Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 56

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magazine MAY 2013 ISSUE 56

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

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Welcome!

CONTENTS

It’s the Caffè Culture Show preview (page 16) issue, and we hope to be able to catch up with many of you at what promises to be an informative event (15 and 16 May 2013, Olympia, London).

Representatives from Café Culture magazine and the Café Society will be found at stand F51.

Judging is now well underway in this year’s Café Society Awards, and we look forward to announcing the winners, as well as welcoming you to the annual awards lunch to be held at the Roof Gardens in Kensington, London on 19 June 2013 (turn to page 14 to book a table).

In this issue we report on Allegra’s UK Coffee Leader Summit, profile several young café concepts, and take some advice on what’s required when first starting out. Packaging and espresso machines also feature.

NEWS

Clare Benfield - Editor Editor Clare Benfield, Tel: 01291 636336, E-mail: clare@jandmgroup.co.uk Advertising Manager Paul Steer Tel: 01291 636342 E-mail: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk Production Manager Jayson Berry, Tel: 01291 636339, E-mail: jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk Subscriptions and Customer Service Tony Lorimer, Tel: 01291 636333 E-mail: tony@cafesociety.org.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

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4 Bewley’s buys Bolling.

5 Caffè Culture show returns.

6 Australia’s first international coffee roasting competition.

8 Barista training doubles with BSA and City & Guilds.

PREVIEW 14 Café Society Awards luncheon 2013.

16 Caffè Culture 2013.

EVENT REVIEW 20 The UK Coffee Leader Summit 2013.

FEATURES 26 My café – advice for those starting out in the coffee shop business.

40 Specialist machines – improving barista skills and speciality coffee demand means more is required from espresso machines.

52 Cakes – gourmet cakes for increasingly gourmet consumers.

ARTICLES 48 Can I have a cappuccino (in 2030)? – getting café businesses to think about sustainability issues.

60 Putting your cake and dessert menu together – Julie Zalesny of Vittles.

PROFILES 36 Il Tempo - an Italian coffee and wine aperitivo bar in London.

38 Something different - the trendsetting café paying attention to the detail.

64 Beer, grog, and chow! HMS Belfast’s new food and beverage venue.

REGULARS 66 Barista talk - your barista questions answered.

68 New products.

71 Checkout.

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NEWS

University challenge proves full of beans!

Valeria Mazza has been crowned winner of the 2013 inaugural TUCO (the University Caterers Organisation Ltd) Barista Skills competition held in Blackpool and sponsored by Illy and Fracino, beating off stiff competition in a fiercely fought contest with over 20 contestants from 16 universities, who were all aiming for the top accolade.

Valeria Mazza impressed the judges with her cool calm precision and technical skill, as well as evidenced huge creativity with her signature coffee, entitled Pistachio Ice-Cream Americano.

“I started working as a barista after developing a passion for coffee whilst waitressing, and being Italian, loving coffee is in my blood. I learned the tricks of the trade when I moved from waitressing to a speciality coffee shop, and from there I honed my skills even further at the

university café under the watchful eye of my boss Annabel,” revealed Valeria Mazza. “Annabel encouraged me to enter the competition, and I am so grateful she did, winning feels amazing, and has only reenforced my love for coffee making. Thank you TUCO!” The competition was introduced by popular demand and required entrants to make four espressos, four cappuccinos and four speciality drinks of their own concoction within 15 minutes (the contest was judged by barista skills and coffee experts from the Barista Championships, Peros and Davinci Gourmet).

The standard was extremely high across the board, as Chrissie Huxter, Technical Judge at the Barista Championships and one of three judges on the day explained: “The level of skill

we saw in the competition covered a wide range of essential coffee making talents. Entrants showed knowledge of their coffee ingredients and sources, technical skill in both espresso making and milk frothing - which interestingly saw varying approaches from different competitors - and finally, a diverse and exciting range of recipes and designs when it came to creating their own signature coffee.

“We saw everything from coconut and dark chocolate mochas to homemade pistachio ice-cream Americanos, and the level of innovation shown really was excellent.”

Julie Barker, managing director of TUCO anticipates an even bigger buzz around the caffeine laden event next year.

“The UK has embraced European café culture to the and students

Britvic launches latest J2O limited edition

Bewley’s buys Bolling

Britvic Soft Drinks is continuing its on-going flavour innovation programme with its latest J2O limited edition, J2O Pear Gold.

Its 2013 summer limited edition is a unique combination of pear and guava, offering consumers a soft drink alternative to cider, say the brand. J2O Pear Gold is available now to both the on and the off-trade and has been created to broaden the appeal of the brand to a wider audience, keeping the brand modern and up-to-date.

A refreshing alternative to alcohol, J2O Pear Gold will drive penetration of the brand over the crucial summer months ensuring J2O is at the heart of the ‘adult get together’ and will be available in a 24-case glass single for outlets.

It joins the J2O portfolio, available in the following flavours Orange & Passionfruit, Apple & Mango, and Apple & Raspberry.

Bewley’s of Dublin has triumphed in what is widelybelieved to have been a competitive battle to acquire Bolling Coffee (the Yorkshirebased firm behind the creation of the Grumpy Mule brand of coffee).

“We have had a lot of interest,” said Bolling’s managing director, Ian Balmforth, on the official announcement. “We accepted the offer from Bewley’s because they are honest, seriously good coffee people with integrity, and are absolutely right for the future of Bolling.”

Both companies have a good reputation in the directsourcing of coffee, with a strong relationship between roaster and farmer (Damian Blackburn at Bolling having recently completed ten years work at origin, and Paul O’Toole of Bewley’s being one of the industry’s famous coffeesourcers who has worked with farmers for over thirty years).

Ian Balmforth is keen to make sure that directly traded coffee becomes more

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accurately understood, so that the term ‘direct trade’ itself is used correctly, for he believes that it is often used in a marketing term context that might not strictly apply to the coffee in question. Indeed, at the recent Coffee Leader Summit, he was outspoken in challenging organisations such as the Fairtrade Foundation and Rainforest Alliance on this very topic, suggesting that when brands and organisations loosely talk about ‘direct sourcing’, it is in fact not always the case, but becomes the perception in the minds of consumers.

“Bewley’s direct sourcing is an example of best-practice in the industry, and they think that we also work on it in the right way. At the Allegra conference I said from the stage that I was bloody well fed up with some of the nonsense that some brands talk about ‘direct sourcing’… and I got a round of applause for it!” he told the April edition of caffeculture.com.

“We have talked for a long time about going ‘beyond

Valeria Mazza collecting her award. in particular are very keen on takeaway coffee and demand the highest standards at reasonable prices from their university caterers,” she said.

“At TUCO our role is to support university caterers such as baristas with learning and development and this inaugural year for the barista competition has showcased fantastic standards, commitment and inventiveness to rival any high street coffee shop whilst simultaneously nurturing these skills. We are certain that demand will be even higher for next year’s competition, which is a great way for us to foster the talent in this rapidly expanding area.”

Bolling, famous for its Grumpy Mule brand, has been acquired by Bewley’s.

Fairtrade’ and ‘beyond Rainforest’, and the way Bewley’s works and the way we work joins up a lot of very good dots in good direct-sourcing practice. We all see sustainable, traceable, ethical sourcing as the future of the industry.”

The Grumpy Mule brand was created by Bolling as a collection of unusual, rare, and fine coffees for retail sale through the deli and specialist food retail trades and has collected a number of awards, and has also found its way into foodservice.

Bolling will now come under the direct control of Brendan McDonnell of Bewley’s as managing director. Ian Balmforth will adopt a commercial director role to allow him to undertake more personal commitments outside the company.

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NEWS

Caffè Culture show returns Hosting over 230 industry specialist exhibitors, ranging from smaller artisan suppliers to large international brands, plus a full programme of free seminars and practical demonstrations, the Caffè Culture Show is poised to return to Olympia, London.

Taking place on the 15 and 16 May, the event will offer the ideal opportunity to source the latest suppliers and receive free business advice from the industry's leading experts.

Sector leaders will cover many key areas of coffee service using informal demonstrations and a specialist knowledge of the

industry to impart vital skills.

For example, Paul Eagles will be opening the programme each day with a workshop on Perfecting your Hot Chocolate, which looks at the importance

of hot beverage choices including a good hot chocolate offering and practical advice on how to prepare quality hot chocolate on a coffee machine.

New brand concept and management restructuring The coffee grinder manufacturer with the brands Mahlkönig, Ditting and Anfim has announced that it will be presenting its new brand concept and restructuring its management.

The German premium coffee grinder manufacturer Mahlkönig and the Swiss grinder specialist Ditting, which were brought together in 2007 under the Swiss holding Hemro AG (based in Bachenbülach, Switzerland), have been further strengthened in the last year due to the participation in the Italian grinder manufacturer Anfim.

Also, the production of grinding discs and components for the group at the Hamburg facility has been centralised and a new assembly and office building has been acquired in Bachenbülach, near Zurich Airport with Hemro AG now presenting itself as a company for “global coffee grinding solutions” with the three brands Mahlkönig, Ditting and Anfim (the product lines of all three brands will be continued).

Mahlkönig stands for absolute quality standards and perfect coffee, Ditting for technical perfection, and Anfim for the Italian espresso culture and lifestyle, says Hemro AG, and the use of these three brands under the umbrella brand Hemro is intended to emphasise the synergies and potential inherent in the Group.

Nils Erichsen, the founder of the Group, chief executive officer, delegate of the board of directors, and current head of

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the Division Branded Products resigned from his position at the end of March but will continue to be closely associated with the Group as an adviser for strategic projects, member of the board of directors and shareholder.

Philipp Baumberger, current COO and head of the Division Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM), will now take over as CEO of the entire Group, a role which he will perform from his current location in Bachenbülach. The Division Branded Products will henceforth be led by Carsten Reinke as chief marketing and sales officer of the Group (Jochen Christoph, also based in Bachenbülach, has been chief financial officer since 1 June 2012).

Dr Karl Freiherr von Hahn, who has been chairman of the board of directors for many years, has resigned from his position and the board and the board of directors now consists of Dr Johann Christian Jacobs as chairman of the board of directors, Alexander von Schönau as vice-chairman and Nils Erichsen, a former delegate of the board of directors, as a member.

Philipp Baumberger is the new CEO of Hemro AG group of Mahlkönig, Ditting and Anfim brands.

Other sessions on the stage include Ben Townsend of the Espresso Room demonstrating essential techniques which offer quick and easy ways to improve your espresso whilst TV chef Peter Sidwell of Britain’s Best Bakery fame, will provide a practical talk on some fantastic savoury baked goods that are easy to recreate even in the smallest café kitchens.

Registering to attend the show in advance allows trade visitors to avoid the £25 entry fee on the door (for more information about the show, or to register yourself and your colleagues for your free entry badge, visit www.caffecultureshow.com).

Event to highlight biogas potential of food waste This year the UK’s biggest dedicated anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas event, UK AD & Biogas 2013 (3-4 July, NEC Birmingham), will be aiming to highlight the significant contribution that anaerobic digestion can make to the bottom-line of food and drink businesses, potentially helping the industry to divert 5.76m tonnes of food waste from landfill each year, which would save £508m per year in landfill costs alone.

Free to attend, this two-day event organised by the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) will show food manufacturers, processors, retailers and those in the hospitality sector why it makes financial sense to integrate AD into their business or get their food waste collected separately and sent for treatment through AD, including how to design and implement collection systems that work for their business, valuing their food waste feedstock, managing on-going operations and discussing how to make best use of the outputs from an AD plant.

With over 240 exhibitors, 24 conference sessions, 22 seminars and workshops, plus one-to-one professional farming, finance, feedstock, planning, permitting and legal advice clinics, this year’s trade show is set to be a little different.

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NEWS

Leathams announce coffee supply partnership The ingredients supplier, Leathams, says that it has been working in partnership with both the Oromo Coffee Company and Bolling Coffee to launch a new line of speciality espresso coffee beans exclusively into Vital Ingredient, a chain of healthy food stores in London.

These fair trade products are produced in the Oromia region in Ethiopia, and are made from the finest beans from the Harar, Limu and Yirgacheffe regions, say Leathams.

“This is a new offering for Leathams and one that I am personally extremely passionate about as the Oromo Coffee Company provides an exciting new approach to the speciality coffee market,” said Clive Moxham, sales and marketing director at Leathams.

“We believe this to be a great fit for us, as it is a new and innovative approach from the birth place of coffee. Unlike many other beans available within the UK, Oromo coffee comes from a single origin, giving it a truly distinctive taste.

Another critical feature about the coffee is its freshness, as Bolling will be roasting to order which means that we can offer Vital Ingredient’s consumers a freshly roasted high quality coffee.

“We also strongly believe that our coffee is not just limited to the grab and go customer and identify the potential to expand into the food service sector. Not only is this an exceptional quality product but an extremely ethical option as it supports small farmers in Ethiopia and enables the Oromo Coffee Company to continue to provide employment and training opportunities to Oromo people in the UK. The blend for Vital Ingredient is an exclusive blend and roast but we will be working with other core customers to develop their coffee offer over the coming months.”

Leathams report that they also have a partnership with Louie Salvoni of Espresso Service, who install and service of any type of coffee equipment, and who will be looking after all the espresso machines in Vital Ingredient.

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Australia’s first international coffee roasting competition Melbourne’s undisputed reputation as the coffee capital will be strengthened as the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) launches Australia’s first international coffee roasting competition in the lead up to the 2013 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) and World Barista Championships.

Entries for the inaugural Australian International Coffee Awards (AICA) opened on Tuesday, 2 April, with judging taking place from Tuesday, 7 to Thursday, 9 May at Melbourne Showgrounds.

Following the success of the Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards’ coffee competition, the RASV says that it has created a stand-alone event open to both local and international coffee roasters and held as part of MICE2013.

RASV CEO Mr Mark O’Sullivan said: “The

RASV is pleased to invite local and international entries into the new AICA, building on the success of the coffee category of the Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards.

“Melbourne is renowned for its world class coffee and the AICA will award excellence in roasted coffee blends from around the world and provide trophy and medal winners with unique marketing opportunities.”

The winners will be announced on Thursday, 23 May and MICE2013 will be held from Thursday, 23 to Sunday, 26 May at Melbourne Showgrounds and is Australia’s largest dedicated coffee trade show (for more information, visit www.rasv.com.au/coffee or follow the Australian International Coffee Awards on Twitter at www.twitter.com/auscoffeeawards).

New barista trainer joins Peros team Peros says that it has strengthened its barista training operation with the addition of a new member.

Lara Rodwell has now joined Peros’s team of experienced baristas who help train customers and their staff to get the best out of their coffee and equipment. She has recently returned to the UK after twelve years ‘down-under’ learning and refining her barista skills. Having originally set out to work and travel around the world during a single gap year, Lara discovered a passion for coffee and its community in Australia that persuaded her to stay for twelve years.

It began when her travels took her to New South Wales when she found a job in a small café serving the vibrant Eastcoast tourist resort of Brunswick Heads.

She spent six years there, inspired and enthused by like-minded individuals, learning more and more about coffee, its preparation and the culture that surrounds it.

“Australia, at that time, was probably the best place in the world to learn about coffee,” says Lara Rodwell. “It’s so embedded in the community that coffee is not just about the beverage, it’s more about the social side. Cafés are the places

to meet and get to know people and good baristas are local heroes everyone loves them!”

For the next six years, Lara Rodwell moved on to develop her experience and skills as head barista at various operations in Byron Bay, including the five-star resort The Byron.

Here she worked closely with Paul Bassett (World Barista champion 2003), helping to showcase his winning espresso blend (she also paid regular visits to his roastery in Sydney to understand more about the journey from bean to cup).

Lara Rodwell feels the UK coffee scene is now on a par with Australia, with fewer practitioners but more experimentation.

“In the UK there’s more willingness to push boundaries and do things differently. All baristas need to be humble enough to learn from each other, so we can continuously enhance our offering,” she says.

“My job as a trainer is not only to explain the skills required to be a better barista, but also to fire the same passion for great coffee that inspired and enthused me when I started out. Being a barista is a great skill to have - one that opens up opportunities throughout the world. And don’t forget, everyone loves a good barista!”

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The world leading brand Mazzer is synonymous with coffee bean grinding as it has been manufacturing for more than 70 years and distributes into 90 countries and has become the choice and preference by the vast majority of the speciality coffee community and for good reason.

Mazzers proven reliability with every single unit build being factory tested with coffee guarantees the consistency and accuracy that achieves the highest quality grind with minimum heat and static build up protecting the essential and volatile coffee aromas.�

Do not hesitate, call for further trade information and pricing 0845 6885282

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NEWS

Top Tea Award The Goring hotel in London has been serving its quintessentially English Afternoon Tea since the day the hotel opened in 1910 and after 113 years, has mastered the perfect menu - with everything from deliciously traditional British brews, to tea-leaves sourced from the foot of the Himalayas.

Now, such excellence has resulted in the Goring's Afternoon Tea being awarded with one of the highest accolades from the UK Tea Guild - the 2013 Top London Afternoon Tea Award.

In its 28th year, The UK Tea Council's Tea Guild Awards are considered to be The Oscars of the tea world, with world-famous London hotels and tea rooms competing for this highly coveted honour.

The Goring was judged by anonymous tea inspectors (on several occasions) on strict guidelines across 16 categories including décor, efficiency of service, tea appearance and flavour. The Goring received this award after gaining a near perfect score by the Tea Guild's highly impressed judges.

In winter, tea at The Goring can be enjoyed in the comfortably opulent surrounding of the Lounge by the gently flickering

open fire, or on the terrace, overlooking the hotel's large private garden. In more clement weather the veranda, with its cheerful yellow and white striped awning, is one of the very few spots where afternoon tea can be enjoyed al fresco in the capital.

The Goring's afternoon tea menu offers its guests a delectable selection of dainty finger sandwiches, homemade buttery scones and an abundance of irresistible home-made cakes and pastries, all served with an excellent selection of carefullyselected and perfectly-brewed teas. For special occasions, or just to add an extra spark to the afternoon, the exclusive Bollinger Champagne tea menu is an elegantly uplifting option.

Food and Beverage manager at the Goring, Stuart Geddes, said: "As a proud member of the Tea Guild we are delighted and honoured to receive this prestigious award. Everyone at the Goring is passionate about creating a wonderful experience from the moment of arrival at the front door, to the moment of departure. So when it comes to serving the perfect afternoon tea, we know it's vital to get every detail just right, every day."

New Turkish coffee pots from Cream Supplies A new range of 18/10 stainless steel, Turkish Coffee Pots is now available from Cream Supplies.

Although these were traditionally made from brass or copper, everyday use demands more durable materials, say Cream Supplies, and these Italian made pots are completely dishwasher proof.

Turkish coffee refers to the preparation of the drink not the coffee itself. The coffee beans must be ground very finely using a mortar (original method) or

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using a burr mill (such as Cream Supplies’ Porlex ceramic burr grinders), electric grinder or Turkish hand grinder.

There are four sizes available – 100ml, 250ml, 450 ml and 650mls and prices start at £7.49 (inc.

VAT) or £6.24 (ex VAT).

Barista training doubles with BSA and City & Guilds The Beverage Standards Association (BSA) and City & Guilds barista training has doubled in the last 12 months with 16 BSA member satellite training centres throughout the country and over 100 people attaining barista qualifications, report the two organisations.

Jim Devlin, BSA City & Guilds quality assurance coordinator said: “We are delighted that so many BSA member satellite training centres have been appointed.

Every year we re-issue every Centre with an accreditation certificate. It is essential that people are properly trained to become a barista. There is no typical career route. Although training does take place, there was no recognised standard until the BSA worked with City & Guilds to develop the Level 2 VRQ in Barista Skills.

“This qualification is recognised around the world and fits in with the BSA’s aims to encourage and promote higher standards and training within the industry. It is excellent news that so many people are going through this

training – over 100 in the last year – and we want to continue to increase this.”

The City & Guilds Level 2 VRQ in Barista Skills not only provides product knowledge on what makes up a hot beverage, but also the techniques to handle and store products correctly.

Candidates learn how to operate equipment safely, how to keep equipment clean and in good working order.

“Most importantly, they are taught specific skills in the preparation, presentation and serving of beverages,” added Jim Devlin. “This ensures they can create the best beverage experience for customers.

What really surprised me were the comments on feedback sheets from ‘qualified baristas’ who have attended the course who say ‘I didn’t realise how much I didn’t know until I came on this course.’”

The qualification is assessed with a written theory paper and a practical assessment covering both the candidates’ knowledge and practical skills.

New app for ice cream lovers A new app has been launched to guide people to the best ice cream sellers in the UK. With just a virtual click of a button, smart phone, iPad and tablet users will be directed to their nearest quality ice cream provider, say its creators.

The free ICA app is the first of its kind in the UK and has been introduced by The Ice Cream Alliance - the trade body for the £1.1bn ice cream industry.

The app, available for iPhone and android formats, will display profiles for each ice cream parlour and provide easy to follow directions to get to their chosen parlour. It also contains information on ice cream and has a link to an ice cream game and to social networks.

