, and argues that it is perhaps the most

advanced espresso machine on the market today.

Designed to make the barista’s life easier, but without curtailing their flair or originality, the machine boasts the recently designed “C” lever steam handle and portafilter handles (the brief for Rancilio’s R&D department was to come up with a design that minimises wrist stress and repetitive strain, which are real issues, since busy baristas can make up to a quarter of a million coffees a year).

As its name might suggest, the Classe 10 USB is highly advanced electronically, with all functions being controlled

COMMENT “When you pass your driving test you are technically, and legally, able to drive any make and size of car. However, we would have a much safer and enjoyable experience if we were given a car that we were familiar with, at least to start with. So when you become a barista it should not be assumed that you can control and make the best of any machine that you are given control of,” says David Cooper of Cooper’s Coffee (www.cooperscoffee.co.uk) and Dalla Corte UK Imports Ltd. “All machines have many differing features and although functionally they are of the same theme, it still requires that the barista will need time to adjust before being able to make their best drinks on an unfamiliar machine. A few examples of these differences that a barista has to deal with are grinders, dose mechanisms, different size portafilter baskets, machine temperatures, functional button set ups, steam arm diameters, lengths and pressure.

“Only with practice and a will to achieve the best from the equipment, can a barista reach the full potential from a particular machine and certainly, it is as true as in the case of driving your favourite car that baristas also have their favourite brands of machine and accessories that they prefer to work with.”

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COFFEE MACHINES via an on-board computer.

Programme progress is reported via an enhanced LED screen centrally sited on the machine’s control panel. Specially designed software called Load & Show features a 240 x 64 pixel graphic display, which is combined with new USB electronics to enable caterers to upload images, logos and selling messages. This machine offers baristas a choice of four water temperatures, fully programmable in respect of volume and temperature for brewing tea or making Americanos.

Rancilio’s iSteam – an automatic milk frothing device, which it originally launched four years ago - is now fully programmable in respect of temperature and texture, say the company and more userfriendly than previous models.

The chance to produce foam for cappuccinos and lattès that is virtually indistinguishable from manually frothed milk, of course appeals to skilled baristas and

novices alike. Trainee baristas can use the device whilst they are learning the trade and, for more experienced operatives, it can be a boon in busy periods (the iSteam is an optional extra on the Classe 10 USB).

The 2009 model is technically improved to make the hygiene regime much simpler. Now it is cool to the touch and requires only purging and an occasional wipe with a clean cloth – no different in fact from a regular steam arm.

All the barista needs does is put the iSteam in the milk, push a button and the machine will froth milk up to a (variable) set temperature. At close of business for the day, all baristas should do is heat up a jug of water mixed with cleaning solution using the iSteam, which will ensure that the unit is clean and ready for the next day’s business.

The Rancilio iSteam may be specified on the company’s Classe 10 and Classe 8 models and has a list price of £325.

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MARKET RESEARCH

Industry insight Significant business expansion opportunities and the importance of connecting with customers were the main themes to emerge from Allegra Strategies’ recent European Coffee Symposium held in London (Park Lane Hotel, 17 October 2008).

Vibrant times The event attracted over 300 top executives from across the European coffee shop market and despite widespread economic uncertainty, the branded coffee shop market remains vibrant and is uniquely well placed to enjoy double-digit growth over the next decade, predict Allegra Strategies.

Indeed, Allegra’s managing director, Jeffrey Young, stated that the European coffee shop market, currently estimated at 8,900 units – having seen 1,400 new outlets open in the last year alone – is expected to exceed the 10,000 mark by 2010, with 14,000 units forecast by 2015.

UK potential While café culture is a truly European phenomenon, most continental European markets are highly fragmented and remain dominated by independent cafés, believe Allegra. However, the UK is a notable exception, accounting for 40% of the European branded coffee shop market, and because of its developed status, the UK is rightly regarded as offering key insights for the wider European marketplace, say Allegra.

Valuable pointers include the widening availability of speciality coffee, the growing significance of ethical coffee, the blurring of coffee and food-focussed formats and the rise of nonspecialist venues. In addition, and importantly, lessons also include how brand identity and authenticity will become critical to defining winning operators, reveal the market researchers.

28 NOVEMBER 2008

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Guest speakers In his presentation, Caffè Nero’s head of international food & beverage, Paul Ettinger, reinforced the importance of core brand values in explaining the reasons behind the company’s impressive growth. A genuine commitment to not compromising on Caffè Nero’s coffee and food quality is a fundamental critical success factor to ensuring it continues to delight consumers.

Closely understanding the different requirements of consumers on the move is driving significant business growth at food and beverage travel experts, the SSP Group. Portfolio strategy director, Paul Passmore, explained how the business had comprehensively researched consumers’ mindsets and need states to map out the spectrum of foodservice requirements.

Overlaying estimates of requirement segment size alongside existing format concepts had valuably identified areas for portfolio brand development and importantly, gaps in coverage.

Added-value marketing through emotional bonds and functional benefits connecting with consumers ‘sans frontières’ was a key message of Philippe Sanchez’s address. The managing director of Starbucks France confirmed how the appeal of key brand values – not least regarding the creation of a sense of community and communicating CSR initiatives – are strengthening ‘emotional’ brand attributes that transcend borders and outmoded country stereotypes. This is driving business growth in what was initially regarded by many as a

European Coffee Symposium award winners Leading UK Coffee Shop – Independent Category: Monmouth Coffee Leading Coffee Shop – Small Branded Chain Category: Boston Tea Party Outstanding Contribution Award: Howard Schultz, Starbucks Lifetime Industry Contribution Award – UK Category: David Williamson (Matthew Algie) Lifetime Industry Contribution Award – European Market: Ernesto Illy (Illy Coffee)

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very difficult new market for the US pioneer.

Effective branding that taps into consumers’ emotional consciousness was also noted as an integral part of the success of Lavazza. With effective advertising support that evokes a powerful sense of ‘Italianity’, Lavazza has built a strong brand identity that helps to both differentiate the product in the marketplace and also, to justify its price premium.

The value of coffee in not only boosting sales in quieter day parts, but also in attracting a broader consumer profile to McDonald’s fast food business, are key attractions of the McCafé concept. Vicki Fuller, head of McCafés in Germany, highlighted the strength of this proposition by revealing that European numbers would increase by 200 within the next year to reach 1,000 units. This, the chain feel, will clearly cement McCafé’s position, along with Starbucks and Costa, as the three leading European coffee chains by some margin.

Short consumer dwell time is very much also the case with visitors at motorway service stations. On this topic, Welcome Break’s chief executive, Rod McKie, noted how a focus on speed of delivery, together with multiple coffee executions, were effectively capitalising on the opportunities presented by their high footfall levels and driving strong growth in coffee sales.

Sustainability The growing importance of offering sustainable coffee was a key point made by several speakers at the symposium. Chief executive of the Fairtrade Foundation, Harriet Lamb, re-iterated the point that there is a real consumer demand for ethical initiatives and in turn, that doing nothing was not an option for coffee retailers.

For Kraft Foods, consumer pull is combining with corporate push to drive certified coffee sales. Its corporate affairs director, Jonathan Horrell, noted how the wider sustainability agenda was at the heart of the Kraft’s business strategy, with the growing focus on cost management delivering savings that are directly enhancing profitability. Drie Mollen’s Murray Leslie reinforced this point, and how certified coffee lends itself to communicating many great product sourcing stories and how it was also his expectation that ethical coffee would become the market standard and a competitive hygiene factor.

Debate Coffee’s ongoing development and multi-faceted appeal was also evident in the discussions about the merits of soluble versus roast and ground coffee, and also in the debate over the benefits of traditional versus super-automatic coffee machines.

Overall, it was acknowledged that consumer needs and business requirements were sufficiently broad that it is genuinely the case of ‘different strokes for different folks’.

David Field, managing director of Nestlé Professional, outlined how consumers’ appreciation of coffee experience is very closely linked to their environment, and how soluble coffee had a significant role to play in the out-of-home

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marketplace. This is particularly the case in the workplace, where consumers are typically highly value conscious.

Elaine Higginson, managing director of First Choice Coffee, provided an insight into the technological advances in coffee equipment. This covered both the requirements of clients wishing to create more attendant coffee theatre, as well as for those less demanding sites where the operational convenience of automatic machines had strong appeal.

For Tony Waters, managing director of Solo Cup Europe, the importance of better connecting with his customers is business critical. He outlined a series of corporate competencies that are pertinent across the entire industry – including innovation and creativity, customer service excellence, customer ‘experience’ delivery and competitive differentiation – and described how within the coffee cup market segment, the business was responding to these future challenges.

