Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 35

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magazine NOVEMBER 2009 ISSUE 35

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

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Take the biscuit There are some things that everyone loves.

Like our fantastic range of biscuits, for example. Featuring great-tasting, moreish snacks in handy portion packs, our biscuits are a sure-fire hit in any cafĂŠ environment.

Which is hardly surprising, when they include leading brand names such as Maryland Cookies, Cadbury Mini Fingers, Digestives and Shortcake.

So create the right impression and take the biscuit, so your customers can too.

Call us now, on: 01727 899700

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NEWS

Welcome!

CONTENTS

Once again, it’s been a very busy year for the UK café sector that appears to be bucking the trend and thriving well, despite the recession.

In our final issue of 2009, some well known names in the business offer their advice to those about to start up their own outlets. We hear about how the café sector has been treated under the current planning system, and showcase some compact catering equipment and festive fare.

We would also like to thank Coffix’s Glenn James for helping our readers shed light on their coffee machine issues via the words of wisdom he provides in his regular maintenance column, as well as wish you all a prosperous start to 2010!

Clare Benfield - Editor Editor Clare Benfield, Tel: 01291 636336, E-mail: clare@jandmgroup.co.uk Advertising Manager Paul Steer Tel: 01291 636333 E-mail: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk Production Manager Jayson Berry, Tel: 01291 636344, E-mail: jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk Subscriptions and Customer Service Suskia Bollen, Tel: 01291 636338 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

NEWS

ARTICLES

4 Bath to host UK’s first Coffee Festival.

28 Creed and SOHO Coffee Co. celebrate – Creed’s first year as the South West’s coffee chain’s nominated supplier.

5 Starbucks UK announces partnership to help fight AIDS. 6 Cool cabinets halt ram-raid.

7 Prototype is presented.

FEATURES 12 Christmas countdown – our yearly showcase of some festive treats.

18 How to start a coffee shop – industry views on what would-be coffee shop and café owners need to think about when starting out.

30 Green space savers – catering equipment that’s both compact and energy-saving.

26 One for Portsmouth makes it 50 for Peros – One Water’s fiftieth water pump.

34 The planning system and coffee shops: greater flexibility and opportunity? – DPP’s Chris Green investigates.

REGULARS 36 Coffee Clinic – your maintenance queries answered.

37 New products.

38 Product listings.

39 Checkout.

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

NOVEMBER 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 3

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NEWS

Bath to host UK’s first Coffee Festival The UK’s first coffee festival is to be held in Bath in May 2010.

The Bath Coffee Festival 2010 will be a two day outdoor event celebrating everything related to coffee and will be an opportunity for the coffee industry to showcase and sell their products, as well as educate consumers about the fine art of coffee making.

The main exhibiting area will be in the centre of Bath and will hold around 100 exhibitors, while other events and venues hosting coffee related activity will be located around the City, say the event’s organisers.

The festival programme will include expert barista sessions, roasting master classes, latte art demonstrations, as well as educational talks, films about coffee and music from the coffee growing regions.

“Coffee is arguably the world’s most popular beverage. It has a universal multicultural appeal and is important to our

society,” says festival organiser, Linda Donaldson. “While millions of cups are consumed every day, there are still a high proportion of people who have very little knowledge about the drink. The festival will provide an opportunity for coffee companies and others to change that and to wake consumers up to what real coffee is all about.

“We have decided to host the festival in Bath as it is well known for its café culture and high quality coffee shops. As a World Heritage City, Bath has an all year round

tourist trade and historically generates high visitor numbers in May. We anticipate the coffee festival will attract a high volume of visitors.”

Among the first companies to sponsor the festival is Gold Top, the creamy milk that comes exclusively from British herds of Jersey and Guernsey cows. Other sponsors of the festival include; coffee roasters Martin Carwardine & Co, Taylerson’s Malmesbury Syrups, Ginsters and tourism body Future Bath Plus.

Costa announce their best barista

La Spaziale freeze prices

Costa Coffee has completed its 2009 search for its finest global barista, with a Dorking contestant stealing the crown and beating nine other finalists at the chain’s Global Final of Costa’s Barista of the Year Competition.

Held at Costa’s London Roastery on 21 October, Gabor Kamondi, who works at the Costa store in Dorking, convinced the panel of industry expert judges, which included Gennaro Pelliccia, Costa Roastery Technical Manager, and Charles Metcalf, Wine expert and TV presenter, that he is the cream of the coffee crop.

10 outstanding finalists had battled through demanding country and regional heats to earn the chance to lay claim to the prestigious title which celebrates Costa’s supremacy and become the Barista of the Year for 2009. The finalists came from as far afield as China, India and the Middle East, as well as Europe and six contestants from the UK. Gabor built a rapport with the audience, judges and made drinks with flair and confidence, with his skill and passion for coffee earning him the first prize of a holiday for two to a country with a coffee growing region, plus a custom-made winner uniform shirt to proudly wear in store and the all-important Barista of the Year Trophy.

“I am absolutely delighted to have won. To be awarded for my barista skills and to win such a prestigious competition is amazing for me. Coffee is not only my profession but also my passion, and to be presented with this award, by leading coffee industry judges, partly due to my own unique Gabor’s signature drink, Pick Mint speciality drink, is overwhelming,” said Gabor.

This year’s runners up were Jonathan Scott from - a blend of Costa’s signature espresso with mint - was inspired Carlisle in second place, with third place going to by a love of After Eights.

Elia Burbello from Cork, Ireland.

The Italian espresso machine manufacturer, La Spaziale S.p.A., has announced a freeze in list prices until at least January 2011.

The promise, covering the full range of La Spaziale traditional espresso machines, coffee grinders and spares, has been designed to give price stability and confidence to buyers, say the company.

“With the economy showing the first signs of recovery it’s important that we show support to our customers,” said Steve Penk, sales director of La Spaziale UK. “Our distributors and end-users will appreciate this price commitment as it allows them to plan their financial options with greater confidence. We believe this is a unique step amongst comparable equipment suppliers.”

List prices will be fixed at current levels for the remainder of 2009 and throughout 2010. In terms of potential currency fluctuations, La Spaziale UK says that it will continue to review quarterly their Euro conversion rate (this rate has not changed throughout 2009).

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NEWS

Starbucks UK announces partnership to help fight AIDS Starbucks UK and (RED)TM have announced a partnership to help fight AIDS in Africa, offering a means by which Starbucks UK customers can support AIDS programmes in Africa through their everyday purchases.

Through the UK partnership with (RED), sales of the (Starbucks) RED products will generate a contribution to the Global Fund to help support AIDS programs in Africa that provide testing, counselling and medicine to those affected by HIV. Many of these programmes fund antiretroviral treatment, the medicine that can give someone living with HIV a chance at life.

By teaming with (Product) RED, Starbucks will work together with its customers and reach out to the communities in Africa where its coffee is grown, helping to improve the lives of those living with HIV. This announcement in the UK builds on a broader partnership between Starbucks and (RED), say the company. Since its U.S. and Canada launch in November 2008, Starbucks has already generated contributions equal to

over five million daily doses of antiretroviral medication through the purchases of (Starbucks) RED products.

Every time a customer pays with their registered (Starbucks) RED card at participating coffeehouses in the UK, Starbucks will make a 5p contribution to the Global Fund. This card is the next addition to the Starbucks Card Rewards programme, which now gives customers the chance to help Starbucks make a contribution to the Global Fund, as well as benefit from additional value and rewards (such as free syrups, an extra shot or free Wi-Fi) when they register their card.

“Starbucks has partnered with (RED) because it is important to our business to invest in the health and well-being of the people and communities that grow our coffee, a chief component of StarbucksTM Shared PlanetTM,” said Brian Waring, marketing director, Starbucks UK and Ireland. “It offers us another opportunity to use our size for good and enables us to bring our customers new, simple ways to do good everyday.”

Promise of exotic new organic China teas A new agreement means small producers of high quality organic China tea will find it much easier to access the UK market with their products.

New green and black teas, plus more unusual white, yellow, oolong and puer teas, expertly produced by small to mediumscale tea gardens across the major growing regions of China, could be in UK shops as soon as summer 2010 following a mutual inspection agreement between the two leading organic certifiers, the Soil Association in the UK and the Organic Tea Research and Development Company in China.

Following a series of negotiations and detailed training, these two certifiers have agreed to recognise each other’s inspection regimes. This will significantly reduce the cost of organic certification in China, as UK inspectors no longer need to inspect in China, nor vice versa.

This opens the way for much smaller producers to extend to the UK market.

“This is great news for tea lovers. We expect to see 15-20 new tea varieties arrive in the first couple of years, with perhaps many more to follow.

These will probably be available from specialist tea shops, but we’re hoping that supermarkets will show an interest too,” said the Soil Association Certification’s managing director, David Peace.

“The challenge for the Chinese tea producers now is to market their products here successfully. Most significantly this agreement means that large volumes of organic China tea will be certified to the Soil Association’s high standards, so consumers can be sure it has been grown without artificial fertilisers and avoiding pesticides.”

Alongside the card, for every purchase of the (Starbucks) RED tumbler, Starbucks will contribute £3 directly to the Global Fund (in addition, customers can bring their reusable tumbler to Starbucks and receive 25p off the price of their drink at participating stores in the UK).

Caffè Italia is born When café operators, Ponti’s, briefed designers, Mystery, to revamp the brand identity and interior design across its 25 restaurants it didn’t expect to end up with an additional property on its hands, but with the company planning to move its operations away from tray service, Mystery spotted the opportunity to reposition the original brand as Ponti’s Italian Kitchen and, for high turnover sites such as airports, to create a new ‘express’ dining concept under the name of Caffè Italia.

In line with the service and product offering, Mystery styled Ponti’s Italian Kitchen by contrasting regional home cooking with a touch of 1960s London to reflect the ‘family run since 1963’ positioning, while everything about Caffè Italia was inspired by metropolitan attitude and iconic Italian design such as that of Ferarri and Fendi.

Having established two distinct brand positionings, Mystery then created an entirely new font, logo, menus, signage, packaging and staff uniform for each. The first Ponti’s Italian Kitchen opened as a small test site in Duke St, W1, while work has already started on a flagship site in Oxford Circus. The first Caffè Italia opened in Milton Keynes in October.

“Mystery worked with us to re-invigorate our 45 year old family business to become Ponti’s Italian Kitchen. They did such an outstanding job that we let them loose on our Caffè Italia concept too,” said Stefano Ispani CEO of Ponti’s Group.

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NEWS

partner for afternoon tea

Twinings and Swissôtel

■ A Coffee@ outlet in London survived a ram-raid with help from their chill cabinets.

Cool cabinets halt ram-raid Verco Limited supplied a number of integral open-chill Kingston cabinets to coffee shop chain Coffee@, and which then helped prevent an attempted ram-raid and resulted in criminal convictions for two would-be thieves.

To date, Verco (a supplier of refrigerated cabinets to the UK’s convenience stores, supermarkets and independent retailers) has supplied 1.3m cabinets to Coffee@, which was established in Central London in 1999 and now has two shops on Brick Lane as well as sites at Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey Street, Whitecross Road and Goswell Road. Shortly after taking delivery of two Kingston cabinets for the Goswell Road site, the shop was the target of a ram-raid.

“According to eyewitnesses and police reports, it appears that the kerb outside the coffee shop was too high, and as one ram-raider tried to encourage the driver of the vehicle on to the pavement, his coconspirator accelerated too hard and drove over him, breaking his leg,” explains Coffee@ managing director, Adrian Jones.

“Not wishing to leave emptyhanded, the driver continued with his attempt but only managed to hit a bench, which was stopped by one of the two Kingston cabinets, preventing further access. I am pleased to say that both ramraiders were arrested and the Kingston cabinet survived with very little damage!”

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A top London hotel, Swissôtel The Howard in London, has partnered with Twinings to deliver a afternoon tea concept which features a selection of traditional sandwiches, home baked scones with clotted cream, sweet pastries, a novel assortment of shortbread and 3D chocolate treats to reflect some of London’s most recognisable features and landmarks, as well as a selection of the finest teas.

Customers at Swissôtel The Howard, London will be able to enjoy some of the rarest and most unusual teas from Twinings Tea Rituals Range, from hand-fashioned Jasmine Pearls to the intricate Flowering Tea, as well as the opportunity to experience the rituals of Oriental, Tisane and British Afternoon tea ceremonies.

Twinings launched loose leaf Tea Rituals earlier this year working with a hand picked selection of hotels and restaurants.

“TLSee brings something truly different to the traditional afternoon tea,” said Andreas Stys, general manager of Swissôtel The Howard. “Our intention was that our tea menu reflects this. The combination of Twinings’ British heritage, specialist teas and the support we received through the

■ The Swissôtel The Howard in London is utilising the Tea Rituals range from Twinings as part of its afternoon tea service.

Twinings Tea Academy made them the perfect partner.”

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with them and for this prestigious hotel to be one of our Tea Ambassadors,” added Andrea Stopher, senior customer marketing manager at Twinings Foodservice.

Winners are announced For the third year in a row, a Cafe2U franchisee has won a National Bev E Award from the Beverage Service Association for Outstanding Beverage Quality and Customer Service.

Cafe2U had three of the four finalists, but it was Steve Dyson (Cafe2U Barnsley) who impressed the judges the most, and has been named as the Coffee Cart/Mobile winner for 2009.

