Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 31

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magazine MARCH 2009 ISSUE 31

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

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NEWS

CONTENTS NEWS

ARTICLES

4 Starbucks to cut more stores.

18 Choosing a coffee machine – some words of wisdom from SanRemo UK’s MD, Andrew Tucker.

31 Business insurance – recognising the importance of having the right cover in place.

32 Putting the PR back into PRofit! – making the most of your public relations.

34 From market town to market origin – the Armadillo Café & Deli’s Victoria Bishop goes ‘to origin’.

5 Caffè Culture launches new exhibitor support package.

6 Gwilym Davies is the UK Barista Champion 2009.

8 Café’s Stress Down Day. 9 Café Society launches new cost cutting support service.

EVENT PREVIEW

Welcome!

Our congratulations go to Gwilym Davies, this year’s winner of the UK Barista Championship. We wish him all the best in the World Barista Championships to be held in Atlanta this April.

The Caffè Culture exhibition (20 and 21 May) is not far away now, and in our machines feature we showcase an impressive range of coffee making equipment that is likely to be in action at the show.

In addition, we hear about the health-promoting aspects of some new soft drinks launches, and, after her trip to Costa Rica as a guest of the SCAE, the Armadillo Café & Deli’s Victoria Bishop tells us what’s it like to go ‘to origin’.

Clare Benfield Editor

30 INTERIOR FIT-OUT Show 2009.

FEATURES 12 Machine scene – the features and benefits of the very latest coffee machines.

20 Healthy and functional – soft drinks that are brimming with health.

26 Form and function - creating functional and stylish café spaces.

REGULARS 39 Subscription form.

36 Coffee Clinic – your maintenance queries answered.

37 New products.

38 Product listings.

39 Checkout.

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 Suskia Bollen, Tel: 01291 636338 Fax: 01291 630402 E-mail: suskia@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. © 2009 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.

MARCH 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 3

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NEWS

Starbucks to cut more stores T

he Starbucks Corporation has reported its financial results for its first quarter ended December 28, 2008 and announced additional cost savings initiatives.

The chain’s consolidated net revenues were $2.6 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 (a decrease of 6% compared with $2.8 billion for the first quarter of 2008) due to a decline in consolidated comparable store sales of 9%.

“In the midst of the weakening global consumer environment, Starbucks is following a well-developed plan to strengthen our business through more efficient operations and by preserving the fundamental strengths and values of our brand,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO in a statement.

Troy Alstead, executive vice president and CFO, added: “We will continue to take the actions necessary to scale our cost structure to meet current business trends while positioning the company to drive margin expansion when the environment improves.”

Actions to further align their business with the current operating environment include plans to close in the region of 300 underperforming company-operated stores (200 in the U.S. and the remainder in international markets). These store closures, say Starbucks, are in addition to some 600 U.S. and 61 Australian market store closures already announced in July 2008. Starbucks has therefore further reduced its fiscal 2009

new company-operated store openings target in the U.S. to 140 (from its previous target of 200 new stores) and internationally, the company now plans to open 170 new stores in fiscal 2009, down from the company’s previous expectation to open 270 new stores.

Accordingly, Starbucks say that their capital expenditures for fiscal 2009 are now expected to be approximately $600 million, a $100 million reduction from the company’s previous estimate and anticipates that the store closures, combined with reduced store openings for fiscal 2009 and other labour efficiency initiatives, could result in a reduction of as many as 6,000 store positions across the chain.

International total net revenues were $495.7 million for the 13 weeks ended December 28, 2008, down $45.1 million, or 8%, compared with the same period last year, primarily due to the stronger U.S. dollar relative to the British pound and Canadian dollar. Also contributing to the decrease in international revenues was a three-percent decline in comparable store sales, primarily driven by further softening of traffic in the UK and Canadian markets.

“Starbucks has been looking at all parts of the business to manage our cost structure and align the organisation in the most efficient way possible for the long term. Our priority during this time is to prepare for the continued uncertainty in the economy and ensure we have a strong foundation to

support our longterm goals. As part of those continued efforts, Starbucks has announced the intent to eliminate approximately 700 non-store partners (employees) globally,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Café Culture.

“We also announced that we are planning to close approximately 300 additional underperforming company-operated stores: approximately 200 in the U.S. and with the remainder in international markets. These closures could result in the reduction of up to 6,000 store positions. As you can imagine, these were extremely difficult decisions because we realise the impact this will have on many members of the Starbucks family who have directly contributed to our success over the years.

“However, our priority during this time is to respond to the current tough economic climate and prepare for the continued uncertainty with the goal of preserving our long-term viability. While we have already had several rounds of layoffs this past year and had previously announced store closures in 2008, it is our hope that these necessary actions will sustain the organisation and reduce the need for additional workforce reductions.

“Any reference to numbers at this stage, related to partners or stores impacted in the UK, is purely speculation.”

Allegra launches UK Coffee Leader Summit Building on the success of the first European Coffee Symposium, the coffee shop sector market research company, Allegra Strategies, has outlined plans to host a UK Coffee Leader Summit – pitched as a high-profile conference dedicated solely to the UK coffee shop sector.

The event will take place on 19 May 2009 (the day prior to the Caffè Culture exhibition at Olympia) at the prestigious Waldorf Hilton hotel in central London, and will set out to bring together 300 top industry executives from across the country.

Confirmed speakers include Darcy Wilson-Rymer (MD, Starbucks Coffee Company UK and IE), Simon Hargraves (director of foods and communications, Pret a Manger), Jeffrey Young (MD, Allegra Strategies), James Hoffman (founder and MD of Square Mile Coffee and World Barista Champion 2007), Marco Arrigo

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(sales director, Illy/Euro Food Brands), Gary McGann (sales and marketing director, Beyond the Bean), and John Young (sales director, Huhtamaki).

“The UK market is by far the most developed and intricate in Europe, it is therefore essential to offer the industry an event for top executives that focuses exclusively on the UK market and its specific needs,” said Ludovic Rossignol, events co-ordinator at Allegra Strategies (for more details, Ludovic can be contacted on 0207 691 8836).

The results of Allegra’s UK Coffee Leader Survey, which aims to provide senior management with ready-to-action market knowledge, will be revealed at the summit and act as the perfect platform to stimulate exciting discussions. To facilitate betterinformed and profitable strategic decisionmaking, all event participants will receive a complimentary full copy of the report.

Where’s the market at?

The latest study by Allegra Strategi es illustrates that the UK coffee shop market continued to grow in 2008 despite a challenging economic climate, and the sector holds a number of opportunitie s for those with the right market knowledg e.

The recently published Project Café 8 UK shows the continuing growth of café culture within lifestyles and strong expansio n from the leading branded coffee shop ope rators led to record growth in revenues of 15% in 2008. Allegra predicts 7.7% grow th of branded outlets despite an extreme ly challenging year ahead for UK ope rators, which may see like-for-like declines in 2009.

Long term prospects remain highly positive with the market expected to reach 5,000 outlets and consumer spend above £2 billion by 2012.

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NEWS

‘Open partnerships’ key to beating the credit crunch In a spirit of new ‘openness’, Café Bar’s recent sales and marketing conference, led by Café Bar’s new sales and marketing director, Simon Bracken, was the first to include the company’s business partners, and was well attended with delegates from Kraft, Unilever, Cadbury, Schaerer, Scanomat, Mars, Brita, DairyStix and Outspan.

“2009 will present some challenging times for our industry, however I believe that the open and honest relationships Café Bar have with their partners place them in a unique position to face those challenges together,” said Simon Bracken.

There is, of course, plenty of talk in the media of recession and tough times, but it is not all bad news.

According to Mintel, the UK retail coffee market is estimated to grow by 10% to reach £788 million by 2012, so it is vital that partners pull together in order to maximise their impact, feel Café Bar who are part of the Autobar Group and serving up some five million drinks every working day.

A key element of Café Bar’s new strategy is its latest web site (www.cafebar.co.uk) which offers support and information for the customer, and brings providers, partners and customers closer together.

Caffè Culture launches new exhibitor support package With the retail sector facing the most difficult trading conditions in living memory, organisers of the Caffè Culture show, Upper Street Events, have announced a raft of new initiatives designed to provide exhibitors with the best possible value from their attendance at this year’s event.

The organisers have invested in the services of leading experiential marketing company, Maxim Live, to provide free one-toone consultations for every single exhibitor in the lead up to the event. With considerable industry experience they will offer advice on all aspects of pre-, at and post-show marketing strategy – from stand design and build to data capture, promotional activity and show evaluation techniques. Maxim Live’s services will ensure each and every exhibiting company receives the support they may need to see the maximum return on investment, say Upper Street Events.

The 2009 event will also see the introduction of a major new feature providing exhibitors with the opportunity to showcase their products and services within a ‘Caffè Demo Zone’. This area will offer a platform from which exhibitors can launch new products, offer tastings and product samplings and provide visitors with a more in-depth insight into their offering.

Event PR specialists, Kudo Communications, has also been briefed to provide exhibitors with additional PR support in the lead up to the show, maximizing the exposure each company receives as a result of their presence at the event.

“We are 100% committed to supporting our exhibitors, ensuring they achieve the

A strong showing for BB’s food BB’s Coffee & Muffins has made a strong showing in key categories in the Allegra Strategies’ Project Café8 survey, scoring higher ratings for service quality, affordability and food choice than the top three coffee-focused chains.

The shopping centre café operator reports that it also improved its scores for several key success factors identified in the research (carried out face to face and online with coffee shop customers). When asked to provide an average rating for the top three most visited coffee shops, respondents in Allegra Strategies Project Café8 nominated BB’s as best in class when it comes to food quality, versus the other major coffee shop operators.

“It is gratifying that customers recognise BB’s focus on providing affordable food and drink, our emphasis on service and the breadth of our food range,” said Michele Young, BB’s Right: Meal deals such as a BB’s sandwich for £1 when purchased with a coffee is very appealing to customers right now.

best possible return from Caffè Culture. No industry is immune from the tough times that undoubtedly lie ahead, however those that market themselves in a smarter, leaner and more targeted way are far better placed to see their way through the downturn and come out stronger on the other side,” said Elliot Gard, the event’s director.

“Caffè Culture has fast become a must attend event for anyone with a commercial interest in the coffee bar and café sector, our new support package has been designed to ensure that our exhibitors continue to maximise on their investment and secure business in the most efficient and cost effective way possible.”

Caffè Culture 2009 takes place on 20 and 21 May at Olympia, London. For further information about exhibiting or visiting, visit www.caffeculture.com, or contact Elliot Gard on 020 7288 6191, email elliotg@upperstreetevents.co.uk.

Coffee and Muffins’ retail & brands director. “With around 150 cafés in the UK and 32 in Northern and Southern Ireland, we are a significant player in the coffee bar market and have been working hard to emphasise our points of difference from our competitors over the last few years.

“With the recession taking hold, being seen as affordable is crucial and we have been reinforcing our value for money message with strong promotional meal deals and initiatives such as ‘sandwich for £1 when purchased with a regular coffee’. At the same time, we are maintaining our quality image by providing options at a range of price points.”

Food quality rating BB’s Coffee & Muffins 3.87 Caffe Ritazza 3.6 3 Coffee Republic 3.6 2 Starbucks 3.62 Caffe Nero 3.55 Costa Coffee 3.5 3 (source Allegra Project Caf é8 October 2008) MARCH 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 5

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NEWS

Costa voted the best by customers The marketing and consumer relationships consultancy firm, him!, has announced that Costa has been voted Best Coffee Chain as voted for by customers.

Each year him! speaks to thousands of customers who use the following coffee chains Costa, Starbucks, Caffé Nero and Coffee Republic - as part of him!’s Coffee Chain Customer Tracking Programme. him! speaks to customers on entry to the outlet to understand why

they are there, who they are with, what they are buying and how they rate the branch. They then speak to customers on exit so that they can understand the customers’ experience of the chain and failed or impulse purchases. him! asked customers to rate the coffee chains based on their experience that day, based on a set criteria, and say that Costa scored the highest out of all the coffee chains.

Left: Customers visiting the high street’s main coffee chains voted for Costa as the best in a survey conducted by him!

Fairtrade Fortnight’s free coffee Fairtrade champions, Esquires Coffee Houses, gave their customers one free Fairtrade beverage for every five bought during Fairtrade Fortnight.

The promotion, which ran from the 23 February to the 8 March, rewarded Esquires customers for supporting Fairtrade with double points on the loyalty card scheme used in all 25 Esquires stores nationwide. The premium chain became the first high street coffee franchise to sell Fairtrade coffee as standard back in 2007 and it has been furthering its commitment to communities ever since by supporting charities both here and abroad.

“We are extremely proud of our Fairtrade products, as well as our commitments to charities such as One Water, Coffee Kids and the more local causes we have supported around our stores,” said Peter Kirton, managing director of Esquires Coffee Houses UK. “By choosing to source Fairtrade-certified goods, Esquires and our customers can ensure that the communities supplying our coffee receive the premiums they deserve, helping them to create a sustainable environment for their families and businesses.”

Esquires Coffee Houses currently offer Fairtrade coffee, tea and hot chocolate drinks as standard as well as Fairtrade sugar sticks and a vanilla syrup.

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Gwilym Davies wins UK Barista Championship Gwilym Davies, an independent barista running coffee carts in central London, will represent the UK in the World Barista Championships after winning the country’s most prestigious speciality coffee competition.

Following three days of tough competition, Gwilym out performed the 24 other semi-finalists and was crowned the UK Barista Champion (UKBC) at the ScotHot exhibition in Glasgow on 4 March.