Above: Coffee made up of beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms will be available in Costa's global stores by January 2009, in 24 markets in over 300 stores.

Starbucks has announced that it is to double its Fair Trade Certified™ Coffee purchases, becoming the world’s largest buyer of Fair Trade Certified Coffee as part of its Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ programme.

Five key facts about the

EUROPEAN COFFEE SHOP MARKET 1. The UK is by far the largest branded coffee chain market with 3,577 outlets (at October 2008), followed by Germany (1,142) and Spain (918).

2. Looked at by coffee shops per millions of population, Ireland has the highest per capita provision (90/million population). The UK trails in second place (59/million).

3. With 1,118 outlets, Starbucks is the largest branded chain in Europe, followed by Costa (849) and McCafé (773).

4. McCafé is Europe’s fastest growing coffee operator – adding 287 units over the year to October 2008, and representing growth of 37%.

5. Owing to its strong travel hub focus, Caffè Ritazza is the most international coffee shop brand, with a presence in 17 of the 22 European countries covered.

(SOURCE: ALLEGRA STRATEGIES PROJECT CAFÉ EU 2008)

NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÉ CULTURE 29

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MARKET RESEARCH ANALYSIS

UK Independent Coffee Shop Report 2008 80%

70%

Allegra’s report is designed to give detailed insight into market trends and how independent coffee shops can maximise sales and profits in the face of further growth of the chains such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Caffè Nero.

The report also offers advice and commentary from leading experts in their fields.

60%

54% 48%

40%

Report highlights The total UK coffee shop market is estimated at £4bn with 10,100 outlets.

The UK independent coffee shop markets is valued at £1.8bn, exceeding 5,100 outlets, and represents approximately 50% of the total UK coffee shop market in terms of number of outlets.

Despite challenging trading conditions, Allegra’s research confirms potential for further growth. Feedback from independent operators underlines a growing café culture and increasing consumer demand for quality coffee.

Many respondents confirmed that they

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37%

Response to question: What makes a highly successful independent coffee shop? Multiple response 36% 29% 26% 20%

20%

18%

15% 12%

11%

8%

8% 5%

0%

Summary The UK coffee shop market has almost doubled in size over the last decade, fuelled by the expansion of the branded chains. However, independent coffee shop operators are currently facing a highly challenging trading environment, not only due to a difficult economic climate and low consumer confidence, but also because of the increasing competition from branded chain operators.

Despite recent difficulties, further market growth is expected in the longterm with increasing consumer demand for quality coffee drinks and a growing café culture in the UK. To fully benefit from market opportunities, independent coffee shop operators must provide premium coffee quality, a highly personalised service and attractive store environments, thus building lasting relationships with customers and guaranteeing repeat business.

FACTORS FOR HAVING A SUCCESSFUL COFFEE SHOP

60%

Quality Good of Coffee Location

Personal and engaging service

Atmosphere

Good value for money

Fast and efficient service

Effective Attractive managecoffee ment shop design

sell more speciality coffee drinks than ever before.

Although numbers of independent and chain operators are rising, the market is far from saturated. Only 7% of those surveyed perceive their local area as over-supplied and 15% do not find it competitive at all. Most believe the local competition is intense (41%) or modest (38%).

The sample was divided over the influence of branded coffee chains on the independent market. While 31% believe branded chains have a positive impact on their business, 30% view the influence as negative. 39% of respondents believe that chain operators do not influence their business.

Key industry challenges Economic downturn and growing competition have led to ever more challenging market conditions.

Independent operators expressed significant concern over the current environment – more than 50% view the trading conditions as more difficult than one year ago, 15% of those perceive them as much more difficult.

The credit crunch and a weakening economy dominate current concerns, noted by 48% of operators. This is

Family Innovative, friendly exciting environ- food menu ment

Tight cost control

Broad/ Innovative, varied exciting food offer coffee menu

Broad noncoffee drinks offer

Local marketing

Few competitors

followed by growing competition (in particular from the chains) and high property costs. Staffing also remains a critical inhibitor. More than 50% of independent coffee shop owners and managers find it difficult to find and retain quality staff.

Advice for would-be coffee shop entrepreneurs The main single piece of advice owners and managers of independent coffee shops would give to someone who wants to open a coffee shop is to conduct thorough research to understand the market, the coffee culture, the location and customers.

“Research Research Research!

Understand the industry and visit as many trade shows and coffee shops as possible. Never think it is easy!”

COFFEE SHOP OWNER, YORK

“Make sure you are in a good location which is receptive to your café.”

COFFEE SHOP OWNER, LONDON

“Before you open a shop, make sure you are aware of all things that are necessary. Quick shots are not good. Be careful and inform yourself about the world of coffee culture.”

COFFEE SHOP OWNER, HERTFORDSHIRE

For more details about their latest report Allegra Strategies can be contacted on 0207 691 8838, or by visiting www.allegra.co.uk.

Their next European Coffee Symposium will take place in Vienna next year.

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EXHIBITIONS

With its café sector exhibitors, informative seminar programme, and chance to see the current UK barista champion (Hugo Hercod) in action, Caffè Culture was the highlight of the exhibition year for many in the coffee business.

Exhibition trail It’s been a busy twelve months for all those exhibiting at and visiting the various foodservice exhibitions, particular when so many have started to include a dedicated café sector area.

Here, John Blaskey of the Exhibiting Agency, explains how to ensure that stepping out of the office is worthwhile, and we also air some of your views on this year’s round of trade shows.

A double-edged sword?

If exhibiting was edible it could quite easily be compared to marmite. It either works for you, or it does not – simple. Or do we just wish it was that simple? Exhibiting is probably the most concentrated marketing medium, so why shouldn’t all businesses love it?

The rumours are true… Exhibiting is a double edged sword, get it right and you will enjoy terrific results and reap the benefits. Get it wrong and you will do more damage to your brand in one day than in a lifetime. Basically you need to ask yourself “are you living your brand, or merely making an exhibition of yourself?”

The café business has a number of thriving exhibitions which serve everyone from global multinationals through to small independent businesses, each setting out their stalls in increasingly difficult trading environments so more than ever now, you must start to consider what they can do to justify the spend.

Exhibiting is a highly sensitive exercise.

Every aspect of your company is on show, your culture, your products and services, and most importantly your employees – the

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people you have chosen to represent you, who will often drown at exhibitions in the absence of any formal strategy being in place.

In my experience you should only exhibit when you are certain your stand will be a success and you are very confident you can secure a positive ROI (return on investment). I advise clients not to commit to an exhibition until they are able to answer comfortably - and with confidence the following seven questions.

What are your three key objectives?

No exhibitor should ever exhibit without a clear strategy that gives a powerful indication of what your outcomes need to be to deem the exercise a success. If you are unsure of what this involves or how to set numerically quantifiable targets before you exhibit seek assistance from the experts. The exhibition organisers will have all the relevant information about the visitor profile and who the exhibition aims to deliver so communication with them will obviously help your cause. If your concerns are tactical I would suggest enlisting assistance with a specialist live marketing

agency, who will be able to assist you through every stage of the planning process and implementation. Remember you need to address the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ before the ‘how’ What space do you really need?

This applies the same theory that it is not the size of the ship… it’s the motion of the ocean. Global conglomerates will always hire the largest amount of space, however this does not mean they have any better insight about how to exhibit, it merely means they have a larger budget to pour down the drain. The smaller stands are often the most effective, focusing on strategy, ROI and qualifying leads, implementing a smarter, more interactive exhibition policy that will guide you to success.

Who will staff your stand?

The people you choose to man your stand say more about your company than any other element. 80% of your results are down to your staff. Corporate Marketers, managers, - even communication managers - insist on using the in -house

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EXHIBITIONS

the networking opportunities are profitable, you have learnt from the experience and you can envisage a solid ROI. How many prospects really want to see us again?

The Exhibitors that cannot answer this question are common. One of the main pitfalls is that you have given all your information out on the stand, so why should anyone need to see you again? You need to create a clear next stage to take up.

By evaluating and ranking your leads you will gain further insight as to how your stand and the exhibition itself performed.

Without measuring your leads and separating them into categories of existing, potential and target clients, it is impossible to accurately assess you ROI. This blindly leads to repeat exhibiting without honest justification. You will find if you measure your results you will automatically start setting targets for the following year, as you begin to get more confident and ambitious with this medium.