In the same awards, the Waterloo Gardens Teahouse in Cardiff won a National Bev E Award from the Beverage Service Association - the title of Southern Champions in the best coffee shop category. The judging was conducted over three rounds when industry experts would visit unannounced and order three drinks, only letting outlets know who they were upon leaving. One of the drinks sampled had to be an espresso, another a cappuccino, and the third was one of their own choosing.

“Since we have opened we have made a song and dance about the quality of our teas, as we believe that they truly are the best you can get anywhere in the world,” says the outlet’s Kasim Ali. “However, in the background, as our regulars will know, we were also serving a good cup of coffee too. So this award will hopefully let all those coffee lovers know that the Teahouse is for them too!”

The national champions in these awards will be announced later in the month during an awards ceremony in Old Trafford.

The Waterloo Gardens Teahouse in Cardiff was successful in the National Bev E Awards.

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NEWS

Prototype is presented La Marzocco presented its prototype Strada at Out Of The Box, La Marzocco’s “off-the-show-floor” HOST event, held in Milan (23 and 24 October 2009).

In addition to La Marzocco’s distinctive features like its saturated brew groups, stainless steel boilers and PID system, the Strada presents individual everything including one pump, one pre-heater, one mixing valve, and one coffee boiler for each brew group.

Final inputs on design and ergonomics were collected at the Out Of The Box Event and the Strada will be available in 2010 in two and three group models with high legs. It will be presented in a stainless steel body with side panels in casted aluminum with crystal glass inserts, and painted black details (gauges, group caps, etc.) with two levercontrolled, cool touch steam wands, say La Marzocco.

World’s first portable espresso maker The mypressiTM TwistTM - exclusively available in the UK from Cream Supplies, a division of Catering & Leisure Supplies - claims to be the world’s first truly portable espresso maker, according to its US manufacturer, Espressi Inc. Because the Twist is powered by a small N20 gas cartridge, discreetly hidden within its handle, it requires no external power source and can be used virtually anywhere, making it ideal when freshly made, hot espresso is required for hotel room service, in a kitchen, behind the bar or even outdoors. All that is needed is some ground coffee or standard ESE coffee pods and hot water.

The Twist produces one double (or two single) perfectly extracted espressos in just 20-30 seconds and each recyclable gas cartridge is sufficient for eight single espresso shots, with replacements available from Cream Supplies (www.creamsupplies.co.uk).

Twist also recently won the coveted Best New Product award for 2009/2010 from the Speciality Coffee Association of America.

The TWIST is 27cm long, 9cm wide and 9cm high, and weighs 0.45kg and delivers a pressure of 135 psi (its list price is around £105).

■ A Sukhoi Su29 aerobatic aircraft is helping to promote Caffè Gabriele.

Caffè Gabriele’s adrenalin rush Caffè Gabriele, the Birtley- based specialist importer of Italian coffee, espresso coffee machines and bespoke bar fittings, has introduced a powerful new marketing tool - the awesome Sukhoi Su29 aerobatic aircraft.

Directors, Paul Gabriele, whose father established the business in 1948 and Tullio Petrucci, acquired the aircraft to help market and promote their business and eminent Italian brands, Caffè Bristot, as well as the premium coffee and coffee machine manufacturer, Wega.

The aircraft, originally built to train the Russian military, was recently unveiled to Caffè Gabriele clients at the local Fishburn Aerodrome, with Tom Cassells, British aerobatics champion for three years, performing some breathtaking aerobatics.

The aircraft will also perform at the Sunderland Air Show and other events across the UK, promoting Caffè Gabriele who, despite challenging economic times, reports that it is looking to increase its workforce in the coming months.

■ La Marzocco’s Strada prototype was on view in Milan recently.

Café plans to put Santa in the jungle!

Father Christmas continues to play a big part in the festive season for children with a 2008 survey by the financial firm Liverpool Victoria finding that three-quarters of under10s still believe in Father Christmas.

A “frugal festivities” study compiled by Aviva also revealed that many parents have been working hard to try to keep the Christmas atmosphere intact at least for their little ones by introducing a “kidsonly” rule for Santa that essentially restricts gift giving in the household to the children only.

Thus, this year the Rainforest Café in London says that it has worked closely with a set designer to create a Santa Grotto in the heart of the jungle that will delight younger guests, as well as help parents to keep their children’s Christmas dream alive by offering a festive venue for the family.

Santa and his elves will feature in frozen Rainforest scene, and parents will also be able to take advantage of a meet and greet package, which includes a meal for the whole family, a Christmas gift and plenty of time with Santa, without the endless shopping centre’s queues, say the café.

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NEWS

Peros funds 50th PlayPump in Africa

Cooper’s helps playhouse to become Fairtrade friendly The independent coffee distributor, Cooper’s Coffee, has won a contract worth in excess of £40,000 to supply the West Yorkshire Playhouse with its coffee as well as coffee equipment.

In a bid to support Leeds’s status as a Fairtrade city, the Playhouse has selected a range of organic and ethical coffee, tea and hot chocolate from Cooper’s, making its hot beverage offering entirely Fairtrade.

Theatregoers will be able to sample Cooper’s most ethically sound coffee, the Triple Certified blend, which embodies Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Soil Association approval in the theatre’s newly refurbished bar and restaurant in both espresso and filter coffee format. A range of nine premium Fairtrade teas has also been selected as well as a Fairtrade hot chocolate for those who prefer alternative hot beverages to coffee.

The Playhouse has also signed up to a range of coffee equipment from Cooper’s including a De Latte espresso machine, a Cimbali bean-to-cup system, a Dalla Corte DC1 Grinder and bulk brewing equipment to cater for high volume coffee sales during intervals - over 100 cups of coffee are served every 20 minutes on average.

“It was important to us to become a committed Fairtrade organisation, and Coopers Coffee offered us the opportunity to do this,” said David Williams, catering manager at the Playhouse. “The products they have supplied us with are not only ethically sourced they are also great quality.

They supply the best fairtrade teas and coffees available, backed up by quality equipment and fantastic training. Now theatregoers can have great performances with a great tasting coffee on the side.”

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CAFÉ CULTURE

Peros, an independent fair and ethically traded beverage and snack supplier, has just funded its landmark fiftieth PlayPump - each one of which has helped change the lives of people in Africa by giving communities access to clean water.

Peros, working with its customers in sectors including contract catering, foodservice, hospitality and education, has funded the PlayPumps through sales of One Water, a bottled water brand that uses every penny of its profits to fund water and nutrition projects in Africa.

A PlayPump is funded when sales of One Water to a customer reach a certain level. In this way, organisations such as Catermasters, RBS and several universities have helped Peros reach their total of 50 pumps in just over three years - an average of more than one PlayPump per

James Roberts, pictured with some local children on a recent visit to Africa to see the impact PlayPumps are having on local communities. month during that time.

“We are delighted to have contributed, with the help of our customers, to the building of so many PlayPumps which are greatly benefiting local communities,” said James Roberts, joint managing director of Peros, who recently visited Africa to see the impact of PlayPumps on local communities.

“Looking ahead, we are very confident that we can continue to build on our success. More and more of our customers are becoming

Another win for Byron Bay The multi-award winning Byron Bay Cookie Company can now add another award to its list after the Byron Bay Triple Choc Fudge Cookies were awarded the Vegetarian Society Award for Best Vegetarian Society Approved Snack or Confectionary Product for 2009.

The awards, held on Thursday 29 October at the Magic Circle headquarters in London, celebrated those products that have helped people looking for a truly vegetarian option.

“Everyone at Byron Bay Cookie Company is delighted to have been selected and voted for by members of the Vegetarian Society as their favourite approved snack product,” said Paul Maxwell of the Byron Bay Cookie Company. “We have worked hard to bake the best cookies on the market and this award goes towards proving that we are doing just that.”

Byron Bay Cookies are baked in the UK using premium ingredients, free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and only using free range, all approved by the Vegetarian Society.

passionate about the One Water concept and the fact that they can, through their bottled water purchases, fund their own PlayPumps.

They can then take advantage of the opportunity to visit Africa, at their own cost, to witness the installation of their PlayPump and to see at first-hand the difference this makes to the local people. A number of our customers are using the occasion as an incentive opportunity - inviting some of their customers and staff to share in the unique visit.”

Soup containers sorted

Solo Cup Europe (www.solocup europe.co.uk) says that it is now printing heavy duty soup containers in the UK, and reducing lead times so that caterers have an assured, fast supply during the winter months, and to ease inventory pressure for smaller operators, they have also introduced container and lid combi packs.

Solo Cup Europe’s Symphony range of rigid wall soup and hot food containers are able to cope with thicker hot soups - an important factor as ‘food on the move’ containers need to retain rigidity during transportation.

Two lids are also available for the Symphony range, a double vented paper lid to allow steam to escape, and a transparent PP lid.

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NEWS

Bettavend switch to 3M

SHORTS ■ Americans cut back – According to a recent Harris Poll which surveyed 2293 random US adults in early October, 20% reported that they had cut back on buying coffee in the morning as part of a drive to spend less money during the prevailing lean economic times.

■ Foodservice launch – Burtons Foods Out of Home Snacking - the company behind brands such as Maryland Cookies, Cadbury Fingers and Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels - is launching into foodservice this month.

■ New soups – A brand new range of soups from Delice de France features traditional British favourites, as well as ethnic inspired flavours, including Leek & Potato, Cream of Tomato, and Chicken, Spring Onion & Coriander.

■ Think espresso – The new Astoria web site is now online at www.astoria.com and is encouraging visitors to ‘think espresso’.

■ New name, new look – As part of a broad strategy development, the Common Code for the Coffee Community Association has fine-tuned its identity by adopting the name 4C Association and refreshing its visual appearance.

■ Charity sponsorship – First Choice Coffee were sponsors of the prestigious Hospitality Action Ambassador’s Award that was awarded at the industry’s ‘mustattend’ event of the year - the Hospitality Sparkle Ball - held in October to celebrate the work of the charity, as well as raise valuable funds.

Restaurant & Bar Design Awards ■ In its second year, the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards is dedicated exclusively to design, recognising and rewarding designers and operators for design excellence in restaurant and bar projects opened in 2009. The call for entries will close on the 31 January 2010, with a wide selection of categories and free online entry www.restaurantand bardesignawards.com

Bettavend automatic vending machines for hot beverages and cold drinks has announced that it has changed over to using 3M ScaleGard Pro water filtration systems supplied by Pelican Technical Solutions.

“We changed to the 3M solution following a visit to their headquarters at Bracknell, arranged by Pelican, where we gained a greater insight into how their various products could help improve and ensure consistency in the quality of our drinks,” said John Ferguson, MD of the Southampton vending machine supplier and operator.

The 3M system protects equipment from the detrimental effects of scale build-up, and minimises corrosion at the same time as removing excess chlorine and other unpleasant tastes and odours from drinks. Another benefit, say Bettavend, was being able to change the ScaleGard Pro’s scale prevention cartridge as quickly as a light bulb, reducing the cost and effort of keeping vending machines working well.

In Season coffees Tapping into the emerging trend for ethically sourced premium speciality coffees, Origin Coffee has launched the In Season range, a collection of single estate and blended coffees from around the world that have been hand roasted at the Origin Roastery under the eagle eye of Origin Roaster and champion barista, Phil Gevaux.

Spanning South America, Africa and the Far East each In Season coffee offers some of the finest speciality Arabicas available, say Origin, and has recently included four single estate coffees perfect for French presses and filters and one espresso blend, a seasonal blend for hardened drinkers. As the seasons change so do the coffees but Origin’s founder Tom Sobey and his expert team say that they will ensure the flavour in the cup will always be consistent.

Origin plan to buy In Season coffees direct from farmers at the time of harvest, cutting out the middlemen in a bespoke sourcing policy to ensure that Origin can get the very best, freshest beans, but says that it will also guarantee the highest premium possible for growers.

Price is negotiated direct and solely on the quality of the crop, say the company, so the better the crop, the greater the price. A natural move beyond Fairtrade, this further strengthens the relationship between farmer and coffee drinker, feel Origin (the In Season range is available direct from Origin Coffee at £14 per kilo).

Peros’s exclusive chocolate hit Peros has launched the brand new ChocHit Fairtrade chocolate milk drink and is the exclusive foodservice distributor for the product.

The new product is likely to prove popular with anyone who is looking for a refreshing, high quality and ethical flavoured dairy beverage, say the company, and the beverage is also low in fat (ChocHit contains just 1.6g of fat per 100g, making it a healthy yet indulgent alternative to a chocolate bar, point out Peros).

ChocHit is made with Fairtrade cocoa from the Dominican Republic and Fairtrade sugar from Paraguay. The milk used for the chocolate milk comes from local farms around the bottling plant in Switzerland.

The blended ingredients contain no preservatives, and are pasteurized and bottled on a cold aseptic line to give a long shelf-life with ambient storage, although ChocHit is best served chilled.

Recommend Peros. ChocHit is sold in cases of 12 x 250ml PET recyclable bottles.

Peros has launched the brand new ChocHit Fairtrade chocolate milk drink.

Firefly announce shortlist Following a nationwide competition launched in September to find the next Firefly Tonic, the producers of the 100% natural energy drinks have announced the five finalists.

In true X Factor style the finalists have been put forward to the public vote, with fans simply having to visit www.fireflytonics.com to vote for their favourite Firefly creation. The final five range from a patriotic bottle with classic British ingredients, to a fiery leopard print with a wild name, and Firefly report that they found it extremely difficult to whittle down the entries.

The overall winner will be invited to spend the day developing the drink with the team at Firefly HQ in West London. They will also receive a year’s supply of their very own Firefly when the drink is launched in early 2010.