“The win has been the result of working so long in the industry and my love of coffee,” said Gwilym. “But it The 2009 UK Barista isn’t really about me, it’s about all the people in the chain Champion, Gwilym Davies, including the farmers and the roasters – I’ve simply tried to being presented with his do justice to the coffee and today’s coffee equipment.” trophy by SanRemo’s MD, Each competitor had 15 minutes to make four Andrew Tucker. cappuccinos, four espressos and four of their own ‘signature’ drinks. As well as the flavour and texture of the drinks, the baristi were judged on presentation, professionalism, attention to detail and knowledge of their chosen coffee’s provenance.

Keeping the presentation simple and letting the coffee speak for itself, Gwilym's winning signature drink was a 50/50 blend of a Finca San Jose Pulped Natural Red Catuai from Erwin Mierisch and family in Nicaragua, and an El Molino de Santa Rita Washed Orange Bourbon from Jose Antonio Salaverria’s farm in El Salvador. He used melted unsalted butter, grated orange zest, vahlrona chocolate, muscovado syrup and ground cinnamon to amplify the characteristics of the coffee.

Gwilym’s experience in the coffee industry spans 11 years and includes a period learning the trade whilst travelling in New Zealand, and time with Square Mile Coffee, owned by 2006 World Barista Champion James Hoffmann and partner Anette Moldvaer, a past World Cupping Champion.

Gwilym was also the driving force behind a project in Reading that encouraged disadvantaged people back into employment through work experience in a coffee house.

He now operates two coffee carts in London’s fashionable east end and says: “Coffee carts make coffee totally accessible to everyone and means that we don’t have any of the operational worries of a fixed site. We can concentrate on serving really great coffee, made just the way we like it.”

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NEWS

Barista skills on show at TasteFair To celebrate the art of coffee growing, Cafédirect, one of the biggest names in Fairtrade, staged its first ever TasteFair – nine days of eco-lifestyle events to stimulate the senses during Fairtrade Fortnight at Whole Foods Market, Kensington High Street in London.

At the TasteFair it was possible to learn the art of making the perfect cup of coffee at one of Cafédirect’s Barista skills workshops, with a professional barista on hand to guide ‘students’ through the science behind the perfect cup from achieving that all important crema layer, to beautifully textured milk.

Ramsbottom set to become the UK’s chocolate capital! major event for every chocoholic’s calendar is the announcement that a new UK Chocolate Festival is to take place in Ramsbottom on the 5 April 2009.

Chocolatiers from across the world will be gathering in the Lancashire town and offering chocolate treats of every description, including some of the world’s finest chocolates, chocolate themed entertainment and even chocolate health and beauty products – in what will be a feast for the senses. Notable products on offer include chocolate

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pizza, chocolate beer and even bacon-flavoured chocolate!

The Chocolate Café is organising the event in conjunction with Bury Council and organisers hope that the event will further enhance Ramsbottom’s reputation as a gourmet hotspot (the town is already home to crowd-pulling continental and farmers’ markets and the famous Ramson’s restaurant, which won the Good Food Guide’s Restaurant of the Year Award).

“People are becoming much more discerning and

adventurous in their appetite for chocolate,” said Paul Morris, owner of the Chocolate Café. “We have already introduced Ramsbottom to gourmet variations such as chocolate flavoured with bacon, cheese, walnut and grape, and even sweet potato, and we are looking forward to welcoming chocolate fans from across the UK.” For more information about the Chocolate Festival, visit the Chocolate Café on 2 Bolton Street in Ramsbottom, or call 01706 822828.

Café’s Stress Down Day A Cardiff café helped to lighten the load of its customers on Stress Down Day (Friday, 6 February) by offering them an Indian head massage with their usual lunchtime sandwich in support of a national awareness day.

Diners at the Trade Street Café, owned by training company ACT, were given the massages by café employee and part-time masseuse Geraldine Spensley and were encouraged to make a donation to the Samaritans’ Stress Down Day. Stress Down Day, now in its third year, aims to create awareness of work-related stress, an issue brought into focus by the current financial crisis, as people feel increased pressure to perform at work and fear redundancy. Workers from across the UK got involved by wearing their slippers to work, sponsoring email-free hours, selling soothing smoothies and receiving stress-reducing massages.

“I started to practice massage because I wanted to help people overcome their everyday stresses.

I have been doing it for two years now and I really believe I have made a positive difference to people’s lives. I am only too happy to offer my services the Trade Street Café’s valued customers in support of this very worthwhile cause,” said Geraldine Spensley.

“Fortunately, at the Trade Street Café, we have a manager, Symon Dovey, who encourages us to talk about things if things ever get too much, whether it’s work-related or personal.”

Regular Trade Street Café customer Beverley Penny, who works for Ramblers Cymru, said: “Gez’s massages are a great way to unwind and I fully support the Samaritans’ Stress Down Day. Walking is also a fantastic way to escape the pressures of working life.”

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Geraldine Spensley with Tra de Street café customer Beverley Pen ny.

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The Café Society

Café Society launches new cost cutting support service I

n these tough economic times, every penny saved on overhead costs can really make a difference – and now is as good a time as any to take a hard look at what you are paying for things like rent, rates and utilities.

As part of its commitment to supporting members, the Café Society has got together with Commercial Plus with the aim of providing members and subscribers with expert help in reducing these overheads.

The Cost Reduction Service now available focuses on three main business property costs: rent/mortgage payments, business rates, telephone charges and utility bills.

Those involved in providing this service come from property management backgrounds and, therefore, understand how rents, rates and utilities work. They also offer assistance with cash flow through a product called Cash Flow Plus which helps with speeding up

revenue into the business.

“Many operators often feel cornered by their property agreements and do not realise that they can be re-negotiated or restructured,” says Commercial Plus’s managing director, Barry Frost. “Given the current market conditions landlords and lenders are generally very forgiving when it comes to helping businesses out, provided that they are approached in the right way and there is a genuine case of distress. The last thing they generally want is people defaulting or their properties being left empty.

Lease renewals and rent reviews can be a good opportunity to negotiate terms beneficial for everybody and need not necessarily be a stressful experience.

“It can, however, be extremely difficult for tenants to negotiate deals themselves as

they often feel vulnerable and can get into complicated disputes. Our approach is very much one of looking at all aspects of property management to find ways of cutting costs for our clients and handling the negotiations on their behalf, thus avoiding these complications.

“Our experience of property management also means that we can usually negotiate from strength. Indeed, we are often asked to take over negotiations for clients where they have already got into dispute with

their landlords. It’s all part of the service.”

Commercial Plus generally charges a fixed fee for their services, 50% of which is payable only if they are successful and, to date, they claim 100% success in getting cost savings for their clients.

There is no percentage clawback for the company on the savings they achieve for businesses, so all the savings go to the client.

To find out more, call Commercial Plus on 0800 234 6345 stating you are a Café Society member.

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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Nick Whatmoor has joined Mozzo.

Mozzo’s new appointment Mozzo, headed up by young social business entrepreneur, Grant Lang (recently placed in the top 100 of the Courvoisier Future 500’s most innovative business brains and creative talent) has appointed Nick Whatmoor as their new sales and business development director.

Previously sales director at Belu Mineral Water, Nick has more than 15 years experience within the industry and his focus at Mozzo will be on maintaining and expanding the company’s core business within the foodservice, leisure and on trade sectors.

“This is a very significant appointment for us. Nick has proven that he is a driving force in business and will take our company forward, ensuring we maintain and build on not just our competitive edge but the unique social and environmental approach that Mozzo brings to the coffee market. I very much look forward to working with him,” said Grant Lang, Mozzo’s founder.

UK launch planned for Neapolitan espresso tradition he Neapolitan espresso tradition of espresso coffee is famous worldwide and the Resi family, who have been roasting coffee for three generations, have announced plans to launch their coffee in the UK at the Caffé Culture show in May (20 and 21 May 2009, Olympia, London) with a private cocktail event to be held at the Chinese Room of the Blake’s Hotel in London on 20 May at 7 pm.

The hand-made quality of the Resi family’s product has been combined with what Luca Ferrari, it’s UK agent, describes as an “eclectic and contemporary vision” to create Anhelo - a refined blend made up of the best Arabica coffee from Brazil and the high plains of Central America. The balance

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Nestlé’s ‘go large’ campaign Seven out of ten (70%) catering managers and coffee house owners across the UK foodservice market could be missing out on a valid profit opportunity if they decide against implementing a ‘Go Large’ hot beverage promotion, according to the latest research reviewed by Nestlé Professional®.

Research statistics (from Dewberry and TNS) show that of those interviewed, around 50% of consumers who frequently order a regular-sized drink could be persuaded to upgrade to a bigger cup size, whereas 18% of consumers are already regularly experiencing the benefits of the larger mug.

Of the large coffee drinkers interviewed, the chief reasons cited for purchasing the large cup size included ‘the alternative regular size was not enough’, and the statement ‘a larger drink lasts longer’. In addition, nearly a quarter of consumers who purchase a bigger cup do expect to pay more, perceiving it as more value for money – confirming, say Nestlé, that there is ample profit to be made by hot beverage providers by simply ‘going large’. Indeed, a high percentage of catering outlets (25%) surveyed believe that they could boost their sales by offering a new promotion such as ‘Go Large’.

“To show our commitment to our customers and demonstrate ‘shared value’, we have developed a profit-generating promotional package, “Nescafé® Go Large”, which is the perfect package for catering customers considering the promotion,” said Martin Lines, marketing director, Nestlé Professional®. “This is a win-win opportunity for catering managers and owners: Offer the larger size, charge up to 30p more and enjoy a margin uplift without the need for further investment.”

The Nescafé® Go Large pack contains four large iconic 16 fl oz Nescafé® mugs, an A3 poster to encourage customers at the point of purchase, a profit calculator and a perfect serve scoop.

New cake mix taps into market growth BakeMark UK has introduced a new Extra Moist Toffee Cake Mix to its successful Craigmillar cake mix portfolio.

The Extra Moist Toffee Cake Mix joins the Plain and Chocolate Extra Moist Cake Mix varieties to support two of the fastest growing sectors of the cake market, say BakeMark – cup cakes and loaf cakes – and is ideal for caterers wishing to create loaf cakes such as the Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake.

Pictured: Sticky Toffee Loaf cake made by depositing Bakemark’s Extra Moist Toffee cake batter into mini loaf cases and baking and injecting with a toffee filling after cooling.

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of the blend, and the careful toasting, are the result of Neapolitan experience dating back to 1930, say the company, helping to ensure a rich, creamy coffee, with a tasty and slightly chocolaty aroma.

The points of sale will be carefully selected and limited in number, with coffee and accessories to help turn the daily preparation of coffee into a ritual. The coffee is packaged in four formats - a 1 kg bag of toasted coffee grains, a 250 gr. tin of ground coffee (decaffeinated also available), coffee for filters (decaffeinated also available) and single-dose wafers (decaffeinated also available). Interested bars, restaurants and shops should email marketing@anhelo.it for more details.

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SHORTS Franchisor of the Year Awards The British Franchise Association’s (bfa) Franchisor of the Year Awards, sponsored by Express Newspapers and HSBC, has announced that it is now open for entries. The awards aim to show that even during an economic downturn there are still success stories in business, with the franchising industry set to show others how they look to ensure a strong future (for more information contact the bfa via its web site at www.thebfa.org).

Café du Monde appointed A supplier of luxury coffee systems, Café du Monde, has been appointed as the nominated UK distributor to hotels and restaurants of Newby Teas. Having taken responsibility for the majority of Newby Teas existing customers, it will also be offering a full range of Newby Teas’ products to its own clientele.

Peros’s MIDAS touch Peros, a UK supplier of Fairtrade and ethically traded beverage solutions, will be sponsoring the Fairtrade category of the inaugural Menu Innovation and Development Awards (MIDAS). Each of the twelve category winners will win a place on the Menu Innovation Network’s Insight tour of Chicago to attend, amongst other things, the world’s largest foodservice event – the NRA (National Restaurant Association) Show 2009 in May. Sales team expands Kate’s Cakes has expanded its sales team with the recent appointment of Gillian Flowers as national account manager within the end user team, and Christopher Climpson as national account manager – wholesale.

Exhibition returns Returning to South Yorkshire for the second successive year, The Sandwich, Snack & Mobile Show 2009 at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley (20 and 21 May) will be bringing together national and regional exhibitors who cater for the Food To Go & Snacking industry, including mobiles. The exhibition will serve visitors from businesses such as delis, cafés, sandwich bars and coffee shops (www.cooperwhite.co.uk).

Diary dates Two coffee conferences are being organized by Allegra Strategies this year the UK Coffee Leader Summit (19 May 2009 at the Waldorf Hilton, London, www.ukcoffeeleadersummit.com) and the European Coffee Symposium (8 and 9 October 2009 at the Hofburg Imperial Palace, Vienna, Austria, www.europeancoffeesymposium.com).

Tetley’s spring promotion Tetley’s spring promotion will run from 23 March until 1 May and give operators the chance to claim gifts including a Nintendo DS with Brain Training Game, a Portable DVD Player, and £10 HMV Vouchers, if they stock up with Tetley tea.

For a minimum purchase of two cases of Tetley 2x1100’s or 7 cases of Tetley Envelope 250s, you can claim a £10 HMV voucher.

Increase your purchase to 12 cases of 2x1100s, (42 cases of Envelope 250s), and you can watch movies on the go with the very latest portable DVD Player. For just 20 cases of Tetley 2x1100s, (70 cases of Tetley Envelope 250s) caterers can claim a Nintendo DS complete with Brain Training Game.

Fully recyclable Nestlé Professional® has announced that its coffee composite cans are now fully recyclable and as a result, three million less tins could be sent to landfill each year.

The catering cans are made from a combination of steel, board and paper.