Zelica Carr, chief executive

officer of the Ice Cream Alliance (pictured), said: "The new app will be a must have for all lovers of quality ice cream. It contains details of more than 250 of the UK's premium ice cream providers."

The ICA App can be downloaded for free at the iTunes store or www.android.com.

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NEWS

SHORTS The London Coffee Festival The UK’s largest coffee and artisan food event, the London Coffee Festival, takes place at the Old Truman Brewery from 25 to 28 April 2013. It is also a flagship event of UK Coffee Week™ (22 – 28 April), a nationwide celebration of great coffee and industry collaboration to raise funds for Project Waterfall (a charity which aims to deliver safe drinking water, good sanitation and hygiene education in Africa). This year, the festival will enjoy a second industry day with an enhanced Lab and VIP Trade Day programme for industry visitors.

National minimum wage to rise As of October 2013, the national minimum wage is to rise by 12p an hour to £6.31 for adults, and by 5p to £5.03 for 18-to-20-year-olds, the government having accepted the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission. And although the Commission said that the rate for apprentices should be frozen, the government said this would be rising by 3p to £2.68 an hour. However, the rises are below current inflation levels (the Retail Prices Index inflation currently stands at 3.2% and the Consumer Prices Index at 2.8%).

New tea ‘to go’ A new tea concept has been introduced as an alternative for a coffee to go for people who prefer good quality leaf and broken tea combined with the convenience to be mobile and not having to worry where to discard the tea bag, say its creators, Eilles (www.eilles-tee.co.uk). The handling is very easy, say the company, since the tea bag is integrated in the lid which fits onto a double wall paper cup. After sufficient steeping time, the tea bag is easily pulled out of the water and stowed underneath the lid.

Manchester success for Cake & Bake The Cake & Bake Show, in partnership with Bakingmad.com, held its first northern show in Manchester recently and notched up a sell out success.

Over 27,000 baking fans walked through the doors of Manchester Central to enjoy the country's biggest experiential baking show with 32,000 pieces of cake and over 10,500 pies were sold over the three days. Baking stars such as Paul Hollywood, Simon Rimmer, Eric Lanlard, Tom Herbert, John Whaite, Stacie Stewart, Peter Sidwell, Mich Turner, Paul A Young and many more demonstrated at the show, hosted classroom sessions and judged competitions and bake offs.

Ultimate coffee shop courtesy?

RescuSpecs - three assorted quality courtesy reading glasses in a compact counter unit stand - have been launched at a special promotional price of £24.99 each (with a ‘buy one, get one half price’ reader offer for Café Culture readers). Ideal for when customers have forgotten their glasses, or perhaps are struggling when reading the small print such as menus, they are the ultimate in customer service, claim their suppliers (visit www rescuespecs.com, or call freephone 0800 169 3760).

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Bibby Distribution delivers the right blend for Lavazza Bibby Distribution says that it has used its extensive expertise in the food sector to secure a prestigious new warehousing and distribution contract with Italian coffee brand, Lavazza.

The deal, secured following a competitive tender, will see Bibby Distribution handle the food service side of Lavazza’s business in the UK (the brand’s fourth largest international market outside Italy, and one of the fastest growing). The contract will be based at Bibby Distribution’s British Retail Consortium (BRC), accredited multi-user warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent, with up to 160 individual orders being packed and distributed weekly, say the firm.

“Bibby Distribution impressed us with their commitment to continued improvement,” said a spokesperson for Lavazza. “They made it clear from the outset that their initial plan for distribution was just a starting point; we sense a real passion and desire to work with us to further improve systems and processes.”

Key to securing the contract was Bibby Distribution’s

experience in handling food products, and its ability to offer Lavazza full traceability of stock and an accurate delivery service.

Order lead times have also been reduced from five to three days – backed up by maximum focus on presentation quality to customers, say Bibby.

“Reducing lead times is one of the most important ways for us to improve our competitive edge,” added Lavazza’s spokesperson.

“Bibby Distribution’s commitment to getting products to customers faster will improve customer satisfaction, whilst enabling a slight reduction in stock levels and increased flexibility. It gives us far greater control over deliveries.”

In addition to transporting coffee, Bibby Distribution will handle a full range of complementary products, including biscuits, chocolates, branded crockery and promotional materials. Products are despatched to Lavazza’s several thousand food service customers, which includes chains, independent coffee shops, bars, restaurants and professional caterers.

Weather-proof ‘ice cream’ lollies!

James Chocolates is to launch a range of new Ice Cream Lollies as part of a wider selection of chocolate treats for late spring and summer 2013.

Inspired by classic seaside ice cream favourites, new James Chocolates Ice Cream Lollies will be available in Real Strawberry, Real Vanilla and Chocolate Fudge Chip.

“We all love ice cream in the summer,” says founder James Hutchins. “But the British summer frequently fails to deliver sunshine so we’ve created these new Ice Cream Lollies to provide a weatherproof treat purchase.

“Sale of real ice cream soars on hot days and these solid chocolate versions are sure to have broad appeal when the skies turn cold and grey for tourists, day-trippers and holidaymakers.”

Like all the other novelties and

best-selling animals in the James Chocolates range, these Ice Cream Lollies are made from the same high quality couverture that’s used to make its award-winning truffles, discs and bars, say the company.

The new Ice Cream Lollies are made of solid chocolate mounted on a stick. They are free of all artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and each weighs 38g.

They will be available as a mixed case of 18 units and will retail from £2.50. The Real Strawberry Ice Cream Lolly features crushed strawberry pieces and the Real Vanilla Ice Cream Lollies include Madagascan vanilla pods. The Chocolate Fudge Chip variant is made from smooth caramel milk chocolate with the addition of soft pieces of fudge.

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NEWS

Halal ingredients on the menu at Pecan Deluxe The European inclusions specialists Pecan Deluxe Candy (Europe) says that it is set to break into new markets in the UK and abroad after its Yorkshire site was given the seal of approval to produce Halal accredited products.

Halal certified products are sourced, manufactured, imported and distributed in accordance with Islamic law to meet the needs of Muslim consumers. After several of its confectionery inclusions passed the strict Halal Food Authority (HFA) audit at its factory, Pecan Deluxe revealed its plans to take advantage of the new opportunities presented by this accreditation.

Pecan Deluxe technical manager, Matthew Dobson, explained: “There is a growing trend for quick service restaurants and food manufacturers to cater for Halal customers, and we are responding to that trend by ensuring the availability of

certified inclusions. The HFA audit was technically challenging as each product had to be individually ratified by the authority as fit for consumption

by Muslims.

“Pecan Deluxe is committed to offering better choice and more novel ingredients to meet demand from across the world for our 250-plus inclusions.

Now, Halal food providers can tap into our expertise in getting new concepts to market quickly.

We’re confident that being able to offer Halal products will broaden our customer base and ultimately our market share across all sectors of the food industry.”

Pecan Deluxe is the brains behind some of the most famous ice-cream, confectionery and bakery inclusions in the world. The company recently invested over £200,000 in its manufacturing facility in Sherburn-In-Elmet in direct response to increasing demand for its products.

Monin launches new rosemary flavour Cocktail syrup specialist Monin has launched an exciting new flavour – the versatile and refreshing taste of Rosemary.

The bright, emerald green syrup has a strong flavour, redolent of eucalyptus and with a slight bitter aftertaste, say Monin, and combines well with fruit flavours, such as apricot, orange and tomato, to produce light aromatic cocktails and refreshing smoothies.

James Coston, Monin UK brand ambassador, adds: “Rosemary is an exciting addition to any bar, providing a wealth of choice for mixologists when making cocktails, mocktails, teas and smoothies. Its attractive colour transforms the look of the drinks, and it perfectly encapsulates the unique flavour of this Mediterranean

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herb, particularly with gin and vodka-based cocktails.

“It can also be used in cooking, enhancing lamb and pork dishes, for example, and as a vinaigrette for salads and starters. There is a clear demand for herb-flavoured drinks and Monin Rosemary syrup perfectly satisfies that need and is bound to win many new fans as well.”

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NEWS

Two new franchise partners drive to their future with Cafe2U Cafe2U has welcomed two further additions to its UK network - Nicola Moger and Mark Kessel - who are joining over 50 Cafe2U franchise partners serving coffee to customers across the UK. With over 150 franchise partners worldwide, Cafe2U is the world’s largest mobile coffee franchise system, delivering fresh espresso coffee and great food to people in non-traditional locations such as workplaces, events and functions. Mark Kessel says that he is excited about exchanging the wheel of his lorry with the wheel of his new Cafe2U fully equipped Mercedes-Benz Vito van in Plymouth East.

“I really believe in the old adage ‘You reap what you sow’, so I am looking forward to perfecting my barista skills and working hard over the next few months to launch my franchise successfully. It is really reassuring to know though that there is an approachable and knowledgeable team I can rely on to help me with any problems or queries I may

have,” said Mark Kessel.

Cafe2U has been operating in the UK for five years and is already the largest provider of mobile coffee. Originally founded in Australia 10 years ago, Cafe2U has now been franchising in Australia for seven years and launched in three new countries in 2012 alone. Cafe2U is popular all over the world with South Africa being the third international market, next to Germany and New Zealand, that Cafe2U has added to its growing global franchise network in 2012.

“It is great to be part of this friendly and supportive team here in the UK and to benefit from being part of a global network. One of my definite highlights so far has been to make contact with Cafe2U franchise partners in Australia,” added Nicola Moger, who has had a successful career in sales and marketing for many years, having worked for household brands such as McDonald’s, but she is now excited to start her new endeavour with Cafe2U in Darlington.

Nicola Moger (above) and Mark Kessel have joined the Cafe2U franchise (www.cafe2u.co.uk).

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

MAY 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 13

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Sponsored By

Awards 2013

The Café Society is a trade body focused on the encouragement of the café experience as a way of life in the UK. As well as providing support for its members, the Society aims to promote the café society to consumers in a way that will encourage the development and embodiment of this casual way of life into British lifestyles.

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Join us for

The Café Society Awards 2013 Luncheon At the Roof Gardens

99 Kensington High Street, London

The eight award categories are: ■ The Café Society Award

At 12.15pm

■ Café Chain Award

On Wednesday 19th June 2013

■ Independent Café Award ■ Café Design Award ■ Café Beverage Award ■ Café Marketing Award

The Awards will by presented by last year’s Café Society Award winner

■ Café New Product Award ■ Café Food Award

James Dickson, Executive Director, Workshop Coffee Co.

To book your table at the awards please email your details to pam@jandmgroup.co.uk, or complete the following booking form and fax to 01291 630402, or post to: Pam Sainsbury, Café Society, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire NP16 5DB Contact Name ............................................................................

Business Name ..........................................................................

Address ......................................................................................

Card Type: (e.g. Visa, Mastercard) ..............................................

(Please note – we do not accept American Express)

Card Number ..............................................................................

3 digit security number ................Expiry Date ..........................

....................................................................................................

Name on card .............................................................................. ....................................................................................................

Signed ............................................................ Date .................. ................................................Post Code ..................................

Please book: ............ Table(s) at the Café Society Awards 2012 at £980 + VAT per table ............ Place(s) at the Café Society Awards 2012 at £100 + VAT per place

Do you or your guests have any specific dietary requirements?

If yes, please list .................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................

If you require further information please telephone Pam Sainsbury on 01291 636341 or 07866 670605

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PREVIEW

A vibrant and essential networking and business opportunity for every café bar operator in the sector, the Caffè Culture Show (15 and 16 May, Olympia, London) has become a focal point for the industry, offering practical support and advice for all aspects of café bar and coffee shop operation. Here’s what to look out for in 2013…

Specialist advice and demonstrations Visitors to the show will be able to interact with 230 specialist industry suppliers whilst the two main features - the Caffè Culture Business Theatre and the Caffé Culture Taste Experience Stage - will offer a full programme of free seminars and practical interactive demo’s to enable operators to learn the latest skills and techniques and hear vital industry hints and tips on how to enhance the profitability of their operation.

With a running programme of practical demonstrations and interactive sessions over the two days, the Taste Experience Stage is designed to help visitors reinvigorate their food and beverage offering in a way which is accessible and transferable to each visitor’s particular business type.

Sector leaders will cover many key areas of coffee service using informal demonstrations and a specialist knowledge of the industry to impart vital skills. Paul Eagles, for example, will be opening the programme each day with a workshop on Perfecting your Hot Chocolate (looking at the importance of hot beverage choices including a good hot chocolate offering and practical advice on how to prepare quality hot chocolate on a coffee machine).

Other sessions on the stage will include Ben Townsend of The Espresso Room with a demonstration of the essential

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techniques which offer quick and easy ways to improve your espresso. TV chef Peter Sidwell of Britain’s Best Bakery fame will be providing a practical talk on some fantastic savoury baked goods that are easy to recreate even in the smallest café kitchens.

The White Stuff, presented by Hugo Hercod from Relish will continue the Taste Experience programme with a demonstration on the importance of using the best ingredients with an emphasis on the impact that choosing the right milk product can have on the final offering. This will be followed by DaVinci Gourmet and Coffee Community exploring how to successfully market speciality drinks, including the preparation of a strategic marketing plan to extend a drinks menus.

A round up of sessions from the Taste Experience Stage each day comes from the Beverage Standards Association, who will be demonstrating how to raise beverage standards and boost profits by serving high quality products together with preparation and serving advice to maximise impact.

Free seminars The Caffè Culture Business Theatre will offer a further resource for visitors by hosting a series of seminars focusing on the key issues facing café bar operators today.

Leading industry consultant, Richard Willis, and industry author, Jill Sutherland, will launch each day with “An introduction to setting up and running a café or coffee bar business”, to provide an invaluable look at the process of starting a successful business in a highly competitive market place.

“From brainwave to business” by entrepreneur Celia Gates will offer visitors an insight into how to turn creative ideas into practical and profitable developments to ensure that your business stays ahead of the competition.

Hospitality consultant, Kenneth Sharpe, will introduce a lively new seminar to the show this year - “Your mission should you choose to accept it…” (an account of how Kenneth took on a challenge by the Caffè Culture team to select a café business which was doing ‘ok’ and identify how to convert the ordinary into the extraordinary with an emphasis on how these profitable initiatives can be applied to any business).

Further insight into understanding key visitor motivators and choice drivers will be introduced by Helene Miles from Pragma, in a seminar called “Survival of the fittest”, which will include crucial ways to adapt your business to not only survive but thrive in this busy market place. Hints on improving profits and keeping a handle on costs, can be gleaned from Richard Dorf’s

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PREVIEW

session on utilising a range of in-store technology and business intelligence to make simple changes to your operational systems.

On the Wednesday, the Business Theatre will wrap up with “Story of a startup”, a personal account from Edwin Harrison on the launch of his café, Artisan, and the difficult transition and scale up from one to two outlets. The session will aim to give operators invaluable lessons in business progression and growth with an honest appraisal of the pitfalls and successes.

“The Caffè Culture Show is not just an exhibition, it’s a real opportunity to build solid business practices based on shared experiences and practical advice, making it an unmissable date for serious operators in the industry,” says Elliot Gard, event director.

“We are committed to creating an event which is the ultimate resource for all those with a tea or coffee offering, to ensure visitors keep their business profitable and the coffee bar sector thriving.”

For more information and to register visit www.caffecultureshow.com /register (you can also follow the event on twitter @caffecultureshw and use #caffeculture in your tweets). Register now and save £25 on the door!

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Food and drink The Caffè Culture Show is, of course, a good place to discover the latest suppliers from all areas of the sector, as well as keep up to date with the latest café industry trends.

Many of the leading brands will be represented at the show including renowned coffee roaster Matthew Algie & Co Ltd (F7) demonstrating its range of quality filter and espresso coffee using only the finest ingredients. The world’s first triple certified product, the range is recognised by the Fairtrade Foundation, Rainforest Alliance and the Organic Food Federation, providing caterers with a sustainably produced coffee offering.

Adding a touch of personalisation, leading premium syrups company Monin (D30), will be showcasing its innovative range of frappe powders designed to create a wide range of popular drinks, including smoothies, frozen coffees, frappes and cocktails.

Speciality coffee will be taking centre stage on the DaVinci Gourmet (K20) stand where a range of recently unveiled syrups and sauces will be demonstrated, and which allow operators to create ontrend drinks menus with excellent profit margins, claim the company.

Chocoholic fans of all types will be catered for with a visit to Beyond the Bean (E14) where the team will be on hand with tasters of its new White Hot Chocolate (made using a blend of cocoa butter, sugar and skimmed milk powder, the new drink will add a rich, creamy favourite to any establishment’s menu, say the company).

For those looking to spice up their tea offering, Bondi Chai Tea (L4) will be offering visitors the chance to sample its unique Indian blend powder sachets, a product that is already adored by cafés across India, claim Bondi. Experts will also be on hand to demonstrate the company’s unique and popular, digital loyalty card.

Wenlock Spring stand (B24) will be officially unveiling its new 250ml Sports Cap Bottle. Aiding healthy hydration, the bottle has been designed specifically for the young children’s market, making it ideal for family friendly establishments or for adults on-the-go, suggest the company.

Also catering for those on the move is Lotus Bakeries (B25) who, in addition to sampling their famous ‘little red biscuits’, will be giving operators the first chance to see their unique Lotus Lid, which ensures that those who do not have time to eat-in, don’t miss out on a moreish Lotus Caramelised Biscuit.

MAY 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 17

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PREVIEW If it is cakes rather than biscuits that drives business through your door then Erlenbacher (F35) say that they will be handing out samples of its high quality cakes, made using only the finest ingredients and without the addition of any artificial flavours, colours, preservatives or added fats and oils.

Offering customers something unique is a speciality for Macaronique (K35) which has gained a reputation for making the best French Macaroons in the UK. The jewel of French pastries and the ultimate indulgence, the macaroons are handcrafted in a dedicated bakery, using only the finest ingredients.

A selection of gourmet foods from Yum Yum Bros (F1) provides further snack food choice with visitors having the opportunity to sample the attractively presented Ndulge pre-packed bars and bites range (newly launched at the show will be the Ndulge two and four pack cookie range which has been specifically developed to meet customer demand).

On stand C12, NISI will be exhibiting its Great Taste Award winning range of premium Italian biscuits and those visiting the stand will be also be able to sample this small bakery’s Chocolate Chunk Biscotti made famous internationally when chosen as the product for all of the Athletes competing at London 2012.

JetDrinks (stand tba) will be launching Menga smoothies and Frozen Iceccino at Caffe Culture 2013. Menga is an easy to prepare blender smoothie, 100% fruit with green tea and vitamin C and is packed per portion in a handy Tetra pack of 200ml and available in mango, strawberry/banana, pineapple/coconut and apple/pear flavours.

Equipment The Coffee Machine Company (F10) will be showcasing key models from the brands Rancilio and Ceado, which it imports exclusively from the manufacturers in Italy.

Visitors are invited to bring along their own coffee beans to test out the equipment and to see for themselves the importance of the correct machine/grinder combination. Knowledgeable staff will be on hand to demonstrate the Rancilio range, in combination with a selection of Ceado grinders.

The very latest in accelerated cooking

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technology will be found at the Manitowoc Foodservice (E30) stand, where experts will be on-hand to demonstrate the features of the Merrychef eikon range. The popular e2 makes light work of quickly and efficiently heating café favourites including paninis, wraps, warm baguettes and pastries, in a minimal, space-saving footprint, say Manitowoc.

For those looking for the latest in coffee machine design, Wega (G12) will be showcasing its new Sphera. Designed with the highest quality, reliability and functionality in mind, the unit features a steam wand with level spouts and an alphanumeric, multifunctional display with day, date, quantification of coffee brewed and water softener regeneration alarm, say the company.

Combining the latest in pod machines with the finest in Italian design Buongusto (E34) will be demonstrating the need for taste consistency within an effective coffee offering whilst N&W (C31) will be launching a new dispenser at the show which offers high quality hot drinks based on authentic Italian espresso coffee (their new Karisma is an automatic table top coffee machine specifically developed for high volumes of footfall in sites and coordinates stylish accessories with a userfriendly, touch screen interface and elegant contemporary design).

For visitors looking to improve dishwashing efficiency, Nelson (H24) say that they will be showcasing one of the most ergonomically specified ware-washer ranges available in the UK today. Their Advantage dishwashers use a low quantity of water and energy and yet provide exceptional reliability and outstanding results, say Nelson (the Advantage range will be displayed alongside the company’s range of catering equipment from its popular Blue Seal range).

Coffee machine distributor, Sanremo UK (F12) will have a selection of their handcrafted espresso machine portfolio on display and available to test and try, including the Verona TCS and Roma TCS models as used in the UK Barista Championships, the stylish Torino, and increasinglypopular Zoe. Limited space means equipment has to be multifunctional, but customer

expectations mean it has to be able to produce quality results, despite staff often having limited cooking skills. Rational (J6) say that they will demonstrate how their SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency can provide the ideal solution. Visitors will also be able to see how the Rational combi steamer can cook everything from pies to paninis, jacket potatoes to muffins and bread to pizza at the touch of a button, and all with perfect results, claim the company.