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CAFÉ CULTURE

To have your say in the Firefly competition, visit www.fireflytonics.com.

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Media partner

Where proďŹ t boosting

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Strictly no under 16s will be admitted.

www.CAFEPLUSSHOW CO UK

❅ ❅❅❅ ❅ ❅ ❅ ❅ ❅ ❅ ❅ Christmas ❅❅ ❅ countdown ❅ ❅❅ ❅❅❅❅ ❅❅ ❅ ❅ ❅ ❅ ❅

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FESTIVE FARE

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With the holiday season just around the corner, we tempt the taste buds, and take a closer look at some products that will enable outlets to provide their customers with those all important festive flavours.

Above: Available for a limited period only, Byron Bay Cookie Company’s Plum Pudding Cookie.

Mince pie served with Mövenpick Rum Raisin ice cream.

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❅ ❅ ❅ ❅❅ ❅ RECIPE IDEA

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Mulled Pear Tart

• 500g Jus-RolTM Shortcrust Pastry thawed • 3 pears peeled • 142ml double cream • 250g custard chilled • 500ml red wine • Rind and juice of one orange • 100g sugar • 1 cinnamon stick • 3 cloves • 2tbsp redcurrant jelly

■ Pre-heat oven to 200oC (180oC for fan assisted ovens), 400oF/Gas Mark 6.

■ Roll out pastry to line a 20cm/8” flan tin or ring. Chill for 15-20 minutes.

Then line with baking parchment so that it overhangs. Fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove paper and beans and cook for a further five minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool.

■ Meanwhile, combine wine, sugar and spices in a large pan and heat to dissolve sugar, and then bring to the boil. Place peeled pears in wine mixture and simmer until pears are tender, turning occasionally to ensure pears are coated with wine. Remove from pan and allow to cool, keep mulled wine to one side.

■ Whip double cream until thick and then stir in custard. Spread in base of flan case. Cut pears in half and remove cores. Make five to six slices in each pear keeping point intact.

Arrange on top of tart.

■ Heat together the retained wine and redcurrant jelly and spoon over pears to glaze just before serving.

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New flavours In the run up to Christmas, the Byron Bay Cookie Company - which has come to specialise in limited edition flavours have been promoting their latest Plum Pudding Cookie. Developed to evoke memories of log fires, thick woollen jumpers and those all important rich fruit puddings that winter was made for, say Byron Bay, each cookie is packed with plums, sultanas and walnuts and is delicately spiced with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice to give a moist but delicately chewy cookie that is sure to be popular this winter.

“It has taken months of development to get a cookie that is reminiscent of the classic plum pudding desert that is a mainstay of the winter season,” says Mark Perrin, European sales manager for Byron Bay Cookie Company. “With extensive taste testing we are confident that we have the perfect winter accompaniment for any tea, coffee or hot chocolate. With the success of the Strawberries & Clotted Cream Cookie we are confident that the Plum Pudding Cookie will be just as well received from both trade and consumers alike.”

Since its launch in Australia during the mid 1990’s, Byron Bay Cookie Company have won numerous awards from all over the globe for its products.

In 2008, to allay concerns over food miles, production of this famous Australian cookie brand started in the UK. UK baked Byron Bay Cookies use locally sourced ingredients, free range eggs, premium European chocolate, are fully approved by the Vegetarian Society, and the gluten free range is certified by the Ceoliac Society. The new limited edition Byron Bay Cookie is available from all good Byron Bay distributors (contact the Beyond the Bean Customer Care Team on 01179 533522 or email sales@beyondthebean.com for details).

Bottlegreen Drinks Co has launched a new range of premium grape sparkling juice drinks aimed specifically at the adult occasions market. The new grape-based drinks comprise a red and a white variant, with the aim of resonating with sophisticated consumers looking for a credible nonalcoholic alternative to wine, especially during the festive season.

Over the summer, the company says that it saw an uplift in both volume and revenue sales across its existing range of cordials and sparkling pressés, and hope that the new grape range will help drive further brand growth for them within the premium adult soft drinks

sector by claiming a slice of the grape juice drink market (currently worth in excess of £30 million).

“Since launching our range of sparkling pressés and cordials over 20 years ago, Bottlegreen has steadily grown with the UK’s increasingly discerning consumer base and we felt that the time was right for the brand to return to its winemaking routes,” says Simon Speers, Bottlegreen Drinks Co’s managing director. “With this new range we can offer UK consumers something that is currently lacking in the UK market - a sparkling grape juice drink that appeals to the sophisticated adult pallet.”

Bottlegreen’s sparkling grape range is blended using a medley of natural ingredients including the grape juices (26%), natural fruit flavourings and Cotswold spring water.

Winemaker and Bottlegreen drinks developer, Edward Write describes Bottlegreen Red Grape as a perfectly balanced combination, with a hint of sweet strawberry and a tart cherry undertone, whilst he and his team have crafted Bottlegreen White Grape to be a refreshing blend with subtle notes of delicate elderflower and ripe melon. As with all other Bottlegreen drinks, they contain no artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners or preservatives.

Packaged in 750 ml green glass bottles with a distinctive black and gold label the products will stand out, and be particularly appealing over the Christmas and New Year period.

An alternative to wine, Bottlegreen’s latest sparkling, grape-based drinks have been launched in time for the celebrations.

NOVEMBER 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 13

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Mince pie makeover When it comes to that Christmas staple - mince pies it’s all about the pastry, say Jus-Rol Professional, suppliers of ingredient pastry, who have come up with some twists on the conventional presentation of this popular treat.

“Easy to make, these festive treats take little time and are a great way to boost profits, and you can add a personalised touch to your Christmas menu with a little help from Jus-Rol,” says John McKears, foodservice sales manager at Jus-Rol Professional.

“Our creative mince pie ideas are quick to make using Jus-Rol pastry, and will see you through the festive season with ideas for buffets, children, dessert menus and afternoon teas.”

A bespoke ice cream menu service is on offer from New Forest Ice Cream.

Ice cream “Boost business growth this Christmas with a desserts menu that delivers above and beyond customers’ expectations,” suggests Mike Godwin, managing director of Mövenpick Ice Cream.

“A conservative twist on old favourites often proves a winning combination. We offer a variety of serving suggestions such as serving the award-winning Mövenpick VSOP Cognac ice cream with a steaming hot Christmas Pudding, or a traditional Mince Pie served with Mövenpick Rum Raisin ice cream. Add a seasonal touch to Christmas desserts with a sprig of holly or mistletoe to finish.”

Mövenpick ice cream is available through all leading frozen food wholesalers nationwide (for stockists and support in menu development, serving suggestions, accessories and POS call 01483 205500 or visit www.movenpick-icecream.com).

Pitched as a ‘super premium’ dessert brand, Mövenpick Ice Cream’s diverse portfolio of recipes covers both ice cream and sorbet products. Flavours include everything from quality variations of familiar favourites (Vanilla Dream, Strawberry, Mango) to indulgent temptations (Stracciatella, Swiss Chocolate, Tiramisu), refreshing palette cleansers (Lemon, Green Apple, Blackcurrant) and savoury experiences to more experimental concoctions such as Balsamic Vinegar.

New Forest Ice Cream has launched a bespoke menu service which allows customers to create personalised table top menus featuring all their favourite ice cream desserts.

Customers can pick and mix from 53 ice cream and sorbet presentations. The

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Mini Star Topped Mince Pies Ideal for children, party buffets or the end of a meal with coffees, these little star topped treats are easy to make using Jus-Rol frozen shortcrust pastry.

Add Christmas trees, holly leaves or bells to really get in the festive spirit and dust with icing sugar.

See through Mince Pies For a traditional mince pie with a twist, try cutting out a festive shape of your choice from the lid - you could even use the cuttings to top off closed lid mince pies so nothing goes to waste.

Mincemeat and Almondy Puffs Quick and easy to make, these delicious mouthfuls are perfect for when a larger

menus are available in a variety of formats and sizes, from contemporary through to more traditional designs to complement all interiors, and there is also space to add in a coffee or liqueur menu too to complete the dessert offering.

The bespoke menu service is available at a competitive price with a lead time of two weeks from point of order (for further information contact New Forest Ice Cream on 023 8087 1508 ,or visit www.newforesticecream.com).

All wrapped up Beyond the Bean have launched their all new Winter Menus: All wrapped up booklet - a guide to making the most of the winter, and a follow-on from their Summer Drinks Sorted booklet. Packed with useful ideas, hints and tips on how to make the most of those long winter nights and chilly morning starts it is something that all businesses looking to make the best of the winter should be able to get some tips from.

The launch of the new guide also coincides with a new promotion that can add up to an additional £200 to a standard café’s winter drinks menu, say Beyond the Bean. Their Hot Choc Box deal has been

mince pie is just one bite too far and sit perfectly on the side of a coffee cup. Use Jus-Rol Puff Pastry for a perfect result every time.

Cheat Mince pies For when you need mince pies in a hurry, Use Jus-Rol party sized pastry cases for the perfect mince pie cheat. Just fill with luxury mincemeat and bake - if you have time a dusting of icing sugar will finish them off beautifully.

Filo Tartlets with Crème Fraîche and Mincemeat The sophisticated mince pie. These tiny tartlets are a delicious twist on a classic made from Jus-Rol filo pastry and filled with mincemeat and crème fraîche.

designed to help operators add revenue to their existing sales. The full kit contains 12 new designed Zuma mugs, 6 bottles (and pumps) of Sweetbird Syrup including Mint Chocolate, Sugar Free Vanilla and Butterscotch, Chocolate menus, mini marshmallows and counter point of sale.

The kit is available for only £49.99 when cafés buy any case of Zuma Hot Chocolate (either 2kg tins or 795g bags of any flavour).

“We have been working hard to help café owners make more money in these challenging times,” says Gary McGann, sales and marketing director of Beyond the Bean. “With both the new booklet and our fantastic Hot Choc Box promotion we feel that we can help those businesses that are willing to invest a little time and money to increase sales and make the most of the winter.”

Savoury snacks The organic pastie and pie specialist, Jones Organic, reports that it is expanding its production facilities to cope with increased demand for its products from specialist retailers in London and the South East of England.

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TM

When you serve NESCAFÉ® coffee you’re unlocking the flavour of 100% pure coffee. And customers know it, thanks to our £43m marketing campaign. Nine in ten people will see our new adverts on TV, billboards and buses.* So take advantage of the increased demand. Place your order today.

*Estimate of target audience, aged 30-50 years old during launch period Sep-Dec ‘09. Source: Mindshare

For professional advice to grow your business, call 0800 745 845, or visit nescafe-beveragesolutions.co.uk ® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

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FESTIVE FARE Distributor Stratford Fine Foods began offering Jones Organic pasties in September, and since then, founder Mike Sweetman reports that they have been really tight for space in the bakery to meet orders recently.

“Both our organic bake-off range and our baked chilled range are selling very well, and we’ve had no choice but to extend our bakery to cope,” says Mike Sweetman. “We are also celebrating our second birthday by signing a lease on the neighbouring factory unit which will allow us them to double our refrigeration and baking capacity to meet orders from London-based speciality retailers including Planet Organic and As Nature Intended.

“We think that our focus on quality and the great Welsh produce we use in our pasties plays a big part. But more importantly, our products offer delis and organic retailers a way of tapping into the food-to-go market without diluting what they stand for.”

In fact, the Jones Organic team have set themselves the target of becoming the must-stock pastie brand in independent UK delis and organic stores within three years.

Their Organic pasties and pies are now available throughout the UK either frozenunbaked from Stratford Fine Foods, Bako Western or Bako Wales, or baked-chilled directly from the bakery.

Country Range Group says that it has

Cocktail time

Premium French syrup brand, Monin, will be enabling outlets to offer an enticing range of seasonal cocktails to capitalise on Christmas trade by using their extensive collection of classic flavours like, including cinnamon, fig, vanilla, toffee nut, chocolate cookie and blood orange.

“The Christmas period is a great opportunity for cafés and cocktail bars to encourage customers to trade up and try something different. Monin syrups and fruit purees open a plethora of creative cocktail options for both bar staff and seasoned mixologists,” explains Stephane Moesle, Monin’s beverage innovation director. “Think sweet Santa Claus Champagne cocktails, Festive Elderflower Gin Slings, Bellini Blossom Fizz and Gingerbread Surprise, and you’ll get some idea of the creative possibilities.”

“Offering cocktails creates a sense of occasion and a real point of difference. What’s more it can increase profit margins as they command a premium price,” adds Darril Ling, sales director of Monin’s UK distributor, Bennett Opie. “Monin syrups add a burst of flavour and colour to long drinks, they also have a long shelf life meaning they can add to the creativity behind the bar all year round.”

Sweet Santa Claus Surprise • 15 ml Monin Raspberry fruit purée mix • 10ml Monin Lychee syrup • 30 ml cranberry juice • 4 mint leaves • Champagne or sparkling wine Muddle the mint leaves and syrup into your shaker tin.

Add purée, cranberry juice and ice cubes. Shake vigorously, strain into a wine glass with ice or into a champagne glass without ice. Top with sparkling wine or champagne garnish with fresh raspberries.

