Cafe Culture Magazine - Issue 47

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magazine NOVEMBER 2011 ISSUE 47

TASTING THE LIFESTYLE OF THE CAFÉ SECTOR

Gourmet syrups and sauces single source flavour provider UK AGENT : UCD – For all Routin 1883 products Contact sales@ucd.uk.com or call 01233 840296

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w w w. 1 8 8 3 . c o m

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Welcome!

CONTENTS

In this final issue of the year we look at some seasonal festive treats and timely warming soups for outlets to put on their menus during the colder months, and hear about some artisan ice cream producers who have found that their homemade product is proving popular all year round. Having received an invitation to visit the Cimbali coffee machine company in Milan, we report on some of their developments in coffee machine technology, and pay homage to arguably the ‘home’ of coffee shop culture.

With next year seeing the hosting of the Olympic Games in London, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, visitor numbers should be up, presenting cafés and coffee shops with a great opportunity to boost trade. We look forward to reporting on this and much more, and wish you a prosperous start to 2012.

NEWS

ARTICLES

4 Masteroast celebrate 30 years.

16 Tradition and technology – Milan-based coffee machine company, La Cimbali.

5 Double digit growth for Matthew Algie.

6 Caffè Nero gift cards.

7 Award for chocolate themed café.

CAFÉ SOCIETY AWARDS 2012 14 Entry form.

Clare Benfield - Editor

FEATURES 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

20 Simply soup – the ‘comfort food’ that can drive footfall.

24 Christmas collection – speciality beverages and sweet treats with a festive theme.

30 Instant improvements – ever popular and in demand, instant coffee has been evolving.

38 Lunch must meet lifestyle needs - Patrick Noone of US market research company, Technomic, Inc. discusses lunchtime trends.

PROFILES 34 A dairy farm’s café cool - a successful farm diversification project producing artisan ice cream.

REGULARS 37 Coffee clinic.

40 New products.

43 Checkout

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NEWS

Masteroast celebrate thirty years

Catering Design Group was commissioned

by Medirest, specialists in the supply of cleaning, catering and support services to the healthcare market, to design St Albans City Hospital’s Gloucester Wing’s contemporary café.

Hospital opts for contemporary café Restaurant and commercial catering design company, Catering Design Group recently won a £275k contract to design, create and build a new contemporary café-style environment at St Albans City Hospital’s Gloucester Wing.

The newly refurbished facilities which had not been updated for 26 years - now features a café bar, retail area, preparation kitchen and soft seating area. In addition, patients in wheelchairs and with walking devices can benefit from new automatic doors to allow easier and convenient access and exit.

“Working together with West Herts Hospital NHS Trust, our aim was to transform the entrance area into a modern coffee house style environment akin to what visitors, patients and hospital staff would see on the high street,” commented Sean McLoughlin, operations manager. “CDG achieved a great result. We are delighted with the new facilities which have received high praise indeed from patients, visitors and staff.”

Phil Howard, managing director, Catering Design Group added: “I was very proud to be at the opening ceremony to witness first-hand the difference the new facilities will make to so many people. Sensitivity and good communication were key to the success of this project. We consulted and worked with numerous parties including hospital councils, patient forums and disability representatives, whilst also being sensitive to patient and client needs.”

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300 guests from the coffee industry – and beyond – joined the private label coffee roaster and packer, Masteroast, to celebrate an impressive 30 successful years in business.

VIPs from all over the world descended on the company’s HQ in Peterborough on Friday 30 September to attend a special party ‘Bean Bash’, hosted by owners Les Mills and his wife Eve, to mark the milestone anniversary of the establishment of their business three decades previously on 5 October 1981.

Several high profile guests were in attendance, including the Conservative peer and former government minister, Lord Mawhinney, and Barry Fry, the director of football at Masteroast’s local club, championship side Peterborough United.

Also toasting Masteroast’s 30 years in the trade were the mayor of Peterborough, Councillor Paula Thacker MBE who was joined by senior figures from leading coffee producing countries, including Jamaican high commissioner H.E. Anthony Jackson, who delighted the assembled throng by performing a masterful rendition of an old Jamaican song, extolling the delights of a cup of coffee. Other producer countries represented included Papua New Guinea, Colombia, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Tanzania and Colombia.

Lord Mawhinney, who is the Baron of Peterborough and a former MP for the town, unveiled Masteroast’s new hi-tech roastery – an investment designed to

Les Mills (left) and Lord Mawhinney unveiling the plaque for Masteroast’s new high-tech roastery.

ensure the company remains at the cutting edge of the coffee industry for many more years to come. Speaking to the assembled guests he paid tribute to Masteroast’s achievements over the past 30 years, highlighting how the company now roasts coffee for one in every nine cups of coffee drunk out of home in the UK. “It is a remarkable record,” he said.