Williams Refrigeration (E21) will be showcasing its range of front of house equipment, including the company’s new Sandwich Chiller and its popular Gem Multideck series.

N&W’s (C31) Ho.Re.Ca range of tabletop machines has become a coffee solution for countless hotels, restaurants and cafés throughout Europe and show delegates will be introduced to the latest additions to the company’s range of compact but muscular Ho.Re.Ca coffee machines, say the company.

For visitors looking at the very latest way to dispose of used coffee grounds from espresso machine portafilters, Mitchell & Cooper (G7) will have live demonstrations of its unique Pro-fondi.

Far less abrasive than traditional knockboxes, café operators will discover how they can extend the life of the portafilters whilst creating a quieter environment and better tasting coffee for the customer.

Software Technology of another sort will offer hospitality professionals the latest in marketing opportunities as Easy Apps Business (E12) demonstrate its unique way of promoting an outlet’s individual offering using push notifications. pointOne (K8), a supplier of EPoS technology, says that it has designed a complete package with the café owner in mind. Boosting sales by offering loyalty cards which encourage customers to

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PREVIEW revisit an outlet, the cards can be preloaded with credit, allowing the customer to charge transactions to their card. They will also be offering a free ‘Café Marketing Software' (worth £1600) at the show (the offer is available to any show visitor purchasing a new EPoS solution either during or after the show).

Packaging For those looking for products that are made with the environment in mind, International Paper (F32) will using the show to launch its ecotainer® product line, consisting of hot cups, cold cups and food containers all made from fully renewable resources. One of the first packaging companies to manufacture an environmentally friendly offering, the company points out that it utilises the latest in manufacturing techniques and material from carefully selected, sustainably managed forests.

Another supplier of sustainable, high quality packaging at the show will be London Bio Packaging (B16). Made from completely renewable or recyclable resources and with the ability to be fully composted or recycled, their range of food packaging, containers and cups is sure to catch the eye of establishments looking to minimise their impact on the environment.

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GO IN’s outdoor range.

Get the look With every element of café and coffee operation covered under one roof, the show will also include suppliers with an interior design and furniture offering.

GO IN (J4) says that it will be exhibiting a range of airy sofas, tub chairs and its innova2tive table-bench sets for operators looking to maximise the potential of outside space (its 2013 collection of outdoor furniture will enable those within the industry to turn any terrace into a relaxing, vibrant outdoor space, say GO IN).

For interior design considerations, visitors to the Catersales (H30) stand will have a chance to see first-hand the

company’s impressive range of equipment and furniture, while experts will be on hand with the latest in layout and design plans to suit a range of establishments.

Magrini (G4) will also be exhibiting at the show, catering for outlets with a family focus and demonstrating their Breeze High Chair - an addition to its expansive range of commercial childcare products. Able to be stacked as well as being fitted with the latest in space saving and safety devices, the highchair will prove invaluable for attracting the family market, feel Magrini.

The independent, family-run catering equipment supplier, Stephensons (F6), will further enhance the show’s interiors offering with its innovative range of tableware products, including Dudsons coffee cups and saucers, Churchill vintage print high tea ranges and Elia buffetware (Stephensons will also be proudly using the Caffè Culture Show to celebrate 144 years of supplying the catering industry).

More information on new products being showcased at the Caffé Culture Show will be released during the build-up to the event (a full list of exhibitors, together with further details on their offering, can be found at www.caffecultureshow.com).

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UK COFFEE LEADER SUMMIT

The fifth UK Coffee Leader Summit was held in London at the Waldorf Hilton on 27 March 2013, and covered four sessions - growing the market further, outside insights, an independent manifesto panel debate and a sustainability debate.

Growing the market further In his opening presentation, Jeffrey Young, managing director of Allegra Strategies, highlighted some of the key insights from Allegra’s Project Cafe12 UK Report, posing a “best is yet to come?” question. Despite the difficult financial times, the sector had grown, continues to develop and is flourishing, but at the same time is facing some major challenges, he observed.

Last year, there has been talk of tax evasion, austerity, a backlash against the coffee chains and a ‘not in my town’ attitude, yet the UK coffee sector has grown between seven and eight times that of the UK economy itself, suggesting a new nation of coffee drinkers?

The total coffee shop market here is worth £5.8 billion, having seen an 8% sale growth in recent times. There are more that 15,700 outlets with 582 new ones, representing a 3.8% outlet growth, say Allegra (the number of independents is greater than the number of branded outlets, but the latter is catching up in number each year). The branded part of the market is valued at £2.3 billion and it has

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experienced a 10% sales growth (there are over 5,200 branded stores, with 261 new ones representing a 5.3% growth, according to Allegra, and the vast majority are coffee-focused).

“Since the early days of 1999, something happened,” said Jeffrey Young. “You couldn’t have foreseen the growth and development that has come.”

Costa (1552), Starbucks (757) and Caffè Nero (530) collectively have a 78% share of the branded coffee-focused chains in the UK, followed by AMT Coffee, Caffè Ritazza and Café Thorntons. At the time of the 2012 report being compiled, Tesco-backed newcomer Harris+Hoole had six, but with plans to increase this to at least 14 early in 2013. Pret A Manger (252), Pumpkin (128) and EAT (117) lead the food-focused chains, followed by Greggs, Patisserie Valerie and West Cornwall Co, according to Allegra.

“There has been positive growth in the main,” added Jeffrey Young. “It’s not an easy market, but there are still opportunities.”

20% of those surveyed in the sector said there were difficult trading conditions (compared to

31% in 2009, just after the banking crisis hit), as well as a greater need to meet rising customer expectations.

Some 25,000 UK consumers were also surveyed, although it was not detailed where these consumers were located, or their ages etc. 95% described themselves as being regular coffee drinkers and 78% regular tea drinkers (drinking it at least once a month, in the question put to them by Allegra). Most coffee is drunk in the home, then at work, then at coffee shops, followed by take-out coffees, with Allegra finding that those surveyed who drank coffee visited a coffee shop three times a week. Most (93%) visit high street chains, found Allegra, followed by their local independent (38%), then a department store (25%), followed by a petrol station (10%) and gourmet vending machine (5%), and suggesting that the popularity of independents is growing, just as is the case in Germany, observed Jeffrey Young.

“Independents have an impact on the rest,” said Jeffrey Young. “96% were found to be aware of Costa, 89% Starbucks

and 87% Caffè Nero, followed by 76% M&S Café and 74% Pret.”

The ‘daily treat’ trend continues, say Allegra, and customers are still visiting outlets regularly, just as they did before the financial crisis and recession, suggesting that coffee is a low ticket, recession-proof market, although for some a coffee is now an occasional treat as opposed to a daily ‘necessity’.

Convenience of location, followed by coffee quality then habit, are the top reasons why people go to their preferred coffee shop. Atmosphere, food quality and other attributes such as a loyalty scheme, consistence of service quality and food choice, also come into play.

The most popular beverages are latte, cappuccino and Americano, with tea ranked fourth. And when it comes to what makes great coffee from a consumer’s point of view, good taste, coffee strength and handmade are the top three factors, followed by the roast, the fact that it’s not from an automatic machine, and the milk having been foamed well (100% arabica coffee being the least frequently mentioned attribute).

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UK COFFEE LEADER SUMMIT

“

Kris Engskov (managing director, Starbucks UK)

“Food purchasing is an important aspect. There’s been a little fall off in the last two years, but not a lot,” said Jeffrey Young.

“There’s an opportunity in that consumers would be prepared to pay more for higher quality, fresher food, with 36% saying ‘yes’ to this.

“Another opportunity to focus on is the importance of the day part. Consumers are not going to coffee shops when they drink coffee! There’s a need to focus on breakfast, and lunch and the early evening more. Late night venues can work and equate to opportunities in the right location.”

Mega trends Allegra has also identified some mega trends that are currently at work in the sector, the main one being an artisan culture (evidenced by the presence of Chemex and the Pourover methods of coffee preparation).

“This is a broader trend we are seeing in all things such as craft beer, wine, cakes and cheeses,” said Jeffrey Young.

“Across life in general there is a return to craftsmanship and developing a taste for this so that

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In his presentation titled ‘Growing industry, growing impact: realising the potential’, Kris Engskov, the managing director of Starbucks in the UK, observed that in many ways, it had been a tough few months for all retailers. “It would be hard to ignore our own issues at Starbucks, but putting that all aside, it would be very, very hard to argue that this is not a remarkable and resilient business,” he said, adding later that “we always need to be at the forefront of socially responsible business”.

Not only were UK businesses having to adapt to technology, there was less money being spent in the high street, and with the responsibility of being a major brand themselves, they had identified and been working upon the wider issues that are likely to influence their future growth.

“London is the most competitive ‘coffee city’,” said Kris Engskov. “There’s a lot happening here. There’s increased competition for quality which is good for business, and lots of new players and formats. Has the coffee shop replaced the pub? The truth is, the UK consumer is more sophisticated, and less prepared to compromise on taste and wants widespread availability. We are responding to that growth in quality, which means there is currently a need to innovate in a tough economy.

“When it comes to price, we also need to meet the consumer half-way,” he added, suggesting perhaps that although a coffee is still a regular treat purchase for many, some are obviously finding the often premium price of some coffee chain-branded drinks, prohibitive.

“We changed our coffee recipe, as we saw people adding a lot more shots of coffee to their drink, and the nature of the milk used and its quality is more important these days,” he continued.

“It’s all about the espresso now, and so we offer two roast types, which is a major change for us, but is a reflection of the greater appreciation of coffee. We have Antiguan Guatemalan coffees, for example, and in store we are now promoting ‘origin espresso’. We believe that small-scale farms will be the key to the future supply chain, and issues of sustainability will become increasingly important. We have already been working with the Conservation International organisation on this.

“There are some complex issues to deal with that need investment if quality is to be improved and we are digging in to this. We’re not perfect yet, but we’re getting involved. The future availability of Arabicas, Oxfam’s report on climate change, for example, the nature of small farms – all will affect the coffee industry.”

Having shown a corporate video about the story of a coffee farmer in Antigua, Kris Engskov

also touched upon issues in Columbia and the effect of coffee rust there on the crops, and something that the farmers there will need help with, adding that in his opinion there was now a need to consider more resistant varieties of coffee.

“We have agronomists across the world in coffee production areas, and this is an essential investment in the future,” he stated. “We have bought a coffee farm in Costa Rica and are turning it into a new research centre that will help us to innovate for the future, and in May, 25 of our baristas will be going to see it. To ‘go to origin’ is important, and impactful for people in the stores.”

Kris Engskov then went on to talk more about the role he could see Starbucks playing in society in terms of becoming known for ethical sourcing – with the aim of it becoming a major purchasing drive for consumers – and its ability to create job opportunities for young people at a time when youth unemployment is high here right now.

Currently, they employ in the region of 10,000 people in the UK, the majority being aged between 16 and 24, and they have plans to create 5000 more jobs over the next five years, he reported. The jobs on offer at Starbucks have the potential to furnish young employees with many transferable skills, feel the brand, as well as help to further their education, although the specific job of the barista has further to go yet.

“We need to be vocal and proud about the value of the employment opportunities,” said Kris Engskov, pointing out that the company can offer qualifications and apprenticeships and which, in turn, has decreased the turnover rate to a third of what they might otherwise have expected. “We have to change the perception of work in a coffee shop. We are a growing business, one of the few right now.

“We also have a responsibility to origin – we need to think more seriously about this. We can’t assume that all coffees grown to be here for ever. And increased quality will lead to increased cost, all requiring commitment and investment.”

”

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UK COFFEE LEADER SUMMIT

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Nick & Andrew Tolley (founders, Harris+Hoole)

In a joint presentation, Nick and Andrew Tolley the founders of Taylor Street Baristas, and now, backed by Tesco, the founders of Harris+Hoole talked about rethinking the coffee shop (perhaps in the process hinting at some of the business approaches and attitudes we can expect to see taken on board at the steadilygrowing Harris+Hoole?).

This was not a futuristic vision, they were keen to stress, as they obviously don’t know the future! However, while there had been innovation elsewhere with the Internet, travel and technology, for instance, the coffee shop industry had, in their opinion, essentially seemed to have remained the same.

Why was this, they asked, suggesting perhaps that the industry did not feel the need to change for some reason. Had it been too easy for too long? Yet, just as with other industries, there were now signs that the coffee shop sector was now starting to deliver and create value. In fact, there had been a step change in terms of value in many areas, they felt, going on to ask if there was not more of an opportunity to now do this in the coffee shop business in particular.

They think so, suggesting that lasting change leads to lasting value. But how can this value be created? Innovation around the needs of the stakeholders - namely its customers, suppliers its people – is what’s required, feel the Tolleys.

In relation to customer needs, they require good coffee, but what else? A visit to a coffee shop is a chance to meet friends, have some free time, perhaps have a business meeting, or simply wake up. The point being that there are very many different customer journeys, yet so far they seem to have been all treated in the same way.

Some are challenging this assumption, they agreed, mentioning the London-based Salvation Jane, by its distinguishing between a take-out customer and dine-in customer, for example.

When it comes to order-taking and paying, convention is that there is still a need to pay at the till, yet the technology exists (such as Square in the US - https://squareup.com/) to be able to tackle this differently and offer new ways in which to order and pay that would surely be appreciated by many customers – not all necessarily, but it would certainly suit the style and aspirations of certain outlets.

On the subject of supplier needs, the question was how to unlock the value here, they believe. “It’s a big industry, but there’s a lot of bad coffee out there,” said the brothers. “When supply and demand is the main determinant of prices much of the risk is placed at the feet of the producer and this reduces the incentive to participate in a market.”

However, direct trade and mutually beneficial relationships with producers and roasters was

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one way of dealing with this challenge, and had already proved to be a very good, effective way of securing great tasting coffee, they felt. The aim should be to bring together lots of growers with buyers, like an ‘Amazon’ for speciality coffee.

The staff and people working in the coffee shop sector are a big part of its future, stated the Tolleys, who went on to add that they felt there was certainly far more opportunity to train and develop, retain and better remunerate so as to help increase the value of employees, so much so that coffee could be better viewed as a career. A far better understanding of the aspirations of the industry’s people is needed, they suggested.

As a result, they felt there was a need to start recruiting individuals around their strengths – and what it was that “gets you out of bed in the morning” – as opposed to their skills necessarily. Recruitment should be framed around this, they advised, via the creation of ‘strength profiles’. This, in turn, would mean that coffee shops would attract people who are energised and keen to come to work, they intimated, although they admitted that there was no clue yet if it would work!

There are also specific opportunities when it came to barista training programmes, they felt, such as taking steps to read more about coffee and understand the ‘science’ behind it. How could this be done, they asked, in terms of creating more value. This was a challenge for all in the industry, they believe, as well as what value to give back in return.

Given these though-provoking issues, alongside the acknowledgement of continuing business growth in the coffee shop sector, there is still time to contemplate the theory, feel the Tolleys. If you love the industry, it should not be an effort to take time out to consider the theory, they concluded.

”

once tried, you don’t want to return to the commonplace. Is being a barista becoming a career? There’s pride in the role and coffee produced.”

The second mega trend is something Allegra term ‘experience consumerism’ typified by the influential group of y-gener’s, the under thirties who push the boundaries, are outspoken, unconventional and multi-task with social media, claim Allegra. Selfish, intelligent and after speed and instant gratification, these consumers are agile and more mobile, suggesting a low attention span in which to be able to secure them in the first place.

Linked to this was a third mega trend of consumer mobility requiring the coffee shop/café bar to be an office, and act as a ‘third place’ (in addition to home and work), by offering WiFi, mobile payment options and gourmet vending, to name but a few higher tech’ facilities for outlets to consider.

Just as the young are coming to assert themselves in technology and social media terms, however, there’s an increasing aging population (by 2030, it’s estimated that 33% of us will be aged 65+, report Allegra), and so this is another major trend and target audience to engage with.

A fifth mega trend, suggest Allegra, is a retail-related high street transition/revolution leading to property vacancies and new premises coming up for rent as some businesses succeed, while others come and go. Opportunities to secure a site will be less of an issue, predict the researchers, but will they be the best ones? At the same time, we are experiencing a rise in internet shopping - it’s more acceptable, and more mainstream as people like to research and buy online. Mega shopping malls are also popular, and getting better, putting pressure on the high street as a whole.

A sixth mega trend is a new corporate era that’s more professional, with greater investment, say Allegra, exemplified by sub-brands and portfolio investment

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UK COFFEE LEADER SUMMIT opportunities (Tesco, for example, have now invested in Giraffe, and are backing Harris+Hoole, and have a new in store euphorium bakery concept). However, this trend presents challenges too, as Starbucks and Costa have already discovered.

“Corporate tax is a challenge for Starbucks and others,” said Jeffrey Young. “As the industry gets bigger, it will take more flack. Consumers resist ‘corporatisation’.”

Thus, it is not surprising to learn that Allegra’s seventh mega trend is transparency, from ingredients sourcing to corporate tax planning.

Allegra’s industry survey revealed that most (77%) agree that there is still plenty of growth for branded coffee shops in the UK (Allegra forecast that the total coffee shop market is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.1% over the next five years to exceed 20,000 outlets by 2017).

In particular, branded chains are estimated to exceed 7,000 outlets.

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However, there are three ‘success factors’ to contend with, feel Allegra - convenience, customer engagement and taste.

The right location, new formats, store navigation, payment methods and longer opening times will affect convenience.

Customer engagement will be governed by loyalty, going beyond social media, environment/social space, feminisation and staff culture (hiring, training and motivating).

As consumers develop a greater sense of what good coffee is all about, it goes without saying that coffee that tastes good will be an essential success factor, concluded Allegra’s Jeffrey Young, who advocated an increasing need to focus on quality.

Outside insights As has now become the custom for Allegra seminar events, part of the day’s programme was devoted to thinking from ‘outside’ the industry at hand as a means to get people thinking differently and perhaps more strategically about their own

business challenges. In this case, there was a presentation about Blue Ocean Strategy, as well as one to flag up social media challenges in terms of its role in brand promotion and awareness.

Kiko Thiel, a senior expert from Blue Ocean Strategy Network (www.blueoceanstrategy.com), talked about strategies deliberately created and deployed to bring about massive profit growth, and that did not necessarily utilise conventional business thinking, but rather the way in which particular attributes of a product, or business aims, were focused upon on and leveraged, while others were not in order to place a product in the Blue (new, innovative, different) as opposed to Red (‘already exists’) ocean category - Apple and Samsung being put forward as examples.

“Companies have long engaged in head-to-head competition in search of sustained, profitable growth.

They have fought for competitive advantage, battled over market

share, and struggled for differentiation. Yet in today’s overcrowded industries, competing head-on results in nothing but bloody “red oceans” of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool,” says the Blue Ocean web site.

“In a book that challenges everything you thought you knew about the requirements for strategic success, W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne contend that while most companies compete within such red oceans, this strategy is increasingly unlikely to create profitable growth in the future.

“Based on a study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than a hundred years and thirty industries, Kim and Mauborgne argue that tomorrow’s leading companies will succeed not by battling competitors, but rather by creating “blue oceans” of uncontested market space ripe for growth. Such strategic moves—termed “value innovations”—create powerful leaps in value for both the firm and its customer, rendering rivals

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UK COFFEE LEADER SUMMIT obsolete and capturing new demand. Blue Ocean Strategy provides a systematic approach to making the competition irrelevant.”

In his informative presentation, Duncan Walters, managing director of social media company, Brand Engage, drew attention to the fact that there were now more mobile devices and social media platforms in existence than ever before (facebook, for example, now some eight years’ old).

“New platforms are adopted quicker than ever before – Google+, for example,” he stated.

“People are spending more time on their devices and being online, with mobile devices driving the increase.

“We are seeing the rise of the media and multi-tasking – shopping online while watching TV, for example. People research and investigate online as they engage in social networking. This is game-changing for a marketer.”

The future would be characterised by ‘digital natives’, he predicted (mostly in the eight to 18 year-old age bracket), going from already spending seven hours plus per day engaged in some way with the Internet and social media devices to more than ten hours. Multi-media tasking was a definite trend that had become evident from recent research studies, and meaning that technology would be changing the way in which we do things.

“You have nine seconds to capture attention on the Internet,” he revealed. “There are multiple devices, multiple channels, and this is what it’s all about. The time spent on social media continues to grow, particularly in the mobile aspect, and new platforms keep arriving all the time.”

In addressing this, the sector needs to know how to think and utilise it. For example, consumers have low attention spans, and brands need to be able attract attention, so they need to be compelling.

“Technology needs to be leveraged and be channel agnostic,” asserted Duncan Walters, mentioning the wild fire

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success of the ‘dancing pony’ advert for 3 that became quickly accessible and instantly popular and well known via multiple platforms.