John Blaskey John is an international exhibition consultant with nearly 35 years’ industry experience. He is a pioneer of exhibiting effectively, challenging and modifying his client’s exhibition strategy to ensure they gain the most from their investment. Since founding the Exhibiting Agency (a full service live marketing consultancy, specialising in targeted exhibition services, strategic development, networking and training, www.exhibitingagency.co.uk) in 2000, John holds regular open master classes for exhibitors and organisations.

John works on the premise that businesses grow by developing long term relationships. Beyond internet and web marketing, face-to-face is the acknowledged way to initiate and develop these relationships, working in sync with a company’s business plan. Thus, John’s often humorous, intuitive and challenging speaking style – invariably illustrated with slides of the great and ghastly at exhibitions! – proposes many unusual and counterintuitive techniques and tactics, that have been proven to deliver.

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sales team to promote the company image.

This is usually a disastrous mistake.

Exhibitions are environments where sales jargon should be left at the door, customers and clients have become immune to this approach. To maximise your human impact replace your sales staff, and introduce industry experts if possible, people who work on exhibition stands as a career. Performers, spotters and stand managers are available from agencies that specialise in the live marketing sector.

Ultimately your stand designer can only attract the eye, it is the human interaction that will engage their interest.

How will you measure the achievement of your objectives?

The objectives that you set for the exhibition should always reflect those that are already set in the company’s quarterly/ annual business plan. You cannot expect an exhibition to be stand alone, it needs to be supported by the other marketing activities that are already in existence – to grow your business from existing customers - and to attract new customers.

You should always measure your results after an exhibition. You will be able to confirm how well the stand performed, the number of qualified leads you achieved, the database of contacts you acquired, the cost per lead and most importantly the anticipated return on investment. You should never continue to exhibit at a show for any reason other than it increases sales,

What was your overall investment - both visible and invisible?

Don’t cheat yourself. Exhibiting incurs both visible and invisible costs. Take the cost of your space and multiply by 3 or 4 times to give you a true picture of your real investment. Still this can be the best form of marketing you ever undertake. Just make sure that you calculate everything – including management time, follow up, training, planning, as well as all the obvious items. And when you have that figure …

What return on investment are you entitled to expect?

There are many ways in which you will see a return on your outlay. The most obvious is the new business you may generate from existing customers and the value of your new prospects. But how well did you promote your brand to the entire exhibition audience? What market research were you able to conduct real-time, face to face?

How many customer visits did you replace by being at the show – and how did that help the environment as well? In pure commercial terms I expect to deliver at least a potential 3 times return on our client’s investment in a show. But in any event have the guts to measure everything assiduously.

Potentially exhibitions are the most awesome medium of all. They just require some hard work and intelligence on your part. Exhibiting is your future fortune.

Make sure you do it right.

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EXHIBITIONS

WAS IT WORTHWHILE? Big Shotz is a mango and passion fruit juice shot containing high levels of 11 vitamins and six minerals. The company behind this new brand chose the Caffè Culture show back in May for their launch, before launching the drink to consumers later in the year at Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Waitrose, AMT and independent coffee shops nationwide.

“Big Shotz exhibited at Caffè Culture in May and at Billingsgate Lunch in September,” says Big Shotz’s marketing director, Simon Colthorpe. “Caffè Culture generated in excess of 200 leads, and Billingsgate Lunch around 100. The Caffè Culture launch of the brand to the trade and the café sector in particular was a great event for the company and worked very well against this objective.

“Caffè Culture had much higher footfall and so enabled us to showcase the brand to a wider audience.

Billingsgate Lunch, although disappointing on the Saturday when footfall was low, had a very high calibre of exhibitor – all were premium, ‘on the go’ brands. So we have already re-booked for Caffè Culture next year, but would recommend both events to non-coffee manufacturers looking to target the café sector – as will stand out with lots of coffee and coffee equipment focused exhibitors.”

Marc Warde is slowly building an empire of restaurants, cafés and fine food halls across the UK but up until now has remained out of the limelight.

He is currently in discussions to handle the catering of some of the largest landmarks in London and from next year says that he will be doing a big PR push as his restaurants. Previously, Marc has managed restaurants, both fine dining and chain (such as Café Rouge), also becoming a group manager with the Massarella Catering group, before helping to start up Crussh Juice bars as its operations director.

“I attended the Speciality and fine food show at Earls Court Olympia, and notice that this year it had really grown. It was great to have so many new exhibitors and for our business particularly, and in the food hall we found several new suppliers of interest,” he recalls.

“Hotelympia held at Excel this year is always great for the competitions and food demonstrations which I really enjoy watching – the equipment is a tad dull but, I feel, essential for all caterers. It would be good to see more technical innovation in this area. Of the food exhibitors it’s mainly the big brands than the smaller ones, and it would be good to have a mixture of the two. I am more interested in the food bits of the show, and for me it ticked many of the boxes although was a little short on smaller producers.”

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CRIPS snacks are sold in hundreds of outlets, including cafés and delis. The new oven-baked wheat and potato snack has been exhibited at about half a dozen foodservice sector events over the past few months.

“With a new and developing brand, and an original concept, we love going to exhibitions, and we usually get excellent orders from each show,” says CRIPS managing director Gareth Smith. “In particular, we get positive comments from visitors who are able to try our snacks, and we also get to meet some of our existing customers who can give us very valuable feedback about how things are going. One recently told us that CRIPS were her best selling product, which is great to hear!”

Gareth believes exhibitions work best when there’s a wide variety of suppliers and producers with stalls, rather than lots of duplication, and when events are not too large.

“If there are lots of similar products and the exhibition is very big, it makes it

harder for the smaller outlets and independents to whizz round and see everything in one day,” he explains. “Each food service sector exhibition attended by CRIPS has been useful. Some brought us lots of smaller orders, while others gained us a smaller number of larger orders. The new event lunch! helped CRIPS gain a number of high quality orders.”

CRIPS, which are 75% lower in fat than traditional fried potato crisps, are available in five flavours in 35g packs Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar, Thai Sweet Chilli, Mature Cheddar Cheese & Onion, and Natural Sea Salt. They have just been launched in 140g sharing bags in Thai Sweet Chilli, Mature Cheddar Cheese & Spring Onion, and Natural Sea Salt flavours (www.cripsnacks.com).

Dedicated to the café and coffee shop sector, Caffè Culture has perhaps been the show highlight of year, having now become a ‘regular’ on the event calendar.

Bottlegreen Drinks, for example, feel that the event was the best show they did all

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organisation of the event is year, and they will fantastic,â€? they told us. definitely be back in 2009. “Caffè Culture gives us WMF UK Ltd were the opportunity to meet similarly as keen. “The with of existing customers, event was absolutely along with making contact brilliant for WMF. We with new potentials, in an reached a whole new, and environment entirely geared extremely valuable, towards the coffee bar and audience who we would cafĂŠ market,â€? says Gary have struggled to make McGann of Espresso contact with otherwise and Warehouse. “We can have achieved a communicate directly superb level of new with hundreds of business as a result,â€? the company told Having a presence companies in just two days as opposed to CafĂŠ Culture at these exhibitions making individual magazine. has helped us to visits to each site Beyond the Bean promote our products which can obviously described Caffè Culture as being “a to end users/retailers be both expensive and time consuming.â€? fantastic show, and consumers “This year, Kate's consistently Cakes has exhibited generating a lot of new business for us. It’s the only show we at Caffè Culture and lunch! show,â€? says do within the cafĂŠ/coffee bar industry and Frank Bird, EU account manager for premium cake supplier, Kate's Cakes. “I we’ll definitely be back next year.â€? think there have definitely been two clear Jeremy’s Soups are another repeat benefits from taking a stand at these exhibitor. “We’ve exhibited at Caffè Culture every year since its launch and we exhibitions - increased brand awareness and excellent networking opportunities. always achieve a superb level of new Having a presence at these exhibitions business. The visitors are of an excellent has helped us to promote our products to quality and the marketing and

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"We exhibited at IFE07 and will also be at IFE09 - we have actually re-branded since the last show so want to use this event as a real opportunity to show off our new look.

We will also be aiming to develop our export relationships as it's one of the best shows to make international contacts. However, given the size of IFE, it is important to make sure you go along with a solid plan of what you want to achieve as with all large events, without a focus, you can easily get sidetracked."