The can is recyclable as steel with the board and paper getting burnt off and generating heat in the process.

“At Nestlé Professional, we recognise the growing importance of sustainability on our customers’ agendas and we want to help them be as green as possible,” says David Field, managing director of Nestlé Professional® explains. “By making our catering cans recyclable we’re helping

Above: For more details of Tetley’s spring promotion call 0845 606 6328 for an application form, or visit www.teaexperts.co.uk/dspromo.

our customers meet their Corporate Social Responsibility targets and helping to save valuable resources.”

Although recycling logos (like the steel recycling symbol) will soon feature on Nescafé® labels as a guide for customers, all existing cans are now fully recyclable including: Nescafé® Original, Original Decaff, Gold Blend®, Gold Blend® Decaff, High Roast®, Blend 37®, Cap Colombie®, Alta Rica®, Partners' Blend®. Other hot beverage products packaged in composite cans such as Aero® catering and 1.5kg Coffee-mate®, can also be recycled in the same way.

Recycling services and sites are available throughout the UK. The Carbon Trust, Recycle Now and local authorities can provide additional information (visit WRAP at www.wrap.org.uk

Major contract win for Cooper’s Coffee Coffee distributor, Cooper’s Coffee, has won a contract to supply its coffee as well as its coffee machines to the Buxton Pavilion in Derbyshire.

The Pavilion has recently undergone a million pound refurbishment drive to bring the facilities into the modern era and rationalise its catering offering. The revamp includes a new café with outdoor seating, retail shop and contemporary coffee bar.

Cooper’s will be installing two Cimbali bean-to-cup machines in the café area to cater for self-serve customers while its own blend coffee will go on sale in the new retail area. A state of the art Dalla Corte 2 Group espresso machine and K-30 grinder will be installed in the new coffee bar which is due to open on April 20.

Staff at the Pavilion will all also undergo

intensive barista training, delivered by Cooper’s own trainer Danielle Hadley, to ensure that they are capable of making coffee to the very highest standard.

According to Buxton Pavilion’s general manager, Terry Crawford, Cooper’s was appointed due to its premium equipment: “The Dalla Corte range of espresso machines has a lot of unique selling points and kudos. The fact that the machines are used in award-winning coffee shops across the country appealed to us - we wanted to bring such quality to Buxton.

“Thanks to Cooper’s we now not only have the right equipment but also the confidence and ability to deliver an exceptionally high standard of beverage to our visitors. As the only venue in Buxton to have a Dalla Corte, we also have a distinct competitive edge in the marketplace.”

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Machine

scene For those outlets seeking a helping hand when it comes to serving up high quality cups of coffee, the run up to Caffé Culture (20 and 21 May 2009, Olympia) is seeing many suppliers promoting new products, concepts and innovations to suit a wide variety of types and styles of outlets.

Getting it right “Consistency is crucial to any operator, whether it’s an independent or part of a group,” says Elaine Higginson, managing director of First Choice Coffee, who appreciates that some outlets may find it a challenge when it comes to deciding which machine suits them.

“Our semi-automatic, Black&WhiteII bean-to-cup machine, for example, will produce freshly-brewed espresso at the touch of a button, but still has a manual steam wand and temperature sensor to provide barista-style theatre when required,” she explains. “The right machine is just as important as the décor and music in creating the right atmosphere, so make sure it has the right look for your image – be it sleek and modern, or something more traditional.”

Pods of personality Lavazza is continuing to offer its ‘Italian Espresso Experience’ through its Away From Home (AFH) division which caters for bars, cafés and restaurants, and this year the company will also be making available its coffee pod machine – Blue – to the away from home market.

In 2009, Lavazza says that it sees the current economic market dictating that a quality coffee offering, along with quality of service, will be the key to maintaining a healthy business on the high street. Barry Kither, Lavazza’s sales and marketing director for their away from home products, sees a huge opportunity for independent coffee shops, in particular, to claim back some of the ground previously dominated by branded coffee chains and capitalise on the consumers’ growing appreciation for a good coffee at a reasonable price.

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“The habit of buying a coffee on the way to work will not change but consumers will be more considered in deciding where to spend their money,” says Barry Kither.

“Personality, customer service, training and value for money are all factors that will affect where and who the consumer will buy their coffee from – it’s the small things that will make a huge difference – consumers must be made to feel like valued customers.

“Despite the economic downturn, café culture continues to thrive with consumers expecting quality and choice from their coffee. They demand a certain level of service and product and to promote customer loyalty, Lavazza would encourage bars to strive to deliver this experience every day.”

Lavazza says that it encourages all of the baristas it trains to appreciate and understand that a good cup of coffee alone will not necessarily turn into a repeat custom – they need to inject personality into the AFH experience. Thus, they are introducing their pod machine – Lavazza Blue – to food service in a first for the UK coffee industry, and they feel that it will act as a point of difference in an increasingly competitive market.

To be launched officially at Caffé Culture in May 2009, Blue has previously only been available exclusively to UK offices, and will be the first pod machine to be launched for the AFH trade. It will provide some unique advantages, say Lavazza, including the creation of consistent coffee with every use, a traditional look without an expensive grinder and no waste The pods themselves offer a perfectly measured espresso and are vacuum sealed for guaranteed freshness every time.

Victoria Arduino Adonis Supplied by First Choice Coffee, the Victoria Arduino Adonis machine is a hand-crafted traditional machine with a High Extraction Efficiency system producing quality espresso shots at the touch of a button. An improved pre-infusion has been made possible by the restriction of water flow - water is swirled into the brew chamber, covering the total surface of the coffee for a more consistent result. The Adonis is ideal for boutique cafés or coffee shops that want to display their coffee equipment front, say the company.

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Black and White II The Swiss-manufactured Black&White II can produce a range of espresso-based drinks in minimal time. Its coffee, espresso, water and steam all operate simultaneously and its inexhaustible steam can texture milk faster than competitors’ machines. Its enlarged brewing chamber is ideal for extra large drinks – making it perfect for producing large volumes of premium speciality coffee, say First Choice.

Lavazza are introducing their pod machine – Lavazza Blue – to UK food service for the first time.

Customers looking for something a little different and a fresh approach to how their coffee is prepared, will find it an interesting addition to café culture, say Lavazza.

Recession beating The recent weakness of sterling against the euro has had a dramatic effect on the cost of Italian-built espresso machines. Now, a supplier of professional espresso coffee systems, Café du Monde, says that it is poised to help hard-pressed caterers with the introduction of a recession beating machine called the Special from La Spaziale (for whom Café du Monde is a major distributor).

Although a basic style of machine, the La Spaziale Special is built in Italy to the same high standards you would expect from a manufacture of the status and experience of La Spaziale, say Café du Monde.

The machine uses tried and tested components, but without some of the

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Above: Photographed by renowned celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, the 2009 Lavazza calendar depicts ‘The Italian Espresso Experience’ and concentrates Lavazza’s authentic Italian heritage. refinements and features you would expect on some of the more expensive models. The Special is manufactured as cost-effectively as possible, but without compromising on quality. In its manufacture, La Spaziale has been careful to ensure that the basic fundamentals of coffee extraction are observed so that the quality of coffee produced is on a par with other models in the La Spaziale portfiolio.

The Special is a fully automatic machine with push-button operation and two frothers as standard. It is available in two sizes, the 2-group machine which has a 10-

litre capacity boiler and the 3-group which comes with a 15-litre boiler.

“The strength of the Euro has made life difficult for customers looking to start a coffee service or to re-equip,” says Mike Osborne, sales director for Café du Monde.

“The Special is a basic machine with none of the ‘bells and whistles’ associated with top end machines. That said, it is manufactured in Italy to La Spaziale’s usual high standards and, most important of all, it makes great coffee. In the present climate, we estimate that the Special could save customers as much as a thousand pounds on comparable machines.”

List prices are £2,570 for the 2-group and £3,125 for the 3-group. However, Café du Monde point out that they can help cash strapped caterers even further via its innovative and fully inclusive lease deals.

For just £23.71 per week, caterers can have the 2 group special plus a comprehensive start-up package that includes grinder, knock-out drawer, water softener, installation, staff training and a full 12months parts and labour warranty, say Café du Monde. The cost for the same package on a 3-group Special is £33 per week (both deals are offered subject to status and conditions apply).

The Milan-based manufacturer of espresso machines, Rancilio, has extended its range of Classe 6 espresso machines with the introduction of a new 1-group model, and in common with all Rancilio equipment, this model is being imported into the UK on an exclusive basis by The Coffee Machine Company, based in London.

The Classe 6 series of espresso machines forms the core of the Rancilio range, with a variety of sizes to suit every application. Its key attributes of strength, reliability and clean design have become well known. Now, the existing 2-group, 2group compact and 3-group versions are joined by a new 1-group machine.

This new model is aimed at smaller outlets with a modest demand for speciality coffees. Although compact, measuring just 360mm in width, the 1-group is, in every

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sense, still a professional machine as it has been manufactured to Rancilio’s high standards, say The Coffee Machine Company.

In common with all models in the Classe 6 range, the new 1-group is made from stainless steel with an all metal body. It is available in three models - the E1 fully automatic plumbed-in version, the S1 semiautomatic plumbed model, and the ST1 which is a tank top machine. This manual fill water tank means that the ST1 will suit locations with a low demand for coffee or sites where it is difficult to obtain access to mains water. Rancilio’s new, ergonomically designed ‘C’ lever steam controls are available to order as an optional extra on these latest additions. List prices for the range are E1 £2,525, S1 £2025 and ST1 £1,625.

“The new 1-group Classe 6 is a real workhorse,” says Bill Davy, sales manager of The Coffee Machine Company. “Just because it is a 1-group machine, it should not be confused with a domestic machine.

It is intended for professional use by caterers, but will appeal particularly to those establishments serious about their coffee but with modest demand – a 30-seat restaurant for example. And, as Henry Ford once said, it is available in any colour you like, so long as it’s black!”

Above: The new 1-group Classe 6 machine from Rancilio.

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The Via Compact is fast and does not require much space.

Championship status The new SanRemo Verona TCS professional espresso machine was in use at the recent UK Barista Championship (UKBC), offering a combination of cutting edge temperature control technology and other special features all wrapped up in a stylish exterior that is likely to have strong appeal to higher end coffee shops where quality and the user experience is critical.

For the experienced barista, the Verona provides precision individual group temperature control through a system comprising separate boilers at every group.

This means the machine, or even individual groups, can be tuned to obtain the very best from particular coffees and maintain consistency irrespective of the amount of steam or water taken from the machine or volume of beverages being served, explain SanRemo. Additionally, the Verona features a LED ‘espresso timer’ which clearly indicates if the extraction time is on target.

This simple feature helps maintain high standards in espresso based drinks and is especially useful to the vast number of people making coffee who don’t have the exacting skills of a championship barista.

Rather than re-boiling water from the main boiler for tea and Americano coffees, the Verona heats fresh water from the mains supply through dedicated heat exchangers in the steam boiler, thereby delivering a fresher tasting coffee experience with clear quality and hygiene benefits, say the company.

Among a host of useful functions, the Verona can be pre-programmed to switch on at the start of the day, ready to go as soon as the barista arrives in the morning

Above: The latest SanRemo Verona TCS professional espresso machine has been in action at the UK Barista Championship as part of SanRemo’s sponsorship of the event. and eliminating downtime waiting for the machine to warm up and also has an automated back flushing routine which can clean all groups at once at the touch of the button. Consistent cleaning will deliver great tasting coffee and result in time and labour savings.

“One of the most important features of the Verona is the TCS – the temperature stability system,” says Andrew Tucker, managing director of SanRemo UK. “To get a perfect cup of coffee the barista needs a stable temperature platform to work from.

The Verona has an in built thermostatic temperature control, managing a separate boiler for each brewing group.

“We have also built in an ‘espresso timer’ as a standard feature. Basically this gives bar management and every day coffee staff the ability to identify simply and clearly if the coffee is pouring correctly or too fast or slow. By removing the need for a high

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COFFEE MACHINES level of specialist skill, this will help many businesses raise and manage their coffee standards. This demonstrates SanRemo’s dedication to pursuing coffee excellence throughout the coffee trade, very much in accordance with the objectives of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.”

Speed Busy outlets, of course, require kit which is not only easy to use, but which can produce quality quickly. With this in mind, the Via Compact from coffee experts Rombouts (www.rombouts.co.uk) is of interest, especially for outlets where space is at a premium and large numbers of customers need to be served quickly and efficiently.

The Via Compact is, as its name suggests, compact, but it is also a multiperformance machine with six selections, allowing the user to supply espresso, Americano coffee, cappuccino and latte coffee in a short space of time. In fact, say Rombouts, within 30 seconds you can serve your espressos from a choice of six Rombouts blends, including decaffeinated and Fairtrade.

For cappuccinos and lattes the Via Compact features an electronic steam

control system, which foams the milk simply by placing the nozzle in the milk jug, and if that isn’t easy enough, there is also an optional foaming attachment meaning that you can just press a button to get the perfect amount of fresh foamed or steamed milk.

The Via Compact uses the Rombouts 1,2,3 Spresso pods which come individually vacuum-packed to ensure freshness. Every pod is the right weight, grind size and tamped correctly for the perfect espresso, which also gives you perfect cost and portion control. To make the machine even more user-friendly, the electronic display system allows the status of each of the machine’s in-built programmes to be easily checked, which is great for the hustle and bustle of outlets serving continuously (Rombouts can be contacted on 0845 6040188).

Intelligent brewing Maxibrew Freshcup is the latest product introduction from Marco Beverage Systems.

A bulk filter coffee brewer, it is programmed to dispose of stale coffee after a predetermined time so as to avoid staff serving inferior quality coffee to customers. Marco

believes that the move is an industry first which will go a long way to improve the quality of filter coffee served out of home.