In the future, the first portals of Google and Yahoo et al will become aggregated and organised, just as the second platform of facebook and alike will further capitalise on the nature of social beings. At the same time, there are also signs that some social media is being rejected or out of favour, so there is a real need to be able to focus on exactly where your audience is, and what will engage with them.

As to how this will happen, smart phones and smart accounts are likely to lead the way, with social media sites reacting and being developed and utilised accordingly.

Facebook might well be dropping in uptake, for example, but Twitter is on the increase as it suits mobile users. A new image upload and sharing facility called Pinterest could also take off more, as well as Vine, Pheed, Medium, Thumb and Chirp to name bit a few, but illustrating the fact that businesses need to stay in touch with social media trends.

“Content is going to be more important as it drives social media,” said Duncan Walters.

“You will need to go out of your way to make yourself easier to talk to, and be magpie-like – looking outside the industry for new ideas.”

Duncan Walters also mentioned the Square payment software that has been developed in the US, and is set for more widespread adoption, together with the possibilities of things such as face recognition software too.

With regard to fears over how to deal with the nature of any negative comments often received by brands and businesses via social media means, Duncan Walters concluded his talk by highlighting that there was a responsibility to assess and comment by asking is it positive, is it negative, and does it actually matter? In addition, the job of dealing with comments posted on social

media sites was not one to give to the intern, but rather put in the hands of a social media control centre, or equivalent.

Panel discussions The day concluded with an Independent Manifesto Panel discussion which identified several challenges for the sector as a whole, not least how to set about educating the customer, suggested Richard Reed of Nude Espresso.

Jeremy Challenger of Prufrock had observed that customer loyalty schemes were now getting to the stage of customers feeling pestered by them, when the real issue to take on board was the challenge of getting customers to accept the premium cost of higher quality coffee.

James Dickson of Workshop Coffee Co. agreed, saying that there was now access to a rich product offering, and that the best was not the cheapest. There was, he added, also a great opportunity to tap into the enthusiasm of people who really want to get into coffee.

David Abrahamovitch (cofounder of Shoreditch Grind), said that the bar had now been set very high in the coffee shop world, meaning in turn that the main challenge was for these high levels of consistency to be maintained.

Lizzie Bain, co-owner and operations manager of Ozone Coffee Roasters UK, felt that given her London-based location where there is an active coffee scene, particularly in the vibrant East End coffee scene, competition is a major challenge, and that she had now recognised the need to be able to serve a high standard of food and beverages at all times of the day.

However, loyalty was playing its part, and to some extent the recession “had helped” in that people might be cutting back on

more expensive purchases elsewhere, but not their coffee.

The panel agreed that a major issue was the balancing of quality versus price, and being able to justify any price increase but only if it was matched in terms of high quality.

The first part of the Sustainability Debate outlined what the various participants did in their various organisations (including Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance) in connection to the coffee industry and sustainability. A more intense discussion threatened when Bolling Coffee’s Ian Balmforth challenged what he believes to be the often held perception that Fairtrade coffee – which sometimes costs consumers more to buy - always automatically equated to better quality when, in his opinion, some Fairtrade coffee was “shocking”.

Although Fairtrade’s Richard Anstead said that his organisation had never made any claims to the effect that this was the case, Ian Balmforth insisted that this was in fact the consumer’s perception.

“Should we charge more for 100% Fairtrade? The answer has to be no,” said Ian Balmforth.

“You can only charge more when you are offering more, and the ‘smoke and mirrors’ often put forward by the Fairtrade Foundation means that people try to charge more for something they can’t justify. When you look at the business around it, Rainforest Alliance gives some kind of external audit on the farmers’ practices, and Fairtrade gives a guaranteed price, whereas in direct trade – such as already carried out by Costa and Starbucks - the producer determines the price etc, and where their coffee is going.”

“Supply is not an issue,” added Steve Macatonia, a director of Union Hand-Roasted Coffee. “Lack of demand at the sustainable price is,” he added, suggesting that there is plenty of work still to do for the sector as a whole in clearly communicating some of its coffee-related messages when it comes to origin, sourcing and sustainability.

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My

café For many, the launch of their new café is a chance to express themselves, as well as offer their local community and customers a venue to enjoy. As we explain here, there’s business help on offer, but it’s vital to be clear about the needs of your target customers, as well as the nature of your product offering.

Ready to take the plunge?

Craig Reid – aka the “Café Ninja” (www.thecafeninja.com), a Brit living in Australia - has, based on his own experience of opening and running a successful café there, provided business start-up advice to numerous others and now written a no-nonsense, down to earth book about it called The Complete Guide to Buying a Café – practical advice to get it right.

Aimed at the Australian market, and as it says on the first page, focused on the buying of an existing café premises, there is still plenty to learn for new and existing coffee shop entrepreneurs over here, however, although Craig Reid has hinted that he could well be publishing a UK version shortly.

Right from the start of his book, Craig Reid is keen to point out that although running a café is the dream of many who imagine a perfect

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café lifestyle routine, the reality can be a very different story, and so, first things first, he cautions, you need make sure that you’re cut out to be a coffee shop owner/manager.

“At work you will be relaxed. You will be an excellent leader of your staff – a dependable bunch of people – maybe family, maybe a partner or friends. You will oversee work of your staff whilst talking to customers, often sitting down with them to enjoy a coffee,” he says, describing what most wouldbe coffee shop owners usually envisage.

“Your supplies will file in and be spirited away by enthusiastic staff whilst customers will congratulate you on your great food, reasonable prices and great service. At the end of the day you will cash up and smile as you count the takings. Your staff will call to you, ‘Goodbye sir, thank you’ as you leave early to let them close up your

Helen Pearson’s Apple Tree Café in Cornwall has become a community hub.

beloved café. You drive home on top of the world, eagerly awaiting another great day tomorrow. Well, that’s the dream isn’t it? I don’t expect that many people believe this version of events, but I will tell you in all honesty that some have the perception that this is what life as a café owner will actually be like – and it isn’t.

“The truth is that running a café is a mixed bag. There are great days and there are days you wish you had never got out of bed. Let’s think about that for a moment. Let’s think about why you want to run your own café and contrast that with the likely reality.”

Why do you want to run a café? Do you have the right skills? Are you efficient and organised? Good with numbers? Software-savvy?

Physically fit? Do you like people? These are just some of the initial questions you need to ask yourself, he advises.

“I know that I fooled myself into thinking that I would be

able to build great relationships with all of my customers (and I did with many), but I found that customers can be hard work. It sometimes took me weeks or months to make a connection with a customer but I noticed that staff with the right personality often made the connection quicker,” reveals one interviewee early on in the book.

Thus, by assessing the various roles typically found in a café, Craig Reid identifies the attributes each job ideally requires, before going on to look at the actual sourcing and buying process in more detail, weighing up the pro’s and con’s of aspects from location and size to franchise or independent outlet along the way.

Putting forward a formula guide for how to determine the financial performance of an existing café business in an accessible format, he is also keen to emphasise the

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importance of doing your own research and not relying on others to ‘come up with the figures’, but rather investigate them yourself.

A helping hand In the case of new café startup in Cornwall – the Apple Tree Café - it was the Outset

Programme which helped it to establish and sustain trade for an enterprise that has created new employment opportunities, and added value to the local community as an important amenity and social hub.

The Outset Programme is a free to use, community-based

range of services for anyone interested in exploring enterprise to start their own business. They provide workshops, one-to-one sessions, mentoring, events and learning to help unravel the crucial aspects of starting and growing a business (in the last three years alone, they have helped 10,063 people explore enterprise as an option, and have started more than 1,591 sustainable new businesses, creating a total of 1,846 jobs - www.outset.org).

The Apple Tree Cafe’s founder, Helen Pearson, had been continually threatened by unemployment since moving to Cornwall, so she decided that it was time she took her professional life into her own hands. She began to research running her own business, but already had a particular set of values in mind.

“It was important to me to create something that would enable our family to work together in our local area where there is a strong feeling of community even though it is rather rural,” she says. “The idea for creating a hub through a community café seemed the ideal way of bringing people together and potentially providing a secure future for my family.”

Helen Pearson had no previous experience running a business. She therefore knew that in order to get things right, she would need some

guidance. Having heard of Outset through some of the organisation’s other success stories in the area, she contacted the team.

“I wanted to give my business the best chance I could. I knew I had a lot to learn and needed space and time to talk through my ideas,” Helen Pearson recalls.

Ethos “We do our best to use local suppliers and provide locally sourced food and drink,” explains Helen Pearson when describing her café. “We have our own in house baker bringing in fresh bread. We use Origin Coffee supplied from Constantine, Moomaid ice cream from Zennor, Polgoon apple juice from Penzance.

“We have home grown herbs from our garden and salads from Bosavern community farm just three miles away. All our meat is from Vivian Olds butcher in St Just, and we use free range eggs in our cakes from our own hens!

“We cook seasonally which means our specials will use fruit and vegetables ready and at their best at this time of year. We also cater for special diets – gluten-free, vegan on request, and so have plenty of alternatives.”

Needless to say, at the Apple Tree Café, they do everything possible to recycle

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STARTING UP their waste too. Daily papers, cardboard, plastic and glass are taken away for recycling.

Compost is used in the garden.

Nothing is wasted. Inside, they have also maintained that ethos, fitting it out with recycled items.

“The Apple Tree boasts great family friendly facilities with baby changing and high chairs you will find games and toys in the toy box and books for you to enjoy. If you are local (or not) you can join our loyalty scheme,” adds Helen Pearson.

Belief Before Helen Pearson launched her vision, however, it was the Outset team who recommended that she attend their Introduction to Enterprise (I2E) course. This programme is specifically designed to ease newcomers in to the professional arena of business (topics covered include market research, managing finances and writing a business plan).

After attending this introductory eight session course, Helen Pearson gained both the realisation and expertise to move forward with her business.

“Taking part on the Outset Cornwall Programme helped me to believe in myself and gave me the confidence to follow my dream. Through doing all the market research myself, seeing how it all linked together and looking at the bigger picture it made me realise my plans would work.

The most memorable part for me was learning that I am a risk taker after all!” says Helen Pearson.

After the success of her time on I2E, Helen Pearson further increased her knowledge by continuing on to the more advanced Business Start-Up (BSU) programme that aims to build on the areas learned in I2E while introducing new concepts such as marketing and financial forecasting.

Another key area of support Outset provided was one-toone sessions. The mentoring Helen Pearson received helped

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to identify any weak areas of the business that needed work. She also attended Outset’s popular networking events which give users the chance to discuss their challenges with other small business owners and swap ideas. In this case, she found an opportunity to collaborate with another local business, the Clear Mapping Company, who designed a bespoke map for the directions part of the Apple Tree Cafe’s web site.

All seasons “Having opened at the end of May 2011, and having already exceeded my third year targets, I wanted a bit of a twist. We were fed up with everything being done for the tourists and nothing for local people, especially out of season. Everything shuts and closes down, which is why we’re open every day except Christmas Day and always stick to our advertised times,” Helen Pearson continues.

“Since opening in May 2011 I have been amazed by the support of local people and

the success that we have had.

Part of making a place a community is having somewhere to meet. The café is a resource that should be used and I haven’t charged fees. We currently host monthly leading women business support meetings, regular weekly art classes and a knitting group. There is also a year-round gallery space for local artists - an eclectic mix produced by the Land’s End Guild of Artists. The café is a busy place with something going on most days.

“I love going to work every day. I have the most amazing journey through stunning landscape from St Buryan to Land’s End, and on my return I can see the church tower and follow it home. Living and working in my own community getting to know the local people is great.

“As a sole trader, and being open all year round, it is me who has to do everything.

However, I am reaching a point where I can employ more staff to off load some of those jobs too!”

As for the biggest challenges, she has faced in starting her own café, Helen Pearson says employing staff and working out contracts and all the legal side were two, but she joined the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) and this helped.

“Discovering I had dyslexia and struggling with the organisation of the café and systems was also a challenge.

I was lucky to have a lot of support and mentoring from the outset team. Getting to be VAT registered and coping with the figures and legalities are extra hurdles. Again, I have been extremely lucky to have an amazing accountant who has helped me through all this,” reveals Helen Pearson.

Success Since opening in 2011, the Apple Tree Café has grown to employ ten staff members and provides a vital community hub and art space. The business now holds theme nights, provides space for artists to display their work and runs creative activities and classes.

The transformation of the business was such that Helen

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What kind of café are you? It can all be about the right interior fit out, say QED.

Pearson wanted to communicate what she had learned to other budding entrepreneurs in the area. She therefore accepted the invitation by Outset to give a presentation about her experiences setting up a new business.

Helen Pearson says that she is next looking for new opportunities to expand the range of services available on site. “I hope to build a venue that supports local people and producers, and that becomes a big part of the community. In the future I plan to build a micro-bakery on site to expand our bread-making element and possibly supply other outlets, while also developing our green credentials.”

Decisions, decisions As managing director of QED, a UK supplier of modular equipment and furniture for coffee shops, restaurants, staff canteens and many other locations, Robert Campbell is very aware of the typical challenges facing individuals or companies when it comes to fitting out and furnishing new café outlets.

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

What are the first considerations when planning a new coffee shop?

“The branding and image are of vital importance at the outset. For national franchise operations this is predetermined, but a sole trader needs to differentiate his or her business from the many new entrants on the high street. Nowadays, being a ‘me-too’ operation is not an option. Some help can be provided by the coffee suppliers in terms of branding, point-of-sale and marketing. However, it is better if the owner can have a clear vision of the image that is to be projected.

“Having settled on a brand name, logo and ambience, the next step is to identify all of the necessary equipment and the fixtures and fittings necessary to make the coffee shop operational.

“Legally, you must ensure that you have the correct certificates and permissions for premises change of use.

For instance, if you are planning on preparing hot food there are strict controls in force by the local authority that must be complied with.”

How have coffee shop designs developed?

“The coffee shops of the 21st century are much more distinctive than the sort of establishments that were around 20 years ago. In the 1980s and 90s, much of the influence came from the USA. In the past decade, there has been a trend imported from Europe for a much more continental look.

“In days gone by, this kind of environment could only be created by appointing an architect, who would in turn instruct a shop-fitter to build bespoke counters, bars and fittings. While this approach can be cost-effective for a multiple retailer, it is very expensive for an independent.

“Recent years have seen a huge increase in the availability of modular solutions for coffee shops, bakers and other similar outlets. These self-assembly products were originally imported from countries like Italy, Spain and Portugal,

where there has always been a strong café culture. Now, there are UK manufacturers that are making products of similar design and quality.”

So what are the key features of a European-style modular system?

“The better quality systems are based around classic refrigerated serve-over counters that can accommodate cooked meats, cheese, baguettes and sandwiches, patisserie and confectionery products. They need to be solidly built, able to maintain consistent temperatures and provide an eye-catching and brightly-lit food display.

“The display counters, bar modules and back bar units usually have a robust metal framework, with curved or straight glass fronts and wood veneer or coloured laminate cladding. They arrive fully assembled in modular sizes, for instance: 800, 1200 and 1600 mm widths. They include

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STARTING UP under-counter storage and important accessories, such as shelving, sinks, waste disposal units, bottle coolers and ice makers.”

BEANS AND BARISTAS “It’s important to understand what you want from your coffee offer before you go looking into the equipment and blends. If you want the theatre of coffee to be a central part of your concept then a traditional espresso machine would fit nicely.

They don’t necessarily make better coffee though – that’s down to the barista,” cautions Jim Olejnik (coffee specialist and barista trainer for United Coffee UK & Ireland).

“Many cafés and coffee shops will suit a great bean to cup machine where at the touch of a button, you can produce a consistently good standard drink. What machinery you invest in is really down to what you want, the demands of the site and what your employees will be able to operate.

“A supplier such as ourselves can help you look at what you want to create from your coffee and then help you choose a machine and blend of coffee that’s right for you. It’s essential to get this right so that you have a machine that consistently delivers the best product. We can also help keep on top of things like servicing and barista training for your staff.

“There are hundreds of different espresso blends available, with different origins, flavour notes and roasts. As a new café you can take one of two routes – either choose an existing brand or create your own exclusive brand. A roaster or barista trainer will take you through both of these processes. At United Coffee we invite our customers into one of our training rooms to taste a carefully selected range of coffees, or for a newly developed blend we will take them through cupping. This can be a really fun process where we sample lots of single origin coffees and make up a unique espresso blend they really like and their customers will too.

“If you’re starting to build your workforce from scratch, it’s worthwhile looking for people who are experienced and have an existing level of coffee knowledge. The majority of good baristas get involved in the industry as they want to become experts and find out what makes a better coffee. People with this thirst for knowledge usually make a great barista and help drive standards as they really care about coffee.

“A good understanding of the practicalities is important, so we begin all barista training with a comprehensive look at the basics of coffee. This includes the different machines and grinders, origins and blends, how to brew espresso and texturing milk. Making coffee is like baking a cake - you need to stick within the parameters of your recipe to create the best flavour.

“At United Coffee UK & Ireland, we’ve recently launched the UK's first accredited barista training course - Licence to Work in Coffee - to help operators train their staff in all things coffee. In partnership with the Academy of Food and Wine Service, this one-day course is open to those who want their employees to get up to speed with their barista skills and takes attendees through essential skills including the origins of coffee, making espresso, preparing milk and customer engagement. After completion employees will have the ability to serve a better cup of coffee and hold an accredited qualification to prove it.”

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How does the coffee shop owner prepare for refurbishment?

“It is important to submit an accurate drawing and list of dimensions to the manufacturer or distributor of the systems. They will then normally provide a fully scaled 3D drawing of the scheme together with the quotation.

“It is the responsibility of the café owner to ensure that there is sufficient electrical supply, and that the sockets are installed in the right places. This may entail installing sockets in the floor as well as on the walls behind the units. Most refrigerated counters require up to 2 kW of electricity, so you have to consult an electrician to make sure that the supply meets the demand.

“Water supply is also important. Coffee machines, sinks and glass or dishwashers have to be plumbed in, and you need to make sure that the waste outlets comply with local authority regulations.”

Do you need a shop-fitter to install these types of units?

“The process is very similar to installing a fitted kitchen.

When the system is delivered, you need a competent person to take charge of the installation, whilst having electrical, plumbing and refrigeration engineers available depending on the complexity of the scheme. The floor must be level and strong enough to take the weight of the units. Because they arrive fully assembled, not flatpacked, the main task is to make sure they are all level and fit together properly in line with the original drawing.

“If the client is confident in his or her own ability to take charge of the installation that is fine. If there is any doubt, however, it is best to employ a qualified shop-fitter or take advantage of the installers

provided by the manufacturer.”

How do you decide which design to select?

“The design of the coffee shop system is very much determined by the vision and ambience that you want to create for the premises. There has recently been a move away from the corporate look, favoured by the well-known high street multiples, towards a more organic or quirky look and feel.

“Today’s modular display and servery systems can replicate almost any style, from a Parisian patisserie to an Italian bistro. You can select a traditional oak finish or a Scandinavian-style light birch wood finish. If you prefer a colour theme, your only limitation is the amount of RAL (a colour standard) colour finishes that are available.

“The format of the units also varies greatly. There is the classic European style that can be found in the grand hotels, with sweeping curves and ornate features. There are also a wealth of ultra-contemporary variations, echoing what you can find in trendy Mediterranean boutique establishments, with more Spartan and angular themes.”

How do you ensure that the rest of the furniture reflects the central theme?

“Tables, chairs, sofas, bar stools and other furnishings should combine style and function. For a new start-up coffee shop, there is a temptation to go for the cheap, self-assembly route. I would always recommend doing a lot of research into established suppliers of catering furniture. Their products are built for the purpose of continual daily use and it is worth paying a bit extra.

“Once the theme of the outlet has been established by the modular system, it should not be difficult to find a furniture supplier that can closely match or compliment the chosen style.”

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STARTING UP

®

Do you have any general advice for new coffee shop start-ups?

“Just like choosing a place to live, the old cliché still applies location, location, location!

Make sure that you thoroughly research the demographics and the footfall of the area to be sure that the business will be viable. Speak to local residents and get a feel of the kind of place they would be happy to frequent.

“This will help to build a picture of the branding, style and modus operandi of the premises. Armed with the business plan and an accurate interior layout, you can then consult an equipment and furnishing supplier to help you create your dream coffee shop.”

Furniture fit Vaughann Turnbull, national sales manager of hospitality furniture supplier GO IN (UK) has no doubt that a café’s choice of furniture is a very critical part to attracting target customers - an aspect that will not only help increase chances of survival, but ultimately lead to business success for the new venture.

“There are several distinct

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trends based on different target markets,” observes Vaughann Turnbull. “Many popular concepts currently feature a soft, traditional comfortable seating area as well as a design-led, modern eating area. Others seek the organic, ‘natural’ look throughout, using beech and oak to good effect, albeit with a contemporary design twist.

The 50s-style ‘diner-look’ is also being revived, making good use of the colourful range of laminates which are now available for table tops and chairs.