Jeremy Torz, director, Union Hand Roasted Coffee “Following a very successful time at IFE05 we have continued to exhibit at every show thereafter. We have established a number of long-term partnerships with restaurants and coffee shops as a result of the show as well as selling machines during the event. It’s a great exhibition which attracts the right audience for us, it’s a very worthwhile investment for our business and one which we will continue to consider in the future.�

Marco Olmi, director, The Drury Tea & Coffee Company

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EXHIBITIONS end users/retailers and consumers, if these are supplied through large organisations or independent distributors. So in that respect, they have certainly been successful for us.

“On the flip side, it's very difficult to measure the benefit in financial terms.

When companies make contact with us they may refer to having seen our stand at a certain show, but sales opportunities are rarely pin pointed to come directly from one particular exhibition. Meetings held at exhibitions with our larger customers tend to be more of a social and relaxed discussion rather than a formal business meeting.”

Steve Pearce, managing director of the Southover Food Company shares similar views. “We exhibited at Food and Drink Expo at the NEC in Birmingham this year and thought the experience very worthwhile,” he says. “Southover have always had a stand at the Food and Drink Expo and the IFE (which run on alternate years). For me, it’s the ideal opportunity to fly the flag, network and catch up on the innovation within the industry. Our customers love to see us there.

“We use the opportunity to showcase our entire range, which is useful even for our existing clients as some of them might only buy ham or cakes from us and need reminding of our full portfolio. This exhibition is great for raising customer awareness of our brand and services and, once you’ve learned to weed out time wasters, it’s the perfect venue to meet new clients. As a meat manufacturer and a distributor of fine foods, we also find this exhibition useful for meeting existing or new suppliers.

“Taking a stand at an exhibition isn’t cheap, though. Once you’ve factored in the cost of your stand, the artwork, staff, hotel, samples and goods, the total cost of exhibiting on a 4 x 3m stand, for example, can be in the region of £10,000 minimum.

That said, I think you get your money back – if not immediately then indirectly over time. I attended the new lunch! show this

September and am considering having a presence there too next year. I think this is another example of a well organised exhibition that achieves its aim to be the perfect meeting ground for exhibitors and attendees.”

Kevin Curran, managing director of TriStar Packaging attended lunch! and also exhibited at OOH Live! this month. "lunch! was an extremely good show for Tri-Star Packaging and perfect for our food-on-the-go customer base. It was a show that provided us with good quality and quantity leads that we are currently following up. It is too early to comment on how successful it has been for us in terms of new business, but we have already signed up and booked a bigger stand for next year."

“This year, Caffè Culture was far and

away the runaway success for us and Upper Street Events have done a really good job with this exhibition,” says Steve Penk of La Spaziale UK. “This year we took a risk going upstairs, but we were happy with the profile, as people were visiting us out of curiosity. I also feel there were more people in attendance this year.

“Hotelympia was a different experience. For us, this was more about building the brand, making a statement and creating a draw, and we set out to invest in a high calibre of customer, so we went over the top at Hotelympia. In my opinion, these days, with news travelling so fast and people having good access to the Internet, exclusive product launches at exhibitions are no longer as key. You need to arrange visits and make appointments beforehand to drive people to your stand.

“This year’s Restaurant show was a bit of shocker in that there was lower attendance, but this was no doubt because it co-incided with the bad economic news that was breaking at the time. To me Hotelympia seemed to have lost some of its sparkle and coffee focus, perhaps because of the Caffè Culture show.

However, it still offered a good profile and we were able to make a statement, and next year there will be some extra shows to consider, such as lunch! and Café+.”

Above: At Hotelympia, La Spaziale made an impact by going for gold.

Hospitality 2009 One of the first trade shows to take place next year will be Hospitality 2009 (NEC, 19-21 January) and with many operators likely to be feeling the full impact of the credit crunch, outlets will need all the inspiration they can get to ensure they have the tools to get customers through the door.

Hospitality will offer an effective way to see lots of new ideas in a day and is set to be the largest and most comprehensive yet with over 350 exhibiting companies, new free attractions and four separate free seminar theatres encompassing design, technology, and business information, say the show’s organisers. To pre-register, www.hospitalityshow.co.uk.

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EXHIBITIONS New developments The Caffè Culture exhibition www.caffeculture.com has revealed a host of developments for 2009 (20-21 May 2009, Olympia, London), based on the results of the largest ever survey into the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffee bar and café market.

Having joined forces with Allegra Strategies to conduct a major review of the latest industry trends, buying habits and changing requirements of the sector, Caffè Culture has announced the introduction of fresh content to the show to ensure it continues to offer the most relevant, up to date and comprehensive resource for the industry.

Whilst the UK is undoubtedly facing its toughest economic period in recent memory, the results of the research demonstrate that the branded coffee bar market remains strong â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with 14% growth in the 18 month period to September 2008. Owners and operators also remain optimistic about the future, with only 7% believing their local market has reached saturation point - although 50% do suggest trading conditions are more difficult now than a year ago.

In just three years Caffè Culture has secured its position as the UK's leading event for the industry with over 220 exhibitors and 4,450 visitors in attendance at the 2008 event. Many independent coffee bar owners have identified the event as the number one industry exhibition for sourcing new suppliers and obtaining news about the coffee industry. The recent research and resulting developments to the show further strengthens the event's offering, ensuring it delivers a rewarding experience and superb return on investment for both exhibitors and visitors alike.

Thus, the results of the research have been used to develop the extensive programme of seminars and workshops to be hosted at Caffè Culture. The 2009 programme will focus on creating and maintaining a successful business during a period of economic instability. Sessions will deal with everything from: developing a business and financial strategy to ensure survival; understanding and capitalising on

your customer profile; maintaining quality of service and products whilst maximising profits; creating customer loyalty; building a robust brand and creating an attractive and welcoming environment on a budget.

The 2009 show will also see the introduction of two new major features. The first will provide exhibitors with the opportunity to showcase their products and services within the Caffè Demo Zone. This area will offer visitors the chance to enjoy coffee, tea and cold beverage tastings, sample new food products and hear about latest industry innovations within an interactive setting.

The second new feature will sit at the heart of the show and comprises a fully functioning coffee bar, again providing a showcase for the best the industry has to offer, with furniture, equipment and food and drink products from exhibiting companies used within the design and build. The Caffè Bar will provide a lively hub for the event and an excellent place for exhibitors to host meetings with visitors.

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NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÃ&#x2030; CULTURE 37

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FAIR TRADE

Machu Picchu adventure

Peter Goodey, joint managing director of Peros, accompanied Michael Caines and Scott Ingram from ABode hotels on a visit to the Machu Picchu region of Peru recently to witness the impact Cafédirect premiums are making on the lives of the local communities. Here, he shares some of his diary entries from the trip.

9TH AUGUST 2008

11TH AUGUST 2008

Bleary-eyed travellers had met early at Heathrow yesterday morning. Our journey from hell ended late today in Lima when we were met by our guide and shipped off to a local hotel. After downing a traditional Peruvian Pisco Sour cocktail we began to relax - it had taken us two days, but at least we were now in Peru!

I was up early at the COCLA (Cooperativas Agrarias Cafetaleras) Lodge. After a freezing cold shower, breakfast was very welcome - an amazing spread including orange juice, fried banana, local yoghurt and honey, garlic-roasted sliced pork, individual pancakes and plenty of fresh fruit. I felt very humble in the knowledge that I have apparently so much to be thankful for at home, yet this community treats its guests in such a generous way. I would have happily stayed here a lot longer - it was such a tranquil, peaceful place to be.

We visited the COCLA main premises at Quillambamba. COCLA is the centre for a number of co-operatives and links the growers to their export markets including UK, Canada, USA and Japan. 30% of coffee processed through COCLA is now Fairtrade, but we are told only 6% is Cafédirect.

However, there is a long history of Cafédirect working with COCLA to the extent that their general manager, Raul del Aguila, is also a board member at Cafédirect.

10TH AUGUST 2008 On the final leg of our journey we were off to Cuzco with Chilean LAN airlines. Once up in the plane I was struck by just how barren the land was – reddish-brown rock for mile after mile - not too far from the underside of the aircraft! It reminded me of pictures of Mars.

First impressions of Cuzco were that it was in need of some serious cleaning and maintenance. It is clear that Cuzcoans are not well off, and many of the buildings are ramshackle affairs of stone, mud and corrugated roofs. Not surprising perhaps when most of the population survives on less than two dollars a day!

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Cafédirect and the Fairtrade movement have supported COCLA over the years with training in marketing, grading the coffee and providing access to finance. COCLA has grown into a huge organisation representing 8,500 growers.

12TH AUGUST 2008 Today was probably the scariest journey most of us have ever taken in our lives!