The bitter taste of stewed coffee is not acceptable to today’s customers who are increasingly knowledgeable about coffee.

However, the problem is that busy staff might not always remember to dispose of stale coffee and brew a new batch, say Marco. The new Maxibrew Freshcup is a twin urn bulk coffee brewer, brews a fresh batch of coffee automatically after a predetermined time.

The brewer is fitted with a variable timer that will automatically dump stale coffee mixed with cold water into the plumbed drain. The holding time can be altered at the discretion of management. Once the coffee has been dumped, the machine follows up with an automatic rinse cycle to remove any remaining stale coffee oils from the urn, before a new batch of coffee may be brewed. As a precaution to avoid running out, coffee from one urn will only be dumped at a time when a new brew is available for service in the other.

“With the best will in the world, it is the easiest thing in the heat of service to allow coffee to go past its best,” says Marco’s UK

Specification RU150: 240v Single phase 5 kw 3 gal/13 ltr capacity

Curtis' fully automatic, push-button control COFFEE URNS are preferred by foodservice professionals. Manufactured to the highest quality standards, Curtis urns make brewing large volumes of hot, delicious coffee fast and easy. Time after time. The Curtis urn line boasts a full selection of urn sizes for every need: I Twin Models 3, 6, and 10 Gal. Capacities I Single Models - 3 and 6 Gal. Capacities Handsomely crafted, Curtis COFFEE URNS are constructed of heavygauge stainless steel with electrically welded seams. Curtis stands behind every urn with a full two year warranty against leakage or burnout

John Redfearn Enterprises (UK) Ltd 37 Albion Street, Southwick, West Sussex BN42 4DN

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Specification 120A: 240v Single phase 12/24 cup capacity Conveniently and automatically brews 12 or 24 cups of rich, full-bodied coffee at a time into a 36-cup Satellite Server. Plugs into conventional 230v wall socket. A brewready light signals when water temperature is ready for the next brewing cycle.

Timer can also be set to brew 24 cups at a time without refilling the brew basket

Tel: 01273 887744 Fax: 01273 887755 Mob: 0976 737795

john@john-redfearn.com www.john-redfearn.com

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COFFEE MACHINES sales director, Chris York. “This machine controls coffee quality totally throughout the brewing and holding process. By investing in the Freshcup, caterers can be sure they will never again suffer complaints of stale coffee.”

The Freshcup is built by Marco to brew coffee to the quality standard established in the Gold Cup programme by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). The twin 11.5 litre urns offer full and half brew facility with the option of simultaneous brewing. There is a separate hot water facility with an immediate draw-off of up to 8.5 litres. Once a new batch of coffee is brewed, it is kept hot in a twin-walled insulated urn surrounded by hot water. This is a gentle way of keeping the coffee hot whilst maintaining the quality and taste with minimal degradation over the holding period.

For the professional Later this year Dalla Corte will be launching what they claim will be the most technologically advanced espresso machine in the world.

Featuring advanced new ‘pressure profiling’ technology, the new Dalla Corte Pro will allow users to manipulate the flavour of an espresso during extraction through a unique temperature control system.

The machine is aimed at professional baristas who are keen to throw out the rule book and experiment with temperature control to create their own personalised extraction profile (lowering the temperature brings out the nuances of coffee while a higher temperature masks or erases unwanted characteristics).

Developed by father and son team Bruno and Paolo Dalla Corte, the Pro uses the most revolutionary brewing technology to be developed in the past 50 years based on the patented Dalla Corte group head, say the company, and which has the facility to adjust the temperature of each group head to one-tenth of a degree.

The machine also features several other exciting new features such as increased energy savings (10% higher than the existing Dalla Corte Evolution series), an integrated milk control system, a multi-functional display screen which allows the barista to keep a quick overview of various parameters at all times and a grinder control system to ensure consistently perfect grind quality. With moulded aluminium body panels and a chassis to rival that of any sports car, the Dalla Corte Pro is also set to look the part in any professional barista-run bar.

“Dalla Corte was the first to create espresso machines in which each group head is absolutely independent in terms of fresh water supply and heat. Now it is the first to develop a machine that gives a barista control over temperature and extraction in a way that has never been possible before,” says David Cooper, managing director of Dalla Corte (UK Imports). “We will have one of the first 10 machines to test here in the UK and I can’t wait to see what the machine is capable of.”

CROWD STANDING OUT FROM THE Commercial coffee supplier, Yorkshire-based Caffe Society has recently unveiled a brand new range of compact coffee bars and coffee machine stands which are bound to appeal to outlets yet to have added some ‘café culture’ to their set up.

These machines have been specifically designed to enable food outlets and convenience stores to boost profits by offering top quality, fresh coffee in a space efficient and hassle-free way, say the company, and should appeal to outlets where space is at a premium, or barista skills are in short supply.

The stands come complete with a fresh bean to cup coffee machine, mini-fridge and also hold all hot drink related equipment and ingredients such as cups, lids, milk, sugar sticks and biscuits.

Menus and adverts can also be displayed on the stands and a range of ready-made designs are available, turning this concept into a real one stop shop for both operators and their customers.

The range consists of several different sized stands designed to appeal to a variety of business types and completely bespoke stands can also be made to suit individual requirements or size constraints.

“These stands offer everything that a business needs to sell fresh coffee,” says Steve Mooring, director of Caffe Society. “Until now many businesses have relied on poor quality instant coffee from vending machines that use powdered milk and those companies that are able to offer fresh coffee have often done so in an inefficient way that uses lots of floor space.

“The stands in this range are quick to install and easy to maintain. We've also focused on keeping them cost-efficient, whilst not compromising on quality, meaning a cup of fresh coffee with milk and sugar costs just 14p. On average our customers will sell this for £1.50 per cup making it a highly profitable sales line.”

A wide range of extras can also be added to the stands such as hot chocolate machines, cold drinks or even ice machines, say Caffe Society (for further information, visit www.caffesociety.co.uk or call 0845 4500500). Other products available from Caffe Society include slush, frappé, smoothie, shakes, juice and hot chocolate machines along with ingredients, sundries and other consumables. The company is the sole UK importer for Brasilia Italian espresso machines and coffee grinders and is also able to offer full barista training.

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Choosing a

beverage machine Here, Andrew Tucker, managing director of SanRemo UK, provides an insight into choosing the right beverage machine.

Consider your outlet Whether you are new to the café sector or an established operator with years of experience, the process of choosing a new or replacement beverage machine can be quite baffling. Making the right choice should mean a path to excellent profits, but choosing badly could spell disaster! It should be one, if not the major profit generator for your business and is often the one item that you and your staff will really become attached to.

As well as the choice of whether to opt for a traditional espresso machine, a bean to cup, a filter coffee machine or even an instant beverage machine, there are numerous brands to choose from, each offering different features and benefits.

Ultimately the type of machine you choose should be influenced by the type of outlet you run. For example, if you operate a mid to higher end café or restaurant then a traditional espresso

machine which will allow you to develop a coffee menu with a delicious mix of espresso based speciality drinks, would be ideal. If you run a fast food outlet where time is critical, then a push button instant machine might be better suited.

It is also important to consider the type of customer you attract or are hoping to appeal to. What are they expecting to see on the coffee menu? Are your customers busy mums, professionals, the silver market, young singles? What is their age, lifestyle, gender, spending habits? You need to deliver over and above your customers’ expectations so that they keep coming back time after time. You can only do this if you understand what type of coffee offering they are looking for – this will then influence your choice of machine. A traditional espresso machine is the preferred choice for anyone looking to develop a premium coffee menu.

Pedigree Coffee machines are like cars. They all do roughly the same thing, only the better ones do their job more effectively and more reliably. In a coffee shop, you cannot afford to lose customers because your machine doesn’t make very good or consistent coffee or is out of action five days per year.

Research has shown that consumers have 76% loyalty to their favourite coffee shop and they just won’t come back if they are disappointed with any aspect of your service or coffee offering. Generally speaking, Italian is best, so look out for known and trusted brands. The latest Verona model from San Remo, for example, is a good example of classic Italian design and craftsmanship.

Space Available space is often a key consideration when selecting a machine and may restrict the machines you can work with.

The Vanilla Café & Late Bar in Truro chose a striking new SanRemo machine (the Verona), but only after much thought and deliberation.

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Positioning the machine in view of customers - where they can see their drink being made - helps buy loyalty by communicating your high standards, not just in coffee, but across your whole offering. Despite space restrictions some businesses choose a larger machine than necessary just for the way it looks on the counter.

Machine capacity Firstly, think about how many coffees you expect to serve each day. Espresso machines come with either one, two, three or four group heads – each group head will allow you to serve either one or two drinks at the same time.

The busier you expect to be at peak periods then the more group heads you will need. If you have a coffee shop or café with up to 30 covers, a standard two group machine with mid sized (approximately 10 litre) boiler will most likely suffice. Fifty covers will require a two group with 14 litre boiler (if possible connected to a 4-5Kw, three phase 415V supply) as a minimum and so it may be worth considering a three group machine to cope with the busiest periods.

Automatic or semi-automatic?

Automatic espresso machines have preprogrammable buttons which allow drink brewing times to be pre-set according to cup sizes, drink lengths and coffee blends etc. The barista just presses a button and the brew cycle is taken care of. Automatic machines provide consistency in coffee quality and allow other tasks to be performed while the coffee is pouring, meaning faster and more efficient drink making. Automatic espresso machines have almost become the norm now and are therefore definitely recommended.

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Semi-automatic espresso coffee machines require a lot more attention from the barista and are often considered as a budget option.

Training and support It is important that you organise structured on site training for your staff once a new coffee machine has been installed and commissioned, as using a machine is a skill which needs to be learnt.

Be bold enough to ask to see details of your supplier’s training programme in advance and ask for references from current customers if you are in any doubt about their customer support ethos and technical service – your profitability or even livelihood may depend on it. In short, your coffee machine is not an item to buy over the Internet!

Don’t forget to allow a reasonable time for your team to practice making the various beverages you plan to offer before going live with real customers.

Investment Your coffee machine is likely to be the engine of your business, feeding sales and profits day after day. So before going straight for the most economical option, review your machine selection with return on investment as your primary concern.

For example, if you expect to serve 200 coffees per day, your coffee cost is around five to 10 pence per cup, with milk and sugar taking this to around 15p. At £1.70 per cup your six day week return will be £1,860. That will net you around £96,000 profit per year, or £300,000 over three years. So spending that extra few pounds to carefully select the best machine for your business really does make good commercial sense!

Maxine Beadsmoore in action with a SanRemo machine at the UK Barista Championship.

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Vanilla Café and Late Bar, Truro, Cornwall “From our homemade cakes and biscuits to the quality of the produce we source, we are passionate about everything we do, and that certainly includes the coffee,” says Graeme Belcher, owner/proprietor of the 35 cover Vanilla Café and Late Bar, in Truro, Cornwall.

“We are so determined to do everything as well as we possibly can, that we spent many hours deliberating over which coffee machine to choose before we opened for business last November. There seemed to be a trade off with most machines between price, design, build quality and functionality and that is something we felt uneasy about.”

The SanRemo Verona seemed to offer everything the new outlet required in terms of performance, reliability and craftsmanship and they were also impressed with its looks.

“The aesthetics were important because the coffee machine was going to occupy such a prominent position on the counter. The strong styling of the Verona, which has a retro Italian feel to it, fits in perfectly with the surroundings here,” explains Graeme Belcher.

“We have never wanted to be like the big high street operators with extensive speciality coffee menus. We would much rather focus on a small selection of drinks and do them extremely well. Typically, we offer the popular espresso based options such as cappuccino, Americano, latte and macchiato knowing we can rely on the Verona to deliver a perfect cup every time.

We use Rocca Intenso coffee which we source from Coffee-West in Buckfastleigh, Devon. This is a soft blend with nutty overtones which has become really popular with customers.”

Needless to say, onsite training was also very important to the fledgling outlet.

“Taking time out to ensure the barista understands how to get the best from the equipment really pays off,” says Graeme Belcher. “If you choose a machine with built in features such as a temperature stability system and an ‘espresso timer’ it makes it easier for baristas to do their job well.

Learning how to use the machine properly has allowed us to take advantage of its advanced features which in turn has meant we have been able to raise the standard of our coffee above other local coffee bars.

“It’s very competitive out there so we have to work hard to build business. We want to be known as the place to go for delicious food and drink. We are already building a steady stream of regular customers which I know is due in part to the quality of the coffee on offer here – that, and our homemade chocolate brownies, that is!”

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Healthy and functional The UK’s soft drinks market is estimated to be worth in the region of £3 billion or more, and growing. However, rather than conventional carbonated soft drinks spearheading the growth, it’s juices, smoothies and active functional drinks containing new, or rediscovered, nutrient-rich ingredients which are leading the way.

Year of the mulberry?

The word on the fruit vine is that 2009 could be set to be the year of the historically humble Chinese mulberry.

Mulberries are similar in appearance to raspberries and blackberries but have their own distinctive flavour. They are packed full of natural vitamins and a rich source of anthocyanins – powerful anti-oxidants that help look after the body.

Having sat back patiently whilst other so-called ‘super fruits’ jostled for shelf space, bragging about their impressive functionality, publicity-shy mulberries have quietly bided their time, despite owning a top-notch nutritional deck that puts other red berries in the shade and an antioxidant rating that’s 79% higher than blueberries.

Revered in their homeland, mulberry trees not only provide the staple diet for the nation’s ravenous silk worm population

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but, according to Chinese myth, were the sacred ‘trees of life’ that lined the path to heaven and couldn’t be struck by lightning.