“Whatever the trends, though, your target audience the customer - must be at the centre of your own shop-fitting and design planning. You need to consider the age range you’re aiming at, the menu you’ll be offering them and the style of eating that will suit them. Is it a quick service environment, a relaxed neighbourhood style or a coffee and pastry concept?

You’ll also need to consider the character of the interior space, the style of the building and the surrounding environment to make sure the interior concept fits well in the setting.”

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STARTING UP These factors will guide your choice of furniture which, in turn, will have a huge impact on the ambience you create. Different materials, colours and fabrics can be used to create the desired effect and, if required, separate areas can be formed using these in different ways.

For example, a quiet, relaxed area can be created using softer materials and lounge-style seating, whereas another eating area may have a crisper, more contemporary look. And don’t forget that customers can be significantly influenced by the quality of finish on your furniture because they are in intimate contact with it. It’s all about look and feel, and getting it right will help create a positive impression of your overall offering, urge GO IN. “Whatever design trends exist, always focus on what you’re trying to achieve and make sure you spend your money in the right places where it will make the most impact,” adds Vaughann Turnbull.

“Mostly this will mean the visible things - tabletops, chairs and bench seating rather than posh table bases which may be hidden when in use. Go for the best quality you can afford - the furniture needs to look just as good in two or three years as it does on the day it’s delivered, otherwise your next refurbishment will come sooner than expected.

“Also look at the ‘life-time’ investment you’re making, not just at the initial buying price good quality furniture will look better for longer. And a quality shop-fitting not only looks good, it also enhances your profits. You’ll be attracting the customers you’re targeting, demonstrating the care and attention you’ve put into your investment and proving your long-term commitment to offering them what they want.

“The shopfitting should last between five and eight years, depending on the type of operation. This cycle shows you’re moving with the times

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Inside La Tartine, a French Patisserie and Salon de Thé in Windsor. and are aware of your customers’ changing tastes it’s also a commitment to keeping your offering refreshed. However, if your concept relies on being at the cutting edge of design trends then a shorter cycle will probably be required.”

Practical considerations are also important when choosing furniture, to make things easier for you and your staff, point out GO IN. If layouts need to be flexible then look for lightweight, stackable options, they suggest. Choose materials that are easy to clean and maintain. If you have uneven flooring you may need to consider automatic table feet adjusters to make sure tables are the same height and don’t wobble. With wooden floors, you may need to think about protectors for the chair feet - these can prevent damage to the floor and substantially reduce noise levels. If you’re looking to use an outdoor area, make sure your furniture is up to the task and that you have somewhere to store it when it’s not being used. Again, stackable and foldable options are helpful.

“Be aware of legal considerations relating to your furniture,” warns Vaughann Turnbull. “Choose commercial contract furniture that meets all relevant fire regulations, and never use domestic products. If you intend to use an outside area, say a

pavement, make sure you meet all the local authority and planning regulations.”

GO IN has supplied chairs and tables to the recentlyopened La Tartine, a French Patisserie and Salon de Thé in Windsor.

“Before we opened our first outlet in October 2012 we thought carefully about our target audience and how we could design our café to attract those customers. We wanted to create a premium feel, offering excellent quality at affordable prices. We wanted something different but not too trendy or extreme - just a simple, unpretentious and practical offering, perhaps reminiscent of a classic Parisian bistro/café. We were on a tight budget but we didn’t want to compromise our premium offering by skimping on the interior or buying cheap furniture - we knew that wouldn’t pay in the long run,” says owner, Alexandre Fradin.

“The style of building and interior space led us to choose a deep red colour scheme with dark wood trimmings and a simple black and white tiled floor - all very smart and easy to maintain. This setting led us to look at simple wooden, bistro-style chairs in a dark stain finish. We wanted the chairs to have a heavy, robust feel. For the tables we chose marble tops for an up-market finish, and selected an assortment of square and

round shapes for variety and flexibility.

“The square topped tables are useful as they will each accommodate a couple, or they can be pushed together to seat four or more. The round tables can easily seat four - we particularly like the round ones as they are so like those found in every traditional French café.

The black tubular columns and bases give great stability to the marble tops, yet the tables are still very easy to move around to create flexible layouts.

“We looked at a number of options for furniture on the internet and eventually narrowed down the choice to a couple of suppliers. The important thing for us was to actually go and look at the furniture. It’s just not possible to get a good idea of the build quality and finish without actually touching, feeling and seeing it in the flesh. GO IN’s local showroom was a great help to us in choosing the right chairs and making sure they combined perfectly with the marble tabletops and black bases.

“We’ve had many favourable comments about the overall design of our café, and the furniture looks as good as the day we opened.

We’re currently looking to develop an outside area, so hopefully we’ll soon be looking to invest in suitable outdoor furniture.”

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Franke DPS_Layout 1 19/04/2013 14:22 Page 2

EnhancE your capabilitiEs ranke Coffee Systems started in the UK market five years ago. The brand has always been represented in the UK before but never in a direct capacity. Focusing on supplying Bean to Cup (B2C) machines into the hospitality, cafĂŠ and food to go markets, the company has made impressive progress to become one of the major B2C suppliers. 2011 was an incredible year for Franke with sales up 25% on the previous year and 2012 is looking even stronger .

A major plus has been the huge progress made in recent times in the capabilities of the Franke B2C machines. The machines have always had Swiss high build quality and the software that runs the machines has markedly increased in sophistication over the years.

A big part of what our machines can offer is consistency across the day.

Franke coffee machines produce consistent results no

F

matter who is operating the machine and provide operators with peace of mind that the customer is always going to get the product they are expecting.

Franke coffee machines can now produce everything you could ever want from a hot beverage system with up to 230 different drinks on some machines, including flavoured drinks using syrups, all automatically produced at the touch of a button. R & D is always on going and the company has a roadmap of machine development up to 2016.

In the last two years the company has placed greater emphasis on the milk management capabilities and cleaning times of the machines. On some of the larger machines, cleaning times can now be as low as eight minutes, adding up to huge efficiency savings for

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sites requiring high daily outputs. Some Franke machines can now produce hot milk, cold milk and cold foam.

Another advantage is you do not need specially trained staff to operate our products.

Even the best barista can have an off day and there is a considerable cost involved in training and retaining the services of a good barista.

Franke machines can be placed in a wide variety of sites and be used by all the staff right from the word go with consistency achieved at the push a button. Our machines also deliver big advantages in terms of foot print, taking up much less counter space than a traditional machine.

Many of the large high street operators are seeing the advantages with many now operating fully automatic machines for their coffee menus. Thus, reaping the benefits of less training and a more consistent product.

Other motivations for the high street operator is the amount of waste generated in terms of coffee grinds by the

“Franke coffee machines can now produce everything you could ever want from a hot beverage system with up to 230 different drinks on some machines, including flavoured drinks using syrups, all automatically produced at the touch of a button.” traditional approach as there is no wasteage with automated machines.

The Franke approach not only delivers more consistency at a high standard and because of the automatic steam functionality of many of the machines, the customer still feels they are getting a ‘hand-made’ product and that part of the experience is not lost.

The Pura has done particularly well with the advantages of its highresolution 5.7in colour display, the ability to deliver up to 32 products and 150—200 cup capacity per day. The Spectra has also proven very popular,

offering three basic models, three operating units as well as other options and add-ons for greater flexibility.

Reliable and capable machines is only half of the Franke story. The company prides itself on its ability to deliver the best and most knowledgeable service and support in the market. The company employs all of its service engineers direct, all of whom are manufacturer trained as well as having a good knowledge of the coffee ingredient itself.

Our service performance makes for impressive reading, we cure 99% of faults on the first call, as our engineers are

equipped with a very large inventory of spare parts.

Franke operate four hour, eight hour and twenty four hour response contracts, depending on the customer’s needs.

The major growth has come from securing major national high street accounts with Burger King, KFC,and McDonalds to name a few.

Franke have the range of equipment and capabilities to ensure that whoever the client is the machine can be built to meet the expectations of the menu offered and to ensure the service reliability.

Ultimately, anyone can sell a box. What Franke do is offer so much more. We supply a fully rounded service that includes great products, best in the business support and a genuine understanding of what the client needs to produce in order to keep their customers happy.

Franke continue to develop the service delivery and know that the machines will continue to improve, so over time, we are confident that the Franke offering will only get even stronger.

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PROFILE

Il Tempo of London can be always be relied upon as a source e new food and beverage concepts, such as the coffe and wine aperitivo bar, Il Tempo.

When did you start?

We are the first Italian coffee and wine aperitivo bar of its kind in London, and opened in early October 2012.

What was the vision?

Il Tempo is the brainchild of a Turin-born entrepreneur, Stefano Patrone. After years of observing the social appetite of Londoners, the former marketing executive saw only one gap in London – for a high quality, but simple and commitment-free drinks and nibbles scenario (just like the one he was used to back home). He then spent eighteen months developing his vision to bring a piece of this popular aspect of the classic Italian lifestyle to a city which loves to have a good time.

Il Tempo operates as an authentic Italian bar, just like the ones you would find on the Apennine. It opens in the early morning serving traditional espresso, coffee and hot drinks, such as the signature thick Turin hot chocolate. Lunch is light, quick and fine - a daily freshly made pasta special, as well as made-toorder take-away sandwiches. Come the evening, Il Tempo transforms into a chic after work drinks destination, specialising in Italian tipples, aperitifs and rare regional wines.

How was the menu chosen?

The menu has been designed by the owner Stefano Patrone, with the help of the in-house chef Alessandro Ciarpella who trained in Michelin star restaurants in Italy and Spain. It is typically Italian and

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CAFÉ CULTURE

seasonal, with home-made pasta and bites such as spicy salami savoury pie bites, smoked swordfish/tuna/salmon bruschetta, vegetable gratins, slow roasted cherry tomatoes, mascarpone salmon and chives puffy paste bites, plus a selection of cured meats and cheeses.

Where do you get your supplies from?

Specialist Italian food suppliers like Foodhouse or Guidetti Fine Foods. The coffee is from Kimbo, the coffee of Naples!

The wine is carefully selected by an accredited Italian Sommelier (Il Tempo works with Enotria Wine Cellars to source the wine and ensure the offering is seasonal and different to what is on offer in the mass distribution chains).

Typical customers?

Locals and local office workers/business people form the majority of the customer base, but also theatre and opera goers who love the fact they can have a satisfying but non-commitment bite and drink before or after the performance. In fact, Il Tempo regularly sees some rather impressive theatre and opera staff enjoy its delights and Italians living in London come in flocks to enjoy the real aperitivo in true Italian style!

How did you secure the location?

Il Tempo won a competitive pitch for the location. Key to that was the business plan and the fact that the concept fitted in perfectly with the nature of the area which is establishing itself as a food experiential and gourmet corner of London.

Competition?

A café and wine bar, Notes, around the corner, during the day, as their opening hours are not as long as Il Tempo’s.

Recently, there has also been a surge in restaurants in London offering an aperitivo – usually their interpretation is centred around offering aperitivo drinks and cocktails, rather than the aperitivo open table of gourmet bites and nibbles, as originally established in the North of Italy. However, in terms of consumer perceptions, these are our main competitors, and so are some of the tapas bars in the area too.

Future plans?

The recently introduced the Mercato di Il Tempo offers a small and fine selection of deli products to buy. This month, for example, the focus is on truffles, including white truffle olive oil, cooking salt with truffles, honey with truffle and black marinated truffles. Customers can also purchase the Il Tempo homemade fresh pasta by the weight to cook at home.

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PROFILE

different Something

When is a coffee shop not just a coffee shop? When it’s also an art gallery, a social hub, a meeting venue, an eatery and a regular haunt of trendsetters… Although it was founded in 2011, the Speakeasy Espresso & Brew Bar is still a relatively ‘new kid on the block’, but can attribute its continuing success to carefully thought out product decisions that help it to offer that all-important ‘something different’.

All about survival With an address just off Carnaby Street in the high adrenalin heart of London’s media land, Speakeasy Espresso & Brew Bar was just not going to survive if it was anything less than cool and brilliant.

When it opened in the summer of 2011, the neighbours reportedly popped in to sniff around and take bets on how long the new business would last! At the time, recent occupants of the site had included pop-up shops, a shoe shop and a record shop to name but a few, but none had lasted the course.

So the pressure was on, but eighteen months later and the Speakeasy continues to buzz with a constant stream of local residents, workers, tourists and media types looking for a quick caffeine fix, or somewhere to kick back and watch the world go by for a while.

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The Coffeesmiths Collective Speakeasy is one of four outlets that form the Coffeesmiths Collective - a network of quality coffee shops in vibrant locations across the capital. Founders Tim, Chris and Stefan say that they set out to “serve distinctive, quality coffees to London’s discerning coffee drinkers in a friendly and social environment”, and that their goal is to be renowned for the mastery of their craft and their focus on people.

It’s a small place with long, concrete communal counters and remarkably comfortable stools upstairs and lower tables and chairs in the basement level. Funky art adorns the walls and it changes regularly thanks to the Coffeesmiths Collective art curator, who seeks out professional artists in the early stages of their career in order to present them to the broadest possible audience.

In fact, Speakeasy really lives its goal to be a champion of the area, just as much as it’s a champion of coffee.

Manager, John Kyle, is a very likeable chap whose genuine passion for coffee is as infectious as his warm personality is welcoming. He’s made it his mission to integrate into the local community, bringing together other food and drink outlets and suppliers for tasting events and charity fundraisers.

The right products But of course Speakeasy is, at its heart, all about coffee, and it’s really clear that John knows his beans.

Every customer is greeted with a warm, personal welcome by John, and if they show an interest in the range of coffees available, or ask for a recommendation, any one of the team can step up to the plate and give a rundown of the day’s flavours. John encourages them to give their own personal viewpoints too – coffee is a very subjective experience, he points out, and the personal touch is a real winner with customers.

Every last detail has been well thought through, with all four Coffeesmiths Collective outlets even offering courses in ‘the art of making espresso’ and ‘brewing for taste’.

John is understandably

fussy about the rest of the products in the café. Quality and provenance are important to him, and the products have to look the part. A mish-mash of products of all different shapes, sizes, colours and brands just wouldn’t work against the backdrop of simple, minimalist décor, he feels.

Therefore, among the small number of brands to make the cut is Frobishers, a drinks brand which produces a range of premium juices, smoothies and blended juice drinks.

Frobishers sources only the best fruit from around the globe, say the company, which is squeezed, pressed or pureed at source then blended and bottled in the UK (the juices

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PROFILE

John Kyle compares tasting notes with Frobishers’ Hannah Rhodes.

are never made from concentrate and contain no additives, colourings, flavourings or added sugar).

A major rebrand in 2012 gave the Frobishers bottles a distinctive image which speaks of quality and has more than a nod to the natural source of the fruit, and ultimately it was the new look that attracted Coffeesmiths to Frobishers.

“We’ve created a space our clientele understand, relate to and feel comfortable in so our product offering has to match.

‘Look’ is important to us and since its rebrand, Frobishers really hits the mark,” says John Kyle.

The Frobishers flavours range from old favourites such as orange, apple and tomato

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to the quirkier, like mango, pear and cranberry. And then there's Bumbleberry - a blend of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants (there are also three smoothies and three ‘Fusion’ blended juice drinks in the range).

Speakeasy currently takes five lines - apple, pear, pineapple, Bumbleberry and the orange, mango and banana smoothie. The five bottles are lined up in a very simple display on the counter and, using only the symmetry of the colours and the perfect fronton positioning of the labels, John Kyle and his team are able to create an effective POS promotion.

By far the biggest seller is the smoothie, they report, as it’s a real hit with morning customers but the apple and pear juices are not too far behind, and Bumbleberry remains strong (the RRP is £2.30 per bottle).

Flavour combinations John Kyle reports that he has enjoyed ‘playing’ with the juices and exploring different flavour combinations with certain coffees. As Speakeasy offers some 100 or so different coffees throughout the year, there are plenty to experiment with!

It was a visit from Frobishers’ London sales manager, Hannah Rhodes, which prompted John Kyle to bring out samples of the day’s two feature coffees and discuss the various characteristics of each. One was spicy and smooth, the other almost oily in the mouth with a slightly bitter taste.

“The Colonia Bolinda coffee from Bolivia has distinctive pineapple notes so we often recommend customers pair it with Frobishers pineapple juice,” reports John Kyle. “Add in an almond croissant and you’ve got the perfect breakfast combination!”

It was this flavour matching and experimentation that led John to try Bumbleberry with a coffee and a pain au chocolat.

“We already knew that Bumbleberry tasted great with chocolate so it was kind of a natural progression,” he adds.

“Now we promote it as a ‘why don’t you try?’ to customers, and make verbal recommendations when we feel it’s appropriate.”

Bumbleberry?

“It’s always amusing to watch people as they look at the bottle of Bumbleberry. You can almost see their brains trying to compute ‘what on earth is a Bumbleberry?’ It’s even better when a child asks their mum or dad what a Bumbleberry is.

We always wait a few minutes to see how they answer before stepping in and telling them. Is

that a bit cruel?” he laughs.

A key part of Coffeesmiths’ ethos is to make coffee affordable for all, and this is where these two brands discovered a perfect compatibility. As a producer, Frobishers also strives to maintain low pricing because the company also believe that everyone should have access to quality juice, and that it shouldn’t just be the preserve of the well off.

Aside from its courses, Coffeesmiths outlets also offer coffee drop-in clinics for people who want help determining their espressos from their Americanos, and their lattes from their macchiatos. Their web site remains a popular forum for lovers of all things coffee, as well as fulfilling a retail function where customers can purchase everything they need to make the perfect coffee.

The Coffeesmiths Collective now plans to open a fifth London store - the Tonic Coffee Bar - where the team will be aiming to continue spreading the gospel of good coffee!

Founded over 30 years ago, still family run and independent Whether you need a new supplier for your tea or an expert to supply and install a new espresso machine and train you to use it, Edgcumbes can cover every aspect of your hot drinks service.

We work with a very wide range of businesses from independent cafes to large hotels, visitor attractions to offices, so whatever your business we will have a solution for you!

Call us on 01243 555775 or email sales@edgcumbes.co.uk

www.edgcumbes.co.uk MAY 2013 CAFÉ CULTURE 39

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ESPRESSO MACHINES

Machine specialists The specialist espresso machine market is hotting up, reflecting the widening appreciation of speciality coffee here as well as the increasing skill levels of baristas. With the purchase of an espresso machine being a major investment, assessment of its technical specification, as well as its aesthetics, is key, advise the sector’s suppliers.

The right choice Sanremo UK, a company offering a range of espresso machines for a variety of applications, recommend that new café owners firstly consider the look of the machine they wish to purchase. Does it fit in with the interior? Will it enhance the service area? The next step is to establish how well the machine will make coffee and whether this fits within the budget, bearing in mind that coffee will produce around 50% of an outlet’s gross profit.

There is a common phrase which is – ‘buy cheap and buy twice’, feel the company.

However, when purchasing a coffee machine, if you buy on price, you are likely to never be able to afford to buy again, as your coffee machine selection can make a significant difference to the success and profitability of your business, warn Sanremo (who also suggest that all café owners, visit the BSA Guide - which Sanremo UK helped to write on coffee machines at www.beveragestandardsassoci ation.co.uk/PDF/APPR_BSA_G uide_EspressoMachines_16pp (SglePgs)(18Oct12).pdf).

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Sanremo’s own espresso machine range currently features six machines, including the Verona TCS which pays homage to days gone by, say the company, and is typically selected by sites that are looking for something special and distinctive as this machine makes a bold statement and sets the bar of expectation high.

This machine also offers competition level precision and temperature control using separate boilers for each group-head and a separate boiler for the steam wand and hot water tap. User features include auto-cleaning, espresso shot-timer, high volume production capability with rapid steam wands for easy yet precise milk foaming, heating and texturing.

Sanremo describe their Verona SED machine as having the looks of the Verona TCS, but with a traditional large boiler format suitable for volume coffee and milk production, and without the additional cost of the competition level precision electronics. Features include auto cleaning, espresso time monitor and it has been

Sanremo’s two group Zoe espresso machine. designed for volume production with rapid steam wands for easy and fast milk working, say Sanremo.

Their Roma TCS is also a statement machine, offering the look and feel of an expensive car, suggest Sanremo. Combined with what the company are now terming ‘Barista Championship technology and functionality’ – ie. temperature control from separate boilers on every group for steam/water - this machine has user features including auto cleaning, espresso time monitor and the capability of volume production with rapid steam wands for easy and fast milk working.

The Torino is a retro machine, appealing to those looking for a retro style machine - filling the middle ground between the Verona and the Zoe, say Sanremo.

User features include a big capacity with a 12.5 litre boiler

and triple gauge ‘barista dashboard’ (including one to indicate the right temperature to make a perfect coffee).

They described their Capri machine as being traditional and compact, offering a solid gleaming stainless fascia on a durable workhorse. Features include a 10.5 litre boiler for water and steam, mechanically engineered to run at a steady 91°C infusion, and twin steam arms.