Much of the drive seemed to be on single track roads carved into the side of sheer rock faces with huge drops below. Along the way we stopped to take in the enormity of this route and the incredible height of rocks above and below us.

We were visiting Santa Teresa where, ten years ago, most of the community was destroyed in a mud-slide. Arriving at the new town seemed to have great significance - as if we had finally arrived somehow. The buildings of Santa Teresa are humble, laid out in neat rows with the tin roofs glistening in the bright sunlight.

Immediately to the left of this new settlement is what was once the old town.

This now comprises some derelict buildings and, beyond, simply a clear area

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FAIR TRADE The rocky road to Santa Tere sa.

Left: Often referred to as The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire and is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Below: Peter Goodey says that he would have happily stayed on longer in the coffee plantations.

“

Once up in the plane I was struck by just how barren the land was

”

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that had been engulfed with mud. Where we were standing there are a series of large crosses - a memorial to the old town and the many lives lost.

At the Huadquina co-operative we discovered that Cafédirect Machu Picchu coffee accounts for 50% of the coffee

MITMENT CAFÉDIRECT COM When acclaimed restaurateur Michael Caines asked Peros to devise a barista competition for ABode Hotels, he was seeking to show commitment to the delivery of high quality coffee throughout his business. He was also keen to show a great interest in the provenance and ethical sourcing of that coffee, which is why in 2007 he decided to offer only Cafédirect 100% Fairtrade coffee throughout all Michael Caines Restaurants in ABode Hotels.

Since that time Michael Caines says that he has been eager to learn first-hand more about the premiums that Cafédirect pays and to understand exactly what impact this has on the lives of the coffee growers and their communities. The barista competition provided the perfect opportunity for a visit to the growers, with a trip to the Machu Picchu region of Peru being the prize for the winning barista, Scott Ingram. Michael Caines and Peter Goodey accompanied Scott on the trip in order to visit some of the 39 grower organisations supplying Cafédirect.

“It wasn’t easy to reach Santa Teresa and we really felt like we had travelled across the world to reach this remote mountainous place,” reflects Michael Caines about the trip.

“Yet here we discovered the source of the Cafédirect Machu Picchu coffee that we serve in all our restaurants.

It’s great to think that every cup we sell, and every cup that our customers enjoy, has a direct and positive impact on the lives of the people here, who live such simple lives yet were so welcoming and friendly.”

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FAIR TRADE

Above left: The buildings of Santa Teresa are laid out in neat rows with tin roofs. Right: Michael Caines with some local school children.

production in this community. We were told how the Fairtrade premiums have enabled them to purchase vehicles for the collection of beans instead of the farmers delivering by donkey or by hand. In future, the 10% additional premiums are to be held in a reserve for the good of the whole community, with plans to replace old coffee plantations with new plants. We also discussed a loan system where farmers can get the things that they need right now, such as tools or seedlings, and then pay back the amounts borrowed in coffee beans when they are able to do so.

Some local coffee was prepared for us by one of the farmers, which I have to say is the best coffee we had been served since arriving in Peru. The coffee is filtered as thick syrup and then mixed with hot water. The 100% organic Arabica tasted as good as any premium filter coffee in the UK!

13TH AUGUST 2008 Today we met some of the growers of Huadquina co-operative. One proudly showed us his new house that had been built through the additional income he had derived from Fairtrade premiums. He explained that he now has a proper stove to cook on and the house doesn’t fill with smoke any more! A bag of Cafédirect Organic Machu Picchu coffee (left, no doubt, by a previous visitor) took pride-ofplace in his glass-fronted kitchen cupboard. I wish all the farmers could see how their product ends up on the glitzy retail shelves in the UK! These growers had been hard at work and had created a concrete area where they could dry their own beans. We were

40 NOVEMBER 2008

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shown a small washing plant and sorting area on the farm and a small machine for removing the husk from the beans. The two advantages of this are that much of the work can be done before the beans are sent down to the co-operative below and the delivery is of the finished green bean.

The transport load is much lighter and they get to keep valuable compost from the husk.

Whilst we were walking down one of the lanes to the next farm area, we stumbled across a small school. When the

“

14TH AUGUST 2008 Today we visited the Inca site of Machu Picchu itself. When you see the pictures of this place it looks amazing. To have the opportunity to actually visit is simply awesome and is something that I will always remember. The climb, however, was long and arduous, and made worse because, due to male bravado, we all agreed to climb a second mountain, Huayna Picchu, which rises 360 metres above Machu Picchu itself.

At lunch I have to say that I was the most apprehensive of our group about eating the local delicacy ‘Cuv’ or guinea pig kids saw us they came running out to meet us - I don’t suppose they see too many European visitors walking past the school!

I was able to dish out loads of small gifts that I had brought with me. In the end I just passed some bags to the teachers to give out because I didn’t want anyone to be left out. Almost certainly all the kids in this school are benefiting directly from sales of Cafédirect and the smiles on their faces say it all.

At lunch I have to say that I was the most apprehensive of our group about eating the local delicacy ‘Cuv’ or guinea pig. The guests were served the body and feet of the roasted animals and the farmers chewed on the head and brains. It was not my favourite meal ever, but I really appreciated the effort and hospitality we were offered, and I ate what I could without complaining!

”

15TH AUGUST 2008 We all suffered from too much drink, as well as aches and pains from our mountain climbing yesterday. Our time is nearly up in what I can only describe as a wonderful experience. We wandered around Cuzco looking at some local craft shops, hunting souvenirs to take home to our families.

18TH AUGUST 2008 7.30 a.m. Heathrow. After two days travelling we’re home at last! Back in oh-socivilised London there is a sense of relief that I am home, but this was a trip that I certainly will not forget. I feel inspired to keep in touch with the gentle people that we met in Santa Teresa. I am also very keen to learn lots more about the Incas.

However, for now, it’s home and sleep.

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BUSINESS ADVICE

Understanding the zero split VAT (value added tax) has an effect on just about every business in the country. It is a tax that is collected by the ‘shopkeeper’ from his customers and then paid to HM Revenue and Customs less, as appropriate, any VAT ‘suffered’ (paid) by the business. Simple one may think, well maybe not, warns Kevin Andrews of Folkestone-based VAT Consultants Ltd. Zero or 17%?

In the catering industry there is a complication in that your sales can be either standard rated (17.5%), or zero rated (0.0%), to the point that the same item can attract either rate depending on where it is to be consumed. For example, a cheese sandwich sold to be eaten on the premises is standard rated, but if sold to be taken away and consumed off the premises then it is zero rated.

The normal method of calculating the split of standard and zero rated sales is to apply a percentage to your total sales. For example, 25% of sales are zero rated, therefore when calculating your VAT return you, or your accountant, would apply that percentage to your sales and only calculate

A LESSON LEARNT Let me relate a true and recent tale for you.

An Italian restaurant take-away owner in London received just such a visit. The VAT officers decided that he had been overstating his zero percentage, and underdeclaring his overall sales. The result was an assessment for some £240,000 delivered to him just before Christmas. How would this make you feel? What would you do?

As luck would have it, his accountant had a colleague who, through another friend, knew about me, and thus I was called in to investigate and help out. It transpired that his zero percentage had never been tested, and over the years changes to the business

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VAT on, in this example, 75% of your sales. That sounds simple enough, doesn't it, and it is, but you have to be careful.

Independent assessment Let’s assume that for years you have been claiming that, say, 40% of your sales are zero rated. Now in walk a couple of VAT officers and announce that they are going to observe your sales for the next day or so. Having done so, they drop you a line and announce that you have been using 40% zero rated and they have found that in fact it's only 10%. If your takings are £3000 per week, then the effect of this will be a VAT bill over three years of some £20,910, plus the interest, and possibly a penalty which can be the same amount

again. If a penalty is imposed then they can go back 20 years if necessary!

You were sure that the 40% was correct, you tell them. Ok, so how do you prove it? When was the last time you had this percentage checked independently over a representative number of days – over three days of trading, for instance?

Can you produce the records of the test?

No? Then you may well have a problem, and it may not work checking it after the event! Remember that this scenario is just based on the zero split, but imagine if they decided that you weren't declaring all of your sales as well. It couldn’t happen? Believe me, all of this can happen, and does.

Kevin Andrews of VAT Consultants Ltd can be contacted on (01303) 242468.

had occurred to affect the percentage, but no adjustments had been made.

To cut a long story short, I could see that the officers had made a fundamental error, but this was very lucky! It took a lot of fighting, but eventually the whole assessment was removed, and I would be the first to admit that, these days, such a result is very rare.