Velvet Chr istm as

• 30 ml Monin • Elderf lower sy rup • 40 ml gin • 60 ml pear ju Pour all the ingre ice dien your sha ker serv ts into e into a tumbler glass fill ed with crushed ice

Be lini Blossolm Fizz

•30 ml M onin Pea purées m ch fruit ix •30 ml M onin Che rry Blosso •20ml c m syrup lear app le •Top wit h champ juice agne or sparklin g wine

Violet Spritzer answered caterer demand for even more high quality frozen foods by adding a delicious selection of new products to its own brand portfolio, including sausage rolls.

READER OFFER

16 NOVEMBER 2009

Gingerbread Surprise • 10 ml Monin Gingerbread syrup • 15 ml Monin Coffee liqueur • 35 ml vodka Pour all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake vigorously, strain, and pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with whipped cream and spray an orange twist on the cream.

• 40 ml Monin Violet syrup • 100 ml Chardonnay white wine • 80 ml soda water Serve in a big wine glass with ice cubes.

Garnish with half slice of orange and violet candy.

Beyond the Bean are offering five lucky readers the chance to win a Hot Choc Promo Box each. Just send your name and business address to paul@beyondthebean.com with Hot Choc Box in the subject line before 01.01.10.

CAFÉ CULTURE

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Christmas Sparkler (non alcoholic) • 20 ml Monin Green Apple syrup • 10 ml Monin Cranberry syrup • Top with non-alcoholic champagne, garnish with strawberry candy.

For the serving of cocktails, the John Artis catalogue features no less than 35 different cocktail glasses in styles, sizes and shapes to meet the requirements of any café bar. The range has shapes designed for most leading cocktail drinks, including martinis, margaritas, pina coladas, slings and hurricanes.

Many glasses in the collection are traditionally styled, but some are quite funky and will add to the ambience of an establishment, say the company.

Recent success has been achieved with two quite different cocktail glasses -

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Electro (pictured) and Splash.

Electro is a chunky, multi-purpose 24cl cocktail glass with a thick ridged stem, and since the stem is part hollow, the contents fill the base attractively.

Splash is a tall 34cl margarita glass with a large shaped bowl and slender stem that is also useful for juice based drinks or ‘mocktails’, suggest Artis, with a wave shaped bowl lending itself to layered cocktails.

Prices range from the V series martini glass at £1.32 each through to the handmade Piccadilly martini glass at £8.60.

The new Electro martini costs £2.75 and the Splash margarita glass is £4.10.

Details of the complete John Artis cocktail glass range are to be found in the company’s catalogue, available to order now by calling John Artis Limited direct on 0208 391 5544 or by visiting www.johnartis.co.uk.

Grace period for 15% VAT rate Pubs, clubs, restaurants and other retail businesses remaining open past midnight on New Year’s Eve will be allowed to continue charging VAT at 15% on their sales until they close, or until 6am on 1 January 2010, whichever is the earlier, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury has confirmed. Similar arrangements will apply to telecommunications companies in respect of calls and texts made up to 6am on 1 January 2010.

The ‘period of grace’ is restricted to those businesses that account for VAT at the point of sale such as businesses on a retail scheme - pubs, shops, restaurants etc and to the cost of calls or texts made and billed in the early hours of January 1. It will not apply to businesses that account for VAT on the basis of VAT invoices issued or to mail order or on-line retail sales.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will publish a Revenue & Customs Brief on the HMRC website (www.hmrc.gov.uk), explaining the extent of the concession in more detail.

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STARTING UP

Starting a coffee shop If you want to start a coffee shop, where do you start? What are the most important factors? The décor? Location? Staff? Or should it be the coffee, menu and the coffee machine? We canvassed a range of advice from those already in the business, as well as those who supply the sector with some of its essentials.

Understand your market In 1995, entrepreneur Ben Mangan (main picture) was living and working in America where he witnessed the American espresso boom. Inspired by what he experienced in the States, he decided to open his first coffee shop in the UK, and called it The Boston Tea Party. This was in the same year that the Seattle Coffee Company started out (now, of course, known as the ubiquitous Starbucks chain).

Over the next 10 years, Ben Mangan built up a chain of five coffee shops and in 2005 he sold his group for a healthy profit.

Ben and his business partner attribute their success to a thorough understanding of the market place, as well as a solid background in catering, but would also offer the following words of wisdom.

Location “Nine times out of ten, a start-up coffee shop will not have the same funds as the big high street chains. Choice of premises will therefore be limited to what the budget allows,” observes Ben. “So it is important to keep an open mind about the layout and interior décor as you really do have to work with the site. If it’s a refurbishment project, then you sometimes don’t really know what you will unearth until the builders are on site.

“I would say do as much planning and organising as you can before signing the lease - in other words, before you commit yourself financially. Ideally, you will have decided on branding and identity well in advance so that once you have signed on the dotted line you can focus on getting the

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business up and running as soon as possible.”

Décor (the look and feel of the coffee shop) As many of us already know from our own visits to a favourite coffee shop, you are more likely to want to return there if you like the way that it is decorated and feel that it has a welcoming atmosphere.

“Coffee shops are reverting to an old trend, similar to pubs, where the emphasis is on offering home from home comforts, such as pictures on the walls, comfy seating, and traditional colour schemes,” observes Ben. “If the coffee shop can provide the right atmosphere with a relaxed environment, it will encourage repeat business.”

Coffee menu and customers If they are to stay up and running, then operators need to understand the different customer groups that make up their typical daily trade, and then adapt their coffee and food offer accordingly, feels Ben Mangan.

“For example, depending on location, your typical morning customer could be a young professional looking for coffee and breakfast on the run. Later in the morning, it could be young mums and toddlers, business ‘meeters’, or perhaps the ‘silver’ market,” he explains.

“It is important that you identify which segment generates most revenue and profits in your location, and build your offering and external marketing to attract them in the first place. Of course, what they then buy must meet, or exceed, their expectations and be delivered with good

professional and friendly service.”

Ben also points out that there is no doubt that the coffee consumer has become more sophisticated in recent years.

“To me, it is no surprise that we are now starting to see Flat Whites, Piccolos and other interpretations of popular international espresso based drinks starting to filter through to some of the more adventurous coffee bars across the UK,” he adds.

“Operators always need to be aware of the prevailing trends. However, it is also important not to lose sight of the fact that cappuccinos and lattes will always form the basis - probably 85% - of your coffee offering. So, it is important to maintain standards of quality and presentation by investing in staff training and top quality equipment in order to produce consistently good coffees. Needless to say, on the high street it’s all about staying ahead of the competition through differentiation.”

Equipment In Ben Mangan’s experience, there are two key pieces of equipment which are vital for a successful coffee shop, and that he feels outlets should never compromise on, namely the dishwasher and the coffee machine.

“In terms of the dishwasher, it is worth investing in a quality brand as if it breaks down, your service level will drop by a minimum of 20% and so will your income for the day,” he warns. “So find out what the back up service is like, especially at weekends when you will probably be at your busiest and likely to be taking the

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STARTING UP

Above: First Choice Coffee’s equipment ranges from traditional machines, such as the Victoria Ardunio Adonis, through to state-of-the-art semi-automatic and automatic machines, like Black&White COOL (pictured) that features a touchscreen control. lion’s share of your revenue!”

The coffee machine is, of course, at the very heart of the coffee shop, and Ben has strong opinions about this too.

“Make sure that you use a coffee machine that is built for the future, not for the past,” he recommends. “It is important not to buy a machine just based on price.

Choose equipment that will keep you at the forefront of the market. People are now more attuned to the difference in taste, so you need to guarantee a great cup of coffee every time. Set your sights high and aspire to the best possible machine you can afford would be my advice.

“No matter how busy we are, our Verona machine, for example, has never let us down, producing perfect shots of espresso every single time,” he reports.

“Another good thing about it is that you do not have to be a championship barista to operate it! Whatever level of experience our staff have, we can guarantee a perfect coffee for our customers.”

Budgeting Ben Mangan also points out that when working out the figures for setting up the business, it is important not to underestimate the initial outlay.

“The coffee machine is an investment, so don’t be tempted to opt for a lesser priced machine. To calculate how quickly you can generate a return on your investment, a machine that costs around £6,000 typically pays for itself within three years,” he reports.

Calculations £8,000 / 3 years say approximately £2,000 per year (allowing for depreciation)

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£2,000 / 52 weeks = £38.46 per week £51 / 7 Days = £5.50 per day “On average, a cup of coffee costs £2, so this means that you effectively need to sell three coffees a day to pay for the machine. If your initial investment is a machine that costs half the amount, you will only be saving one or two cups of coffee per day, but may be significantly compromising your coffee offering in the process,” he cautions.

“Saving time is also likely to be a key part of budgeting for your new coffee shop. Among a host of useful functions, for instance, our Verona machine has an auto cleaning facility and 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 so eliminating downtime waiting for the machine to warm up.

“To sum up,” concludes Ben, “I would always say don’t fix your ideas and concept too strongly before you find your site and don’t scrimp on the dishwasher or the coffee machine. In my experience, if you invest as much as you can afford in good quality equipment from a supplier with excellent service support then it will pay dividends in the long run.”

Training “My advice would be to think carefully about the volume of coffee you will be serving - a high volume coffee shop may be best suited to a semi or fully automatic bean-to-cup machine whereas a smaller outlet may want to consider a more compact or traditional espresso machine,” says Elaine Higginson, managing director of First Choice Coffee.

“So choose a machine that meets the needs of your specific operation to assist with the preparation and delivery of consistent speciality coffees that taste good. Semi or fully automatic machines are a great option if you need staff to be able to fulfil multiple orders quickly and simply.”

As you would expect, First Choice Coffee are also keen to emphasise that when a new outlet is just starting out, investment in training makes good sense.

“Investing in training for your staff to ensure quality in the cup every time is a necessity when first starting up,” feels Elaine Higginson. “Nobody can be expected to deliver a high quality product without the knowledge and training to back it up.

“At First Choice we tailor a coffee offering to suit the outlet and its customers, from providing training on how to operate and maintain semi-automatic

Above: For those who can’t face the possibility of being let down by fitters, fabricators and suppliers, Caffè Society have come up with Caffè in a Box, a ‘one stop shop’ package that includes front and back bar design, installation, equipment, menus, training and technical support, and meaning that all you will need to supply is the premises and staff. equipment for high volume outlets right through to full barista training on traditional equipment. We also provide regular refresher sessions for customers to encourage continual development and creativity. Our training offers practical and commercial support as well as training on techniques such as latte art which gives the consumer a touch of added value.

“Of course, a successful, profitable, beverage business needs much more than the latest coffee technology and the finest coffee beans. There are all the bits in between like cups, barista tools, smoothies, frappes and even tea and hot chocolate, not to mention cleaning supplies for your equipment. At First Choice, we believe that by offering the total beverage package we can help operators get it right.”

Coffee opinion “When opening a coffee shop, in my opinion the key to success is to understand the product you are working with,” says Tom Sobey, founder of Origin Coffee.

“Well made coffee will keep customers coming back so expert barista training is essential. At Origin we professionally barista train all our trade customers to ensure they understand the art of coffee making. This process takes time and involves not just input from ourselves. So we recommend that you attend as many coffee related ‘get togethers’ as possible, be it barista jams, exhibitions or barista championships. These are all excellent opportunities to meet people in the coffee

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STARTING UP industry and extract knowledge and share ideas.”

Coffee, of course, is a vast subject with many suppliers to choose from, but by gathering sound knowledge about the different coffees available, you will not only be able to define a list of target suppliers, but also increase your chances of standing out from your competitors, feel Origin.

“With mass market coffee companies arguably losing popularity, and speciality coffee producers gaining ground, consider whether low cost is going to convert to strong sales,” says Tom Sobey. “More often than not the public is now choosing quality over price. Ensuring that you understand where your coffee is sourced, how it is roasted, when it was roasted is very important. It means you can feel proud of what you are selling and that it is something you can shout about. It’s also an excellent conversation point with your customers.

“It sounds obvious but before committing to a supplier, find out what their competitors offer. Training, equipment, service and access to knowledge are all very important when choosing your coffee partner.”

Tea menu tackled Deelights Tea Room, in the heart of Eltham town centre in south London, takes its name from founder, Dee Ozsoykalm whose first venture in Eltham was Café Dee, an all day café in a prime high street location. Pretty soon, however, she realised there was a market niche for an old fashioned tea rooms and coffee shop. That led her to open Deelights, just two doors away. Deelights opened its doors at the start of 2009 under the auspices of Dee’s son, Tansu.

Dee, who has been associated with the Drury Tea and Coffee Company for some

When it comes to coffee, Origin’s Tom Sobey believes strongly that the public is now choosing quality over price.

years, uses Drury tea and Drury coffee, and also has a Rancilio espresso machine imported by Drury’s associate company, The Coffee Machine Company. But she and Tansu felt they needed some expert help in constructing a speciality tea menu, with more depth than they required at Café Dee. Naturally enough, they turned to Drury director, Marco Olmi, for some advice and say that their tea trade has blossomed ever since.

Not only did Marco Olmi suggest the right mix of teas, he also prepared the artwork for the menu in-house and laminated them in what is a fully complimentary service.

“There are some teas that write themselves on to a tea menu.” says Marco Olmi. “English Breakfast and Earl Grey, for example. Then, for Deelights, we recommended an Assam B.O.P. and a Ceylon tea from Kandy. My personal favourite is a Darjeeling SFTGFOP #1, That stands for Superfine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, grade 1. It’s from Margaret’s Hope Estate, a fine quality single estate mid-season harvest that is

full of flavour with a light, lingering character.