Sanremo’s Zoe machine is an affordable and popular workhorse, suiting those looking for an affordable work horse that has excellent coffee making credentials and offers something special in stylem, suggest the company. Features also include twin steam arms, a 10.5 litre boiler for excellent levels of water and steam, engineered to run at a steady 91°C infusion (the Zoe is proving to be especially popular due to its unique design and colour options,

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ESPRESSO MACHINES strong build quality and attractive price point, observe Sanremo).

Sanremo UK report that they were recently involved with a garden centre client who had specifically chosen to use an expensive bean to cup machine in its café, due to having multiple unskilled staff.

The machine proved to be repeatedly problematic, however, and one of Sanremo UK’s distributors offered to loan them a month long trial of a Capri machine.

The client was thrilled with how easy the machine was to use, but most importantly, it was quickly evident that training on how to use the machine was a positive learning experience for its staff, and customers chose to purchase coffee more frequently after seeing the visual presence of a traditional machine, claim Sanremo.

Better yet – repeat orders came in abundance on the back of a better coffee tasting experience, reported the café.

In fact, within two years, the café had gone from having two bean to cup machines, serving 150 seats at a time, to a Sanremo Verona 3 Group, 2 Verona 2 Groups and a Capri 2 Group -serving 400 seats.

In demand “Our coffee scene is one of the world’s best when it comes to the innovation and skill of our baristas,” says Elaine Higginson, managing director of United Coffee UK & Ireland.

“Recognising this, our espresso machine range

includes machines designed for the speciality end of the coffee market, namely the Nuova Simonelli Aurelia II T3 and Dalla Corte DC Pro. “For guaranteed performance, extraction quality, flexibility and consistent brilliant tasting espresso, the Nuova Simonelli’s Aurelia II T3 offers a great solution. This machine is set apart by its new T3 temperature control technology that allows full control over water temperature, with maximum precision and unprecedented accuracy ensuring control over quality in the cup.

“The T3 technology allows the barista to set the temperature distribution of each group using three different parameters (water, group, steam) for flexibility. The machine's electronics do the rest - digital pressure and temperature sensors instantaneously send information to the controller, which through three independent PIDs (Proportional-integralderivative-controller - five in the two group version, seven with three groups) actively manages each variable. The result is unprecedented accuracy, regardless of the workload or environmental conditions and the water supply temperature of each group can be controlled in real time from the display.

“The traditional machine’s electronics has seen Nuova Simonelli clinch a deal to be the official machine of the

The Dalla Corte DC Pro is part of United Coffee’s espresso machine product range.

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Limited consumption?

For baristas and restaurant operators wanting to keep a high quality in the cup, but who have to cope with limited coffee consumption, La Spaziale have designed a dedicated coffee machine which allows outlets to satisfy the needs of this specific market segment, called the S1 Armonia.

This machine has already been appreciated by Italian and foreign roasters who supply the two group S1 Armonia to those outlets which want to deliver an optimal espresso although the quantity of daily coffee deliveries is limited, say the company.

Features include the fact that it is small, compact and flexible (it weighs 30kg), and enables use of both coffee powder, pods and capsules. It does not need water connection, and, as for installation, it simply needs to be plugged in .

In spite of this easiness and flexibility, however, the S1 Armonia is still a fully professional espresso coffee machine, point out La Spaziale. It has two professional delivery groups and two vibrating pumps (one for each group). It also has three boilers - one for milk and cappuccino, the other two dedicated to espresso delivery for each group with independent temperature regulation.

Other technical features include electronic boiler temperature control for steam delivery, built-in safety thermostats, warning for lack of water in the tank, built-in vibrating pump for each delivery group, boiler heating deactivating function (energy saving), alarms and malfunctions control, 0.45 litre boiler for coffee delivery for each delivery group and a 1.2 litre boiler for steam delivery. There’s a three litre inner tank with built-in water softener, cup tray lighting and one steam wand (power - 230V - 50/60Hz, power absorption - 1200W boiler heating / 800+800Watt delivery group) and it is available in red, silver and black.

At the annual coffee exhibition in Trieste, La Spaziale also presented a special solution for portioned coffee delivery, and which can be applied to all La Spaziale coffee machines, say the firm - all the coffee machines in the range, in fact, can be pre-arranged to deliver espresso with pods or capsules. With the simple replacement of the portafilter and of the shower head block, any La Spaziale can deliver coffee with pods and capsules, allowing baristas and roasters flexibility of use.

La Spaziale says that it has focused its attention to single portioned coffee market for several years, recording the constant growth and strong attraction that this market is encountering, even for outdoor consumption. Recent data has shown that the production value of single portioned coffee, including import, increased 20.3% in 2011, and their exports have increased even more rapidly (+31.4%), report the company.

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ESPRESSO MACHINES World Barista Championship with the Aurelia II T3 used in all competitions.”

Other Aurelia II T3 features include digital control of each group head so individual temperature parameters can be set depending on the coffee being brewed, and improved machine ergonomics with an evenly lit work surface and angled so baristas can easily check the coffee being extracted.

There’s an easy-clean system with simple dismantling to enable quick, yet thorough cleaning, say United, and LEDlit steam nozzles to illuminate the interior of the milk jug, allowing baristas to check the consistency of milk during texturing.

External regulation of pump pressure allows the barista to adjust it without the need for a technician and steam nozzle isolation allows essential maintenance whilst the machine is still active (independent wash cycles for each group head, allowing cleaning to take place during service).

“We’re also proud to be the exclusive UK distributor for the Dalla Corte equipment range, with the DC Pro traditional machine and DC One grinder.

These pieces of kit work together as a unique system that accurately controls all the variables in the recipe that are key to producing a great coffee experience,” explains Elaine Higginson.

“Both pieces of kit feature technology that is unique to Dalla Corte. Among other features, the robust DC Pro has multi-boiler technology which means each of the individual group heads can be controlled independently of the central boiler. A change in temperature as little as half a degree is enough to drastically change the flavour profile of coffee – so it’s easy to see how accurate and versatile this pioneering technology is.

“This clever machine also has the ability to link together with the DC One grinder through innovative control technology. This controls all the

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variables of the recipe meaning the machine and grinder work together. The machine monitors the average extraction time and feeds back to the grinder, which autonomously adjusts to make sure each of the variables are sitting within the correct tolerances. This means that whatever happens throughout the operational day you know that the grinder will adjust itself accordingly, policing the coffee quality in line with your recipe and the coffees will taste fantastic as a result.”

Dalla Corte offers an Online Control System (OCS), using web based software to monitor and collect data for multi-site operations, point out United Coffee. This means that the operator can access live data and control settings for all machines from a single remote location including extraction time, boiler temperatures, cleaning cycles and sales data.

Operators can use the OCS to send alarms to their technical service provider and tailored reports to their maintenance and sales teams (it also allows remote changes to the programmed settings and recipe to be made on the machines – so if you are changing to a new blend on a portfolio of hundreds of machines they can all update with the new parameters).

“This machine also features the new Milk Control System (MCS), an automatic steam wand which creates perfectly uniform milk foam for cappuccinos, lattes and other milk-based beverages,” adds Elaine Higginson.

“The new system can work independently of a barista using steam to create the centrifugal motion in the jug needed to create the correct texture of the milk. This perfectly recreates the manual movement of the barista and gives consistent, dense foam. A probe installed next to the steam wand measures the temperature of the milk and automatically turns off when the optimum 65 degrees is reached, guaranteeing the taste doesn’t spoil either.”

The Rancilio Classe 9 Xcelsius model is an ex-factory order with a current list price of £7,300 + VAT for the 2-group.

Micro-management The Italian espresso machine manufacturer, Rancilio, has launched Xcelsius, a sophisticated temperature profiling system that can have a dramatic impact on the way espresso coffee is brewed and the taste profile of the resulting brew, claim the firm.

The new device, which will appeal particularly to coffee aficionados, is initially available as an option on the Rancilio Classe 9 espresso machine and is being distributed in the UK by the Coffee Machine Company.

The Xcelsius system is in effect a secondary, mini water boiler located in the group head, say Rancilio, and enables baristas to micro-manage the brew temperature to within a tolerance of just 0.1°C, so that the particular taste they are looking to achieve can be delivered.

In addition, and a patented feature unique to Rancilio, Xcelsius can also alter the temperature of the water through the group head midcycle by up to 5°C, point out the Coffee Machine Company.

Brew groups can be independently programmed to deliver water either at a stable temperature throughout the brew cycle, or to have the temperature increase or decrease whilst the brew is in progress. Each of these choices delivers a different taste profile from the same coffee and Rancilio claim that Xcelsius is the only system in the world capable of producing such changes through temperature

profiling. This allows baristas to match the temperature of the water in the brew group to individual coffees in order to produce the best taste profile for that particular coffee.

“It is hard to believe that a slight temperature change can produce such noticeably different taste profiles,” says CMC’s sales manager, Bill Davy.

“Skilled baristas are going to love experimenting with it. It gives them the opportunity to fine tune their coffee to create the optimum taste. In particular, it suits the recent trend towards single origin coffees, which need temperature stability to bring out their best characteristics.

Certainly this is not a mass market product, but it will undoubtedly be a great hit with top baristas as they strive to produce an exact taste profile that they can replicate time after time.”

Smart technology After 16 years in the nursery business, husband wife team, Marcel and Frankie Franke of Staplehurst Nurseries were ready for a fresh challenge. So in 2011 they embarked on a new venture – Frankie’s Farmshop – a gourmet coffee shop and deli in the heart of the Kent countryside.

“It wasn’t a complete leap of faith,” recalls Marcel Franke.

“We had spent three to four years thinking about ways of expanding the garden business. We went along to a couple of conferences organised by Farma, which involved site visits to deli/farm

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ESPRESSO MACHINES shop operators around the UK, and we had the opportunity to talk to other people and to hear of their experiences and learn from their mistakes.

“We are close to London, in a wealthy area surrounded by rolling fields, so we felt confident we could make a success of it. There are plenty of other garden centres with coffee shops around here, but we saw that as a bonus as many people will visit a couple of places in one day.”

So a decision was made and within one year, Marcel Franke had built a traditional Kentish style barn, a light and airy space complete with a stunning oak framed interior which creates a real wow factor when you walk in. Contained within the 415 square metre floor space is a 48-seater coffee shop, a deli counter and retail area which sells local artisan produce wherever possible.

Seating for a further 30-40 covers is available outside on the terrace.

Taking pride of place on site is an open plan kitchen area which makes all the food for the café and take out service.

Frankie’s has ten staff in total and the business also employs a full time manager who oversees the garden centre, coffee shop and retail side.

“Our approach has been to always have the best that the budget allows and we wanted to create a home from home environment that customers would enjoy coming to,” says Marcel Franke (they put aside £100k for the project, but ended up spending close to £250k).

“We underestimated the amount of equipment we

Left Michele Cecchini, area sales manager for Cimbali with Marcel Franke. would need and how much everything cost. For example, the deli counters were an incredible £7k each. We could have bought second hand kit to reduce costs, but we wanted to do it all properly and that comes at a price.

“On one of our fact finding trips I was given some advice by a very experienced and successful coffee shop operator who told me ‘retail is all in the detail.’ Frankie seems to instinctively know what customers are looking for and as such she does all the buying for the nursery.

“Consequently we have moved away from the traditional style of planting in uninspiring ceramic pots to more creative presentations in zinc planters and limed baskets, the sort of thing which you would expect to see on the pages of Ideal Home. So as we embarked on this project, Frankie became heavily involved in all aspects of the Farm shop, from picking suppliers, equipment and recruiting staff, to branding,

Cimbali use Bluetooth technology to efficiently combine their M39 machine and grinder.

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promotions and designing the interior.”

The café’s menu includes breakfast, light lunches and teas, all made on the premises wherever practical which is a real selling point and sets the business apart from competitors. Typical menu items include stuffed field mushrooms (brown rice, Feta cheese, herbs, preserved lemons) £4.95, pork and smoked bacon kofta £5.95 and tomato and caramelised onion puff pastry tartlets £5.95, each served with a selection of deli salads. Frankie’s has just launched ‘fab food for little ones’ a special children’s menu packed full of healthy options which is getting a big thumbs up from mums and a complimentary glass of organic fruit squash is included with every meal.

Needless to say, the choice of coffee equipment was another top priority for Marcel Franke. “We saw the coffee equipment as an investment and when we heard about the Cimbali Bluetooth Grinder and M39 we thought it was perfect for our setup,” he says.

“The grinder contains smart technology which ‘talks’ to the coffee machine to ensure a consistent coffee quality with every brew – you can’t really go wrong with it. We have weekend and part-time staff who come and go and the continuity of quality was important irrespective of who was making the coffee that day.”

Cimbali provided on site training which was extremely useful, report the café, as none of the staff had ever used a coffee machine before.

“The M39 is very simple to operate and with the grinder providing a safety net, then the quality of the coffee is one less thing the staff need to be concerned about when we are really busy,” adds Marcel Franke.

Michele Cecchini, area sales manager for Cimbali, and who was involved in the project, says: “The M39 was the perfect choice for Frankie’s. In an environment like this where the food offer is of such a high standard, producing a top quality cup of coffee becomes even more important – the customer would expect the coffee to also be exceptionally good.

“The M39 is a real workhorse of a machine which is efficient and reliable even under the most testing conditions. Smart boiler technology boosts steam and hot water capacity by up to 30% in order to avoid down time during busy periods.

Another key feature is the Turbosteam function which simultaneously delivers steam and air, allowing the heating or frothing of large quantities of milk completely hands free.

The Bluetooth Grinder was also a wise choice. In a situation like this, where there is little time to learn exacting barista skills but quality is critical, the Bluetooth Grinder takes the guess work out of making a perfect cuppa every time.”

The nursery café’s coffee menu is as you might expect latte £2.25, cappuccino £2.25, Americano £1.95 and espresso £1.75, with tea at £1.95 and hot chocolate at £2.50 per cup. So far, they have not been asked for flavoured syrups, and their clientele seem very happy with a fairly basic choice of hot beverages.

“We are always looking for other ways to promote the business. For instance one of the local lifestyle magazine run retail fairs a couple of times a year. So we took some space at

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ESPRESSO MACHINES the winter event and promoted the coffee shop and retail food side. As well as sampling our home made food, we even took orders for Christmas hams. We collected lots of contact details for our customer database which we can use for other marketing activity.

“I admit to having known very little about this market before we opened and it has been a real learning curve. Our projected turnover in year one is in excess of £500k. We must be doing something right because the coffee shop is full almost every day and we even have people who reserve tables for lunch. It is just incredible,” concludes Marcel Franke.

Major investment At last year’s Restaurant Show, Fracino - the UK’s only manufacturer of espresso and cappuccino machines demonstrated the strength of its multi-million pound research and development programme with the debut of its versatile new PID espresso machine.

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Equally suited to both the experienced barista and the rookie, the PID is aimed at style-conscious bars, restaurants and coffee-shops, where its sleek white retro/state-of-the-art design will appeal to a wide range of operators and customers, feel the family-run firm.

Available in two or three groups, each with independent boiler for optimum temperature control, it has anti-splash nozzles on the hot water outlets and steam tubes for frothing milk. The PID also boasts market-leading technology including touch pad displays for ultimate control.

The PID debuted alongside other top models from the company’s range of coffee machines, including grinders and accessories. Fracino’s Piccino - a new consumer machine which has been launched into the UK market by sealing a contract with retail giant John Lewis – was also showcased and is proving popular.

Fracino's Romano PID 2 group espresso machine.

“Fracino has invested over £1million in cutting edge plant in recent months, so it’s rewarding to see our flagship models – the PID and the Piccino – receive such an enthusiastic reception at the Restaurant Show. Our priority is delivering a top quality customer experience and feedback has confirmed that both these machines leave nothing to chance with their style, innovation and sheer commitment to coffee quality,”

commented sales manager, John McGinnell.

Encapsulating world-class engineering and cutting-edge technology, Fracino says that its machines are designed and manufactured to the highest standards using the latest machining methods. All are equipped with large capacity boilers, high powered elements and hand built from high quality stainless steel, copper and brass.

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SUSTAINABILITY

Could I have a

cappuccino (in 2030)?

How Forum for the Future is helping to prepare hot drinks businesses, such as Cafédirect, for the challenges and opportunities of the future, today.

Expert advice Forum for the Future (www.forumforthefuture.org) is a sustainability non-profit organisation working globally with business, government and others to solve tricky challenges. They focus on critical systems we all depend on such as food and energy, and develop practical solutions to the future’s big challenges.

They do this by working in partnership with individual organisations in those systems (from Pret A Manger to M&S to Unilever), and by convening key players to work together towards progress on particular issues (for example, the potential of farms to act as power stations) or across a whole industry (for example, the future of the tea industry, or of UK dairy). Visit www.forumforthefuture.org/pro ject/tea-2030/overview and www.forumforthefuture.org/pro ject/dairy-2020/overview for more information.

Since 2005, they have been working with the well-known Fairtrade hot drinks brand, Cafédirect, advising the company on a range of sustainability questions, from top-level strategy down to the details of calculating carbon emissions.

Over the years they have provided expert advice, challenge and support to the company, to help it understand and prepare for the challenges and opportunities the future

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presents, so it remains commercially successful in the long term while continuing to pioneer new approaches to doing business.

The operating context for a company like Cafédirect has certainly evolved since they began working together, report Forum for the Future, and so has its understanding of the types of risks and opportunities presented by major trends and increasing “sustainability pressures” – from what best

practice on carbon management or packaging might look like to the effects of climate change on coffee, tea and cocoa supply or the changing expectations of consumers.

Understanding impacts Part of getting to grips with the whole sustainability ‘agenda’ is about understanding what a business’s direct impacts might be (environmental, social and others), and how to manage them, say Forum for the Future.

This is largely just good business, as it means making efficient use of resources, such as water and energy, and avoiding waste for example.

And this applies to everyone, from large industry leaders to the smallest independent high street coffee shop.

But far more importantly, Forum for the Future would argue, is understanding how various trends and influences outside of a company’s direct control are set to impact on the business and its long-term viability (anything from climate change to the price of energy or the rise of digital technologies and e-commerce).

“Any forward-thinking business needs to be actively influencing, engaging and collaborating with the world around itself – from suppliers to consumers and beyond – to ensure it can continue to do what it does best into the future, by helping to create, safeguard or improve the right conditions for success,” says Geraldine Gilbert, senior sustainability advisor at Forum for the Future “The most efficiently-run business can still be caught out by long-term changes (or sudden shocks) involving suppliers, consumers or even the sector it’s a part of overall.”

Looking beyond So while in the earlier days of their partnership with Cafédirect, they focused on

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SUSTAINABILITY things like developing a robust environmental policy, since then they’ve also looked beyond the business itself, such as at how the company can support coffee growers to adapt to climate change – good for farming communities, good for the environment, and of course good for Cafédirect if it secures a long-term supply of quality coffee.

“Looking at the carbon footprint of Cafédirect’s entire supply chain in 2009, what emerged was that most impacts happen in the final preparation of hot drinks, at home and in out-of-home venues – and decidedly outside of Cafédirect’s direct control,” explains Geraldine Gilbert.

“But importantly, Cafédirect now understands that in the long run, ultimately it is in the interests of the business (and of coffee brands and venues in general) to address these impacts, and as Fairtrade’s Whitney Kakos describes here, one way to do this is through a simple EcoToolkit for venues to use to reduce impacts and costs.

“It’s one small step in getting to a more sustainable cappuccino – but what’s good for the sector, is ultimately good for Cafédirect, good for the coffee growers whose livelihoods depend on it, and good for consumers who want to continue to enjoy their cuppa well into the future.”

Cafédirect’s EcoToolkit “Back in 2009, we completed a comprehensive crop-to-cup carbon footprint to identify the hot spots in our supply chain,” says Whitney Kakos. “What we found out surprised us.

“Most of the carbon footprint of our products, especially coffee and tea, didn’t come from where many would guess. It wasn’t shipping or even growing the raw material.

The majority, in fact, comes from preparing the hot drinks, particularly in out-of-home venues like cafés.

“Our approach to environmental issues, which we had developed in partnership with Forum for the Future, a

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long-time sustainability partner, is to take full responsibility where we have control, and to use our influence where we don’t. As Cafédirect doesn’t own the outlets that serve our beverages, we found ourselves in a tricky situation where the area of highest carbon impact was perhaps the furthest out of our direct control. So in response, we created a tool to help cafés improve the situation themselves.”

How it works The toolkit is a free, online resource for anyone to use, be they a Cafédirect customer or not.

“We felt that this was an important part of the project.

While many companies would aim to make money from such a resource, it didn’t feel right to hold the information back from venues that want to improve their performance but that might not stock Cafédirect,” adds Whitney Kakos.

“Of course we hope that using the tool will introduce our brand to these venues and let them know what our business is about.”

Covering the areas of water, waste, energy and procurement, the tool asks the user a set of yes/no questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. The result is an instant traffic light rating for how the venue is doing in each area and a bespoke set of recommendations for how the venue could improve in each one. The recommendations

range from how to run an espresso machine more efficiently to how to promote reusable cups through a loyalty scheme.