To this day, in China, large Chinese communities will congregate every May to help in the harvesting of these podgy, fullbodied fruit whose delicate juicy nature means they can only be picked by hand.

Whilst the scientific community have been enthralled unearthing the presence of the much admired antioxidant resveratrol (which it is claimed can reverse the effects of obesity on the heart), the foodie fraternity have fallen for the mulberry’s sharp, fragrant taste which offers just the right balance of sweetness and tartness.

The makers of mulberry fair (a brand within the David Berryman portfolio – the UK’s largest premium juice blender) have deployed fresh PR activity and some new look packaging for their product. mulberry

fair is currently stocked by Waitrose and a nationwide network of national wholesalers. It is a premium, chilled juice that is currently available in two flavour formats - pressed mulberries & ruby sanguinello oranges, and pressed mulberries & red shiraz grapes and crushed sweet limonera pear (the one litre cartons come with a £3.29 price point).

The Progressive Fruit Company have also just launched mul-be (www.mulbe.com) - a new mulberry juice containing drink that is also capitalising on the decline in flavoured, carbonated drinks as consumers seek out drinks that not only taste good, but have health benefits.

One 350ml PET bottle of mul-be is made from the juice of 60 hand picked, squeezed mulberries and contains 70% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. It is best served chilled, but can be stored

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ambiently, giving it a long shelf life, and it contains no artificial sweetners, colours, flavours or preservatives, say its makers who feel strongly that their new drink is set to become popular with health-conscious café customers.

Healthy flavour fusions Soft juice drinks company, Cawston Vale (www.cawstonvale.com), have also been fast out of the blocks in their ongoing quest to marry their well know apple juice with suitably natural ingredients. Hot on the heels of their highly successful pressed apple and rhubarb, has come their latest apple and blackcurrant flavour drink which combines the woody, yet sharp taste of freshly pressed blackcurrants with a fragrant pressed apple juice.

Blackcurrants have, say Cawston Vale, been enjoying something of a well deserved renaissance courtesy of the latest scientific research which suggests that these red berries are, as with mulberries, very rich in ‘good-for-you’ antioxidants.

Putting to one side the ongoing research which suggests that the hardworking antioxidants (anthocyanins) within blackcurrants could play a pivotal role in the future fight against cardiovascular disease, ageing, eye strain and brain-

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related illnesses, it was the blackcurrant’s instantly gettable sweet yet sharp taste that really brought this convivial currant with consumer appeal to Cawston Vale’s attention.

As you might expect, Cawston Vale point out that their drinks are free from any preservatives, colourings and sweeteners, and are deliberately allowed to remain cloudy unlike some of their filtered competitors. The new Apple & Blackcurrant flavour has, in the first instance, been exclusive to Waitrose (other flavours include Pressed Apple, Pressed Apple & Ginger Pressed Apple & Rhubarb and Pressed Apple & Elderflower), but should be available to outlets via wholesalers.

Cawston Vale also says that it continues to stand 100% behind Innocent’s vigorous campaign to encourage the nation’s good eating habits by reducing VAT on fruit and vegetable juices to 5%.

New research released by the American Heart Association (Abstract 3278: hibiscus sabdariffa L. Tea (Tisane) Lowers Blood Pressure in Prehypertensive and Mildly Hypertensive Adults by Diane L McKay et al) has revealed that another recent addition to the drinks arena - Hibiscus Sabdariffa - has a beneficial effect on reducing high blood pressure.

Below: The range of Polarity tumblers manufactured by Huhtamaki not only offer good clarity and crack resistance, but come in compostable RPET (Recycled PET) and PLA (polylactide) varieties, with or without lids, and are ideal for showing off juices and smoothies.

FRUITY MILKS Trioni Ltd, a family run business based in West Wales, is establishing a reputation for its fresh and flavoured organic milk. Daioni (Welsh for “goodness”) is a low fat, flavoured organic milk which comes in banana, chocolate and strawberry flavours. It is free from artificial flavourings, colourings and preservatives, and the milk used comes from a number of Pembrokeshire OMSCo (the Organic Milk Co-operation) farms. Packaged in handy 250ml and 125ml cartons, with straws attached, and offering an ambient shelf life of at least ten months, Daioni is ideal for outlets wishing to stock a healthy snack onthe-run for their customers (www.trioni.com).

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DRINKS “Daily consumption of three cups of hibiscus tea (made from 1.25g of hibiscus), an amount readily incorporated into the diet, lowers blood pressure in pre- and mildly hypertensive adults and may prove an effective component of the dietary changes recommended for people at risk of developing hypertension,” says Diane L. McKay, PhD, FACN from the Antioxidants Research Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre.

A clinical trial was conducted amongst men and women aged between 30 and 70 with high blood pressure, half of whom received a hibiscus infused drink and half a placebo for six weeks. Their blood pressure was measured at weekly intervals and results showed that systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were both lower in those people taking the hibiscus treatment, with the greatest reduction in

“We are very pleased that the efficacy of hibiscus has been proven for high blood pressure sufferers as we offer a range of natural refreshing hibiscus based drinks” systolic blood pressure sufferers registering a drop of 13.2%. Age, gender or use of dietary supplements made no difference to the results, say the researchers, which showed an overall drop in blood pressure of 7.2% among the hibiscus users.

Again, it was antioxidant anthocyanins present in the hibiscus sabdariffa that were felt to help to protect against the damage caused by harmful free radicals in the body as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Hibiscus sabdariffa has been used for centuries around the world as a natural herbal remedy. For example, the Egyptians used hibiscus to make a nourishing drink, reputed to be the preferred drink of the pharaohs, and believed in the great health benefits of the flower.

“We are very pleased that the efficacy of hibiscus has been proven for high blood pressure sufferers as we offer a range of natural refreshing hibiscus based drinks, all of which contain a high level of hibiscus extract and have been scientifically proven as a rich source of anthocyanin antioxidants,” says Anita Doran, director of the Hibiscus Drinks Company. “Drinking just two glasses (250ml) of Hib! per day will give the same amount of hibiscus extract as used in the trials.”

Hib! – which claims to be the UK’s first range of ‘superflower’ drinks – is made from the hibiscus sabdariffa flower. It combines natural ingredients, healthy antioxidants and pure spring water to give

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a great taste. Hib! Is caffeine-free and contains no artificial ingredients. Currently it is available at Waitrose and health shops with an RSP of £1.49/ litre or £2.99 /450ml cordial (cafés and coffee shops who are interested in this drink should visit www.hibdrinks.com for more details).

New additions The Southover Food Company (www.southoverfoods.com) has extended its drinks offering with a new range launch.

Celebrating its twentieth year in food manufacturing and distribution, the

In February, Alibi creator, Oliver Bolton, participated in the landmark first planting of pomegranate trees in Afghanistan to launch the ambitious target of 100,000 trees.

company has added a range of freshly squeezed orange, apple and orange & raspberry juices to its portfolio from Johnsons Juice Co. The freshly squeezed orange variant tastes exactly like biting into an orange, claim Southover, with the constituent oranges having been carefully selected from different parts of the world according to their different seasons to provide the perfect balance between sweetness and tanginess. There’s no freezing, no concentrates, no added water, just pure natural goodness, add Southover. These drinks are available in 12 x 250 ml bottles, as well as 24 x 250 ml bottles.

Along similar lines, Johnsons Juice Co. Freshly Pressed Apple Juice is a sweet juice with a hint of tart tanginess, and is made from the juice of different varieties of apples such as Cox, Bramley and Gala to give a balanced taste (it is available in 12 x 250 ml bottles). The Orange & Raspberry Juice various features tangy orange combined with raspberries, and is also available in 12 x 250 ml bottles.

Alibi drinks, which started out in December 2007 by launching the world’s first pretox drink, launched a new pomegranate flavoured drink in January.

The brand has already become popular with customers casting an eye over the chiller cabinets at Caffe Gusto outlets (although the drinks can be stored ambiently). It has recently become available at supermarkets, but is available to the trade via their web site (www.alibidrink.com), or by calling Alibi/Solution Sciences Ltd 0207 993 4488.

The fresh tasting Alibi Original Citrus has the flavour of Californian grapefruits and Tuscan limes. The latest Alibi Pomegranate offers additional benefits based on the antioxidant power of pomegranate juice, which is known to be

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DRINKS greater than cranberry or blueberry juice, or red wine.

Alibi’s pro-active approach to drinks means that the pretox benefits are designed to prepare the body and process toxins, including those which may typically occur from consuming processed foods, caffeine or alcohol. Alibi can be consumed by itself or as a mixer with alcohol in simple long drinks and other cocktails. Its innovation lies in its distinct difference from detox products and regimes which deal with toxins at a later stage.

Both Alibi flavours are made from natural ingredients including spring water, milk thistle, artichoke and gingko extracts, added vitamins and amino acids, say the company who are also involved in the first product partnership in the globally significant campaign to assist the replanting of opium poppy fields (as a source of heroin) with new pomegranate orchards instead.

Independents targeted A small, family business in Devon has been putting the final touches to its new look Bigberry smoothies, and which they hope will now be perfectly placed to cause something of a stir in the UK’s bustling food and drinks sector. Brand specialists Purple Pilchard and Davies, Leslie-Smith were

brought in to assist the Bigberry team create a new upbeat identity that would be faithful to Bigberry’s rising reputation in 100% natural fruit smoothies whilst remaining true to their approachable, small company persona.

Mindful of the fact that the UK’s two bighitting smoothie giants are now at a stage in their lives when they’re prepared to push their blended goodies into every imaginable outlet, Bigberry says that it has opted to focus its thoughts on creating a top-notch range of smoothies that are specifically geared to the distinct needs of the influential, yet often taken for granted, independent sector.

“Having taken some time out to discover why a number of the south west’s leading

independents were so reluctant to stock bottled smoothies, I discovered a natural nervousness around short shelf lives and limited chilled storage space,” says Bigberry’s co-founder, Lee Wilson.

“Bigberry smoothies are gently pasteurized in such a way that avoids the need for any ‘artificial nasties’ and this ensures a three to four month ambient shelf life and which has no negative impact on taste.”

Bigberry report that the extended shelflife appeal has already resulted in some significant export success to the Middle East. Also, by helping retailers to eliminate needless waste and creating flavour decks with less ‘filler’ flavours (bananas) and more body beneficial ingredients, Bigberry says that it intends to champion an altogether more thoughtful, thirst quenching smoothie experience that will enthuse even the most finicky fruit drink purist.

Bigberry smoothies are a popular member of the Extreme Drinks Ltd family (www.bigberry.com). There are currently three variants include - Pineapple & Pear, Acai & Strawberry and Raspberry & Mango.

The range is 100% devoid of any ‘artificial nasties’ and the 250ml bottles they are packaged in are 100% recyclable. Each bottle meets two of the five-a-day healthy portions requirement.

* Naturally Squeezed. * Not from Concentrate. * 100% Natural. * No artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours * Produced from hand picked mulberries * Only 33 calories per 100ml. * Naturally rich in Vitamin C. * 70% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C in every bottle. * Packed with antioxidants. * Fruity and refreshing. * Long ambient shelf life.

The Progressive Food Company Ltd. Tel: 01636 610584 Fax: 01636 612464 Email: info@mul-be.com Web Site: www.mul-be.com

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DRINKS

The Hive is a hit The Hive Beach café in Burton Bradstock, West Dorset overlooks the sea and recently won Coast magazine’s award for the Best Coastal Café, Pub or Restaurant for 2009.

ustomers come from near and far with the Hive being both a local meeting place and a gastronomic holiday treat - a cosy refuge on a winter Sunday morning and a walker’s haven on hot, sunny days. Steve Attrill, owner of the café, says that to receive such an accolade is fabulous news for his staff and all the suppliers as the Hive prides itself on being the perfect seaside café.

Steve Attrill has developed the business over the last 18 years. With a background in catering, he has an eye for food trends and continues to add features to the Hive such as creating new patio areas and ensuring support for environmentally friendly, sustainable fishing. “We combine quality produce with fish and seafood, landed mainly in Lyme Bay,” he says. “Our menu reflects the wonderful diversity of what’s available in the South West. We serve simple and sophisticated food, from egg and bacon breakfast baps to Lulworth hand-dived scallops with chorizo, pancetta and black pudding.”

The panel of judges for their award, which included TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff, were particularly impressed by the use of locally sourced fish. Add stunning, uninterrupted views over the Jurassic Coast and a relaxed welcome for all backed up with continental coffees, Somerset ice creams, Dorset wines and

C

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organic West Country soft drinks.

Some of the café’s soft drinks are supplied by Luscombe, a Devon-based, family-owned business who say that they source the best raw ingredients for its range of organic juices, soft drinks and cider. Luscombe drinks are made in small batches in Devon without artificial additives, preservatives, colourings, flavourings or enhancers of any kind.

Two of their latest additions to their range include Carrot & Sicilian Orange Juice (made from organically grown carrots and Sicilian oranges grown near Mount Etna) pressed to give a juice rich in vitamins A and C and Blueberry Crush (made from blueberries and cranberries, with Agave syrup and Damascan Rose water), a lightly sparkling drink that has a low glycemic index, making it one of the few drinks available that is suitable for diabetics. Luscombe Organic Drinks can be contacted on 01364 643036.

Available in 24cl and 74cl bottles, Luscombe’s Carrot and Sicilian Orange Juice has an RRP of between £1.50 and £3.50.

Chilled fruit juice and other soft drinks can always be to hand with an RJD counter-top juice dispenser, now available from Valera (www.valera.co.uk)

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DESIGN

&function Form

Even if you are keeping tabs on your spending and plan only a limited refit this year, as several shop-fitters and cafés reveal here, it should still be possible to create a functional and stylish space that’s appealing to customers.