Needless to say, my client was delighted, but in other instances businesses might not always be so lucky.

HM Revenue and Customs are about to

increase their testing of cash businesses which they haven't really been concentrating on for a little while, that could include many takeaway businesses. In these circumstances, my advice would be to have your percentage checked by an independent person so that you can prove the percentage that you are using. I have done this for my client mentioned above for three days, and will be repeating the exercise every six months. He now feels much safer, and never wants to fall into that trap again.

NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÉ CULTURE 41

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ENVIRONMENT

Café food need not go towaste Achieving zero-landfill status is a green dream for businesses eager to keep ahead of government initiatives, show commitment to helping the environment, and reduce costly landfill taxes. However, the problem of food waste often gets overshadowed because of an emphasis on the recycling of the extensive packaging that encases our food products.

42 NOVEMBER 2008

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Overlooked?

Whilst many companies now routinely recycle their packaging in designated bins, food waste often remains destined for landfill. For cafés serving food to complement a breakfast or lunchtime coffee, the issue of food waste is one that cannot be overlooked if they are seeking to enhance their green credentials.

Food which rots in landfill can produce methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases and a significant contributor to climate change (it has been calculated that recycling our food waste, rather than disposing of it in landfill, could make carbon savings equivalent to taking one in five cars off the road).

Environmentally astute businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the potential to make such a positive impact on the environment, by recycling food waste, and Cawleys, a waste management and recycling company specialising in food waste recycling, have come up with a solution called The Food Recycling Round.

This is an innovative new service that enables environmentally conscious, commercial customers to turn their food waste into fuel, offering cafés and coffee shops the chance to be at the forefront of the drive towards zero-landfill.

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Demonstrating commitment Recent environmental campaigns have largely focused on the importance of householders recycling and reducing their food waste, and so it is increasingly important that as business food waste producers, cafés also demonstrate to customers that they too are willing to do their bit of the environment.

“With innovative methods of recycling increasingly available, it is becoming clear that it is no longer acceptable for companies to ignore the impact they have on the environment. If householders are expected to recycle their food waste then all businesses, including cafés, must follow suit,” says Jon Cawley, managing director of Cawleys.

“From a small independent café to large chains like Starbucks, Cawleys Food Recycling Round can offer a tailored solution to meet each customer’s individual needs. We conduct a site waste audit to assess the waste steams that a company produces and how they are currently managing them, in order to calculate how we can improve the waste management of the site. This allows us to evaluate the

Page 43

waste needs of a particular business and cater for them accordingly.

“For instance, a site waste audit for a café might highlight the type of cups that are being used for the coffee. It is important that cafés use the compostable cups that can be included in the food waste recycling and processed at the Anaerobic Digestion plant.”

In the past, coffee cups have provided a headache in recycling terms, as most cups are lined with plastic to protect the cup from the heat of the coffee and whilst these cups may be ergonomically fit for purpose, the presence of plastic means that they are non-compostable and therefore cannot be sent to the AD plant to be recycled. Cups are also difficult to recycle separately, firstly because the layering of materials makes it hard to separate and recycle and secondly because cups are often contaminated with food waste, which cannot be dealt with in standard recycling streams.

However, Cawleys point out that they can work with cafés to source certified compostable cups that can be sent to the AD plant along with the food waste produced from out of date stock or scrapings on a plate. By opting for compostable cups lined with polylactide or PLA, which also has a high boiling point and can withstand the heat of the coffee, cafés are able to ensure that all of the waste is diverted from landfill.

Environmentally sustainable

s and coffee houses, The Food Recycling Round enables café of waste in an as food waste producers, to dispose ugh a system known environmentally sustainable way thro ess is hailed as the proc This ) as Anaerobic Digestion (AD. ling food waste to enab UK, the in cling future for food recy a carbon-neutral be turned into renewable energy in process.

(Waste & Resources tor of market development at WRAP direc Richard Swannell, change. “AD is key ate clim ling tack in able tool Action Programme) sees AD as a valu climate waste and means positive action on to unlocking the hidden value in food also it , lizer ferti nic wable energy and orga change. Not only does it produce rene ate clim a – ane meth ted emit re it would have diverts food waste from landfill whe change gas,” he explains. ’s cted from the client by the company In Cawley’s scheme, food waste is colle Life ing Help leys (Caw E tionately named CHLO distinctive food recycling vehicle, affec then is te was food The oil. table ed from vege on Earth), which runs on bio-fuel, refin EN (UK) stion plant, owned and run by BIOG Dige robic Anae an to E CHLO delivered by sole has leys Bedfordia Group, with whom Caw Ltd, the eco-technology sector of the tipping rights. paper nt separates any plastic, tin, card and At the plant, de-packaging equipme pig with d mixe then is te was food The essed. from the food waste before it is proc for r ente ferm pasteurized and passed into a manure to form a substrate which is food waste down and the methane gas the k brea Anaerobic Digestion. Bacteria by-product, y for the National Grid. The remaining produced is converted into electricit , nic fertilizer which is used on the land a liquid digestate, is an excellent orga Cawley’s. completing the natural life cycle, say www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

SUCCESSFUL TRIAL Claire Van Tonder, centre manager at thehub:mk, the newest café and restaurant quarter in Milton Keynes is impressed with the system so far. “thehub:mk, with 15 cafés and restaurants, is very pleased to be trialing this initiative in Milton Keynes which has been very well supported and received by all the businesses involved.

It is hard for cafés in particular to reduce the amount of food waste that is produced because the number of customers on any given day can be unpredictable and so a certain amount of food waste is inevitable. However, it is essential that this waste is disposed of using environmentally friendly methods,” explains Claire Van Tonder.

“Cawleys scheme requires minimal input from staff, is a cost effective onestop solution for all the waste produced, and allows thehub:mk to promote our eco-friendly ethos to our customers and suppliers. This is definitely the way forward. In an era where consumers are increasingly environmentally aware, Cawleys Food Recycling Round provides an invaluable service that enables cafés to manage their waste responsibly and demonstrate to customers their impeccable environmental credentials.

“Often customers are still in the café when they are throwing out the left over food from the day and will comment on what a terrible waste it is. We are very proud that staff working in the cafes and restaurants at thehub:mk can assure customers that this waste is recycled and that at thehub:mk we are doing our bit for the environment.

“In addition to the environmental considerations, the landfilling of food wastes is becoming increasingly expensive with landfill tax rising by £8 per tonne per year from 2008, a huge strain for independent cafés in particular but also not ideal for bigger chains. As a service that can recycle everything from the discarded sandwich crust to the coffee grinds and the coffee cup, Cawleys Food Recycling Round allows cafés of all sizes to save money on costly landfill and incinerator costs, whilst improving their carbon footprint and demonstrating a genuine commitment to green credentials to staff and customers.”

Coffee houses and cafés wishing to know more about how Cawleys can help them achieve zero landfill status should call 0845 260 2000 or visit www.cawleys.co.uk.

NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÉ CULTURE 43

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INSURANCE

launches new insurance scheme for subscribers As part of a comprehensive review of subscriber benefits, Café Culture and The Café Society have reached agreement to launch a dedicated insurance scheme through One Business Insurance Solutions. businesses and also competitive. The policies include a wide range of features designed to specifically protect your business while at the same time being flexible enough to meet the specific needs of individual businesses.

One Business Insurance Solutions is a national broker with access to over 20 of the leading insurance companies, including well known names such as Norwich Union and AXA.

he package, which aims to provide tailored protection for your business, not only provides quality cover but could also save members and subscribers considerable amounts against their current policies.

“Getting the right insurance for your business is vital, but choosing the right insurance policy can be a confusing and time-consuming chore,” says director Jim Winship. “With so many elements to consider and with numerous insurers offering differing propositions, it can be difficult to be certain that you are getting the most comprehensive cover at the most competitive price.

“With access to a focused industry scheme our aim is to provide the right cover for café businesses at a competitive price. By combining our buying power in this way, this should result in like-for-like savings in premiums which will hopefully get better as more people join in – so there is a real incentive for everyone to take advantage of this service.”

T

Why do I need insurance?

Insurance is essential to protect your business and livelihood should an unfortunate incident happen.

Any insurable incident, from theft to severe flooding can become a major nuisance in the day-to-day operation of a business if not handled professionally and appropriately. Efficiency in handling claims is essential if businesses are to avoid spiralling costs and potential loss of earnings.

By combining our industry knowledge with one of the UK’s largest specialist commercial insurance brokers, One Business Insurance Solutions, we have developed a scheme to suit all types of café business that we believe is both flexible to the needs of these

44 NOVEMBER 2008

CAFÉ CULTURE

What will the policy cover?