“My wife Eve and I are very proud of what we’ve achieved since that lifechanging day in 1981 when we started the company. We couldn’t have done it without our wonderful and loyal customers and suppliers, or without our incredibly hardworking and talented team here at Plantation House. So this birthday party was our way of saying thank you to all of them – and to look forward to another 30 successful years in business!” said Les Mills.

New web site for Costa’s business customers Following the launch of the Costa Express self-serve coffee bar brand earlier this year, Costa has now launched its first business to business web site.

The new site supports all three of Costa’s key business offers. These include Costa Express self-serve coffee bars, Costa coffee shop franchising and Proud to Serve Costa for wholesale customers.

The Costa business site has been created to provide a comprehensive source of easily navigated, accessible, relevant information for businesses interested in the benefits of the brand’s self-serve and barista-served offerings.

This has been tailored to the key customer sectors that Costa works with and can be filtered to provide reports

specific to each customer type. Key sectors include forecourts and convenience outlets, hospitals, universities and colleges, air and rail travel, pubs, bars and restaurants, hotel and leisure outlets, contract caterers and facilities management.

The site also includes a number of useful interactive features for example, the “Try our Virtual Touch Screen” feature which allows visitors to trial the consumer self-serve experience of the unique Costa Express touch screens and make a virtual coffee to their specification. The “Locate a Costa” search tool also allows visitors to find their nearest Costa coffee shop or selfserve Costa Express machine and take a closer look at the Costa offer in situ (www.costa-business.co.uk).

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NEWS

2012 UK Barista Championships launched The UK Barista Championships (UKBC) 2012 has now been launched, and entries are now open.

The UKBC finals will be held for the first time at the London Coffee Festival, which runs from the 27 to 29 April 2012 at the Old Truman Brewery, London. Both a trade and public attended event it offers an exciting and energetic showcase to the end of UKBC competition season. Run by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe UK Chapter (SCAE UK), the UK Barista competition aims to find a highly skilled and technical barista to represent the UK in the World Barista Championships.

Additionally, the South West heats are returning to ExpoWest, the West Country Catering Exhibition on 8 and 9 February 2012, to be held in Exeter. The SCAE UK has also announced that the Northern Ireland heat will be returning to the competition after a two-year break. Furthermore, it will be also running for the first time an Ibrik competition.

“We are very excited about holding the 2012 UK Barista Championships final during London Coffee Festival for the first

time, and also once again be working with ExpoWest, in the delivery of the South West heats,” said Kenneth Cooper, SCAE UK coordinator. “Re-instating the Northern Ireland heat has also been extremely satisfying and we hope that we see a host of fresh talent from this region in the competition. I encourage all baristas to take part as it is not only a great platform for learning and developing new skills, but it helps keep coffee topical and constantly works to improve the performance of the industry nationwide.”

Last year saw over 70 baristas battle it out for the title of UK Barista Champion.

London-based John Gordon from Square Mile Coffee followed up his win in 2010 with another last year and has since been highly successful, competing in and coming sixth in the World Barista Championships, held in Bogota, Colombia in June.

During the heats, contestants are required to make four espressos, four cappuccinos and four espresso-based nonalcoholic signature drinks. These drinks are marked by two technical and four sensory judges who will assess the knowledge of

the entrants as well as their attention to detail and creativity of their signature drink.

The championships aim to raise standards throughout the industry, help baristas hone their techniques and encourage training and development within their establishments.

The top scoring barista in the UKBC finals will be crowned UK Barista Champion 2012 and will go on to compete in the World Barista Championship in Vienna, Austria on 12-15 June 2012.

For baristas interested in taking part in the UK Barista Championships 2012, visit www.scaeuk.com for more information and to download an entry form. This year, baristas will be able to register and pay online. Entry costs £50 (£35 for SCAE members) and the deadline for entries is 31 December 2011. Volunteers and judges are also being called for. If you are interested in taking part, visit the web site for more details (information for the Coffee in Good Spirits, Latte Art, Cezve / Ibrik and UK Brewers Cup competitions will be released in the coming weeks).

Double digit growth for Matthew Algie The Glasgow-based independent coffee roaster and supplier, Matthew Algie & Company Limited (which includes sister company Espresso Warehouse Limited), has announced its results for the year ended 31 December 2010 and, in the face of a challenging market and record increases in raw material prices, has reported a 17% increase in operating profit to £2.1m (2009: £1.8m).

Turnover grew by 10% in 2010 to £33.2m (2009: £30.2m) and pre-tax profit for 2010 was £1.9m compared with £1.7m in 2009.

“To have driven doubledigit growth in both turnover and profits was a significant achievement for the Matthew Algie business in 2010. This was achieved despite the ongoing economic difficulties and the pressures on consumers. However, the out of home coffee market has remained relatively buoyant

Earlier this year, Matthew Algie launched new look packaging.

as consumers clearly remain determined to allow themselves their small luxuries,” commented Eric Hagman, chairman.