Each recommendation is also labelled with an easy-toread symbol indicating whether the cost is low, medium or high, as well as whether the environmental impact is low, medium or high.

Perhaps best of all, however, the recommendations include exclusive offers from our participating partners just for EcoToolkit users. For example, green energy company Ecotricity is offering users a free energy monitor when they sign up to a renewable energy tariff and Kingspan Water is offering a 10% discount off any new rainwater harvesting systems.

Cafédirect is offering discounts on the popular branded reusable KeepCups, along with an opportunity for venues to offset their carbon emissions with certified credits from a unique reforestation project involving adaptation for Peruvian coffee farmers.

“We developed the Toolkit recommendations with input from the experts in the fields of waste, water and energy use.

We then piloted the Toolkit with a selection of venues that serve Cafédirect, ranging from a very small café to large university cafeterias, a leisure centre and even a stadium. We improved the Toolkit based on their feedback and then launched it to the public last year,” explains

Whitney Kakos.

“Word of mouth has been our main method of sharing the Toolkit to date, and the 110 users so far have come from a wide range of venue types. We hope to spread the word much further in 2013 and we’re seeking partners to support us in that effort. One of our newest partners, the Sustainable Restaurant Association, for whom we are an approved supplier, is sharing the Toolkit with its member network of 1200 restaurants across the UK. “We were very happy that the Toolkit was included in DEFRA’s 2012 report entitled Resources available to business to quantify and reduce the water impacts of their water use. Though this report focused on water, the authors conducted independent interviews with three of the pilot groups that were testing the Toolkit and their comments covered its wider relevance and use.”

In fact, all three organisations reported that the Cafédirect EcoToolkit was very user-friendly and did not require any sort of prior training.

The Toolkit has a pleasing layout with simple checkboxes and was even easy for people who did not necessarily consider themselves IT-literate.

A noteworthy element that significantly improved the practicality of the resource was that the end report not only offers very detailed assessment but also provided links to more than one external organisation that could help fix the problem.

“It is an excellent tool that we have on hand to support our wider offering in Foodservice,” says Cafédirect’s business development manager, Matt Lord.

During 2013, Cafédirect’s aim is to widen the reach of the EcoToolkit to new venues with the aim of increasing the number of exclusive offers available to users to further incentivise the positive changes they can make too (the Cafédirect EcoToolkit can be found at www.cafedirect.co.uk/ ecotoolkit).

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Such is the high level, premium nature of cakes currently being supplied to the coffee shop sector, that baking your own is no longer the only way to source a gourmet flavour when it comes to top class cakes for cafés.

Gourmet twist “People the length and breadth of the country have fallen in love with specialist and premium cakes - supported by programmes such as The Great British Bake Off,” observes Viv Parry, founder of Exquisite Handmade Cakes (www.exquisitehandmadecakes.co.uk).

“Two years ago Mintel reported that over a quarter of consumers wanted to see more premium ingredients in cakes. Now, at anytime and anywhere, people want access to fine cakes and sweet treats – whether in the coffee shop, café or bistro.

“And though we are in the midst of a recession, a large number of adults continue to treat themselves. A good cake - as the mainstay of a morning coffee break, lunchtime treat or afternoon tea continues to grow in popularity, and family-run bakers, such as ours, have raised the public’s awareness and expectations. As a result, people are increasingly buying gourmet cakes.”

With all of their products, when crafting their ranges, their ethos has been simple, report Exquisite Handmade Cakes.

“We want to hand make products with the finest ingredients to the highest possible standard,” Viv Parry continues.

“We try to make every day special with our cakes, gateaux and bakes. We hope that people will agree that they look delicious and taste utterly exquisite.”

Their research has also shown that creating the authentic bakery feel is very important for customers and consumers, notes Viv Parry.

“Crafted by hand in Britain, all of our cakes are made to traditional recipes with a modern twist. For example, we feel that our Toffee Millionaires gateau is particularly innovative. It is a toffee sponge mixed with a rich chocolate

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sponge, filled with a sticky toffee sauce and an indulgent toffee cream, finished with a rich chocolate fudge icing and caramel curls,” explains Viv Parry.

“Though people seek the British ‘home-baking’ experience, they also expect a high consistent quality standard.

Taste and freshness play a notable role in customer satisfaction and so all of our cakes are crafted to a consistently high quality and standard.”

Chocolate still remains the flavour of choice, report the firm, and so they therefore have over twenty chocolate products available for coffee shop owners, including a range of portioned and unportioned gateaux, triple layer and teatime cakes, traybakes, loaf cakes and miniloaves, plus muffins and cup-cakes.

“However, we are seeing a rise in the number of consumers who want to try new and unique flavours and more exotic ingredients. Consumers are expanding their repertoires. Latest Mintel data shows that people are still prioritising flavour above other characteristics, such as calorie content,” adds Viv Parry.

“We like to have an eye for real innovation. For example, our Cranberry and Orange Gateaux was specially designed for people who love piquant tastes. It’s a zesty orange flavoured sponge packed with juicy cranberries, filled with a tangy orange flavoured icing and orange curd.

“In addition to this, we look to support our customers on market opportunities.

Here seasonality is important, so we ensure that we craft special cakes for specific calendar times of the year including Easter and Christmas.”

Exquisite Handmade Cakes is a familyrun business, based in Leeds and providing cakes and baked goods to cafés,

ProperMaid’s courgette and lime cake. delis and businesses all over the city, as well as across the rest of the UK. Established in 2004, it was founded when an opportunity arose to purchase assets from a bakery liquidation. Since that date, and without any significant investment, the company has achieved rapid growth, with a turnover of £1.7m this financial year.

The business has built up a national network of food distributors and transport companies including First Hull Trains and Grand Central Railways, and last year, they supplied a number of prestigious events including Royal Ascot and The Chelsea Flower Show, via Sodexo Prestige Events.

The artisan bakers, the English Cheesecake Company (www.englishcheesecake.com), who also specialise in being able to add a gourmet ‘twist’ to the flavours of cakes and cheesecakes they offer, says co-founder, Philip Weldon, launched several new variants at the recent IFE exhibition, in the process demonstrating how more unusual, gourmet flavours have become the order of the day.

The English Cheesecake Company’s founders, Phillip Weldon and Alan Laurier, were both on hand throughout the show to help introduce buyers to the new additions. These include Caramel Apple Karma (a caramel apple sponge made with Bramley Apples, filled and covered with a cream cheese frosting and a caramel glaze), Butterscotch Alaska (layers of

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CAKES

frozen toffee cream with crushed pieces of Dime Bar, a crunchy cookie base, topped with thick gooey meringue and served with a quick flash of heat to scorch the meringue), Black & White Mississippi Mud Pie Dense (a crunchie chocolate cookie base with layers of chocolate sponge, silky chocolate pudding and a supremely deep topping of whipped cream) and Cookie Bonanza Cheesecake (vanilla cheesecake filled and topped with a chocolate flavoured array of cookies).

The company’s head baker and creator of their fine desserts, Tamara Jones, was also present, helping to promote the English Cheesecake Company’s iconic cheesecakes that are available in individually-packaged formats, as well as more ‘bite size’ cup cake-style portions.

Decadent cupcakes have become foodie fashion ‘must-haves’ in recent years, and now food fashionistas can enjoy Cheesecake Cupcakes too. Marrying the richness of the English Cheesecake Company’s luxury cheesecakes with light, moist vanilla or chocolate sponge cake, they are topped with four different sweet flavours (chocolate cookie, salted caramel 99, strawberry cheesecake and blueberry shortbread).

Trading for over 20 years, the English Cheesecake Company is based in London and now produces over 200 different cheesecakes, cakes and cupcakes exploring sweet ingredient combinations to provide sensational, mouth-watering

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cakes. Although the company started out small, pleasing one customer at a time, it has now grown to supply many customers in the café and food ‘to go’ sector.

Natural emphasis With on-going media scrutiny when it comes to the sourcing of ingredients, greater importance is also now being placed on natural and unadulterated ingredients, feel Exquisite Handmade Cakes.

“All our cakes are made from the finest quality ingredients, for exceptional flavour and texture. None of our cakes are made with hydrogenated fats, Southampton Six colours and no genetically modified ingredients are ever used,” explains Viv Parry.

“People continue to be time-poor.

There is a rise in ‘on-the-go’ eating and a continued increase in office lunches being taken at one’s desk. Coffee shops shouldn’t miss out because of this. We advise stocking an increased range of convenient cake formats such as cake bars and slices – which are growing in popularity.

“To support our customers, we now have a wide range of mini-loaves, loaf slices and muffins in a variety of chocolate, toffee, citrus and berry flavours.

In addition to this we make an assortment of flapjacks. All are carefully individually wrapped to maintain the highest quality product.

“Food is increasingly being viewed as a form of self-expression. People are making very personal choices about the food brands they are seen to be buying. So we place great emphasis on presenting our cakes in packaging which ‘showcases’ the high quality of the cake inside. For example, our mini-loaf range are presented in pretty decorative cardboard cases. We also care about our environment, so continually look to use more environmentally friendly packaging for our products.”

Three of erlenbacher’s most popular classic cakes are now available in individual servings that will offer a more convenient, stylish option to the café and hospitality sector, say the company. The eye-catching Sunshine Cakes follow in the success of their Love Cakes and Mini Cakes ranges that were released last year and will initially be launched in Apple, Chocolate and Strawberry & Rhubarb flavours.

Sunshine Cakes are baked in an octagonal design and presented in cardboard packaging decorated with a wooden print. Whilst this offers stylish convenience for take-away businesses, the cakes can just as easily be served in an elegant café environment and are wellcomplemented by tea and coffee, say erlenbacher (www.erlenbacher.co.uk).

As with all erlenbacher products, the Sunshine Cakes follow stringent quality standards and are produced without the addition of preservatives, artificial flavours, artificial colours and hydrogenated fats and oils, say the company. The cakes come deep frozen and can be served immediately once defrosted. A box of Sunshine Cakes contains three trays with 12 cakes per tray.

Each tray weighs 1,500g (Apple), 1,080g (Chocolate) and 1,320g (Strawberry & Rhubarb).

Best of British Battenburg, bakes, sponges and slices from Yorkshire’s ProperMaid bakery (www.propermaid.co.uk) have recently been chosen as one of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes’ (NAAFI) ‘best of British’ foods to feed the forces, with ProperMaid’s original flavours such as Dandelion & Burdock Cake (inspired by Huddersfield’s most famous export) and Sticky Ginger & Fudge Cake based on the traditional Yorkshire Parkin, catching the eye and palate of the NAAFI taste testers.

NAAFI, the official trading organisation of HM Forces, provides retail and leisure services to the military with restaurants, bars and shops that offer a real British experience. ProperMaid’s cakes, which will grace the menu at NAAFI’s coffee shops,

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CAKES The English Cheesecake Company is catering for both the cupcake trend and ‘to go’ demand. will initially be distributed in Germany and then to other overseas locations starting with the Falklands.

Nick Spencer, head of food and beverage at NAAFI, said: “We’re all about providing a taste of home and access to products that servicemen and women would not necessarily be able to purchase.

ProperMaid’s original flavours, handmade products and the good story behind them really interested us.”

ProperMaid managing director Allison Whitmarsh said she was delighted with the deal. “We’re over the moon that our cakes have been chosen as a taste of home for the troops. It’s wonderful to think that ‘our boys’ – and girls – working hard in other countries will be able to tuck into a good old British brew and a bake!”

Former dinner lady, Allison Whitmarsh, saw a gap in the market four years ago when she took advantage of a Business Mine grant and set up Proper Maid in Huddersfield, producing handmade, additive-free cakes, loafs and biscuits with a twist – many of them made with quirky ingredients such as vegetables, liquorice, Maltesers and homemade jam.

She also got a slice of venture capital from BBC Dragon Deborah Meaden who invested £50,000 in the business in return

for a 25% stake during the Dragons’ Den Christmas Special.

The full-list of ProperMaid cakes flying out to the armed forces include Passion Fruit Cake, Mother’s Day Orange & Almond Battenberg, Fresh Ginger & Lemon, Dandelion & Burdock (a Great Taste Award winner), Cappuccino & Walnut, Liquorice Cake, Beetroot & White Chocolate, Courgette & Lime, Sticky Toffee Tray Bake Cake with Salted Caramel Drizzle and Sticky Ginger & Fudge.

New additions This spring sees the Handmade Cake Company (www.handmadecake.co.uk) add four new pre-cut loaf cakes to their wellstocked larder. Indulgent, award-winning loaf cakes is already one field where the Berkshire-based bakery enjoys enviable

erlenbacher’s new Sunshine Cakes.

The latest, pre-cut loaf range of cakes from the Handmade Cake Company.

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success and now the company have created an enhanced collection featuring Banana & Walnut, Lemon Drizzle, Coconut & Fruit.

“Baked from scratch with only freerange eggs, we strove to create a selection of moist, less crumbly recipes that allows us to send out two pre-cut loaves (twentytwo generously proportioned slices) in one box,” says MD, Parry Hughes Morgan.

“In today’s tough economic climate we wanted to bake homely cakes that went the extra yard when it came to giving our customers the best possible return, which is why we even cut the crusts off beforehand.”

This year sees the Handmade Cake Company celebrate its 30th anniversary and today, as in 1983, the premium, handmade cake bakery says that it remains committed to making only small batches of delicious cakes using trusted household recipes and everyday ingredients you’d find in your own fridge or larder, refusing to add artificial colourings, flavours or preservatives to their cakes.

Over the last ten years they have won 23 Great Taste Awards and in recent years they have also become an enterprising exporting success story too, selling their cakes in 20 countries outside of the UK. Atlantic Foods’ latest Go On! Mini Bakewell Squares offer just enough to please, but can be turned into something more substantial for dessert with the addition of custard or cream, point out the company.

A classic combination of almonds, butter and eggs makes a moist, rich filling which is perched on a base of raspberry jam and sweet shortcrust pastry, finished off with a topping of flaked almonds.

Supplied frozen in cases of 49, each 36g Mini Bakewell Square offers a tempting treat on its own for a café’s customers, but

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CAKES Carrot Cake Scoop & Bake from Dawn Foods.

Tempting treats - Mini Bakewell Squares from Atlantic Foods.

can also be combined with a host of other mini desserts in the Go On! range for a more luxurious dessert, suggest Atlantic Foods (www.atlanticfoods.co.uk).

The popular and easy to use range of Scoop & Bake batters and doughs from Dawn Foods (www.dawnfoods.co.uk) has been extended with the addition of six new flavours - Wholegrain, Milk Chocolate & Orange, Apple & Cinnamon, Carrot Cake, Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

These new additions should enable operators to create a greater variety of freshly baked ‘just made’ muffins, loaf cakes, tray bakes, brownies, cup cakes and cookies without the need for any mixing, measuring or specialist skills, feel Dawn Foods.

The frozen flavoured batters and doughs come in handy and re-sealable, tamper-proof 4 x 2kg stackable tubs, which thaw overnight at room temperature, or in the chiller for 24 hours, ready to Peros has launched My Little One World cake and cookie range for children.

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literally scoop out and bake in the morning for that tempting ‘just baked’ aroma.

Everything is pre-measured, weighed and mixed, point out Dawn, meaning that all operators have to do is use their imagination by filling with inclusions, icing with frosting, topping with sprinkles or injecting with sauce to be able to create a consistent standard of product. The company’s new recipes has now doubled the amount of Scoop & Bake flavour options, which include classics such as blueberry, double chocolate, vanilla and toffee.

“There’s nothing more enticing than the aroma of freshly baked cakes and cookies but having the time and staff to cook from scratch every day isn’t always possible,” comments Jacqui Passmore, marketing manager for Dawn Foods. “Scoop & Bake is so easy to use, and its versatility means you can offer your customers a wide range of products with minimum effort.

“It also gives you the flexibility to bake in store and to capitalise on the latest trends or seasonal themes, and helps you to control costs and margins as you choose the size of cake and the level of additional ingredients and toppings.

“Scoop & Bake is also ideal for smaller premises which may not have the storage space for frozen muffins, or the skilled staff or time to make products from scratch.”

To make the most of current trends, suggest Dawn Foods, try serving muffins as a breakfast replacement - oat, bran and fruit options are ideal. Traditionally inspired recipes like Lemon Meringue provide a sense of nostalgia for customers - simply add lemon fruit bits to Vanilla Scoop & Bake topped with lemon frosting and meringue pieces, suggest Dawn Foods.

Their new limited edition Baker’s Select ready to use frostings in fresh and fruity Apricot and Blueberry is made with all natural colours and flavours, and can also help you to create indulgent products in no time (simply pipe onto cupcakes, fill sandwich cakes, top sheet cakes, or create delicious gateaux).

Treat-sized ‘mini’ versions of cakes and muffins are also proving popular, confirm the company, as they give customers a small indulgence without the guilt, while added fruit ingredients appeal to customers’ desires for ‘better for you’ eating (try adding berries to the Wholemeal Scoop & Bake for a ‘healthy option’ muffin or cake, suggest Dawn Foods).

Aimed at keeping younger customers happy, Peros has introduced the My Little One World range of products aimed specifically at children that feature smaller portions, engaging designs and a great taste, say the company. Called the My Little One World range of bakery snacks, it includes Spotty Dotty Cookies, Oaty Jacks Flapjacks and Choco Star Muffins.

And for a quick snack that also provides

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CAKES

OPINION Neville Moon (head of innovation, Delice de France) Managing your pastries “Managing your pastries range for consumers eating on-the-go is extremely important,” says Neville Moon, head of innovation at Delice de France.

“We have seen a trend of the return to authentic traditional high quality viennoiserie - and the head of the pack is the classic croissant with 10% rise in sales since last year. It is therefore essential to look at your whole range and ensure you are offering the products that consumers are looking for, particularly for impulse buys when you need to help make the customers buying decision easy as possible.

“When managing a category it is important to keep a core range but there is also an opportunity to offer seasonal variations and new inspiring products to maintain interest for both regular customers and new. New products and innovation keep the category alive and give people comfort that they have the option to buy into something new, even though the majority of people do tend to stick to familiar favourites.

“The challenge is keeping a broad view of the total category and managing it as a whole plus sometimes it is difficult to define your category precisely, which products do you include or not include. This can be done by product types, i.e. pastries, or price points. It will be important to understand your customer base and the way in which they purchase from the range and for what occasions in order to make your ranging decisions.”

Display is key “Visual display is so important - particularly getting it right with pastries, which so often can be over-proven, under-baked, not glazed or simply have a messy display with pastry crumbs everywhere. At Delice de France, we are able to offer expert training and advice for all our customers, including baking guidelines, to ensure that operators get the best from our ready to bake pastries. When displaying pastries and products it is important that core products are always in eye line.”

Product orders “We recommend that all operators stock at least three core pastries. Our best-selling pastry lines are Croissant, Pain au Chocolat and Pain aux Raisins. Pain aux Raisins will take you right throughout the day from breakfast until mid-afternoon, so is often one of the top selling products overall. We would also recommend, depending on the outlet size, offering one or two alternative pastries. Almond Croissant, for example, is a particular consumer favourite.

Promotion “We recommend that the ‘A-board’ outside is prime selling space and should be used to promote top selling products or products you know will drive footfall. Use posters and signage inside to promote your latest new products.

“The counter top is a great hot spot for using tent cards to attract people’s attention to something new on their way to the till point - great for impulse buys.

Tables are also a great selling space for using tent cards and encouraging repeat visits by promoting new products and offers. It is also really important to train your staff and get them to taste the new products, as they can offer the best form of promotion to your customers by recommendation. Talking to your regular customer base is also an extremely good way to upsell new products.

“Delice de France has a whole host of support services to help our customers, including marketing support, personalised point of sale, equipment advice, ranging advice and baking advice to get the most from your pastry and bakery offering. We would recommend tapping into this to maximise impact.”

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one of the important ‘five a day’, Peros radd that they have also introduced Funtime Fruits too. There are two varieties Juicy Sultanas & Raisins or Juicy Apricots simply soft dried fruits, naturally low in fat and high in fibre (www.peros.co.uk).

There’s a new range of premium thaw and serve wrapped cake slices from Country Choice, each with a conveniently long-lasting 21-day shelf life once defrosted. The four tempting varieties that should appeal to all tastes include a Chocolate Brownie, Rocky Road, Fruity Flapjack and a Millionaire’s Shortbread.

The thaw and serve Chocolate Brownie features a blend of rich dark chocolate and butter topped with Belgian chocolate chunks, and the Rocky Road, a mixture of crunchy biscuit pieces, marshmallows, glace cherries and sultanas all covered in dark chocolate. The Fruity Flapjack, on the other hand, is packed full of oats, sultanas, dates, cranberries, apples and apricots bound together with silky golden syrup and soft brown sugar, say Country Choice. The Millionaire’s Shortbread is an all-butter shortbread biscuit base topped with a smooth, thick layer of caramel and milk chocolate and hand decorated with a white chocolate drizzle.