Café Culture Insurance provides a number of key covers, such as Employers Liability, Public Liability and Products Liability (which includes accidental food poisoning) as well as protection for refrigeration breakdown, money loss, business interruption and loss of license.

In addition, there are optional extensions available such as cover for catering legal expenses, electronic equipment and contents cover for specialist items such as frying ranges and you can even cover your keys for loss or theft.

Payment has also been made easy with the option to purchase the policy on a 10-monthly direct debit scheme.

A specialist insurance policy – it sounds expensive!

You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your premium could well be considerably less than you are paying with your current insurer.

Furthermore, by using Café Culture Insurance you know that you are in the hands of people who know both what they’re talking about – and, just as important, what you are talking about.

The One Business representatives will guide you through the quote process to assist you in obtaining an insurance policy that is right for your individual circumstances, ensuring that you understand what you are covered for and what you are not so there are no surprises in the unfortunate event of an incident occurring.

Why not find out by calling Café Culture Insurance for a no-obligation quote today on 0845 872 6075, Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm, or Saturday 9am to 1pm, where you will be greeted by one of our friendly representatives, ready to discuss your insurance requirements.

“

Getting the right insurance for your business is vital, but choosing the right insurance policy can be a confusing and timeconsuming chore

”

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SUBSCRIPTION

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SUBSCRIBE NOW TO RECEIVE THESE EXCELLENT BENEFITS • 25% off Introductory Offer from Whittards of Chelsea • Receive free cakes or pumpkin seed flapjacks from Sugar & Spice • Discounted training rates from London School of Coffee • Sign-up for PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspots and get £100 worth of internet vouchers

CAFÉ CULTURE is published six times a year and currently distributed at the promotional subscription price of £28 per annum (£45 outside the UK).

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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)......................................................

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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 Stephanie Mayo on 01291 636338 or email on subscriptions@cafeculturemagazine.co.uk Alternatively, if you wish to pay by credit card, please enter your details below.

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NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÉ CULTURE 45

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MAINTENANCE

The Coffee Clinic 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.

Q

Could you please clarify a query with our insurance company. They are saying that we have to get our espresso machine checked over each year. Is this correct?

It’s Christmas time

A

Crash, boom, bang, thunder... This is the greyest of all areas that is in our industry at the moment! Yes, it is correct that you should get your machine’s boiler inspected every year for insurance purposes. It is not widely explained by the insurance companies until sometimes too late. Coffix carry out quite a few for the restuarant chains that use us, and they religiously have it done on the same day each year.

The problem is getting the insurance company and the engineer there at the same time, as the engineer has to dismantle the boiler so the inspector can inspect the insides for scale. If there is a problem with the amount of scale in the boiler, or the boiler pressure valve doesn't release at the correct pressure the engineer can sometimes repair the machine on site and still get the inspector to sign it off as passed on the same visit. The only other option is to red tag the machine until it is completely repaired causing your machine to be down until the repair is fully carried out.

We say it’s a grey area as lots of companies say they don’t need an inspection each year and a lot of cafés and restaurants Coffix visit don't know, or haven’t read, that that they need one.

Our best advice is to contact your insurance company directly and ask the details of your policy on this subject. Not all engineers can carry these tests out so please check with the engineer that you are using that they can carry out the inspection with the insurance company. Prices for these inspections can vary greatly as well due to the labour that may be needed for the repairs to be carried out.

Please don't forget over this manic time of year to keep on top of the cleaning schedule of your machine as your machine will hopefully be getting overused this time of year.

Keep backflushing each night, if not during the day as well, and clean your steam arms clean.

90% of our call outs during this time of year are caused by staff leaving the machine dirty in the rush to get everyone served.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year to all the readers of Café Culture from Glenn and all at Coffix Ltd!

Question I have just bought a café/restaurant and I'm looking for the best time of year to get my coffee machine serviced on a regular basis (Paul, Happy Café, London).

A

Saturdays at 1pm, NOT! This is when machines mostly break down. We normally have our busy times for annual servicing around June/July, or around about now. We carry out a lot of annual services just before the Christmas rush starts. This gives the owners the comfort that it’s working correctly at their busiest time.

At Coffix, we normally try to get our customers to service theirs around the middle of the year, or at their quietest time, and for many of our customers this is around the June/July time. We can go in late afternoon and carry out the annual service on site and without any major disruption to the working day. With your annual service just make sure that if you have a water softener you get this changed at the same time as this will save on the engineer’s time and in return save you money.

As it’s Christmas coming up don’t leave it too late as it’s the busiest time of year for engineers, and trying to get one on short notice will get harder. Last year we had a restaurant ring on Christmas Eve for a service that day and as a result of the late request the restaurant served below average coffee on Christmas Day as we were completely booked up. My advice would be to get it serviced if you don't know the machine’s history and then as you learn when your quiet times are, try and sort it for those times in the future.

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!

46 NOVEMBER 2008

CAFÉ CULTURE

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NEW PRODUCTS Pantheon pie warmers go Aussie

Victor continue on the investment trail Continuing its programme of investment, Victor has announced a major energy saving initiative at the company’s manufacturing plant. The installation of a new Boge SLF40 frequency controlled screw compressor is delivering more than 40% energy savings on assembly lines used in the manufacture of some of Victor’s most popular products.

Energy usage at the firm has undergone a major review. Part of this analysis involved the Carbon Trust auditing the new compressor and assessing the energy efficiency, showing that substantial energy savings could be realised by replacing the previous model with the new compressor.

Product benefits include the Synergy ‘dropin’ units (the working components fitted into foodservice counters), which now conform to the exacting standards of EN ISO 23953-2 providing M1 cabinet class in climate class 3 environment of 25oC in 60% humidity (call 01274 722125 or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Pantheon is a new brand developed to provide high quality, plug in, catering equipment for small to medium-sized operations. The company recently won a contract to supply Jumbuck’s – The Aussie Pie Company – with its new, PW Pie Warmers.

“It provided exactly what I wanted – and at a cost that was realistic rather than prohibitive,” explains Ceri Jones, MD of Jumbuck’s Pies, who trialled several manufacturers’ products before choosing Pantheon. “The Pantheon PW Pie Warmer is well made, durable and exceptionally easy to use and clean. It has an interior light, which is a ‘must’ to draw customers’ attention to the pies, a simple temperature control and stacks of shelf space.”

The pie warmer has a sturdy, stainless steel construction with four shelves and features a manual temperature gauge with visible temperature display, pull out crumb tray and interior light, and is currently on special offer at just £281.00 (call 0870 990 5790 or visit www.pantheonce.co.uk).

Paragon’s premium burger: simply the best!

Paragon Quality Foods has installed a fourth production line at its factory in Doncaster to produce what managing director, Metin Pekin, believes is Britain’s best burger.

A Tender-Form machine has been incorporated in the £250,000 development to enable Paragon to replicate the texture of homemade, ground and formed beef burgers. Vertical strands of meat flow through a fill plate and are collected into patty shapes.

Small spaces between the strands help create a tender patty and deliver a faster and more evenly cooked burger.

High quality meat has been selected for this Premium Steakhouse Burger and the addition of a special blend of seasonings has led Metin Pekin to declare that “this is the best burger we have ever made”. Premium Steakhouse Burgers are available in 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8oz sizes (call 01302 834141 or visit www.paragonqualityfoods.com).