“Growth was shared between both large national and smaller independent accounts and we are confident that Matthew Algie’s ongoing focus on quality and helping our customers to offer their customers a great tasting,

fresh cup of coffee has helped them and us to succeed. Our strong focus on ethical integrity has also struck a chord, both with our customers and with coffee drinkers across the UK and we are pleased to report that 2010 was a record year for our sales of Fairtrade and ‘triple certified’ (Fairtrade, organic and Rainforest Alliance certified) coffees.

“This success was

achieved against a background of sharp increases in coffee bean prices during 2010, on their way to a record 34-year high in the early summer of 2011.

These increases came as a result of poor harvests, particularly in Colombia, suppressing supply, with firm demand in established markets combined with the rising popularity of coffee and café culture in markets such as Brazil, India and China increasing worldwide demand.”

2010 also saw the biggest branding makeover in Matthew Algie’s 147 year history. Driven by consumer research that highlighted that coffee quality is vital to a consumer’s choice of coffee venue, their bold new branding under the strap line, ‘we know coffee’, highlights the company’s coffee credentials and focus on taste and quality.

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NEWS

Apostrophe plan tenth anniversary celebrations Apostrophe is celebrating 10 years since the launch of its first store in Shoreditch, London, widely regarded as a pioneer in London’s café scene (it was the first to offer communal seating and free WiFi).

Apostrophe now operates 18 sites in and around central London, as well as Heathrow and Gatwick airports with its cafés ranging from intimate neighbourhood sites to larger city hubs, the most recent addition being a small kiosk by the Tower of London.

To celebrate its tenth anniversary Apostrophe is launching several initiatives and collaborations over the coming year, including a new loyalty card giving a stamp for every hot drink purchased, instead of per

Record attempt successful During the recent HOST Expo in Milan, La Marzocco sponsored a world record attempt with four of its machines - the challenge to create a record number of espressos in one hour.

Eight baristas worked on four GB5 3group machines and the result was 623 espresso coffees made in an hour, destroying the previous title of 300 drinks. The competition drew hundreds of spectators and was televised nationally in Italy.

La Marzocco’s managing director (centre) receiving the record.

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The Apostrophe chain is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month.

visit, enabling regulars to collect points for a free hot drink more quickly.

In addition there will be a celebratory morning coffee and croissant for only £2.95

(Apostrophe’s croissants are baked fresh every day using Isigny butter, a French butter renowned for its rich and creamy taste and texture). Two new muffins have been created for the anniversary celebration - sweet pear and lemon, and banana and oat bran, and the cakes and tarts selection has been complemented by a roasted fig and almond cream tart, and apple, pear and apricot tarts.

Apostrophe’s guests and followers will be invited to join the tenth anniversary celebrations by writing their own poem for Apostrophe. Customers can post their poems onto Facebook, with the most creative entry receiving an Apostrophe hamper full of Apostrophe treats.

Caffè Nero gift cards Caffè Nero, the largest independent coffee house group in Europe, with over 450 stores in the UK and 40 stores internationally, has launched its own gift card, and available from its stores.

As of November, cards will also be sold via a Gift Mall programme with selected external retail partners including WH Smith and Sainsbury’s and additionally, online via the Caffè Nero web site (www.caffenero.com).

“A recent programme of customer insight lies behind Caffè Nero’s push to provide customers with a quick and efficient alternative method of payment tailored to today’s consumer,” commented Gerry Ford, chairman of Caffè Nero.

“The use of Gift Card for Caffè Nero’s product offering reflects the Group’s stated aim to continue to provide additional benefits both to existing and to new customers.”

The launch follows the recent introduction of free Wi Fi in UK stores which is already seeing considerable success with in store use now significantly higher than with the previous paid for model, report the company.

The gift cards will provide the opportunity to capitalise on Caffè Nero’s strong brand loyalty with existing

customers, whilst giving friends and family the opportunity to give the gift of Caffè Nero at Christmas and other celebratory occasions throughout the year, say the brand (customers can credit Gift Cards with as little as £10 up to a maximum of £100).

Caffè Nero has continued to grow its business and its portfolio into new trading formats and new markets, both in the UK and internationally, in spite of the challenging economic environment throughout the recession. It reported a rise in underlying profits to May 2011 of 4.8%, and has also announced that it is on target to achieve its ambitious growth plan for the current year - to open approximately 50 stores in the UK, and a further 40 stores internationally.

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NEWS

Caffè Ritazza crown their World Barista Champion There was much jubilation at SSP UK and Ireland recently, when two of their team beat off competition from some of the finest baristas from around the world to take the top two prizes in this year’s Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship.

The winner of the competition, which took place at London’s historic Dicken’s Inn, was 37 year old Ziadabi Nakhoul from Dublin Airport. Ziadabi Nakhoul impressed the judges with his showmanship and flair, but most importantly his skill at coffee making.

After producing four faultless espressos and cappuccinos, Ziadabi Nakhoul - who has worked for SSP for eleven years - went on to produce a winning signature drink called Oriental Sensation (inspired by the flavours of his native Middle East, and featuring espresso accented with rose syrup, cardamom and fennel garnished with chocolate). Ziadabi Nakhoul says that he will use his £1,000 to treat himself to a coffee machine for his home, and is planning to compete in the next SCAE Irish Barista Championship. “I really enjoy learning from competition,” he said. “I love the challenge.”