“There was also space for a semifermented tea, so we chose Formosan Orange Blossom Oolong and finished the menu with a couple of green teas from China and Japan and two herbal teas, Camomile and Cut Peppermint. Drury actually stocks over 150 teas, so narrowing the choice eventually to 11 was quite difficult! Naturally, Tansu and Dee may mix and match teas at any time, but Deelights customers seem to have taken to this selection very well.”

At this tea rooms, there is a tea menu on every table and teas are modestly priced between £1.50 and £1.80 for a pot for one.

“We were a little unsure whether we could tempt our clientele to experiment with different teas, but they have proved to be very adventurous and the menu has become a talking point with mums and seniors who make up the bulk of our clientele,” says Tansu, confirming the success of the new menu.

“The tea menu has helped us to secure a loyal customer base in a very short time, whilst at the same time differentiating us from the local competition.”

Coffee Shop Startup Guide Step by step guide in 137 pages!

Sign up for free newsletter The exterior and interior of Deelights Tea Rooms in Eltham.

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www.howtosetupacoffeeshop.co.uk

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STARTING UP Furniture If you are opening a new café, or looking to give your existing venue a facelift, then one of the most important decisions to make is what furniture to use.

“This shouldn’t be too difficult as there is a huge selection to choose from,” says Jerry Hodkinson, marketing manager at Andy Thornton Ltd, one of the UK’s largest suppliers.

“We carry the full range from modern polycarbonate chairs in bright colours to the iconic bentwood range in steam-bent beech, and I would recommend that it is well worth carefully researching the contract furniture market, because it is one of the most expensive purchases you will make. If you get it right, you will have years of trouble-free service from your furniture with little or no maintenance.”

The first thing to consider is the style of furniture required. If you are opening a contemporary café you will probably be looking for stainless steel chair frames and table bases or maybe simple wooden chairs in dark stain finishes. But if it’s, say, a traditional French-style café you are opening, then you are likely to be looking for more classical chairs and tables.

One reason why it can be beneficial to use contract quality furniture, is that it has been built to withstand the rigours of constant use, as it is manufactured from the best materials and constructed using additional strengthening features compared to domestic furniture.

“At Andy Thornton, we test our furniture for severe contract use on our own special rigs and even submit models to FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) for additional tests,” says Jerry Hodkinson.

“For table tops, laminate, solid granite or marble are preferred over solid timber as

they are heat and water resistant, durable and easy to clean,” he advises. “They should be combined with light metal or timber table bases that are easy to move around. One of our most popular bases is the simple cruciform base in a low maintenance black powder coated finish.”

When you are considering the interior finishes, wood is probably the most versatile option, say Andy Thornton. Most chair frames and table bases are stocked by suppliers unfinished so that when you place your order you can specify the exact stain colour you require. That way you can match up exactly to the rest of your colour scheme.

Care must be taken with regard to fabrics, and usually chairs in cafés are not usually upholstered, point out the company.

When chairs are upholstered, they tend to feature wipe down plastics and faux leather,

although it is possible to use leather and woven fabrics as long as they are treated against staining.

Many cafés have lounge areas where upholstered sofas, tub chairs and coffee tables are used. Here again, advise Andy Thornton, it is important that quality frames are used, that all foam used is combustion modified (CMHR), and that fabrics are to CRIB5 contract standard.

Andy Thornton even offer a range of compact sofas and tub chairs designed for café lounge areas where space is at a premium.

Many cafés, of course, also have outside areas to generate additional revenue, and there is a good selection of furniture for this purpose.

“We can offer everything from a budget stainless steel range to a quality teak collection,” says Jerry Hodkinson. “What is important here is that the furniture is durable, easy to clean and stackable for ease of storage. Our ‘No Wood’ Collection, for example, combines synthetic materials with stunning looks has been very popular this year.”

A SUPPLIER SAYS You have chosen premises, calculated footfall, have your business and marketing plan in place, but what about the core product? If you want to make good business from coffee, Alice Rendle (pictured), director of specialist coffee supplier Edgcumbes, who has been in the coffee business for nearly 25 years, offers the following tips.

• Choose a company that is an expert in its field and identify if they have worked with other start-up coffee shops. They should be still working with them!

• Make sure that your coffee quality exceeds that of your competition - it should be freshly roasted and delivered to you regularly - fresh coffee always tastes better.

• When you are considering your brewing equipment ensure you have choice. Any reputable coffee distributor will have a good network of different manufacturers, and this will give you the confidence that you are being given the unbiased advice you really need.

• Choose a local, independent operator with who has a reputation for providing exceptional customer service (which comes in handy when you run out of coffee on Friday with the prospect of the mother’s book group invading the café at 10 am the following morning!)

• At the very least your coffee distributor must know how to make good coffee. If they don’t offer barista training as standard, then ask yourself how can they be experts in their business.

• Ask if your distributor will provide training free of charge, as training is the key to producing consistent, high quality drinks to your customers. Do not underestimate the value of training, your coffee must be right.

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CATERING FOR YOUR DESIGN

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Whether you choose our award-winning contactless technology or one of our other payment terminals, the whole range is designed to: •Speed up transactions •Generate extra income for your business •Make life easier for you.

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STARTING UP

PROFILE The Green Tree Café & Deli, Wiltshire When Tricia Burgon’s army officer partner returned from a tour of Afghanistan, he found himself serving in Wiltshire instead of the promised posting to Scotland where they had their home. The demands of the job meant that eventually Tricia and Steve decided to settle in Wiltshire. Never one to sit at home, Tricia needed something to occupy her (past ventures had included owning two florists, setting up a timber business, running a sandwich shop and also supplying pubs with ‘meals in a pot’).

They set up their family home in Larkhill Garrison, a military ‘village’ approximately nine miles north of Salisbury, and found that the community was served by a number of shops, including a small super-market, a number of takeaways and an Indian restaurant, but that the only café however had closed a number of years ago. So when Tricia spied derelict groundfloor premises she realised at once that there was a business opportunity.

Before taking the plunge, Tricia says that she researched both her potential customers and other coffee shop offerings thoroughly and then drew up a detailed plan of what she wanted to achieve.

Namely, quality coffee and locally sourced food served in

a relaxed, welcoming and friendly environment. Her coffee shop, she decided, would cater for local young mums at home with their children, soldiers from the garrison, and locally employed civilian staff.

The unit had been empty for 20 years and was almost derelict. Tricia contacted the agents in January 2009 and, after negotiating a huge reduction on the rent due to the state of the building, secured the lease. She then took advantage of a special deal on business rates

which the local authority had implemented to help start-up businesses, ensuring her initial outgoings were kept as low as possible.

Tricia obtained the keys to the property in February, expecting to open for

…for espresso machines, barista training, fairtrade, speciality coffees and teas, advice and much more... t: 01243 555775 f: 01243 555997 e: sales@edgcumbes.co.uk w: www.edgcumbes.co.uk

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CAFÉ CULTURE

business in March. However, as the building work got underway, it emerged that more had to be done to the property than had been anticipated. Work included new electrics, new plumbing and an entire new drainage system. March came and went and with what seemed to be new problems cropping up every day, planning ahead and ordering machinery and supplies seemed virtually impossible.

It was during this early phase that Tricia first met Nicki Edwards from Café Bar. Whilst Tricia had a clear vision for her coffee shop and how it would run, she admits that she hadn’t a clue what to do on the coffee side of things.

Things started to come together in June when Tricia

needed to source suppliers.

She contacted a number of coffee suppliers and, despite finding cheaper alternatives, decided to work with Café Bar. Her choice, she recalls, was down to Café Bar’s consultative approach to doing business, the options they presented her with and their detailed knowledge of all things beverage related.

The brief Tricia’s brief was simple, she wanted to serve quality, freshly ground, coffee and her initial idea was to do that using a traditional espresso machine. Café Bar’s Nicki Edwards, talked through Tricia’s plans for her coffee shop with her and got her to think about the number of cups she expected to serve a day, when her busy times would be, who would make and serve the drinks, how many people she would have behind the counter and the type of people she would employ.

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STARTING UP

The Green Tree Café & Deli’s Tricia Burgon’s advice

■ Tricia Burgon (centre back) with her café team.

The solution Once she had a clear idea of Tricia’s business, Nicki put forward three options to consider.

• A traditional espresso machine • A fully automatic bean to cup machine • A two stage bean to cup machine She then worked through the various pros and cons of each solution to enable Tricia to pick the right one for her business. Tricia’s initial choice of a traditional espresso machine was ruled out because she anticipated that her staff turnover would be fairly high, and the training needed to operate these machines can be expensive and time consuming in such circumstances.

At the same time, Tricia still wanted to keep some of the theatre and ambience of a traditional machine though and so Nicki suggested that the Schaerer Coffee Art Plus (a two stage bean to cup machine), would be a perfect fit. As a backup, Tricia also wanted a filter coffee machine to give a level of security in case of breakdowns with the main machine, and also help alleviate the pressure at busy times.

However, far from being just a ‘safety net’ Tricia has since found that this inexpensive option is actually a useful part of her business with many customers requesting a simple filter coffee.

The next thing on Tricia’s ‘to do’

list was to create her beverage menu and here again, she found Café Bar’s input invaluable. Nicki Edwards helped with menu suggestions suitable for Tricia’s target market, including an offering which Tricia had never heard of, a Baby Mochacchino for her younger customers. Café Bar also helped Tricia with her supplies order.

Working out how much to order upfront can be difficult for a new business, but Nicki guided Tricia through the process. Whilst it is essential that she didn’t run out of anything it is also important not to tie up too much cash in stock. Café Bar call their customers on a regular basis to check on stock levels and as the lead time from order to delivery is a maximum of 72 hours, running out of stock really shouldn’t be a problem.

The Green Tree Café & Deli opened for business on 3 August 2009 and trading has so far exceeded all of Tricia’s expectations, she reports. She says her biggest challenge though has been getting her team to bond, to ensure that their systems work and that they are able to handle a queue quickly and efficiently without compromising on quality. The coffee machine plays a big part in this and Tricia is delighted with the machine Café Bar recommended, and with the support and training she has received - and her customers are thrilled with the coffee she serves.

1. Location and research - choose wisely and know your customer.

2. Always try to negotiate the rent on the property and look out for any local authority incentives for start-up businesses. It is vital that costs are kept as low as possible, especially in the early days.

3. Find a great builder/shop fitter you can trust - local if possible.

4. Make sure your certificates are in order (Tricia says that she applied for her health and safety inspection two days before her planned opening date to be told that this should have been done 28 days before opening! After pleading with officials, though, she did manage to get them to visit at short notice).

5. Ensure you have the right retail licence for your business (Tricia was subjected to a planning inspection when it was thought she was operating outside an A1 retail licence for which the premises had permission. However, she was operating within the A1 framework which allows her to serve coffee and a limited amount of food, but she will eventually apply for an A3 licence which will give her greater flexibility with her food menu).

6. Don’t forget mandatory licences, Television and Performing Rights, for example.

7. Think carefully about including Wifi access, this can be expensive and not always necessary.

8. Get the right coffee partner - find a supplier who really takes the time to understand your vision and business.

9. Make sure that you order your coffee machine in plenty of time.

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NOVEMBER 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 25

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ROAD TRIP THE CONCEPT

The journey that eventually led Nick to Africa in the summer of 2009 actually began in 2007 when Adrian O’Hare, sales director at Peros, introduced him to the concept of One Water.

Peros had been distributing the ethical water brand to the food service and university sectors for just over a year. All the profits from the sales of One Water go towards the installation of PlayPumps in communities in Africa where there is poor access to fresh water. PlayPumps are very simple devices - a children’s playground roundabout is connected to an underground pump that moves fresh water from a borehole into an overhead storage tank. As the children play, so they help provide their community with a ready supply of fresh water.

The concept immediately appealed to Nick, who had already successfully helped the university obtain its Fairtrade status and was determined to develop their catering services along strictly environmental and ethical lines. So Nick led a campaign to get students and staff to buy enough One Water bottles to fund their own PlayPump - an aim that was met after just 18 months.

One for Portsmouth makes it 50 for Peros When Nick Leach, head of catering services at the University of Portsmouth, first became aware of bottled water brand One Water he couldn’t have imagined that it would lead to the trip of a lifetime - one that would not only fill him with a huge sense of achievement, but also help change hundreds of lives in Africa.

THE FIFTIETH

As luck would have it, this achievement coincided with another milestone - the university’s first PlayPump was also Peros’s fiftieth pump. In just over three years Peros, through customers’ sales, had generated sufficient profits to fund an average of more than one PlayPump per month during that time. To celebrate this joint landmark, and to see first-hand what a difference the pumps are making, a joint visit was arranged to witness the installation of the university’s pump.

During the summer of 2009 Adrian and Nick made the memorable journey to the North West Province of South Africa to install the pump outside Shupu Primary School, in Tlakgamemh, about 300km from Johannesburg. In extracts from his daily blogs on Twitter and Facebook, Adrian takes up the story.

DAY ONE

En route to our pump we are taken to the village of Bodeibe, where two PlayPumps have recently been installed. They are now the lifeline for a community of 7000 people - it is amazing to watch the children playing and see the difference that the pumps are making. The noise as the water is pumped into the holding tank sounds like a new heartbeat for the community. Before the

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■ Children spin on the PlayPump.

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Baakanyang for the official opening and spend time getting to know the local people. Nick is excited as this is the culmination of nearly two years work in promoting One Water!

DAY FOUR

■ Adrian O’Hare (left) and Nick Leach celebrate another successful PlayPump installation.