All four varieties are packed 24 to a case and can simply be removed from the outer case to defrost, still in their individual wrapping, at ambient temperature for one to two hours. Once fully thawed, operators can date and display them for up to 21 days. Country Choice say that they are also offering attractive merchandising units, available free of charge, with a four-case order (for further information call Country Choice on Freephone 0800 521366).

Country Choice’s new thaw and serve cake range.

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CAKES Sustainable trend The Swedish cake brand, Almondy, says that it has now become one of the first cake suppliers to use sustainably sourced cocoa, with its best-selling Almondy Tårta with Daim topping, smooth milk chocolate and hard caramel now made with sustainably sourced cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.

The introduction of sustainably grown cocoa is a new string in Almondy’s bow – this cake is also gluten-free and achieved Halal approval last year – helping caterers meet the pressures of consumer and operational demands whilst improving the bottom line.

“Sustainability is an important issue for our industry but balancing it with products that sell can be a challenge,” says Andrew Ely, managing director of Almondy.

“By carrying the Rainforest Alliance’s green frog seal, Almondy Tårta with Daim enables caterers to provide their customers with one of our most popular desserts whilst making their menu that little bit more sustainable. According to Fairtrade Foundation data, 96% of people are willing to pay extra for a product they perceive as ethical.”

Sourcing cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms is a step in their on-going CSR (corporate social responsibility)

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programme, report Almondy. The company’s Halal certification has already made it accessible to the UK’s two million Muslims, and, along with the bakery’s gluten free status, helped caterers meet

two food trends with a combined estimated market value of £820m a year, say the company, whose brand ranked no.

5 in the frozen dessert category of the Grocer Top Product Survey 2012.

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CAKES Julie Zalesny is the joint founder and managing director of multi award winning premium cakes and desserts company Vittles Foods (http://vittlesfoods.co.uk), and has some words of wisdom for café operators seeking to optimise their ‘sweet treats’.

Putting your cake and dessert menu together Everybody leaves with something!

I remember reading a quote from the owner of Selfridges, the London department store, which went along the lines of “nobody should ever leave the store without a Selfridges carrier bag”. In other words, no customer should leave without buying something!

I often think about that quote when talking to coffee shop operators – no customer should ever sit down with just a cuppa, there is always an opportunity to increase revenue by selling a slice of cake or a dessert at the same time.

So how do you persuade your customers to part with their money, especially at the moment when there is less spare cash around?

Developing the sweet menu We are all familiar with the traditional cake selection, the classics that everyone loves - the Victoria sponge, lemon drizzle, chocolate cake, and these should be the mainstay of your sweet menu. But it’s important to add interest so look for a couple of eye catching additions that will make a real statement on the cake stand.

For example, beetroot cake or a carrot cake made with courgette. If you are stuck for ideas and make your own cakes in house, then look at food blogs for inspiration – there are some great recipes online.

It’s useful to have a range of cakes, from the more indulgent premium cakes down to simple options such as scones and tray bakes. That way you have an offer

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across all price points and tastes with something to appeal to all customers.

I always suggest varying the textures too. Instead of all sponge cakes, look for variety. Use meringue, baked desserts, fruit cakes, different cheesecake mixes (for example, a cookie or granola base, to add contrast or for example, fruit tarts to add colour).

If you imagine yourself standing the other side of the counter – what would entice you to buy? Macaroons, cake pops, whoopie pies and cupcakes are all very current and will generate a lot of interest, especially if you use them to make a stunning counter display. This is a great way to inject some visual interest.

As a way of reducing wastage,

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CAKES In my opinion, there is no quicker way to ruin a fantastic display than by using old and scratched plastic cakes domes (much better to invest in some good quality glass ware instead).

At Vittles we have just launched a guide to serving individual desserts. Our products are all hand crafted and for that reason they look and taste just like homemade yet are made to a consistent professional standard. We have put together some simple serving suggestions which illustrate how easy it is to take a ready prepared product and give it the real wow factor.

For example, one of our popular options is Panna Cotta, a classic Italian dessert. By adding a raspberry coulis and a garnish of poached mini plums with vanilla and fresh figs you can create something with real plate appeal. And, more importantly, with just a couple of ingredients and a few minutes of preparation time, you can charge a premium for it. No skill required!

If you are using bought in product, try and trim it where you can to give it that homemade look. If it is a frozen product, remove the packaging before you start to defrost it to avoid the wrapping sticking to any soft icing.

Any unsold cake should be covered with cling film and stored overnight in the fridge to stop it drying out. Refresh with fresh fruit or cream before putting it out the next day to make it look that little bit more inviting. operators are moving away from having whole large cakes on display. Once cut, large cakes can dry out very quickly if not stored correctly. Pre-sliced frozen products are more versatile as two or three slices can be taken out as required throughout the day instead.

It is also worth thinking about the impact of home baking which is enjoying a real surge in popularity right now (the market rose a spectacular 59% between 2007 and 2012). This is good news for caterers as it means that customers are going to be highly likely to buy a sweet treat with their morning coffee or afternoon tea. They will also be well aware of quality and conscious of the fact that whatever they buy has to be at least as good as the cake they can make at home or they will feel cheated. And that really is the key point, quality.

How often have you visited a coffee shop and been swayed by the swirls of ‘cream’ and fresh fruit on that fabulous slice of Victoria sponge only to find the enticing presentation hides a multitude of sins. The cream is synthetic, the sponge is dry and tasteless and perhaps made from

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a low quality cake mix. Plus the cake has definitely been sitting in the cabinet for far too long.

So what I am saying is “quality, quality, quality”. It really is the key to success.

Everyone has a ‘lipstick moment’, times when we like to treat ourselves with affordable luxuries such as a gourmet cake or dessert, and if you get it right your customers will definitely be back for more.

Your customers will also appreciate it if you have considered allergies and include gluten-, dairy- and nut-free options on the menu (plus organic and fair trade choices too).

It’s all in the presentation In terms of presentation, this is where you can let your imagination run wild.

Starting with the basics, invest in wire cupcake holders, tiered ceramic cake stands, domed plates and basketware to enhance the offer and make the cake display look as appealing as possible.

There is fantastic, shaped plate ware available which is cheap to buy yet can add a touch of drama and make your cake or dessert look fabulous.

Don’t tell, won’t sell!

I started Vittles with Martin Zalesny from the back of a two up two down Victorian terrace house in Leicester 25 years ago.

Martin would work through the night baking and I would be up at four every morning to do the deliveries. I therefore know all about the blood, sweat and tears that go in to running your own operation.

There are never enough hours in the day and when you are busy fire-fighting, it is easy to forget about marketing.

There is an awful lot of uncertainty in business these days but one thing is a given. You cannot afford to be the world’s best kept secret and with today’s technology, spreading the word is a lot easier than it used to be.

An up to date web site is a basic essential and make sure you keep your menu current and online for potential customers to view. Remember that customers buy with their eyes so include as many professional quality pictures of your delicious cakes and desserts as possible. That way you will have gone a long towards clinching that sale before the customer even enters your premises.

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PROFILE

Beer, grog and chow!

April saw IWM (Imperial War Museums) and Sodexo Prestige launch a striking new visitor entrance for HMS Belfast featuring a new retail space, as well as a ground floor Café Bar aiming for wider appeal. A significant development for IWM and HMS Belfast, this development means that the café is open not only for visitors to the ship but tourists, local residents and workers too.

Space optimisation HMS Belfast is part of IWM and, this year, is celebrating 75 years since her launch. The ship is permanently moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge (she is the only surviving example of big gun armoured war ships built for the Royal Navy in the first half of the twentieth century, having played a crucial role during the Second World War).

HMS Belfast’s new entrance is situated on an area which was originally the ship’s old shop and admissions space.

The museum decided to rebuild the entrance and, to maximise its use, opted to add

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a new Café Bar which they developed in partnership with their catering partner, Sodexo Prestige (who already provide catering, hospitality and event management services for HMS Belfast, and now operate the new café as well).

Visitors to the new venue will encounter a contemporary food and drink offer at an internationally renowned landmark location. IWM wanted something developed hand in hand with their own brand identity, and that has been the approach all the way through. So while the food is bespoke in terms of local produce and seasonality, the

venue itself has a look and feel that has been designed to complement the military and maritime heritage of HMS Belfast (its grey colour scheme and ‘brew, grog and chow’ menu, for example).

In particular, Sodexo Prestige says that it has worked closely with IWM and their project team in order to make the most effective use of limited space - the most exciting and transformational development of the planning and design process being the identification of the roof as an ideal space for a roof top terrace bar.

As can be imagined, with a

riverside location offering amazing, uninterrupted views of some of London’s most famous landmarks (Tower Bridge, Tower of London and The Shard, and of course HMS Belfast itself), the ‘upper deck’ of the café looks set to become a truly iconic location to enjoy coffee during the afternoon, or champagne in the evening.

The Café Bar’s interior was designed by James Hodges Design Associates, with both the architects and interior designers having set out to create a glass box that would not only frame HMS Belfast, but complement the

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PROFILE

architecture within the local area (most predominantly the very popular More London development).

Wider appeal The aim of the new café is to extend the reach of HMS Belfast’s audiences. Before, it had always been a café on board the ship since it had been located within the museum, but this meant that the café was limited to those who had bought a museum entry ticket.

However, now for the first time, the new Café Bar is no longer on the ship itself, and is accessible to all, and acting as

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a destination in its own right. It welcomes tourists who are visiting the ship and the area, as well as those who are simply just taking a walk along the river Thames. Local professionals working in the offices in the adjacent London Bridge area are also now starting to frequent this impressive new café.

During the day and evening they have seating for up to 24 people – inside and out on our terrace. The café is open Monday-Sunday from 8 am till 10 pm, and in late spring they will be officially launching the Upper Deck, the rooftop bar with spectacular views of HMS Belfast as well as surrounding London landmarks.

Typical fare includes home baked cakes that are available all day, as well as homemade sandwiches and salads.

Further dishes on the menu include ‘board specials’ such as a cheese board of British cheeses from Paxton & Whitfield, a meat board with a selection of European cured meats, HMS Belfast pickles and artisan breads, as well as a fish board of Forman’s London cured salmon, gin gravlax and Brixham crab sandwich.

The Café Bar operates a Black and White SemiAutomatic bean to cup coffee machine with United Coffee’s Grand Cru bean (freshly brewed Grand Cru coffee such as the Juana Mamani Organic from Bolivia, or the Sandona from Colombia).

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Lynsey Harley is a Q grader and also UK chapter co-ordinator for the Speciality Coffee Association Europe (SCAE), and the 2012 UK Cup Tasting Champion. Following her look at the seasonality of coffee, in this issue she flags up the benefits taking part in the sector’s barista competitions.

A competitive streak Barista competitions have come a long way since they were held in the training room of the Franke offices in Birmingham, and the quality of the coffee produced wouldn't have even registered on the scoring sheets of the competition we have today.

Many people question the purpose of these competitions, saying that they are for the elitist, the geeks, the people who question, challenge and never settle that something is perfect. They continually want to improve, and this to me, is why competitions are key to our industry.

Barista championships lead the way - four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature beverages, assessed by four sensory judges, two technical judges and one head judge.

Scoring ranges from zero (unacceptable) to six (extraordinary), espresso being judged on tactile balance, taste balance and flavour profile. Cappuccinos are not like anything served in a café, which is such a shame as they are truly delightful, and signature beverages are there for the barista to be creative and synergistic with the flavour profile of their coffee. Being on stage making coffee is a very odd environment, and some of the best baristas out there do not compete. Which therefore presents the question, is the winner the best barista in the country?

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TALK

Barista talk

RISTA A B

country for 30% of the year, but I'm lucky to have a group of dedicated volunteers, some ex-competitors, all World Coffee Events certified judges to make sure we run these competitions well.

Many people would answer that question and say no, but I'd say yes. Definitely, 100%, no question. They are the best barista in the country. Why? We all know what stress and pressure can do to an individual. It forces them to rely on experience and motor memory. When the mind goes blank and we forget what we are about to say, if we are proficient enough, we don't panic and look like we have lost it! We stay calm, and revert to what we know.

Baristas who have practised for months, and work day to

day with coffee, are the ones who cope the best, the ones who have a huge amount of experience and motor memory to draw from, and when the heat of the battle increases, they take it in their stride and still produce outstanding coffee in an unusual competition environment.

Being national coordinator, it’s my role within the SCAE UK Chapter to encourage not just compeition, but a community feel within the industry. That’s not an easy task when trying to hold down a full time job, which takes me out the

All skills catered for Over the last few years, more competitions have surfaced to showcase not just espresso making skills, but latte art, cupping (triangulation), brewing and now coffee roasting.

All these competitions showcase key skills that all have a place within our industry. Cupping skills are key for coffee buyers, roasting skills speak for themselves, barista skills being the last skill required to showcase a coffee to the consumer.

Entering competitions is a risk for any competitor and the business they represent. But with risk comes reward and competitors always come out of the competition season more skilled than when they began, more aware of what makes a great cup of coffee and make new friends along the way.

The UK have had a great track record in the World Coffee Events Competitions two World Barista Champions (several top six finishers), one World Cup Tasting Champion and several top three places in Coffee in Good Spirits.

This year, the UK finals were held at the London Coffee Festival, and once again it was great to see so many people there.

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some of our displays for Cafés and Bakeries

Call 0800 688 9085 or visit us at www.dwdisplay.com www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

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NEW PRODUCTS

Adande® refrigerated drawer systems for Debenhams’ Café Estro

Snowbird rides out horsemeat scandal Comminuted meat suppliers able to comfortably ride out the horsemeat scandal have proved few and far between but one such business is Snowbird foods, a supplier of fully cooked and frozen sausages and meatballs, plus ingredients for pizza toppings, sandwiches, wraps and ready meals.

Thorough checks by the £12m plus turnover London company confirmed that none of its products had been contaminated by horsemeat and Snowbird attributed this to its long term procurement plan.

It is the company’s policy to buy British, predominately from Red Tractor approved sources and three years ago, after extensive research, it further extended its commitment to traceability and consistency for its flagship range by exclusively buying from a single source of outdoor reared pigs of a specified breed specially chosen because it produced top quality meat and the ideal quantity of fat to make the perfect sausage (call 020 8805 9222 or visit www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk).

Adande® has supplied three refrigerated drawer systems to the kitchen of the new Café Estro, 90 seat customer restaurant at Debenhams’ Newbury store (the refrigerated drawers were specified by food service design and build specialist, CDSWilman).

Café Estro represents the retailer’s new foodservice brand, focusing on a customer friendly approach to counter sales. The concept is based on quality and speed of service with a varied menu, including sandwiches, baguettes, toasties, jacket potatoes and “one pot” hot meals. The busy café is proving popular amongst shoppers, the local business community and parents with young children.

Adande® supplied three double drawer refrigerated drawer units, which are located beneath the kitchen’s food preparation counters. They are used for the storage of

ingredients and sandwich fillings, as well as “one pot” meal portions, which are freshly prepared each day (call 0844 376 0023, or visit www.adande.com).

New operations manager for International Paper Ian Roberts has joined International Paper as operations manager, with a responsibility to oversee production, quality control and health and safety at the global packaging company’s Winsford plant.

Having worked for 25 years in the packaging industry, Ian has experienced all aspects of the paper cup and packaging manufacturing process from cup mechanic to his current management role. Ian recently worked for one large international concern as a process engineer, travelling around plants and assessing the requirement for new products and investment in training and equipment in order to support best practice.

“It’s a pleasure to join the team and I look forward to putting down roots and bringing what I have learnt from

the industry at large into play in Winsford to help International Paper to achieve its goals,” said Ian Roberts.

For further information on International Paper Foodservice’s product range, call 01606 552537 or visit www.ipfoodservice.co.uk.

Loyalty card printing services Whether you own a restaurant, a café or a coffee shop, loyalty stamp cards will certainly lure your customers towards your business and encourage repeat sales. It will aid in developing a win-win situation for both business owners and customers.

68 MAY 2013

CAFÉ CULTURE

Customer loyalty cards are the most inexpensive way to improve your profits. Deals such as 'buy nine cups and get one free' will entice your customers to come back again and again.

CustomerLoyaltyCards.co.uk have devised a simple way to

order printed loyalty cards.

They have a range of templates that can be edited online to suit your requirements. They also offer a print service where they can print your supplied artwork. What better way to attract customers and build your brand image than with

bright, eye-catching customer loyalty cards (call 0845 512 0913 or visit www.customerloyaltycards.co.uk)

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NEW PRODUCTS

DC drives through First automatic with their new range shop front launched DC Products have launched a brand new self-contained ‘Pebble Ice’ machine specifically designed for use in cocktail bars, cafes, fast-food outlets, cafeterias and pubs.

The new self-contained range consists of three machines that utilise a cylindrical evaporator, producing small trapezoidal cubes that bridge the gap between granular and cubed ice, making them perfect for cocktails, smoothies, iced teas and coffees.

This new style ice delivers an improved ice product into beverages and can significantly reduce the time it takes to prepare drinks. Easy-toadminister due to its trapezoidal cubes it reduces splash and allows for better measure management when preparing drinks.

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

Unlike modular machines, self-contained icemakers incorporate an ice-production system and ice-storage bin in one machine. The smallest pebble machine in the range produces 85kg/24hrs and stores up to 20kg, the largest produces up to 140kg/24hrs and stores up to 50kg (visit www.dcproducts.co.uk or call 01749 870055).

Launched this month is Folding Motion, the UK’s first automatic sliding folding door designed for shop fronts.

This stunning innovation means that at the touch of a button a bi-folding glass shop front system of up to 15 metres long can be opened or closed with no effort. There are even options of door activation via remote key fob, iPhone/ iPad control or with finger print reader.

The new system is ideal for coffee shops, bars and restaurants which wish to open up their space and premises on fine summer days for a greater customer experience. On one command, the electrically operated doors automatically fold back for a seamless

connection to the street or mall concourse. In winter months a single door to one side of the Folding Motion system can be used manually for greater comfort and heat retention.

For more details, call 08700 422221 or visit www.foldingmotion.com.

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magazine SUBSCRIBE NOW CAFÉ CULTURE is published six times a year and currently distributed at the promotional subscription price of £55 per annum (£95 outside the UK).

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INDEX & CHECKOUTS

Café Society Suppliers Index Beyond the Bean Ltd. Unit 6, Cala Trading Estate Ashton Vale Road, Ashton Vale Bristol BS3 2HA Contact: Paul Maxwell Tel: 0117 953 3522 Fax: 0117 953 3422 Email: info@beyondthebean.com Web: www.beyondthebean.com Café Boutique 25 Dale Road, Stanton by Dale Derbyshire DE7 4QF Contact: Greg Campher Tel: 0800 028 3175 Fax: 0800 471 5205 Email: hello@cafeboutique.co.uk Web: www.ipanemaespresso.co.uk

Erlenbacher Backwaren gmbh Wasserweg 39, 64521 Groß-Gerau GERMANY Tel: +49 6152 / 803-0 Fax: +49 6152 / 803-347 Email: erlenbacher@de.nestle.com Web: www.erlenbacher.com

Sugar & Spice The Old Bakehouse, Bakers Yard Ardington OX12 8PS Contact: Martin Popple Tel: 01235 835194 Fax: 01235 862212 Email: info@sugarandspicebakery.co.uk Web: www.sugarandspicebakery.co.uk

London School of Coffee 2 Princeton Mews, London KT2 6PT Contact: Gayle Reed Tel: 0208 4397 981 Email: info@londonschoolofcoffee.com Web: www.londonschoolofcoffee.com

United Coffee 2 Bradbourne Drive , Tilbrook Milton Keynes MK7 8AT Contact: Elaine Higginson Tel: 01908 275 520 Fax: 01908 648 444 Email: info@firstchoicecoffee.com Web: www.unitedcoffeeuk.com

Nelson Catering Equipment Unit 1, Rowley Industrial Park Acton, London W3 8BH Contact: John Nelson Tel: 0208 993 6199 Email: john@nelsoncatering.co.uk Web: www.nelsondishwashers.co.uk

Coffix Unit 25 Hill Lane Close, Markfield Leicester LE67 9PY Contact: Glenn James Tel: 01530 242800 Mobile: 07790 402144 Email: info@coffix.com Web: www.coffix.com

Paterson Arran Ltd. The Royal Burgh Bakery Livingston EH54 5DN Contact: David Connacher Tel: 01506 431031 dconnacher@paterson-arran.com

Edgcumbe Tea and Coffee Co Ltd. Wicks House, Ford Lane, Arundel West Sussex BN18 0DF Contact: Alice Rendle Tel: 01243 555775 Email: sales@edgcumbes.co.uk Web: www.edgcumbes.co.uk

Rapido Coffee Services The Garden House, Sugnall Eccleshall, Stafford, Staffordshire ST21 6NF Contact: David Wiggins Tel: 01785 851348 Fax: 01785 859388 Email: sales@cappuccino-rapido.com Web: www.cappuccino-rapido.com

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CAFÉ CULTURE is published six times a year and currently distributed at the promotional subscription price of £55+vat per annum (£95 outside the UK).

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