Already an experienced competitor, Ziadabi Nakhoul was placed fifth in the 2011 SCAE (Speciality Coffee Association

of Europe) World Coffee in Good Spirits competition held at Maastricht in June this year.

The Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship not only serves to recognise and reward the achievement of the company’s star performers, say the company, but also helps to set Caffè Ritazza apart from other brands in the market. “The benefits go far beyond the competition itself. These baristas are a real inspiration to all of our teams across the globe, and help to raise standards at each of our outlets. Caffè Ritazza is all about excellent coffee, and this competition is one way of helping to foster that excellence and highlight the importance of the barista in achieving the highest standards,” said competition organiser, Stuart Coombes.

The contest is judged to the strict standards of the WBC – the same rules that apply in leading international competitions - and this year, the panel of judges included Marc-Pierre Dietrich, Paul Meikle-Janney and Steve Penk, alongside four senior managers from Caffè Ritazza.

Marta Twardygrosz from Liverpool Airport won second prize, and Kajsa Bysell from Stockholm Central Station, Sweden came third.

Award for chocolate themed café At this year’s star studded Manchester Food & Drink Award ceremony, held at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester the Chocolate Café from Ramsbottom scooped the award of Best Coffee Shop.

The awards provide a benchmark for excellence in the hospitality industry with the café’s award coming just weeks after the BBC’s Olive magazine named Ramsbottom as the seventh best place for foodies in the UK. “I am delighted at the receiving the award and thrilled for our young team here who all work incredibly hard to make sure we consistently deliver a great customer experience,” said Chocolate Café owner, Paul Morris. “We have a fantastic array of independent businesses here in Ramsbottom and we love being part of a high street which is not dominated by the usual national chains.”

The award marks an incredible first three years for Paul, his wife Emma and their young team, which has seen The

Chocolate Café grow into a premium national chocolate brand whose locally made products are sold through retail outlets nationwide. The company is currently considering plans to build a bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the area complete with an interactive chocolate themed visitor attraction The Chocolate Café is situated in the small mill town of Ramsbottom, whose spring chocolate festival and a year round chocolate trail attract over 50,000 people annually (you can view their menu online at www.chocolatecafe.co.uk).

Lavazza celebrate their twentieth calendar Lavazza has united 12 masters of photography to celebrate the twentieth edition of its calendar which, this year, is entited The Lavazzers (the 12 contributors are Annie Leibovitz, Miles Aldridge, David LaChapelle, Mark Seliger, Elliott Erwitt, Finlay MacKay, Ellen von Unwerth Erwin Olaf, Thierry Le Gouès, Marino Parisotto, Eugenio Recuenco, and Albert Watson).

Led by the Armando Testa agency, the photographers were briefed to demonstrate their love of Lavazza coffee through self-portraits. The photographers took this forward to interpret themselves in innovative, unusual and imaginative shots and the final result is a gallery of powerfully suggestive images, combining humorous and enigmatic photographs with refined sculptural images and icons.

"Every year the Lavazza Calendar experiments with new artistic trends and different themes interpreted by an international artist,” says Francesca Lavazza, corporate image director of the group. "In an edition which is so important and significant for our communications, we wanted to turn the tables and ask the great photographers to create self portraits inspired by our espresso: the result is truly exciting.”

David LaChapelle, the king of the jungle in a shot entitled ‘an ordinary morning turns into paradise’, recounts how coffee is “a tool to push my mind into gear”. Fellow photographer Erwin Olaf in his shot ‘my thoughts flying away’, points out how, “While drinking Lavazza coffee naturally the human body is on my mind”.

The icon and driving force behind the 2012 Calendar and the entire project connected to the celebration of the twentieth anniversary will be Valerie van der Graaf. The young Dutch model, protagonist of the photographs by Ellen von Unwerth, will be on the cover of the 2012 Calendar as she blows out the candles. This is a symbolic birthday with dual meanings: it is the 20th edition of the Lavazza Calendar, and Valerie is also 20 years old. Much like Ellen von Unwerth’s 1995 Lavazza Calendar, which featured Amber Smith in front of an enormous birthday cake to mark 100 years of the Turin-based company, Valerie is featured in front of 20 lit birthday candles.

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NEWS

Boston Tea Party invests in change At a time when rising global coffee prices are forcing cafés on Britain’s high streets to cut costs in the coffee they buy, Boston Tea Party says that it is bucking this trend by forging a new relationship with a Bristol-based speciality coffee roaster.

A new partnership will see Extract Coffee Roasters working closely with Boston Tea Party to source, blend and roast higher quality beans that will deliver better quality in the cup, full provenance and traceability right back to farm as well as improved access to training and the entire production process, say the company.