PlayPumps were installed the water source was a series of pumps which have been dry for several weeks. We are meeting so many warm and friendly people - it’s really amazing to see the difference that One Water is making.

We spend the whole day at Tlakgamemh village. It is a humbling experience and a privilege to spend time amongst so many happy people. Despite the obvious poverty, lack of water and all the basics which we take for granted, the whole village turns out to welcome us. To illustrate the problem that lack of water has been for the community we help a little girl who is collecting water for her family - this is often the task of the women and children. The girl needs to push a wheelbarrow holding two water containers and her little sister for over half a mile. Nick and I help and struggle to make the distance without spilling all the water! It is amazing to see how necessity can give these people the strength to carry the water so far.

A DIFFERENCE

DAY THREE

Surprisingly chilly! The early morning temperature is down to only four degrees! A three hour car journey takes us from Lichtenburg to Shupu where the university’s PlayPump is sited. We meet the village councillor

“Clearly this PlayPump installation, situated right in the village, will make a huge difference - now more than 500 families in the village have access to clean water,” says Adrian O’Hare. “We also explore a potential new PlayPump site which would help ease the burden on other families. So it proves that despite the great

work that has already been achieved by Peros and its clients there is still so much work to be done.”

Nick Leach’s perspective was much the same - so far so good, but so much more to be done, he feels. “It’s fantastic that staff and students at the university having bought One Water can now see the end result. Villagers no longer have to spend as long as three hours a day fetching water, children will be better hydrated so can concentrate better on schoolwork and all this as a result of spinning on a roundabout!

“The PlayPump provides the community with a sustainable resource that saves time and energy and facilitates education, hygiene and health. Excess water can also be used to irrigate vegetable gardens, giving the village the opportunity to grow and sell their own crops,” he explains.

As well as being on the way to installing a second pump, Portsmouth University has started stocking One Vitamin Water which will help to fund vegetable gardens.

“It was a great honour to go to Africa to see the pump in action,” adds Nick Leach.

“The trip has filled me with a huge sense of achievement and a real charge to continue the good work. Being involved with the project is incredibly infectious - I carry a bottle of One Water with me everywhere I go and my passion seems to be spreading like wildfire across campus. It’s a great feeling that just by doing my job I can help the university make such a difference to people’s lives.”

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PROFILE

Creed and SOHO Coffee Co. celebrate

Creed Foodservice, the Cheltenham based foodservice supplier, is celebrating its first year as nominated sole supplier to the SOHO Coffee Co., one of the South West’s leading coffee shop chains.

Growth for both The contract - which is worth approximately £1million - was won against tough national competition, say Creed, and has helped boost the familyowned company’s annual turnover to an anticipated £37 million in 2009.

SOHO Coffee Co., which began life 10 years ago as a stand alone coffee shop in Cheltenham, has also enjoyed a rapid growth period and now has six additional outlets in shopping centres throughout the West Country and South Wales, as well as stores at five major UK airports. SOHO also has a site at the Roadchef motorway services at Strensham Southbound on the M5 near Tewkesbury.

“SOHO Coffee Co. is renowned for product innovation and has built its reputation on organic Fairtrade coffee and top quality, handmade sandwiches, baguettes, salads, and cakes,” says Nick Brookes, group account manager for Creed Foodservice. “Our relationship with SOHO is very proactive and we work very closely when developing new menus and identifying new trends in the foodservice sector.”

The interior of a SOHO Coffee Co. outlets shows their commitment to fresh organic and ethical products that are delivered by Creed.

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As well as supplying a wide range of multi-temperature foodservice items to SOHO including dry goods, frozen foods, fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, speciality breads and patisserie - Creed Foodservice says that it also helps customers stay ahead of the game by offering sector and category insight, as well as proactively sourcing new products.

Added value Indeed, one of the key ingredients in this successful partnership, feel Creed (www.creedfoodservice.co.uk), is the added value aspect of their product offering.

“We aim to offer SOHO, as we do all our customers, a high degree of flexibility in terms of product ranges, locally produced wherever possible, product innovation, and realistic, convenient delivery times,” explains Nick Brookes.

“SOHO Coffee Co. is a fantastic business to work with, and the fact that we are based just a couple of

Chris Creed (left), Penny Manuel (centre) and Nick Brookes (right) celebrate their first year of partnership miles from their central production unit also means that the food miles remain as low as possible.”

“SOHO is an ethical business and we always put the desires of our customers and concern for the environment at the forefront of everything we do,” adds Penny Manuel, director of the SOHO Coffee Co. “Not only are we passionate about ethical issues such as

organic, fairtrade and local produce, but we handpick our suppliers extremely carefully, and are delighted to be working with Creed Foodservice.

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TRAINING

BSA launches two training programmes for the industry The BSA is addressing concerns over the apparent numbers of untrained people working in the industry, despite the legal requirement, with two new on-line training courses oncerns over the number of untrained people working in the sandwich industry, despite the legal requirement for all food handlers to have basic food hygiene training, has prompted the British Sandwich Association (BSA) to launch two training programmes specially for the industry.

The courses, one for those working in manufacturing and the other for people working in sandwich bars and catering establishments, have been developed in consultation with leading technical experts in the industry to provide very focused basic food hygiene training for sandwich makers and handlers.

Furthermore, in recognition of the costs in time and fees involved in sending staff offsite to train, the courses have been designed to be delivered over the web and can be taken anywhere where there is access to an on-line computer - either in the business, at home or even in an internet café.

The courses are fully certified by the British Sandwich Association, with certificates issued via the training manager, and a builtin due diligence system, which provides businesses with records of those trained.

“Good training is one of the most important ingredients in running a sandwich business – not only does it help to ensure the wellbeing of your customers but can also enhance the profitability and reputation of the business,” says BSA Director Jim Winship.

“Until now there has been

C

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little specific training for sandwich makers and much of the training that is available covers aspects of catering that are not particularly relevant.

“Our aim has been to develop a very specific course that provides the key knowledge that food handlers should have working in the sandwich business.

“We have been concerned for some time that many people working in the industry do not have the basic food handling knowledge that the law requires them to have – often because operators do not appreciate either the legal requirement to train or that everyone involved in handling products – from sandwich makers to delivery drivers – have to have basic food hygiene training.

“We are also concerned that some agency staff used in the industry are very poorly trained, if at all, and we would like to see the industry adopt a universal requirement that agency staff must have BSA training to work in the industry. We believe this would greatly improve food safety standards.”

The courses take food handlers through all the basics of food hygiene, including explanations of the different bacteria that can cause illnesses. Each course takes approximately an hour to complete, although a window of two hours is allowed.

The courses have been written by the British Sandwich Association and are being delivered by Fast Train, a specialist training business who are providing technical

“We have been concerned for some time that many people working in the industry do not have the basic food handling knowledge that the law requires them to have” back-up for the service.

Both courses are currently in English but there are plans to translate them into other languages in the near future.

To launch the new sandwich bar course, Fast Train is offering the courses at half price - £15 + VAT (normal price £30 + VAT) – until the

end of December. To take advantage of this offer go to www.fasttrain.co.uk, click on the course you want to take, register your details and then purchase the course using the promotional code CC011109 Further information can be obtained from the Fast Train helpline on 0845 873 1531.

Special Introductory

Half-Price Offer Basic Food Hygiene Training For Sandwich Makers This special offer applies NOW JUST to both the BSA manufacturing and foodservice courses +VAT Offer ends: 31st E PER COURS ce December 2009 To take ri P Normal £30 + VAT advantage of this offer go to www.fasttrain.co.uk, register your details and then purchase the course using the following promotional code: CC011109

£15

For more information call

0845 873 1531 NOVEMBER 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 29

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EQUIPMENT

Pantheon’s (www.pantheonce.co.uk) latest, all stainless steel, compact (externally 630w 320d x 280h mm) SG630 Salamander Grill is perfect for all types of grilling across a wide range of foods, providing ongoing durability, reliability and efficiency for cafés.

Cafés and coffee shops are often short of space and, during these lean economic times, as is the case at many other businesses right now, also aiming to keep their fuel bills down. Here, with help from the Caffe Society’s Shane O’Moore, we identify what cafés really need in the way of kit, and profile some compact, energy efficient pieces of catering equipment.

Good investments “Whether you already own, or are thinking of setting up a café or coffee shop, the most important element is catering to your customers’ requirements and tastes. You might wish to serve a fresh, up-market menu, but are limited with space and unable to have a full facilitated kitchen for food preparation. However, this does not mean that you can’t prepare a quality menu for your customers,” says the Caffè Society’s Shane O’Moore, whose company can provide catering equipment through CS Catering equipment (www.cs-cateringequipment.co.uk).

“There are a number of quality products on the market which can prepare good food for your customers and do not require a flue to be present on your premises, for instance. A convection oven - fan assisted with circulating heat transfer - is a good investment, enabling you to bake and roast

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produce so that you can serve savouries, pies, baked products and even fillings for breakfast rolls. The circulating air in a convection oven enables you to cook about third quicker and food is heated more efficiently than a conventional oven, saving you time and money.”

How outlets display and serve their café food can also be a very big decision as visual attractiveness can often lead to more sales, and there are three types of display which are invariably used in the café/coffee house environment - a chilled or multi deck for cold drinks, prepared sandwiches, paninis, wraps and rolls, a heated display housing food prepared in your convection oven, and an ambient display for impulse confectionery purchases such as muffins, cakes, donuts or cookies. Such displays can be provided as service assisted or self serve. And for more visual impact, suppliers usually recommend that these

stand alone units be built into your overall counter requirements with nice rounded finishes.

“The old favourite food items will often turn out to be the best selling ones toasties or paninis for example - so a quality toaster or contact grill is a must,” advises Shane O’Moore. “Baked potatoes are a high margin product,and a baked potato station with a convection oven for filling preparation can produce a quality product.”

In addition, it is also worth remembering that there are a number of seasonal products that are sure to be in demand, such as soup for the colder winter months.

“Soup kettles don’t take up a large amount of counter space and is an easily pre-prepared product, with some very good pre prepared soups on the market,” adds Shane O’Moore.

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“With healthy living high on the consumer agenda no café/coffee house should be without a quality blender to prepare fresh smoothies, and so a juicer is always popular, especially in a breakfast focused environment. As counter space is often at a premium, don’t forget that you will need an area to process your customers’ transactions, and a till station will also be required. Of course, when operating a coffee house, your central and top selling product should really be your coffee/hot drinks, and to generate a gourmet aroma, a traditional coffee machine should be your centre piece.”

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The Waring J772 Stick Blender

Handy extra

Space solutions The newly formed beverage systems supplier, Crem International UK Ltd (www.creminternational.com), says that it can also offer solutions for where space and expertise are at a premium inside busy cafes, coffee shops and bars.

Their Markus Plus 1 Group Espresso range, for example, is proving to be a winner where space is a premium, yet there is still a requirement for a completely functional coffee centre. With an integral, automatic grinder and standard large boiler options, there is no compromise on output, but the space saving is there to see. The

under machine waste drawer is a good feature, but be careful not to have the bar or counter more than a metre high, advise Crem. Other suitable coffee machines for smaller spaces include their One Group G10, and their Two Group Markus Compact.

If your catering skills are not to barista level then Crem can also offer several options from the Jura fully automatic bean to cup range. The XS90 and XS95 give cappuccino and layered latte at the touch of a button, and deliver up to 75 coffees per day over an eight hour period. With a self contained 5.7 litre water tank and an extended hopper holding 750 grams of beans, these machines are a practical alternative to a traditional group one machine.

Pictures: The trim-looking Expobar Markus One group plus standard with grinder.

On tap In café and coffee shop environments, water boilers have traditionally provided a simple, hassle-free and energy efficient way of offering operators a continuous supply of boiling water, suitable for all tea- and coffee-making facilities.

The latest Auto-Fill Burco water boiler (the 76500 model) is now available in the UK from Uropa Distribution (www.uropadistribution.co.uk), and is ideal for tea making, but just as useful for coffee, point out the company.

Burco’s 76500 is a compact, counter-top design, having been specifically designed with pubs, cafés, staff rooms and other smaller venues in mind.

With auto-fill technology, the 10 litre, 3kW boiler takes just 28 minutes to heat water to serving temperature and is capable of producing 40 litres of hot water per hour, report the company, enabling the Burco 76500 to ensure that hot water is ready when needed, saving time and energy by holding the water to within +/- 0.75°C of boiling point.

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A stick blender is a handy piece of equipment for small cafés, bistros and bars that need to whizz up salad dressings, soups, smoothies or sauces to order and new to Uropa Distribution is the Waring J772 Stick Blender.

Ideal for light-duty, commercial applications, it can process up to five litres at once and is easy to use by simply plugging in and turning on. Its integral plug fits standard sockets and a 1.85m cord stretches to a convenient operating area on the work surface. A high efficiency, two-speed 175W motor drives the stainless steel blades at 14,500 or 18,500 rpm. These settings also mean the operator has the choice of high speed pulverising or gentle mixing to eliminate lumps.

Robustly built and with a shaft length of 150mm, the Waring J772 is a handy addition to any small catering operation and Uropa supplies the blender with a full one-year parts and labour warranty (www.uropadistribution.co.uk).

The Santos K278 Juice Extractor is also available from Uropa.

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EQUIPMENT

A tough, two-tone stainless steel construction, together with a hard wearing design, makes for a reliable, robust boiler, with the Burco range available through dealers nationwide and backed by a full two-year parts and labour warranty.