A continual process Over the last 12 months, BB’s Coffee & Muffins reports that it has invested in redesigning its store image to give it a more contemporary feel. However, point out the company, this has not been a radical facelift, rather a building on familiar elements and enhancing them.

“We have over 180 cafés in the UK and Ireland and it would not be feasible to introduce a complete new design, and we were very conscious that our existing look had communicated our bakery heritage very well and that our consumers were very familiar with it,” comments BB’s managing director, Phil Abbott. “We wanted to evolve the brand organically and in a cost-effective way that would enable our franchise partners to update their stores without too onerous an outlay.”

BB’s has created a template for new stores which features new graphics, signage and furnishings. This has seen the

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introduction of a bright orange and lime green to the chain’s colour palette.

“Our new store in London Westfield is the best example of our new look – it is clean and fresh and we use word graphics on the windows to communicate our key selling points,” says Phil Abbott. “We’ve developed a programme of modular updates so that franchisees can choose which elements are required for their stores to make them more contemporary.

For example, an existing counter frontage can be clad in our signature red and existing wooden chairs can be upholstered in the new colours. Our range of padded chairs and sofas are more inviting for customers and fit in with what they expect to find in today’s cafés.”

The company has also updated its menu board graphics so that they are clearer to read and understand, and which feature appetising photographs of BB’s food and drinks. A range of other signage

has been created which is bold and impactful, giving BB’s more of a presence in the mall.

“With quite a modest outlay, we can update our stores and give them more impact. By clever use of graphics featuring photography we can communicate our quality and fresh messages more effectively. New display cabinets give the consumer a better impression of our food and good lighting makes the stores more welcoming,” explains Phil Abbott.

Totems, with impactful images and messages, are used to communicate the brand more strongly. BB’s says that it has also worked on the design of the counters to build in impulse zones for items such as the Grab & Go range, which increases sales of these items.

“It’s important to constantly refresh and update your store image, but this can be evolution rather than revolution,” adds Phil Abbott. “We encourage all our partners to

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DESIGN Left: Café Rouge installations carried out by Barnwood Shopfitting who will be exhibiting at the easyFairs® INTERIOR FIT-OUT show (ExCel, London, 1 and 2 April 2009).

Below: Part of the Jupiter range.

try and take an objective look at their stores as if they were a customer and to analyse how the customer gets the information they need to make a purchase and how the store layout facilitates this.

We’ve found that sometimes by simply changing the flow along the counter the process becomes easier for the customer and the sales go up. Part of our development of this new look is to examine the look and feel of all our cafés and make recommendations to make them more appealing.”

The DIY approach When GW London chose to add a coffee shop concept to their range of shop equipment five years ago, they decided to call it “The Economical Coffee Shop”.

Instead of a full turnkey project it would

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be offered as an alternative aimed at smaller start up companies, the firm decided. In other words, for those willing to undertake their own preparation work (the painting, decoration, electrics etc) GW London’s concept would bring them considerable savings.

“Now with the onset of the recession we have found that more and more customers are interested in the ‘do it yourself’ approach,” says George Walsh of G W London. “In the current economic climate many people are self-financing their projects. Others may be using redundancy packages to start a coffee shop for the first time on limited budgets.”

After the outlet has done the preparation work themselves, GW London then supplies the refrigerated counters, corners and back bar units to fully equip the coffee shop. As all the units are sold in modular form, clients can buy exactly what they need. The concept has proved very successful with both start ups and traditional sandwich bars wanting to upgrade to a modern, contemporary coffee shop style.

“Customers have turned up at our showroom with just the length and the width of their shop and we have been able to offer advice on how to do the layout for their coffee shop. The system is very flexible,” says George Walsh. “We have also supplied universities and colleges who wanted to give a ‘high street’ look to their student tea and coffee bars.”

The company’s most popular models over the last two years have been the Jupiter and Duchess ranges. The Jupiter combines the traditional and contemporary. Its stainless steel cladding gives it the hi-tech look, and the wood and granite bring a traditional quality feel.

L-shape or straight line?

The most popular choice for a start up customer, says George Walsh, has been a one metre patisserie unit with a 900 corner, and then a deli counter ranging from 1.2 metres up to two metres. To complete the fit-out, they can supply a 660mm wide till counter to create the classic L-shaped configuration that is very popular with many coffee shops.

However, because of the flexibility of this modular system it can be put in a straight line if this is more suitable for the customer’s premises.

With a lot of requests from city centre operators where space is at a premium, they have kept the counter depth to 820 mm, say GW London. This helps to maximize valuable space in smaller premises for seating and takeaway areas. The units are made of a stainless steel body with a wood finish.

The tops, serving shelf and bottom plinth are finished off with hardwearing easy to clean granite. There is refrigerated under storage on all counters of 1.2 metres and and above.

The Duchess range has high glass, but also a more traditional feel with the mottled finish.

Modular The back bar units GW London offer are manufactured in stainless steel with any combination the customer requires.

Usually the requests they receive are to incorporate a space for a coffee machine with a coffee knockout table, sink, dish washer space and ambient or chilled under storage, say the company (for more information visit www.coffeeshopequip.com).

Back wall units come in matching wood finish with shelves and lighting. The units are ready to screw directly into the wall.

“For customers who have a limited budget and are more hands on, this range offers a great opportunity to save on the higher costs associated with a full turnkey operation,” says George Walsh. “The beauty of this modular system is as your business progresses and grows you can add more units without any disruption.”

A new company, QED, based in Glasgow has said that it will also be focussing primarily on modular systems, notably the design and distribution of the Continental Coffee Shop and Servery Systems (previously supplied by Trimco Coolair). These modular units incorporate refrigerated, heated and ambient display counters, bar units, back bar shelving,

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DESIGN Below: Robert Campbell, a well known figure in the UK refrigeration industry, has launched QED (Quality Equipment Distributors Ltd.)

back bar refrigeration and a wide range of accessories to suit the needs of the individual location.

They are suitable for all retail and catering locations, including coffee shops and are available in a range of eight separate design formats, each with a large selection of wood veneer, coloured lacquer and worktop finishes meaning that they can be customised to suit almost any type of location.

As well as the coffee shop and servery systems, QED (call 0141 779 9503 or email info@qualityequipment.co.uk) says that it will also provide a further selection of refrigerated and heated food service equipment from some of the world’s leading manufacturers, with many more products to be added to the range in the future. QED will offer design, installation and technical support throughout the UK, utilising its large network of refrigeration and catering dealers and engineers.

Upgrading Only now, report shopfitters, Dollar Rae, some 17 years after they first designed and fitted out a new bakers and coffee shop for a client, has the unit needed upgrading.

Long-established Scottish bakery firm, Aulds, saw the wisdom and value when

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planning the their retail venture of taking a long term view and opting for good design detail, high quality materials and specialist display equipment known for its durability as well as its performance and impactful product presentation capability.

A 1800 square foot bakers and coffee shop is Aulds’ flagship outlet in their home town of Greenock, located in one of the retail trading units in the Oak Mall.

The shop is one of a chain of 41 retail outlets that the family-run Aulds business operates in 20 locations across Scotland’s Central Belt.

“We’ve had the benefit of a shop that has looked good for a very long period of time,” says Aulds’ development director, Fiona Phillips. “After 17 years, we decided we wanted to give it a more contemporary look as we were about to face new competition from a national chain of coffee operators. We wanted to introduce our new company logo along with a modernised colour scheme. Also, the lifestyle of customers has changed over the years creating more demand for snack eating and we wished a better method to display our award winning fresh savouries hot from the oven.

“The shop’s longevity and minimal wear and tear since its fit out have been really remarkable. It was still of such a

quality that it would have been madness to rip it apart, to throw away all of what was there. We felt it may be possible to retain elements and, with good design, the old and new could perhaps be married together. Our company decided to look at refurbishing rather than refitting.”

After Aulds consulted with Dollar Rae, it was confirmed that the life of the shop could be extended without the need for a complete refit and any consequent loss of revenue from the temporary closure of the business.

Now, with their fresh take on surface finishes, back-lit external fascia bearing the new Aulds logo in three-dimensional translucent lettering, updated graphics within the shop, replacement of signage on the internal display gantry canopy which is now made from white mirrored glass, and minor areas of redecoration, the Dollar Rae design team has created a scheme that blends beautifully with the shop’s overall environment.

Another key part of the renovation project was a modern replacement for the existing custom-built display counter supplied from Dollar Rae’s ever evolving Panoramic range. This new, 11-metre-long, angled counter follows exactly the same shape and configuration of the original.

However, it boasts more modern display

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DESIGN

“We are constantly trying to evolve further and move with the times but without alienating our existing loyal customer base”

features and superior refrigeration technology than its predecessor and substitutes a contemporary satin silver anodised finish for the previous gold anodised finish. The rich, shiny red laminate slatted finish on the front of the counter ties in well with the satin silver look. Another change, and one that reflects today’s changes in consumer habits, is the presence of a hot section in the centre of the new counter. Previously, the shop had been relying on an oldfashioned pie heater behind the counter for the display of hot savouries.

Now, temptingly displayed in the ambient, hot and chilled sections of the new three-shelved Panoramic counter is an extensive selection of Aulds traditional fare. It comprises a full range of bakery goods from morning rolls, scones, tea breads, and pancakes through to the hot savouries (award-winning pies, bridies, sausage rolls, chicken pasties, cheese and onion pasties and haggis pies), sandwiches, and a large choice of confectionery items such as fresh cream cakes and modern muffins.

“We are constantly trying to evolve further and move with the times but without alienating our existing loyal customer base,” says Fiona Phillips. “At all times, we are trying to attract new customers and younger customers yet creating a look our older age group customer still feels comfortable with. I am pleased to say that both the old and the young seem to like it. Another pleasing thing, working with Dollar Rae, is their professionalism and knowing that you could trust and rely on them to have the job completed within the stated time frame.”

Finishing touches Tri-Star Packaging’s revolutionary new colour changing disposable cup is set to help brand-conscious retailers lead the way in the competitive coffee-to-go market. The heat from drinks such as cappuccinos, lattes and Americanos brings this clever cup to life as soon as they are poured in, causing colour changes that can be used for endless branding and marketing opportunities

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(more details in next issue’s packaging feature).

Signwaves has launched Frameworkz a brand new display concept which allows poster frames to be finished with any design. From corporate logos, text and symbols to textures, landscapes and art, the creative opportunities it represents for advertisers are truly endless, say Signwaves.

Using specially designed and manufactured flat profile ‘snapframes’, printed using Signwaves tailored digital process, any printable design can be applied to the frame to create unique designs that work with the surroundings and poster, dramatically enhancing their visual impact and aesthetic appeal.

Depending on the intended use, a design can be chosen that blends with its setting, such as brick work, wall paper or tiles.

Alternatively, the frame could form part of the poster image, as shown by the butterfly image pictured here, or serve as an advertising medium in its own right – separate from both setting and poster - by featuring a promotional message, slogan, company name or contact information.

“Having long been frustrated by the lack of choice available with decorative frames, the challenge was to find a more versatile, creative solution that delivers high quality but is also cost effective to produce in small quantities,” explains Signwaves’ product design manager, and inventor of Frameworkz, Simon Harvey.

“Digital print achieves this by eliminating set-up times and artwork costs. And by

maintaining a minimal and constant distance between the printer head and frame surface, high definition graphics can be applied directly with unparalleled accuracy.”

Frameworkz (patent pending) is manufactured and printed exclusively by Signwaves and became available as of December 2008 (further information from www.signwavesgroup.com).

New for 2009 from hospitality lighting specialists, Andy Thornton, is the Delray Collection of decorative lighting which is featured along with many other new ranges in their new catalogue, Edition 17 (www.andythornton.com).

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DESIGN

Show Preview Hospitality Interiors Show set for successful sequel

Architects and designers can reach a host of hospitality refurbishment specialists and check out some of the latest innovative product suppliers when the easyFairs® INTERIOR FIT-OUT show returns to London’s ExCel in April (29 and 30 April 2009).

It is the UK’s only event dedicated to commercial interior refurbishment services and exhibitors at the show will include shop-fitters, joiners, interior contractors, display specialists, as well as manufacturers of ceilings, floors and walls, storage solutions, lighting, fabrics, decorative glass, and contemporary furniture.

Last year’s inaugural event attracted almost 100 exhibitors and 1,100 visitors across the two days and established itself as a key diary date for designers tasked with creating stimulating interiors for hotels, restaurants, leisure facilities, and public buildings. easyFairs® – organisers of around 20 interiors shows across Europe – say they are expanding the sequel to reach out to even more industry professionals.

Already backed by the National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) and the Association of Interior Specialists (AIS), easyFairs® INTERIOR FIT-OUT 2009 is also supported by RIBA and the Chartered Society of Designers.

Show launches Several exhibitors have chosen to launch new products or services at easyFairs® INTERIOR FIT-OUT (www.easyfairs.com/interiorfitout-uk).

Craftwork will demonstrate their new

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Plug & Change interchangeable modular wall cladding that allows retailers to radically alter store layout in a matter of hours. In fact, one day the store might be pink, and the next blue! The system works for curved and straight walls, product display and storage, freestanding midshop display units, and a full range of ‘pod’ systems such as coffee points, touch screen modules, kids corners, waiting and reception areas and lounges.

Cubicle and wall panelling manufacturers, Grant Westfield, will showcase its easy-mount cladding and service concealment system Clipclad, plus its new cubicle door that permits emergency outward opening without the need to damage components. The patented system, which works by the lock edge pilaster being depressed, is designed for retail and general public washrooms.