Boston Tea Party’s reputation across the South West has been founded on serving great coffee via well trained baristas and this move will allow them to gain access to high grade arabica coffees from some of the world’s finest estates that rotate on a seasonal basis to embrace the wonderful variety that exists within specialty coffee, say the firm.

Boston Tea Party’s ‘head of coffee’, Andrew Tucker will work closely with Extract’s co-founder and head roaster, David Faulkner, to develop the company’s coffee offering and improve transparency in the supply chain as well as increasing the involvement and input in development from Boston Tea Party’s own head baristas.

“This new relationship will allow us to further distance ourselves from the homogenised high street and commercial coffee market and firmly establish our place in the growing specialty coffee industry,” said Andrew Tucker. “Extract are a small family-run artisan business founded on the very similar principals as Boston Tea Party, a proud West Country business dedicated to quality. We’re excited about this new relationship and believe it can only mean good things for our coffee and our customers.”

Extract Coffee Roasters was founded in Bristol three years ago on the principals of sourcing and supplying high quality specialty coffee to both retail and wholesale customers in the South West. All their coffees are sampled by David Faulkner, the 2011 UK Cup Tasting Champion, and roasted by hand in small batches on a vintage Probat roaster.

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Preparations underway for Gelato World Cup The teams are getting ready to take part in the 5th Gelato World Cup, scheduled to be staged in the Rimini Exhibition Centre from 21-24 January 2012 during the Sigep (International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Confectionery and Bakery) Show.

The Gelato World Cup is staged every two years and organised in conjunction with Co-Gel Fipe Confcommercio, and is one of the most awaited events of the Sigep-International Exhibition. The 2012 event will see competing countries from all five continents, representing Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Morocco, Mexico, Spain, USA and Switzerland.

After last year’s absence, and as required by regulations for the reigning champion teams, Italy will be back in the running fielding the team selected at Sigep 2010.

To try and take the title, each team will be called upon to create a series of preparations on the theme “the gifts of the land and sea”, and more specifically, a decorated cup for serving at table, a gelato cake, a decorated sales tub, a gelato cone, an entrée with gastronomic

gelato and a plated gelato dessert.

Three sculptures, one made of gelato, one of ice and the other of chocolate, will be served during the presentation of the closing Grand Buffet.

Leonardo Ceschin, from Pordenone (winner of the Sigep Gelato d’Oro, the Italian Grand Prix for Ice-Cream in 2011, with a mixed-berry and maracuja sorbetto, a frazzled mascarpone and acacia honey cream and a gastronomic gelato with Ligurian taggiasca olives, flavoured with thyme and orange peel and accompanied with candied cherry tomatoes and tomato sauce) will be taking care of the gelato, while Ernst Knam, from Milan (winner of the Italian section with his work “Angeli e Diavoli”) will be concentrating on the chocolate sculpture. Francesco Falasconi from Tavullia (PU) (a winner with his creation “Aquila Reale”) will be the ice sculptor and the team’s chef will be Filippo Novelli of Turin. Supporting the team will be the chocolatemaker/confectioner Andrea Olivero and team manager, Pierpaolo Magni, together with Diego Crosara, will be training the team.

Scottish cake maker selects QED Sutherlands, best known as a manufacturer of colourful and tasty cakes which it sells from its factory in Dumbarton and to retail outlets throughout Scotland, has recently expanded by opening a new coffee shop/restaurant in the busy Clydebank shopping centre, near Glasgow, having selected the Continental Coffee Shop system from Glasgow-based Quality Equipment Distributors (QED) The system comprises chilled and ambient serve-over counters combined with modular bar units, back bar storage and mirrored shelving. The Decoration J design selected by Sutherlands is finished in stainless steel cladding with marble worktops and trims. QED (www.qualityequipment.co.uk) also supplied a stainless steel multi-deck display case and a glass-topped ice cream cabinet to complete the scheme.

John Coates, the manager of the new Sutherlands outlet, says that the company chose the Continental Coffee Shop system for its practicality and visual appeal, knowing

Sutherlands caters for walk-in and restaurant customers.

that it would encourage walk-in trade from people buying drinks and snacks ‘to go’ as well as restaurant customers. He reports brisk business since the restaurant opened in summer 2011 and says the system is easy to use and maintain.

Sutherlands say that they plan to take its concept of fancy cakes, freshly-prepared hot food and friendly service to a much wider audience by opening more outlets across Scotland in the future.

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NEWS

Douwe Egberts invests £1m in ground re-launch Douwe Egberts UK, a coffee company with over 250 years of roasting and blending experience, has announced a £1m relaunch of its ground coffee range.

As part of a major category re-vamp the new range launches in store from late October and includes six new SKUs House Blend, Time Together, Café Milano, Flavourful Decaff, Morning Americano and Fired Up. The brand new Douwe Egberts ground range has also been given a fresh look and is being supported by a £1 million integrated marketing campaign which will include ATL, digital, in-store and sampling.