A flat heating element minimises the unit size, whilst maximising output and limiting limescale build-up. The 76500 also has an inbuilt diagnostic system which can display information on the boiler’s performance, and notify the user if descaling is required (if de-scaling is not executed the machine automatically shuts down to prevent damage). In fact, the Burco 76500 has a fast, thorough de-scale programme to keep the element operating at maximum efficiency, and handy isolation and ball valves mean that the machine can be easily, and controllably, drained and serviced, without the need to remove the tap. The drip tray is also easy to empty and can be plumbed into the main drains for fully automatic operation.

Marco Beverage Systems has also announced the addition of a new model to its range of Ecoboilers - a new wallmounted water boiler that is eco-friendly and energy efficient, and aimed at catering establishments where space constrains are a major issue.

The addition of the wall-mounted version to the range further adds to the options available to caterers when choosing a water boiler, feel the company, with the rationale behind the Ecoboiler range being the rising price of energy.

Whilst at one time it might have made some sense to choose a boiler on price grounds alone, today’s high electricity costs mean that responsible and cost conscious caterers need to think also about the lifetime cost of running a water boiler, and that means choosing a model that minimizes the amount of power consumed.

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Over a boiler’s lifetime, caterers stand to make large savings whilst, at the same time, being environmentally friendly by using less energy to maintain the water at the desired temperature in stand-by mode.

In comparative tests against competitors’ equipment, Marco estimates that caterers could make energy savings of up to £45 over the course of a year on the running costs of the boiler. These savings are achieved through improved insulation and a redesigned boiler configuration. In their case, the new insulation is carbon neutral in manufacture and significantly reduces heat escape through conduction. The new boiler design also features a half fill “Eco mode”, for use in quieter periods and an engineer adjustable heat setting for precise temperature control.

The new model is electronically controlled with auto diagnostics and available in two sizes - three and five litre draw-off capacities, each available with either manual tap or push button dispense.

Each model delivers up to 24 litres of hot water per hour, the equivalent of 133 cups and at just 222mm in depth, the new model is slim line and compact. It is purpose-built to be plumbed into a wall mounted location, thereby saving valuable worktop space and making it ideal for small kitchens.

The Ecoboiler range is backward compatible with all Marco parts and benefits from Marco design features Aquaisolate, a reliability feature that positively separates the water from the electrics and Ezdscale, which simplifies the process of descaling the machine. It is also designed very much with the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) in mind, since there is

The latest wall mounted Ecoboiler from Marco.

now a cost attached to recycling electrical equipment.

“It is not always the case that being environmentally friendly can also save you money, but that is certainly the case with our Ecoboiler range, which is why it has been such a success,” says Chris York, UK sales director for Marco. “The same technology used in the larger models has now been engineered into a smaller, compact cabinet for the wall-mounted version.”

Ware washing Whether serving meals or sandwiches and snacks, every catering outlet relies on a dishwasher and this year, Hobart launched Bar Aid (www.hobartindependent.co.uk/baraid) for the independent market, to offer a market-leading ware washing solution at cost effective pricing, claim the company.

Bar Aid was launched, say Hobart, primarily to offer convenient glass and ware washing solutions for the smaller, independent foodservice outlets, as well as be exclusively available through its dealer network. Built in Hobart’s German factory, the range boasts good wash results and reliability, say the company, coupled with low running costs.

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EQUIPMENT Left: Compact and economical, Hobart launched the Bar Aid range of dishwashers with independent operators in mind.

The range incorporates machines for different types of outlet, all fitted with integral water softeners and chemical dosing units. The Bar Aid 800S, for example, is an under counter dishwasher, capable of washing up to 40 racks per hour, and enabling fast, efficient service, whereas the Bar Aid 900S is a powerful hood type of dishwasher that can wash up to 60 racks per hour, and has the additional feature of ensuring economical usage.

RoboQ - a new tabletop BBQ cooking concept

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Table top cooking RoboQ, a unique new BBQ cooking concept, could offer a profitable new revenue stream for food serving cafés, coffee shops and bistros.

Available in the UK exclusively from J M Posner, RoboQ can grill skewers of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit fast in just over three minutes from raw and just two minutes from precooked, and is now available in the UK exclusively from J M Posner.

The tabletop BBQ machine requires no pre-heating. Upon inserting up to six skewers, the RoboQ machine switches on automatically to cook food that can be served with paninis, wraps, speciality breads, fresh salads or tapas style, suggest its suppliers. As soon as the grilling cycle is complete, the machine switches off, and the portion control nature of the cooking process means that wastage is kept to a minimum.

“RoboQ is a totally new cooking concept which presents an excellent profit opportunity for the food service market with a very low set up cost,” says Justin Posner, who has been responsible for launching RoboQ in to the UK market explains.

“Being able to differentiate your offering from competitors is critical to success and RoboQ is an excellent way to extend the menu with something a bit different. It takes up minimal counter space, is easy to use with no specialist training required, and with a visible cooking platform, RoboQ can also be used in a ‘self serve’ mode when customers can select their own pre-packed skewers - this increases the flexibility of the machine even further. As the skewer is turned through 360˚ any excess fat soon drains away into the drip tray which also makes the RoboQ great for cooking healthier food.”

J M Posner says that it will offer operators a complete RoboQ concept. In addition to supplying the equipment, which is available for purchase, lease purchase or to hire, the company offers a complete BBQ solution which includes menu development and the supply of the precooked/frozen/chilled/pre-packed food ingredients too.

“There is nothing like this currently available in the UK and we want to make it as easy as possible for operators to benefit from this worldwide patented technology.” says Justin Posner. “Drawing on our 20 years plus experience in the food service industry we are able to source top quality ingredients which we can supply to customers in whatever format they need for their particular operation. It really couldn’t be easier for operators to seize this golden opportunity to develop an innovative and new revenue stream.”

RoboQ is virtually smoke free and features a built in filtration system so external ventilation therefore required. An additional feature is a three level power control system for the cooking of various food types and differing barbecue

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OPINION

The planning system and coffee shops: greater

flexibility and opportunity?

Background

Chris Green is an Associate Partner at DPP in Bedford.

He has worked as a planning consultant for over twelve years. He has a depth of experience, ranging from large residential schemes and nursing homes, through to conference centres, hotels and commercial retail and leisure developments. Chris has acted on behalf of coffee shop operators and successfully promoted proposals on their behalf throughout the country. He recently spoke at Allegra’s UK Coffee Leader’s Summit in 2009.

Chris works in the Retail and Commercial Team at DPP’s Bedford Office. DPP is a large independent planning consultancy established for more than 35 years. DPP operates from a network of ten regional offices throughout the UK and Ireland, enabling the firm to combine national coverage with local knowledge. Chris Green can be reached by email: Chris.Green@dppllp.com.

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he planning system has always had difficulty in keeping up with retail trends and social evolution. It was not until 2005 that it formally recognised ‘internet cafés’, more than ten years after the first one had opened in London. In the meantime, technology had of course moved on and amongst other things, the availability of wi-fi meant the concept was already outdated.

Similarly, the planning system has yet to fully understand coffee shops. We continue to see considerable differences and inconsistent approaches taken by local planning authorities when confronted with proposals to introduce coffee shops in their town centres. Although a significant majority welcome them, others still appear suspicious and resist coffee shops in primary shopping areas because of conflict with their rigid policies.

T

classified under Use Class A3 Restaurants and Cafés.

Coffee shops generally contain a mix of both A1 and A3 activities and do not easily fit within the uses categorised in the Use Classes Order.

Accordingly, the classification of a particular coffee shop is to be assessed on a ‘case by case’ basis, taking account of factors such as the: • Number of seats in the premises • Proportion of ‘eat in’ and ‘take away’ trade • Range of food that will be available and the extent of cooking activity • Opening hours • Length of time your customers are likely to stay • Branding and external appearance This ‘case by case’ approach requires councils to make a subjective judgement about your particular premises and exactly what goes on inside them.

A café or a shop?

The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (the Use Classes Order for short), lies at the heart of this inconsistency. This allocates different land uses or property types to a Use Class, according to the kind of activity taking place in the property. Operators of coffee shops will primarily be concerned with the following Use Classes: • Use Class A1 Shops • Use Class A3 Restaurants and Cafés Retailers selling food and drink for consumption away from the premises fall under Use Class A1 Shops, but where food or drink is consumed within the premises, they are

Why does it matter?

You could be easily forgiven for asking why this technical classification really matters. But firstly, it will determine whether or not you need planning permission. Permission is not needed for a change of use within the same Use Class, but where a new use falls in a different category, planning permission may be required, even if there is no physical works or development.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the Use Class you fall in (or are considered to fall in by the local planning authority) will influence the likelihood of actually getting planning permission, particularly in prime pitches.

Although A1 Shop uses are welcomed, planning policies generally seek to limit the proportion of non retail uses (including A3 Restaurant and Café premises) within the primary shopping frontages.

There is great local variation in the form particular policies may take. Some may set a threshold and define a proportion of non retail uses that will be allowed, but others go much further and present an embargo on new ‘non retail’ uses in prime pitches: if your use doesn’t fall strictly under Use Class A1 Shops, you’re not allowed in.

The combination of subjectivity over the Use Class of coffee shops and the variety of local policies is a continued cause of inconsistency and uncertainty for operators. We have seen cases where councils have taken very odd decisions.

For example, in Bishops Stortford, the Council allowed Costa Coffee to open on the high street, having accepted the benefits of the coffee shop despite its embargo policy. But it then refused permission for Caffè Nero on the opposite side of the road not long afterwards.

The same authority allowed Caffè Nero in the town of Hertford... and then went on to refuse permission for Starbucks a short distance away. Similarly, in Rugby, the Council had granted planning permission for Costa Coffee (including outside seating area) in its primary shopping area because it attracted customers, but then refused permission for Caffè Nero, even though surveys showed that it attracted similar numbers, and certainly more than any other shop in the vicinity.

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OPINION

Even for the big chains, coping with the inconsistent planning systems of local councils is not necessarily straightforward.

The issues and arguments Whilst the objective of these embargo policies (to secure the health of the town centre) may be honourable, they can be blunt tools unable to cope with uses such as coffee shops that don’t sit neatly within the Use Classes Order. Moreover, their blind application can prove entirely counterproductive.

Local councils are often suspicious of coffee shops and question the value they bring to the high street. They can be regarded as ‘parasites’ that distract people away from the shops. A concentration of coffee shops can lead to concerns over the dilution of a centre’s shopping function. However, even where there may be a conflict with a particular policy, local planning authorities are required under the Planning Acts to take other factors into account that might still justify the grant of planning permission.

At DPP, we have undertaken a significant amount of research into the role of coffee shops in the high street through our work on behalf of Caffè Nero across the country. This has highlighted some key benefits. Not least it has shown that people regard shopping as a leisure activity; they don’t just want to go shopping, they also want coffee shops and other leisure offers in their high streets. Moreover, people want them situated amongst the main retailers and not tucked out of the way in secondary locations.

Importantly, it has been

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

demonstrated that coffee shops attract visitors in their own right.

When we asked their customers, 68% had specifically planned to visit Caffè Nero that particular day, and 57% visited the coffee shop more than once a week.

This shows that coffee shops generate repeat trips to town centres, and 23% of customers surveyed, confirmed that they visited the town centre more often since Caffè Nero had opened. This shows that Caffè Nero actually generates footfall, and positively contributes to the town centre. These themes have also been reflected in survey work presented at planning appeals by the other main operators.

Armed with this kind of research, we have found that the Secretary of State has adopted a pragmatic approach when considering appeals concerning coffee shops in primary locations, and has been persuaded of the benefits that they can bring. Although applications may fail to satisfy the detailed wording of the protective polices adopted by local councils, it has been consistently recognised by appeal inspectors that they do much to support town centres.

There is certainly no evidence to suggest they have ever caused harm.

Future policy There are signs that this more positive approach may start to trickle through in emerging planning policies being prepared by the government. These

appear to offer help to coffee shop operators, and it is slowly being recognised that the blind application of an outdated ‘protectionist’ approach to primary shopping frontages often proves counterproductive, and even damaging to town centres.

Draft national guidance in PPS4 Planning for Prosperous Economies (published in May 2009) tentatively offered a more holistic view. Emerging policy seems to recognise that successful town centres need a good mix of shops and services, and authorities should proactively use the planning process to support the diversification of uses in the town centre. Behavioural changes such as combined leisure and shopping trips are also acknowledged, and authorities are encouraged to adopt more flexible policies.

They should also support economic growth and be more responsive to the needs of business. We have been promised by the Government that the national policy covering town centres will be published in its final form by the end of this year.

This introduction of greater flexibility will be increasingly important, although it may take some time to work its way down to policy at a local level. Town centres are facing a variety of challenges, including the effect of internet shopping as well as the current squeeze on

consumer spending. If they are to remain vibrant places, local planning authorities must be prepared to think more creatively. If flexibility does indeed filter down to local policies, we may see a more encouraging climate for coffee shops (and other ‘non retail’ operators). New planning policies may be introduced that are perhaps better able to cope with changing business formats.

We have recently seen this more positive approach in practice, most notably in Epping.

When Caffè Nero opened their premises in Epping town centre in 2006, the District Council took enforcement action because the ‘non retail’ use tipped the balance of their threshold policy.