Specialist movable wall manufacturer, Duvale, will launch a version of its ‘tophung’ GS100 system incorporating electrically operated seals and electronically-controlled blinds between the double-glazing. In addition, Duvale will demonstrate a new enamelled dry wipe magnetic writing surface that, the company claims, doesn’t degrade with use and always wipes clean.

Dutch partition wall and ceiling specialist, FAAY Vianen, has been operating in the Netherlands for almost 40 years but is a relative newcomer to the UK market. The company is a forerunner in sustainable fit-out solutions and its easyFairs® show stand will largely be dedicated to its range of flax-derived partitions.

Other partition solutions come from Office Blinds & Glazing Ltd – specialists in

Circular café seating under construction at JBM Shopfitting (exhibitor at the easyFairs®® INTERIOR FIT-OUT show (ExCel, London, 29 and 30 April 2009). frameless glass partitions – who will demonstrate its new ‘Smart Film’ switchable privacy glass that changes the appearance from clear to opaque at the push of a button. Elsewhere, Sitec Interiors introduces the Tempo Partitioning moveable wall system, a simple, elegant divide that can be relocated without the need for plastering or decoration.

Emco, a structured entrance matting manufacturer, will launch a new range of clean-off barrier carpets at the event.

Made from polyamide yarn – known for its high absorption and hard wearing qualities – the range offers five unique grades and textures of wall-to-wall carpet.

Dixon Turner Wallcoverings, part of Newmor Group, will be exhibiting several new fabric-backed covering collections, as well as demonstrating its online design colouration tool, whilst Rawson Carpets plans to profile its ‘Classmate’ acoustic wall tile – an innovative noise and heat barrier that also doubles up as a Velcro or pin notice board.

Naturally, easyFairs® INTERIOR FIT-OUT features some of the country’s leading, most innovative shopfitters who will illustrate creative, practical work carried out for premises ranging from one-branch retail outlets to international brands, plus museums, restaurants, colleges and hotels. These include Barnwood Shopfitters, Ideal Shopfitters, CCS, Realm Projects, Castles Shopfitters, JBM, and Three Met Shopfitters. Other exhibitors will include British Gypsum, Aweso Ltd, joinery and architectural metalwork specialists Benbow Group, refurbishment contractor Lengard, Parapan and partitioning experts Invotek.

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Insurance

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Café Culture

Slips and trips are the cause of most accidents in stores. The first steps in managing the risk of slips and falls is to identify the hazards around the workplace; the most common being uneven floors, trailing cables, discarded packaging left on the floors and areas that can be slippery due to spillage or wet weather including outdoor areas. customer or member of staff harming themselves is not only upsetting for all concerned but can become a time consuming issue to resolve and costly having a significant impact on your business and ability to trade. It is important you have taken the correct steps to protect yourself through preventative measures as well as ensure that you have the correct cover should the worse happen.

Norwich Union’s experience over the last five years for example, confirms what we all know and that is Britain is becoming a litigious society. Their records* show that the number of personal injury claims against retailers has risen from 50 settled in 2003 with a total value of just under £18,000 (average claim value of £360) to 227 claims settled in 2007 with the total value just under £800,000 (average claim value of £3520). This is putting the onus on you, the store owner, to ensure that you have taken the correct measures to protect your customers. *data supplied from NU small business package covering shops.

Shops are no more negligent than they used to be but people are generally more aware of their rights and that they are more likely to pursue a case against the negligent party. This rise in litigation has been fuelled by the increase in advertising on commercial radio and daytime television for “no win no fee” legal representation which means there is nothing to lose by making a claim against the business.

Once you have established who might be harmed and how, steps should be taken to remove, or at least control, the risks; plan pedestrian routes and avoid overcrowding, choose suitable floor surfaces, ensure lighting levels are sufficient and use signage or barriers for obstructions that cannot be moved.

Put up signs warning people of slippery surfaces and position them so that no one will trip over them!

Check floors regularly

A

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for loose finishes, holes, cracks and worn areas and keep the place tidy. Objects left lying around can easily go unnoticed and cause a person to trip.

The following is an example of a recent claim with a leading insurer. The store had just washed the shop floor and failed to put out the Wet Floor warning signage. A customer slipped on the wet floor and unfortunately suffered a badly broken leg which has required remedial surgery due to the leg fracture beginning to heal in a misaligned way. The claim centers on the negligence of the shop and it's staff to have properly alerted customers to the hazard.

Taking in to account the loss of earnings for the injured party, the potential payout liability will be in the region of £150,000.

If you fail to have insurance and ensure the right levels of cover a claim like this could destroy your business.

In the event of an accident you should do the following: • If there is a trained first aider ask them to deal with the injury • If injury is serious call an ambulance • Record the details of the person injured (name/address), full details of what happened and the extent of the injury.

• Never admit liability whatever the circumstances and make clear notes of the events and the facts • Record details of any witnesses • Phone your insurance company immediately and advise of a potential claim giving as much detail as possible.

Of course, whilst the majority of claims are genuine, it is really important that store owners are vigilant when a customer is injured on their premises to mitigate damage and avoid the scams. So following the above guidelines is

essential and collect as much information as possible, use CCTV footage and any potential witnesses who can substantiate what actually happened can also make a big difference. Most insurers train their staff to spot scams or fraudulent claims.

We understand the needs of the cafe market and we’ve used our knowledge to team up with one of the UK’s largest specialist commercial insurance brokers, One Business Insurance Solutions, to offer a flexible and competitive insurance offering with a wide range of features applicable to the cafe trade that protect your business.

With Café Culture Insurance, you can rest assured that whether you require a comprehensive insurance package for a large retail outlet or whether you are a selfemployed tradesman, your insurance is in the hands of people who know what they’re talking about – and just as importantly, what you’re talking about. Our representatives will guide you through the quote process to assist you in obtaining an insurance policy that is perfect 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.

Café Culture Insurance has appointed a dedicated team of insurance professionals who understand your business insurance needs; the focus is on providing a high quality customer service the aim being to provide immediate quotations and instant cover over the telephone.

You may get a call asking for your renewal date so that a member of the team can contact you at the appropriate time with a competitive quote.

All you have to do to get a Café Culture Insurance quotation or to find out more, is talk to one of our friendly and professional operators on 0845 872 6076.

We are open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and Saturday 9am to 1.00pm. Calls may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. CVD Commercial Insurance Services Ltd trading as One Business Insurance Solutions is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

MARCH 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 31

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PUBLIC RELATIONS

Time to put the PR back into PRofit!

Here, Felicity Read (pictured), managing director of Leapfrog PR, takes a look at how using good PR (public relations) can help drive business and improve your profits – especially when times are tight.

So does PR work?

Yes it does! How many times have you picked up a newspaper or magazine to read the ad’s only?

People love stories about people, and if you come up with the right creative ideas you can get your business coverage in the local press on a regular basis and keep your operation busy.

Be creative When the going gets tough, it’s time to be creative. You need to attract more customers to your business, tempt them to spend more, and look for new sources of customers – not easy when cash strapped consumers are reining in their spending and not coming out so often. But with a little ingenuity you can use the difficult trading climate to your advantage and be in pole position to make the most of the upturn when it happens.

We’re now well into the second quarter of this recession and people are starting to get fed up with all the bad news. At first, consumers cut back and eating out takes a knock, but after a few months people need something to cheer themselves up and feel they deserve a ‘treat’ now and again.

They will be looking for good deals, great offers and exceptional value.

The circuital element for your business is communicating with the consumer. Traditional advertising is all very well if you can afford it, but in local media you need a high frequency to generate awareness and it can be costly to keep changing your artwork to reflect your latest message.

So now is the time to get creative and exploit all those free opportunities that exist with local media to get your message across.

Having a story printed in your local paper or a slot on local radio will get your business talked about and bring customers through the door. And if you’re really going to use PR to help you business weather the recession, you’ll have to be prepared to undertake a regular series of PR activities.

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Journalists aren’t psychic

First step The first step is to get to know your local media. Journalists aren’t psychic – they will only cover your story if you tell them about it! Pop into the newsagent and pick up copies of your local daily newspaper and any local weeklies. Set aside any freebie newspapers that get pushed through your business door so that you have a complete record

Generating ideas Get your team together and have a brain storm for PR ideas – what can you do to get your business in the local paper?

Perhaps you can launch a Credit Crunch Lunch with all you can eat for fiver, and illustrate it with a photo of you eating a plate piled high with £5 notes!

Can you hold espresso making classes, or parties for children at your café? Think of ways to generate revenue at different times of the day or week – children, older people, mums with toddlers, anything to get your outlet busy when it otherwise wouldn’t be. How about providing speciality coffees for your local Business Breakfast Club?

When coming up with ideas have a note to hand of local and national key dates – Mothering Sunday (March 22), Easter Weekend, Bank Holidays, local carnivals, festivals, sporting events, road and horse racing events etc – anything that you can find a hook to hang your story on.

When you’ve got a list of ideas, it’s best to schedule them into a month by month a plan and allocate responsibility to one individual to make them happen. Be realistic – local papers will not take a story from you every week, but if you vary the papers you send stories to, you will find that you can achieve several stories a month across several papers.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS smiles or crooked clothing! An image counts for a 1000 words so it’s vital to get the picture right. Make sure everything is clean, tidy and says the right things about you – polish your image! If you are taking the photos yourself, they must also be of print quality – 300dpi or above – this usually means the photo will be 5MB, or larger. If the paper really likes your story, they may want to send a photographer, but don’t worry if they don’t.

When you’ve sent in your story follow up with a call to check that they have got it as stories often get mislaid. Then check regularly in the paper and on your local paper’s web site.

Often stories are carried on the web site even if they are not in the hard copy. Make sure you keep a copy of the press cuttings – they often look good in a frame or bound together in a laminated folder for your customers to look through.

of what is in circulation locally.

Then take a good look through for the kinds of stories they are covering. It’s most likely that human interest and quirky stories get the most coverage, with charity efforts and children also getting frequent coverage.

Make a note of the name of the journalist who has written stories that you think might be similar to your own. Also do the same for local radio – most towns and cities have at least two local radio stations and these are also good to target.

What next?

Armed with your plan and story ideas, what do you need to do next? How to tell you story is almost as important as who you to tell it to.

Let’s say you have decided that your first story is going to be the Credit Crunch Lunch. How can you make this story have most impact? I mentioned a photo with fivers – which has the makings of good story – but can you pep it up by asking your Mayor or leader of the Chamber of Commerce to come and have the first lunch- then you’ve got an even better photo!

Pictures and press releases When you’re ready to tell your story, it’s worth taking some time to make sure that you communicate in the best way for the journalists you will be talking to.

Journalists get inundated with emails everyday and you need to make your story stand out. The first recommendation is to call the news room and ask to speak to a reporter. Tell him, or her, the outline of your story – they are very busy and work to deadlines so be as succinct as you can, giving the essence of the story clearly and concisely.

Ask them if they are interested in you emailing them your story and ask for their email address.

They will then be expecting your story and it will get attention – unlike the hundreds of emails that are deleted every day without even being read.

When you email in the story, don’t attach the story as a separate document – journalists often don’t have time to click

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Be nice to the press

into it. Instead carry the story in the main body copy of the email and only attach photos. The copy needs to have your name and contact details, including a telephone number. It needs to cover the ‘Five W’s’ – the Who, the Why the What the When and the Why of the story – this will give them all the basic information. You can then build on the first paragraph by adding some more detail – but be as concise as possible – they simply won’t wade through hundreds of words to get to the point! Head the email ‘Press Release’ or ‘News Release’, and at the end of the copy put ‘Ends’ and today’s date – this indicates to the journalist that you have some understanding of what you are doing and what they need.

Sending a picture can often make the difference between getting your story published – or not. But again there are guidelines. The photo needs to be good quality – not fuzzy or badly composed. Focus right in on the subject and ensure that the lighting is good and the picture well framed in the shot.

No red-eye, closed eyes, wonky

Reviews as well as news When you make your plan, have a think about when you last had a review in the local press about your café (and yes they review coffee shops too!).

If it was some time ago, find out the name of the local review writer and invite them to come and see you – getting a good review is a great way to get customers coming back.

When you do get a visit, make sure you treat them very well – be polite and helpful, without going over the top.

This overview should give you enough to be able to get some PR stories going for your business. The old adage ‘You have to tell to sell’ is very apt in the current climate, and effective PR is a great way of getting your message across without it costing the earth, so go for it!

Leapfrog PR is a food and hospitality specialist PR Consultancy with experience of working with national chains and local independents (more information can be found at www.leapfrogpr.com).

Polish your image

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COFFEE

market origin

From market town

to

Here, in the first of two articles, Victoria Bishop, who started the Armadillo Café & Deli in 2004 in London, tells us about her recent trip to Costa Rica as a guest of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.

An educational experience ‘If you ever get a chance, you must go to origin’ – they kept on saying it. The more I have delved into the world of speciality coffees, the more people have told me to go.

‘It will open your eyes…you will learn so much….’ My usual response is a smile and a mutter to myself – it’s not so easy when you work six or seven days a week, are heavily involved in preparation of fresh food as well as fresh coffees ……oh, and those early starts too!

Having spent 20 years in the wine industry making wine and visiting vineyards I knew what they said would be true. My very first visit to a chateau in Bordeaux and vineyards in the Loire back in 1985 had really opened my eyes, and I had gone on to learn so much from the generosity of fascinating winemakers around the globe.

So when the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) announced that they were taking a group to Costa Rica and Panama, I quickly put up my hand. I assured my business partner that life in a market town after Christmas is perfectly manageable, and knowing that he had a good team, prepared to take the longest break away from the Armadillo Café & Deli ever since its inception in Notting Hill in 2004.