Recent research commissioned by Douwe Egberts suggested consumers shop for ground coffee by occasion and/or strength preferences. This insight led to a packaging redesign, with clearly signposted strength indicators and short

Douwe Egberts Ground Coffees have been repackaged to offer greater occasion and strength appeal to consumers.

flavour descriptors on pack. Additionally, the vibrant images and evocative names of the six new SKUs are suggestive of the relevant coffee cultures, calling out to a

particular drinking occasion, mood or flavour; all of which aim to help consumers easily navigate their way around the ground coffee aisle.

The revitalisation of the Douwe Egberts Ground range aims to stimulate growth of its own sales as well as growing the ground coffee sector as a whole, which is currently worth £144m, growing at 10.7% year on year (according to IRI 52 weeks to 6th Aug 11).

Kerry Owens, marketing director at Douwe Egberts UK said: “We’re committed to producing the very best tasting coffee and we’ve invested a lot of time and energy into our ground range in order to create what we consider to be the best ground coffee in the marketplace, with a repertoire to suit all coffee drinking occasions.”

SY Coffee acquire Liquid Retail

The eye-catching van has already been in demand at events, private parties and corporate functions (www.coolberrycafe.com).

CoolberryCafé goes mobile!

The first official, fully mobile frozen yogurt van was successfully launched this summer by CoolberryCafé – a purple three-wheeler that has been custom-built to accommodate the equipment needed to serve CoolberryCafé’s high quality frozen yogurt with all the trimmings.

“We have been selling our frozen yogurt product to foodservice and catering operators, cafés and bakery retailers over the last 12 months as a ‘bolt on’ offer to their existing menu, so we already know that customers love the taste of our product,” said Michele Young, founder of CoolberryCafé.

“With the UK ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt market now estimated to be worth £1bn this year, and the growth in popularity of frozen yogurt products, we thought it was about time to take our own product further afield with a mission to convert traditional ice-cream users to this new taste sensation.”

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A Manchester-based law firm, Glaisyers Solicitors LLP, has advised SY Coffee on the £600K acquisition of Liquid Retail.

The Birmingham-based SY Coffee’s acquisition of Liquid Retail Ltd, a franchisee of Costa Ltd, will see it assume the franchise of three Costa Coffee outlets across the North West.

Glaisyers advised directors, Mr Shakeel Arshad and Mr Yatin Trivedy of SY Coffee through the complicated process, which included new franchise documents for the acquisition. Glaisyers also advised on property and finance elements including the extension of a lease, a surrender, various guarantees and other mandatory financial documents.

Eric Quirk, retail and commercial property partner at Glaisyers said: “This is the first time that the client had been

through the Costa approval process. This involved complicated liaison with up to seven legal parties at once and included both property and company specialists from Glaisyers.

“The deal increases SY Coffee’s number of outlets to four with plans to grow this to six by mid 2012. Costa has grown to nearly 2,000 UK outlets with coffee providing an important stimulus to the North West economy. The retail market is difficult for everyone at the moment but Glaisyers continues to extend its reach in the retail sector and advise some very successful national franchisees on their expansion plans.”

SY Coffee will continue to operate the Costa Coffee franchises at Market Street in Crewe, Telegraph Road in Heswall and Chester Services on the A55.

ISA’s new Fiji ISA (UK) has announced the UK launch of the ISA Fiji scooping ice cream cabinet.

Offering performance identical to the popular ISA Samoa model, the Fiji is a compact, cost-effective, entry-level alternative for the professional display of scooping ice cream, say ISA. With seven models to choose from the Fiji allows the display of between four and ten standard five litre containers (with an equal additional layer of storage below) and between four and fourteen 4.75 litre containers. Product visibility is excellent thanks to the wrap-around tempered glass canopy with internal lighting and the units

feature four pivoting castors for easy handling and location.

Optional extras include a cone holder, a scoop washer with either a stainless steel or a plastic container, a front glass riser and stainless steel gelato containers in two sizes.

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Order Printed Paper Cups!

10% off Origination* The Paper Cup Company brings you a seasonal offer ready for the Christmas period. We can print up to full colour process with 100% coverage from just 10,000 paper cups. A range of sizes are available from 4oz to 20oz in single and double wall cups, with a fast turnaround of 8-10 weeks. For a limited time only, we are offering 10% off origination on print runs starting from 10,000 cups.

Double wall cups are designed for hot drinks as they are double insulated. Single

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™

PortaTray

“…everything a caterer could want from a piece of packaging.”

That’s the view of the panel of experts who chose Tri-Star Packaging’s revolutionary drinks carrier for a top prize at LUNCH! exhibition’s ‘Innovation Challenge’. Giving PortaTray™ the prestigious Gold Award, the judges added: “It is often the easiest of innovations that makes the biggest difference and PortaTray™ delivers exactly that.”

Unlike anything else on the market today, PortaTray™ is a flat-pack, pop-up carrier that takes up just half the space of a traditional pulp tray. Designed to take cups and tumblers of most sizes, the 4-cup PortaTray™ splits easily into two 2-cup trays, making it the most versatile multi-drink carrier available and eliminating the need to hold two different kinds of tray in stock.