Their policy would not allow more than 30% of the premises in the main shopping frontage to be occupied by uses other than shops, and the introduction of Caffè Nero changed this balance from 29.9% to 31.3%. The Council’s enforcement action was upheld on appeal, and also at a High Court challenge. In a rather dramatic change of heart, the Council finally recognised that Caffè Nero did actually benefit their town centre, particularly in these credit crunch times, and invited a new planning application after the High Court challenge. Their application was finally approved at the beginning of October, nearly three years after they opened.

So there is an opportunity for coffee shop owners at the moment to secure stronger trading pitches. With rising vacancies in prime locations, greater potential to secure premises on more preferential terms, and councils willing to take a more flexible approach, it is well worth pushing the boundaries of apparently difficult planning policies. For those operators looking to expand or relocate from existing premises, there may be prime opportunities. And with less competition from national players, there is greater scope for smaller businesses and independents to obtain prime locations and improve their performance.

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C

FE OF E

C

The Coffee Clinic

Here, Glenn James of maintenance company Coffix (www.coffix.com), responds to some of your frequently asked questions and concerns about the day to day use and smooth running of coffee machines by offering some practical advice and guidance.

IC LIN

We have an espresso machine that has an intermittent fault which causes the machine to occasionally lose pump pressure. We are hoping that this isn’t a major problem with our machine as it’s only just over a year old.

Ruth (Bury St Edmunds)d

Q

s, Wales

If you have a coffee machine-related question that you would like answered, then why not email clare@jandmgroup.co.uk or write in with details of the name, location of your café and question to Café Culture, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB and Café Culture magazine will endeavour to source an answer for you!

The fault that you have explained is a common fault with espresso machines, either of the causes of the fault can be repaired quite easily and quickly.

First of all, it could be the capacitor on the machine’s motor not generating enough power to turn the pump’s head which in turn produces the pressure to push the water through the coffee. If it turns out to be this fault I would suggest that you contact the company that you purchased the machine from and ask

A

CAFFE RATTE! Earlier this year, we were called out to a hotel early on in the year to what we thought would be a contaminated boiler. The hotel wasn’t a customer of ours so we thought that it would be the normal milk contamination of the boiler by leaving the steam arms in water over night. However, as I entered the foyer, the manager arrived and took me over to the machine, and as we got closer I could smell the fault, but it was a very peculiar smell. One that definitely wasn’t contamination!

I proceeded to carry out some checks and finally took the top off the machine to

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CAFÉ CULTURE

what manufacturer’s warranty is with the machine, as it should be still under warranty as most espresso machine companies supply at a two year parts warranty.

The other possible cause is that the pump head is sticking (the pump head increases your water pressure from mains pressure to the standard 9bar).

As I know of the water hardness around Bury St Edmunds it is a real possibility that the pump is starting to scale up especially if you are not a very busy café or restaurant. This repair is a straight forward ‘remove and replace’ job that shouldn’t take to long. As I’ve mentioned previously you could try and see if the manufacturer will cover the pump under warranty, but if it is caused by scale then that will void that warranty on that part.

quarantined but after talking to the health inspectors that came to investigate the incident, they said it rarely happens, but it can happen especially at this time of year because rodents head for a warm place at night. So you have been warned! Thankfully, the hotel is now back serving a real caffe lattes. discover, you guessed it, a rat or mouse that had managed to get stuck between the boiler and one of the group head pipes! The manager screamed and fled, and after much deliberation as to what to do - the machine being located in the middle of a very busy foyer café - a brown paper bag did the trick.

The machine was

Coffix would like to wish the readers of Café Culture the merriest of Christmases, and the very best for the New Year. Let’s all hope that 2010 is a great coffee year!

KABOOM! Recently a soon to open café owner rang us with an electrical fault. I went out to the site, and started looking over the machine and found, to my amazement, that the owner had wired the machine with a standard 13amp plug, even though the machine was a high power three group that needed a 30amp supply! But he told me that after blowing up three plugs, he felt he ought to contact someone…

‘COFFIX CLASSICS’ STATISTICS 2009 7 call outs to machines that had the water turned off, either at the mains or elsewhere.

5 call outs to machines that needed to be switched on, either at the plug or the machine.

3 calls outs to restaurants flooded due to not being able to find the water stop cock (and where the total damage was in excess of £85000 – take note, an expensive mistake!)

2 call outs to machines with lost keys.

2 call outs to defrost espresso machines (that were totally frozen).

2 call outs to grinders that had the hopper slide closed.

1 call out to remove a spoon from inside a brewing unit on a bean to cup machine.

Plus, countless call outs to ‘oohh that’s how you do it’ repairs!

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Pantheon Salamander gives food a grilling The latest, all stainless steel, compact (externally 630w 320d x 280h mm) SG630 Salamander Grill is perfect for all types of grilling across a wide range of foods, providing ongoing durability, reliability and efficiency.

Its user friendly controls allow temperatures of between 50° and 250°C to be selected and accurately maintained while a 15 minute timer can be deployed whenever required to prevent energy wastage. The plug-in unit is supplied with a heavy duty grill rack and tray and provides four shelf positions to allow maximum cooking control.

Pantheon’s all encompassing 12 months parts and labour warranty applies (call 0800 046 1570 or visit www.pantheonce.co.uk).

Newproducts A fruitful addition to any menu With intense, 100% natural flavours, a new range of Lyo and IBC branded freeze dried fruits from Cream Supplies can be scattered over desserts, ice creams and sorbets, used as a cooking ingredient in sweet and savoury recipes to add piquancy, or crumbled into a powder to finish dishes and decorate plates, as well as used in smoothies and shakes.

They can be used straight from the pack or rehydrated in drinks and foods. As the process of freeze drying concentrates the natural flavour of the fruit, only a very small amount is required to create impact, and the packs have a long shelf life.

Flavours include pineapple, peach, raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, mango and blueberry (call 0845 226 3024 or visit www.creamsupplies.co.uk).

Victor is a Topper in display Victor Manufacturing has supplemented its Toppers counter top heated displays portfolio with two larger models – the HDU40 and the HDU40G - designed to take four x G/N 1/1 containers.

These stainless steel units have Gastronorm compatible tops on a slimline base measuring 1435 x 580 mm beneath a conveniently operatorchangeable quartz heat lamp fronted

by a toughened glass sneeze screen.

Overall height of the units is 520 mm.

Both Topper models can be sited anywhere on a counter within reach of a 13 amp socket and come complete with a two metre cable with plug already fitted and have a loading of 2.2kW making them a very economical proposition for all catering facilities (call 01274 722125 or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

Kavis cooks up a greener fuel for caterers With no offensive odours and resistant to spills, Kavis’s canned ECOFuel is a environmentally friendly, high performance chafing fuel that has been a big hit with the hospitality sector and even appears on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoJ5etT22zc).

Made from 100% biodegradable, inert materials, it burns for longer and is easier to re-light and reuse, helping to ensure all the fuel is completely consumed. It is capable of multiple uses so there is minimal waste, but it also combines the heat of a gel with the burn time of a wick. It burns more cleanly and produces a wider plume than a wick.

ECOFuel will burn for up to four hours when cooking and up to six hours when warming. The temperature adjustment is made with the innovative dual function lid (call 0870 360 3123 or visit www.kavis.com).

New K-Tring Dispatch hot and cold snack delivery van By utilising the spacious and box-like interior of the new Citroen Dispatch, K-Tring Vehicles Ltd have been able to manufacture a competitively sized snack van, without the need to change the exterior appearance of one of the best selling light commercial vehicles on the market.

With a standard production specification including two side loading doors, virtually every cubic cm of load space has been taken up to provide rear ambient and refrigerated display areas, with a hot food display cabinet to the kerb side and addition storage/buffet deliveries on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

“Offering a reduced initial outlay is the main benefit of using a van rather than a coach built box on a chassis, but we have also greatly reduced day-to-day running costs and on going repair bills,” said managing director Andrew Mackness. Prices start from £21995. Call 0845 025 4411.

NOVEMBER 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 37

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INDEX

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

INDEPENDENT RETAIL MEMBERS Bon Viveur Central Business Exchange 460 Midsummer Boulevard Buckinghamshire,MK9 2EA Contact: Dominic Willmott Tel: 01908 673 900 Fax: 01908 673 800 bloodygoodcoffee@aol.com www.bon-viveur.com Cuppa-Cino Limited 1 Boyle Farm Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0TS Contact: Andrew Roberts Tel: 07801 749 122 cuppa.cino@bt.internet.com 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 iCafe 223 Great Western Road GlasgowG4 9EB Contact: Mr Umer Ashraf Tel: 01727 733258 info@icafe.uk.com Orient Express 24 Bridge Street Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1BY Contact: Saisunee Pettitt Tel: 01225 867333 mail@thaibarn.co.uk

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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 INDEPENDENTS An Chovi – N.Yorkshire Aroma Beverage Systems – S.Ireland BB’s Coffee & Muffins Ltd B.C.W. Limited – Bedford Bean For Coffee – Wakefield Bean Here – Beds Bean Loved - Skipton Bellini’s Limited - Ilkeston, Derbyshire Bens – Ballymena, N.Ireland Bevans Coffee Shop - Somerset Bewleys – Ireland Bite Café - Devon Bizzy Lizzy’s Coffee Shop Basingstoke Blades - Northleach Blue Onion Limited - Wiltshire Bon Viveur - Milton Keynes Boswells Coffee Co. – Oxon Brand Reminders - Wiltshire Brunchmasters – Essex Café 4U - Co. Antrim Café 67 - Norfolk Café Cars - Cardiff Café Chino - Manchester Café Connections – Buckingham Café Gabrielle - Co. Durham Café Java - Ireland Café Nero - London Café Roma UK – Essex Café Su - Glasgow Café Twocann - Swansea Caffe Chico - Redditch Caffe Latino – Sheffield Carpuccino – Bath Carrs Foods Ltd - Manchester Cisco’s - Stirling Chat Coffee House – N.Ireland Cinnamon Café – Windsor

Cision UK Limited - London CJ’s – Snaith, East Yorkshire Coffee Mocha - Salisbury Coffee Square Ltd – Bedford Coffix - Leicester Condor Ferries – Dorset Mr Steven Cossey Costa Coffee Ltd – Dunstable Costs Coffee Crossover Café - Birmingham Crown Coffee - Kent Cuppa-Cino – London D P E Enterprise Ltd - Worcester Dean’s Pizzeria & Sandwich Bar Coventry Delimakers Oy – Finland Ms W Ellison – West Sussex Esquires Coffee House – Galway Esquires Coffee House – Lisbun, Co Antrim Esquires Coffee House - London Ferndale Garden Centre – Dronfield Fernz (Café) – Worthing First Choice Coffee Ltd – Milton Keynes Flavour – Cardiff Flying Egg Café - Middlesex Fruitcakes – Northleach Gold & Silver Workshop Guernsey Glebe Street - East Dunbartonshire Glynn Hopkins – Brislington Steve Gannon – Kent Grain D’Orr – Lincolnshire Greggs Plc – Newcastle-uponTyne Homes4u – Lancashire Java Brothers Ltd - Leeds Java The Hut - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Josiah’s Lounge – London Christopher Kimble - Glasgow Koo Coffee – Derbyshire Lavazza Coffee UK - Middlesex Lightbody - Hamilton Love Shack Coffee - Essex Maids of Honour - St Helier, Jersey Mr Abdul Majid - Birmingham Mambocino – Middlesex Marimba World Chocolate Ltd Suffolk Marmalades - Norwich McLeish Brothers- Dundee Mister Woods Café – Northshields Monty’s Bakehouse –

Mulmar Food Service Hertfordshire Murray’s Catering - Altrinham Nourish Café and Deli - Torquay Pickwicks Café - Somerset Premier Coffee – Surrey Presswatch Media - London Restaurant Sorrento – Ballymena, N.Ireland Riverview Restaurant Coleraine, N.Ireland Rokos Frangos - London Ruth’s Café – Essex SCA Hygiene Products Bedfordshire S M Coffee - Stanmore Saint Caffè - Birmingham Santa Fe Coffee Company Woking Surrey Select Service Partner - London Slice - Essex Soho Coffee Shops Ltd Cheltenham Starvin Jacks - Swansea Strand Coffee Ltd - Derby Sugar Qube – Glasgow Martin Talbot – West Midlands Tamra – London The Knitted Café – North Yorkshire TFI Lunch – Brighton The Coffee Compass - West Sussex The Conservatory - W Yorkshire The Flying Coffee Company – Cambridge The Hive Café - Dorset The Little Cup Cake Co. Ltd Huntingdon The Streat – Belfast Tiffins IOW Ltd – Isle of Wight Natalie Tirimo - London Toutpre’s Tout Pre’t - Brussels Urban Coffee - London Urban Coffee - Accrington Urban Espresso - Bath Urban Espresso – Bristol Vendability Limited – Co Meath Venetia’s - London Mr N Warren - Derby Whiteley’s Garden Centre Coffee Shop – June Woolf Limited - Tottenham Hale Xpress Coffee UK Buckinghamshire Yummy Mummy’s Coffee Shops - Nottinghamshire Zucchero - Bristol

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NOVEMBER 2009 CAFÉ CULTURE 39

34_40_CC_Planning 2pp:Layout 1

16/11/09

10:25

Page 40

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Francis Francis X1. An espresso coffee machine that combines the best of technology and Italian design. A perfectly ground and tamped E.S.E. pod. A few simple steps and a short wait. It’s all you need to get the quintessence of Italian coffee: a perfect espresso. A little moment of pleasure and delight.

available online at

www.espressocrazy.com

Tel: 01604 821234

£10 off with this code: CC91* *on orders over £40 in value, offer expires 01/06/2010