On a Sunday afternoon in the reception of the Barcelo Palacio Hotel in San Jose I met 19 complete strangers from 12 different countries who were to be my travelling companions for the next two weeks. We were all members of the SCAE, and in varying degrees involved in coffee. But there all similarities ended – which made up for a fascinating blend of cultures combined with very different degrees of experience within the world of coffee - perfect fodder for debates over the cupping tables!

For the first week our hosts were ICAFE, the Speciality Coffee Association of Costa Rica. From the itinerary emailed to me in the depths of rural Wiltshire outlining what was to become a very intense and thorough tour of coffee production mills and farms, plus dedicated cupping sessions, I was getting concerned about my extremely basic Spanish.

Going back to the days of my wine explorations, I had always got by in French,

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and language issues in Oz and New Zealand had never been a primary block to obtaining information and asking questions.

Fortunately all my fears on this front were diminished in the early hours of Monday morning when we met Stanley Pacheco, our larger than life guide and translator who turned out to be a real character. Stanley was a constant source of information about Costa Rica and the ticos’ (locals) lifestyle from erupting volcanoes to vibrant dance halls, whereas the charming but quietly spoken Warner Villegas from ICAFE was our coffee guru. Each day we were all provided with independent ear pieces and tuned into Stanley’s dulcet tones as he translated discreetly, but efficiently alongside each of our respective hosts – sophisticated, but simple with today’s level of technology – and a huge success. Thank you ICAFE for thinking that one through, and thereby enabling us to get on with frantic note-taking, especially for the new kids on the block trying to absorb a deluge of information that was both fascinating and inspiring.

Costa Rican coffee industry This year ICAFE are celebrating their 75th anniversary, and as we were the first European trade visitors they had entertained, they wanted to make sure that when we all dispersed to our far flung homes of coffee, we took with us a very comprehensive picture of the industry in Costa Rica.

We started our tour in the West Valley, even with our action packed schedule we could not physically visit all eight designated coffee growing regions (San Jose/West Valley, Alajuela, Tres Rios, Tarrazu, Guancaste, Orosi, Turrialba and Brunca), so coffees from smaller, more far flung regions were brought to us in a more central location for cupping, leaving no stone unturned.

Having left the urban mix of San Jose behind we headed west. Our skilful driver wove our way down some very steep and winding roads through vibrant, green lush foliage towards our first destination. We climbed out of our bus blinking in the Costa Rican sunshine under an azure blue sky and decided that the snow reports from England, including the closure of Heathrow, were most

unfortunate – but right now, not our problem!

The Coop Atenas is a large mill or beneficio and provided the perfect setting for our introduction to Costa Rica. Before we got down to understanding the mechanics of the beneficio and coffee production, Mario Arroyo, the promotions manager of ICAFE gave us an excellent overview of the industry we were about to explore. Sipping our first mug of Costa Rican coffee drunk on its own terra firma we digested some salient facts.

1. That what we were going to witness was based on 200 years of tradition, experience and social environmental commitment.

2. That in 1988 the Costa Ricans decided that only Arabica varietals would be permitted by law (by 1999 they had achieved this commitment, most of it being Caturra and Catuai that we would see on our travels).

3. Strict regulation of water usage in an industry where wastage can easily occur, decreed as law in 1990 defining limits to be used in coffee production (Law No 276).

4. World ranking: Costa Rica is now No 13 in the world with just over 90,000 hectares worked by some 50,000 producers - 90% of whom are either small (ie. have four hectares or less) or medium sized.

5. That 5% of the population works for the coffee harvest with salaries (farmers are offered more money for a quality product, this varies depending on the beneficio they are supplying. The cooperative system gives 9% of the profit back to the producer via their levy to ICAFE) fixed by law 6. That 70% of exports are categorised as speciality coffee.

7. That there are 118 beneficios, plus 45 roasters and 60 exporters.

8. Who oversees it all? The ICAFE since 1933 (they also have an R&D programme).

Before the week was out it was plainly obvious that this is an industry that is so aware of the potential fragility of its fantastic natural resources (Costa Rica represents 6% of the world’s biodiversity) that wherever possible they are looking for every ecofriendly way to approach each stage of coffee production.

Care in the community was also evident especially amongst the larger cooperatives who are quite paternalistic within their own

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COFFEE Left: Victoria Bishop with Colin Smith working the African beds at Agrivid.

have to continually turn the green beans, whereas the same process in the Guadiolas operating at 45-55deg C can be achieved in 22 – 30 hours. At Volcafe’s San Diego Mill in the Central Valley we donned hard hats for our tour of their high tech mill, and witnessed sun drying in vast greenhouses where tractor driven rakers ensure that these premium beans achieve the correct humidity whilst remaining no deeper than 5cm.

Costa Rica at play regions as they compete with private mills for the farmers’ loyalty. At Coopalmares for example, we saw members of their community being treated in a mobile Dental Clinic that travels the cantons of Palmares during term time. At another there was a supermarket, a petrol station and even a vet!

Production Actual coffee production, like wine, follows a common thread from which various producers occasionally branch off to explore a route of their own either to improve quality or enhance a natural attribute peculiar to their region or micro-climate. The reduction of moisture in green beans is just one example: from sun drying on vast open concrete terraces or on raised ‘African Beds’ (long elevated tables) to the enormous rotating dryers or ‘Guadiolas’ - all aiming to achieve an optimum humidity of 11.5 degrees.

The process with the outdoor terraces or African Beds can take from three to five days and is generally considered to be the best as it helps to increase the acidity in the bean.

However, this is expensive because workers

Twice we veered off the coffee trail to get a taste of Costa Rica at play. To the uninitiated ‘a canopy experience’ is zip-wiring over the rainforest canopy strapped on and helmets secured. To see the varied and abundant foliage that we had admired from the bus, skimming your toes and brushing your head really brought us close to this beautiful country.

Our visit also co-insided with the annual civic fair at Palmares - the biggest in the country where we watched the most entertaining and gentle bull fights. The bulls were not only never harmed, but completely in control of the situation, with young local ticos daring each other to run across their path!

Occasionally the roads were too much of a challenge for even our experienced driver with his rather low slung bus so we had to decamp into the back of four wheel drives and utility trucks. Fresh air and amazing scenery are what I will always associate with some of the micro-mills we visited.

At Agrivid in Terrazu the small but immaculate set up reminded me of boutique

wineries I had visited in the Yarra Valley close to Melbourne. Where the scenery is awesome, small is beautiful and detail is everything. The result is in the cup, but sadly the availability is in the Far East and not UK – yet!

On our last afternoon we wound our way through the edge of the rainforest similar to that we had zip-wired over the previous day, trying desperately to drink in more breathtaking views because you know that there is no camera in the world with a wide enough lens to do it justice - while holding on to the edge of a dusty truck! Finally we arrived at the Don Mayo Micro Mill where coffee trees were planted on such steep slopes that pickers sometimes have to tie themselves to trees to stop them falling down the slopes.

Costa Rica is a country rich in colour and resources, and also in the quality of their coffees. We cupped, drank and tasted coffee from all over the country, and whilst they may not be destined for the European idea of espresso, as we so hotly debated with some local baristas, there are some truly excellent speciality coffees ready to be enjoyed – here in the UK - just in a mug will do me fine.

They were right. I had learnt a lot, and in Panama I would learn even more as we saw coffee being harvested. Like wine, I have now got the bug, I will definitely go ‘to origin’ again....and again.

At the Don Mayo Micro Mill.

Above: A sign from Coopalmares that says ‘Let’s avoid decontamination – let’s pulp without water’.

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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

We have recently taken over a café near Newark and after attending a couple of barista courses we tried to set our coffee machine up but can't change or programme the drink shot quantity. Our machine is an Expobar 2 group machine. How do we program this machine please? (Kerry and Richard Taylor, Newark)

A

Congratulations on taking enough care to want to get things exact.

It's easy to correct the levels on your machine and here’s how…

1. Push down the ‘star’ button for about 10 seconds (the lights on the touch pad will go out).

2. Fill your group handle with a single or double dose and fit to the side that you will be programming.

3. Select the drink you want to program and push the button (no need to hold down).

4. Allow the correct amount of water to flow into your measured shot glass.

5. Push down the selected button and this will stop the flow of water.

6. You have now successfully programmed that button.

7. Repeat this process for the other buttons and you will be serving great coffee in no time at all.

Good luck and keep up that great attitude!

Q

As you have a service and repair company can you please explain to me how service companies call out and repair costs can vary so much???? (Jennifer Lyons, London).

A

YYYOOUUCCHHH! That’s a real prickly issue. This is a minefield really as some companies say they specialise in certain machines which they

then justify their costs by that way.

Manufacturers usually charge more as you are dealing direct with a specialist (hopefully) in your machine.

I won't go in depth too much with the actual costs, but a call out should be between say £45 and £70 dependant on distance travelled. An hourly rate of between £30 and £45 can be charged dependant on the experience of the engineer. Coffix has set prices for all its servicing and descaling and most of our call outs. We do though change our call out charge if the call is more then 60 miles from our base. I know some great engineers that didn't charge enough and

this led them to leave the industry which is a real shame as it’s always handy to know a good local engineer. But I know some companies that charge the earth for not much more then a basic understanding of the business.

Sorry Jennifer for not being more exact, but my suggestion would be if you have found a good engineer (even if they are slightly more expensive), stick to them as they will look after you and respond quickly in most cases.

Is that a snake in your machine or are you just happy to see an engineer?

Q

We have a hissing noise coming from inside our machine. Could you please advise us what this could be? It's not the pressure valve that sits on top of the water level glass section as my husband has fixed that already (Jan Diamond, Bristol).

A

Is that a snake in your machine or are you just happy to see an engineer? (yes I know it’s an oldie, but it's still a goodie!) There are a couple of things that it could be ranging from a leaking or cracked pipe that’s leaking water or pressure out causing the hiss. More than likely though, it will be the boiler safety valve.

They have a pressure spring in them and if this springs weakens you can get steam pushing past the safety valve. These valves must pass an annual inspection from your insurance company. This is a job for an engineer so please contact your local espresso engineer. They should carry one on their van as they are a common part across most espresso machines.

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!

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NEW PRODUCTS

The Rondo Collection The Rondo Collection of café and bistro furniture is supplied by Andy Thornton, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of quality hospitality furniture.

The stylish Rondo side chair features an elegant back with horizontal curved slats and simple splayed legs.

Manufactured in solid beech, it is shown here with an upholstered seat (in a fabric of your choice), or is available with a plain ply seat. The chair frame can be polished to any stain colour.

A Rondo bar stool is also available and the company offers a good selection of tables and tops from their standard range to complement the Rondo. To see the full furniture range from Andy Thornton, request their new Catalogue 17 by calling 01422 376000, e-mailing marketing @andythornton.com or visiting www.andythornton.com.

Newproducts Compact cooling packed with style Friulinox, a premium Italian commercial refrigeration brand, is ensuring that smaller catering outlets and kitchens won’t miss out on using the company’s high quality Italian products by offering compact options of their key cooling/freezing units.

Many smaller restaurants or fast food outlets have limited space in their kitchens, yet still have the need for high quality blast chilling/freezing units and refrigerated storage. They also need units that will provide reliable, environmentally-friendly performances at an affordable price. Examples of Friulinox’s compact units include a blast chiller/freezer, stainless steel cabinets and stainless steel counters (distributed in the UK by Frost Tech - call 0845 290 3273 or visit www.friulinoxrefrigeration.co.uk/).

School meal specials are simply not fried Chicken and fish products that circumvent the government’s onlytwo-per-week deep fried items in school meals have proved the answer to a prayer for education establishments working with frozen food wholesaler, MKG Foods, to present exciting meals that don’t break any rules.

Called the “Simply Not Fried” range, all the products are government compliant, child friendly, fully cooked, individually quick frozen and portion controlled. The range includes 30g Not Fried Salmon, 60g Not Fried Pollock, Not Fried Salmon Fishcakes and Not Fried Chicken products, as well as Chicken Bites and Bakes made with onions and spices.

The range is completed by a vegetarian Not Fried Cous Cous Bake – lightly spiced cous cous plus red bell peppers, Savoy cabbage and sultanas (call Customer Services on 08456 410750, www.mkgfoods.co.uk).

Beanz Meanz Heinz is Back!

The Beanz Meanz Heinz slogan made an official comeback last month as part of a £1.4 million campaign to reacquaint the iconic Heinz Beanz brand with its nostalgic catchphrase.

Adverts, on terrestrial and satellite channels, featured the popular jingle and incorporated a montage of vintage Heinz adverts from 1957 to 2008. During each 40 second slot, viewers saw children returning from school throughout the different generations to be served a nutritious tea-time plate of Heinz Beanz.

To celebrate and enable caterers to show consumers they only invest in the best, Heinz Foodservice has launched a new Heinz Beanz communication kit to help drive sales, including a tentcard for either standard Heinz Beanz or the Reduced Salt and Sugar variety, a window vinyl and menu stickers (visit www.heinzsight.co.uk or call 0800 575755).

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

MARCH 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 37

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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

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

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 Cars - Cardiff 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 CJ’s – Snaith, East Yorkshire 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 Fernz (Café) - Worthing Flavour - Cardiff Fruitcakes - Northleach Greggs Plc – Newcastle-upon-Tyne Homes4u - Lancashire Java Brothers Ltd - Leeds Java The Hut - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Josiah’s Lounge - London Koo Coffee - Derbyshire Lightbody - Hamilton Love Shack Coffee - Essex Maids of Honour - St Helier, Jersey Mambocino - Middlesex Marmalades - Norwich McLeish Brothers- Dundee Mister Woods Café - Northshields Murray’s Catering - Altricham Nourish Café and Deli - Torquay Pickwicks Café - Somerset Plush - Liverpool 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 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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