Safe and easy to use, PortaTray™ ‘clicks up’ in seconds, cutting service and queuing times by up to 25 per cent. It grips cups and tumblers to ensure stability even at a 45° tilt, making it ideal for the café market and drive-thrus.

Manufactured from 100% recycled board, PortaTray™ is FSC approved, re-usable, recyclable and biodegradable. It can be branded on all four sides, making it perfect for communicating brand identities and sponsorships.

Kevin Curran, managing director of Tri-Star Packaging, said:

“PortaTray™ is lean and green. Its space-saving qualities mean logistics, handling and storage costs are reduced to the tune of 50 per cent.”

He continued, “The Gold Award from LUNCH! celebrates our commitment to innovation that directly benefits our clients’ competitiveness and bottom-line, while enhancing their customers’ shopping experience.”

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 11

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NEWS Huhtamaki BioWare paper cups are PEFC accredited

UK’s first raw chocolate drink mix Cream Supplies have launched Raw Chocolate Drink Mix which uses 100% raw Ecuadorian cacao powder meaning that it is made from un-roasted beans, and so leaving a high level of antioxidants intact (raw cacao is richer in antioxidants than any other food, claim Cream Supplies, and has many other health promoting ingredients too).

For use with fresh milk, the Raw Chocolate Drink Mix combines several carefully chosen ingredients that have all been ethically sourced from wholly sustainable areas, say Cream Supplies.

The organic coconut sugar, for example, is derived from the palm rather than the coconut itself, and adds subtle sweetness without the heady rush of white sugar, while the Peruvian lucuma brings a

Available in 312g canisters, each canister of Raw Chocolate Drink Mix is sufficient for up to 48 portions, has a list price of £11.99 and is VAT free.

unique flavour, reminiscent of maple. It is also very nutritious, containing high levels of carotene and the B vitamins, report Cream Supplies. The mesquite (a mineral-rich desert seed) lends a hint of caramel richness and the guarana powder (which is from the whole plant rather than the more common, caffeine rich, extract) has been added to give a smooth energy kick with the vanilla and Himalayan sea salt added to provide a perfect flavour balance.

Huhtamaki’s BioWare paper hot cups are manufactured using paperboard material that has now been PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) Chain of Custody certified.

The PEFC aims to promote sustainable development in forest management and assurance that the material in the final product can be traced back to a sustainable source managed with due respect for environmental, economic and social standards.

“Huhtamaki is committed to sourcing from suppliers who promote good forestry practice and we're proud to demonstrate our support for the high ecological, social and ethical standards required for sustainable forest management,” said Catherine Tipper, head of business excellence, Huhtamaki (UK)

Pizza-inspired swirly savoury Lantmännen Unibake UK (a supplier of Danish pastries, Viennoiserie, Continental savouries and breads) has launched a soft bread ‘swirly’ that is delicious on its own as a takeaway snack, or as an accompaniment with a difference for soups, salads and cheeseboards, or for something even more spectacular, you can slice, toast and top them to make canapés with the wow

factor, suggest the company.

The Bakehouse-branded Tomato and Cheese Swirly features a tempting Italian style tomato filling, swirled through the soft bread base, and is made with tomato purée, onions, garlic purée, lemon juice and black pepper, finished with a creamy Gouda cheese and basil topping. The inspiration behind the flavour for the new product has been pizza with a twist an ever popular taste choice with consumers - but in a lighter format.

“Sometimes, when it comes to choosing a snack or lunch time option, consumers want something that feels lighter but will still satisfy their hunger,” explains Kate Raison, marketing director at Lantmännen Unibake UK.

“This product is a unique take on the savoury sector and is a perfect alternative to traditional pastry products. We know that pizza is a popular taste profile and so the flavours in this exciting new offering are sure to appeal both in terms of taste for consumers and profitability food providers.”

Lantmännen Unibake UK has become known as a one-stop-shop for fast-food and speciality breads, savouries and continental pastries. Having acquired frozen bread producer Eurobuns in 2008 and continental bakery experts Bakehouse in 2010, the enhanced Lantmännen Unibake UK portfolio offers a comprehensive range of quality bakery goods to both retailers and the foodservice industry.

Available in cases of 35, the Tomato and Cheese Swirly bakes off in just 15 minutes with no further preparation required (www.lantmannen-unibake.co.uk).

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CAFÉ CULTURE

Fully certified in accordance with the European norm for compostability of packaging (EN13432), BioWare cups can be composted within 60 days in the optimum condition of industrial composting facilities, say Huhtamaki.

Ltd. “We’re delighted that our UK site has been accredited for PEFC – a great positive statement to highlight on our BioWare cups and a process which we’ll be sure to roll out across our other product ranges too.”