NOVEMBER 2008 CAFÉ CULTURE 47

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CHECKOUT

Contact Daily Grind Imports: Tel: 01621 776179 Email: sales@dailygrindimports.com www.novustea.co.uk

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk For the complete solution from bean to cup whatever the size of your operation TO SUBSCRIBE TO CAFÃ&#x2030; CULTURE CALL STEPH NOW ON 01291 636338 AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FANTASTIC BENEFITS NOW ON OFFERS

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CC 08

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CHECKOUT

Sales and Repairs

Bean there Fixed that Repairs Servicing Sales Installation Delivery Training

E: info@coffix.com Tel: 0845 257 4316 Mob: 07790 402144

W: www.coffix.com

To advertise in Café Culture magazine or on our web site phone Paul Steer on 01291 636333 THE ULTIMATE WAREWASHING RANGE

SPEEDWASH

DISHWASHERS

& SPEEDCLEAN

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from NELSON established over 30 years! energy-saving machines established over 30 years nationwide service support finance options full guarantee unrivalled speed & reliability

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wishes all our readers a Merry Christmas

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INDEX

Index of members of the Café Society For enquiries about the Café Society telephone Steph on: 01291 636338 or E-mail steph@jandmgroup.co.uk

INDEPENDENT RETAIL MEMBERS Bon Viveur Central Business Exchange 460 Midsummer Boulevard Buckinghamshire,MK9 2EA Contact: Dominic Willmott Tel: 01908 673 900 Fax: 01908 673 800 bloodygoodcoffee@aol.com www.bon-viveur.com Cuppa-Cino 1 Boyle Farm Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT1 0TS Contact: Andrew Roberts Tel: 07801 749 122 cuppa.cino@virgin.net D Café Dixons Shopping Centre, Reepham Road, Hellesden, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 5PA Contact: Elizabeth Raven Tel: 01603 414 951 cafedixons@hotmail.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 Robertsons Limited 234 Brook Street Broughty Ferry Dundee DD5 2AH Contact: David Craig Tel: 01382 739 277 Fax: 01382 480 477 david.craig@btconnect.com www.robertsonsbutchers.co.uk

Sante Fe Coffee Company Unit 1a-1b Wolsey Place Shopping Centre Cowsey Way, Woking, Surrey GU21 6UX Contact: Gordon Henderson Tel: 01483 757 580 Fax: 01483 237 141 santafecoffeeco@tiscali.co.uk Solomon Grundy’s Unit 64-65 Tower Centre, Ballymena, N.Ireland BT43 6AF Contact: Jack Hutchinson Tel: 028 256 59602 Fax: 028 256 59606 Jack.hutchinson@btconnect.com www.solomongrundys.com Yummy Mummy’s Coffee Shops 10 Queen Street, Southwell Nottinghamshire, NG25 0AA Conatct: Charlotte Bond Tel: 01636 815597 lottebond@hotmail.com www.yummymummyscoffeeshops.com

INDEPENDENTS 11a Café - Liverpool An Chovi – N.Yorkshire Aroma Beverage Systems – S.Ireland BB’s Coffee & Muffins Ltd Bellini’s Limited - Ilkeston, Derbyshire Bens – Ballymena, N.Ireland Bevans Coffee Shop - Somerset Bewleys - Ireland Bizzy Lizzy’s Coffee Shop Basingstoke Blades - Northleach Bleen - Purley Blue Onion Limited - Wiltshire Bon Viveur - Milton Keynes Boswells Coffee Co. - Oxon Brunchmasters - Essex Café 67 - Norwich Café Blue - Essex Café Chino - Manchester Café Connections - Buckingham Café Java - Ireland Café Nero - London Café Roma UK – Essex Café Su - Glasgow Café Twocann - Swansea Caffe Chico - Redditch Cafde Latino - Sheffield Cisco’s - Stirling Chat Coffee House – N.Ireland Cinnamon Café - Windsor Cinnamon Square - Herts Coffee Mocha - Salisbury Coffee Square Ltd - Bedford Costa Coffee Ltd - Dunstable Crossover Café - Birmingham Crown Coffee - Kent Cuppa-Cino - London Deans Pizzeria & Sandwich Bar - Coventry Delimakers Oy - Finland Doneata’s Café - Staffordshire Esquires Coffee House - Galway Esquires Coffee House - Lisbun, Co Antrim Esquires Coffee House - London Ferndale Garden Centre Dronfield Flavour - Cardiff Fruitcakes - Northleach Greggs Plc – Newcastle-uponTyne Homes4u - Lancashire Java Brothers Ltd - Leeds Java The Hut - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Josiah’s Lounge - London Koo Coffee - Derbyshire Lightbody - Hamilton

Maids of Honour - St Helier, Jersey Mambocino - Middlesex Marmalades - Norwich McLeish Brothers- Dundee Mister Woods Café Northshields Murray’s Catering - Altricham Pickwicks Café - Somerset Premier Coffee - Surrey Restaurant Sorrento – Ballymena, N.Ireland Riverview Restaurant Coleraine, N.Ireland Ruth’s Café - Essex Saint Caffè - Birmingham Santa Fe Coffee Company Woking Surrey Select Service Partner - London Shop on The Corner – Herts Slice - Essex Soho Coffee Shops Ltd Cheltenham So Juicy - Glasgow Starvin Jacks - Swansea Strand Coffee Ltd - Derby Sugar Qube - Glasgow TFI Lunch – Brighton The Coffee Compass - West Sussex Thyme Coffee Shop – N.Yorkshire Tiffins IOW Ltd – Isle of Wight The Flying Coffee Company – Cambridge The Hive Café - Dorset The Little cup Cake Co. Ltd Huntingdon The Streat - Belfast Toutpre’s Tout Pre’t - Brussels Urban Coffee - London Urban Coffee - Accrington Urban Espresso - Bath Urban Espresso - Bristol Venetia’s - London Vita - Exeter Whiteley’s Garden Centre Coffee Shop - June Yoma - Southampton Yummy Mummy’s Coffee Shops - Nottinghamshire Zucchero - Bristol

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g in EElist FR

ANNUAL DIRECTORY 2009

ny pa m co

Sandwich snack news INTERNATIONAL

In association with

The quick reference guide to manufacturers and suppliers to the industry The Sandwich and Snack News Annual Directory will be published in Spring 2009 and distributed to over 5,000 people in the industry. This year we are including suppliers from Café Culture Magazine’s directory as well. The publication, which will be A5 in size, will contain a comprehensive list of manufacturers and suppliers with sectionalised categories to provide an essential reference guide to the industry. These companies will be indexed at the back. To ensure that your company is included, please complete and return this form as soon as possible before the deadline of 6th January 2009.

Business details to appear in Directory Company Name:..............................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................... .....................................................Post Code: .................................................

Sales contact: .................................................................................................

Tel :................................................. Fax:........................................................ email.................................................................................................................

Product Listings Each company can be listed (name, address, telephone number) under one section heading free. Listings under additional section headings cost £10+ VAT each. Please indicate which product/service sections you wish to be included under by ticking the appropriate boxes below: Branding and Design services Bread Cabinets and Refrigeration Cakes and Confectionery products Cheese and Dairy products Cleaning and hygiene materials and equipment Clothing and safety wear Consultancy/insurance/business services Distribution and delivery services Cold Drinks and Drink making equipment (please specify) .................................

EPOS/Point of sale equipment/IT/WIFI (please specify) ......................................

Factory equipment and services Hot Beverages and Equipment Ingredients (Please specify) ..................................................................................

Kitchen and catering equipment/accessories/ovens Labelling and label systems Mayonnaise, sauces, pickles & relishes Packaging Transport refrigeration, Vehicles and Air Conditioning Sandwich manufacturers and distributors Shopfitting/Signage Services Staff and recruitment Uniforms/clothing Vending Snacks Wholesalers

NOW

Includ ing C Cultur afé Magaz e ine supplie ’s directo r ry

✃

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Entry booking form I would like to book the following (please tick requirements): 1 Standard Free Entry includes company name and address entry under one section heading - please specify which section

Cost Free

Additional Product Listings under other sections Please tick boxes in listings

£10 + VAT per additional listing

Bold Entry includes both name and address in bold lettering Logo appears above name and address

£25 + VAT

Editorial up to 75 words of editorial about your company to appear in the company listing.

£75 + VAT

Picture & Editorial up to 75 words of editorial

£125 + VAT each

Req’d

£50 + VAT 1st entry £25 + VAT for additional each entry

Directory Advertising Rates Front and Back Cover (Wraparound) Inside Front Cover Inside Back Cover Colour Page* Half Page Colour Quarter Page (in quick-flick section)

£1900 + VAT £900 + VAT £800 + VAT £675 + VAT £375 + VAT £175 + VAT

*Includes one free entry in bold with logo and editorial.

All advertisements payable 30 days from publication.

Authorisation I declare that the information given on this form is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and I hereby confirm my order to be listed as indicated in the Sandwich and Snack News Annual Directory. Orders under £75 must be accompanied by payment. Cheques should be made payable to the BSA. Alternatively, if you wish to pay by Credit Card, please enter your details below.

Card No: ______ ______ ______ ______ Valid From ____ /____ Expiry date: ____ /____ Last 3 digits of Security No. on Reverse _____ Name on Card:_______________________ Post Code_____________ House No. ________ (for security purposes only) Please return this form, with the appropriate remittance,to: Sandwich and Snack News Directory, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB

For all enquiries contact Tel: 01291 636333 Fax: 01291 630402 e-mail: paul@sandwich.org.uk Sandwich and Snack News Directory, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB

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