Available in a choice of sizes, BioWare cups feature the PEFC logo as part of their design – the certification and logo provides assurances that the products are from sustainable, legal and traceable sources – which identifies Huhtamaki’s unique certification number so that customers know that the product they are using is PEFC certified.

Three new distributors for Eliot’s Eliot’s, the on-trade drinks supplier best known for its range of hot-serve alcoholic beverages, has been taken on by three new industryleading distributors.

After teaming up with SH Jones (Banbury), Forth Wines (Scotland) and Cellar Masters (Hertfordshire), Eliot’s is now even easier to stock with suppliers based nationwide.

“After launching two new and unique drinks in 2011, we needed wider coverage across the UK to ensure that all outlets could get their hands on Eliot’s without delay,” said Fraser Henderson, managing director of Haywood’s Drinks Products which owns the Eliot’s Brand.

“We are delighted to be working with three new expert distributors, and look forward to a rewarding relationship with each of them.”

All four of the drinks in the Eliot’s range – Mulled Wine, Winter Warmer, Spicy Cider and Sangria – can be served hot when customers need a warming drink. However, newlylaunched Spicy Cider and Sangria have been specially blended to taste just as good chilled operators during the summer months, meaning landlords can keep their Eliot’s dispenser on the bar all year round.

The company has recently launched an improved dispenser designed to give ten years’ service (for more information visit www.eliots.com).

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NEWS

New automatic espresso machine For outlets where coffee might not be the only, or main, beverage, Gaggia have launched their new Concetto machine.

Marketed in the UK by Watermark, and available through dealers nationwide, the Concetto is an automatic beanto-cup machine that is extremely simple to use and has the ability to make 150 cups per day, say the company. It has a built-in coffee grinder that serves real freshly ground coffee at the push of a button, and also has a separate steam wand if bar staff want to froth up milk and add fancy finishes. For further flexibility the Concetto is able to use ground coffee as well as coffee beans.

SHORTS The Concetto is also fitted with a power management system which reduces power consumption during off-peak periods.

A new electronic dosing system makes it possible for the Concetto to memorise preferred espresso settings while the digital LCD control panel enables all settings to be adjusted as the coffee is being made. To boost taste a pre-infusion option allows for an even and full extraction of flavour from the coffee. Real coffee aficionados will also appreciate the active cup warming option that preheats the cups via an electrical element. An adjustable-height coffee dispensing head allows choice of cup size, depending on the type of coffee to be served.

Press for success!

Hot drinks can always be on tap with their new, easy to operate Bolero range of automatic beverage machines, say Bravilor Bonamat.

The compact Bolero 1 and Bolero 2 machines can produce coffee, hot chocolate or hot water at the press of a button.

The Bolero 1 unit has a single canister to hold instant ingredients for either coffee or hot chocolate.

The special

Bravilor Bonamat mixing system adds a cream layer as the drink is dispensed.

An optional hot water tap for tea or soup is also an option. The Bolero 2 machine is equipped with two canisters, plus the optional hot water tap for even more flexibility. Both machines have a throughput of around 30 litres an hour, with a brewing time of 11 seconds per cup.

Features include a descaling signal and rinsing program to avoid scale build up, a drip tray full warning, and an energy saving mode. Total and daily counters allow caterers to keep track of the number of cups served.

The Bolero 1 and 2 machines are offered in a choice of finish, mysterious grey and stardust white, and both models have an LED backlight for clear menu selection.

Starbucks and Apple partnership Starbucks and Apple have announced a new partnership called Pick of the Week which will give customers in Starbucks stores access to exclusive free downloads on iTunes. Each Monday morning, over 700 Starbucks company-operated stores in the UK will stock a new Pick of the Week download card redeemable on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) for a complimentary song or book. Once Pick of the Week cards are distributed, customers will have up to 60 days from the date they are available to redeem their complimentary offering on iTunes.

Compass reveals new-look Café Liberty Following being awarded a contract in March 2011, Compass Group UK & Ireland has teamed up with architects and designers SHH to revamp Café Liberty, the 60-cover, second floor eatery at the Liberty department store on London’s Regent Street.

The re-design has radically changed the look and feel of the iconic retail store’s restaurant, reviving the look and spirit of the original Arts & Crafts style.

Trays with antibacterial protection A new range of plastic trays with built-in antibacterial protection from Microban were launched by Cambro at HOST 2011 in Milan. The Versa CamGuard tray range uses advanced third generation silver technology from Microban, which is built into the polyester material at the point of manufacture and is designed to disrupt the growth of bacteria such E .coli and S. aureus between cleaning cycles, and provides a highly beneficial feature in high traffic food service environments.

Redcup launches Greencup Redcup coffee has launched a new sister company, Greencup, powered by Löfbergs Lila (which claims to buy more Fairtrade coffee than anyone else in Europe).

Focussed on reducing the carbon emissions incurred through the production of a cup of coffee, Greencup supplies coffee to companies, restaurants and hotels and then collects the used coffee grounds to be recycled. The grounds are turned into fertiliser and garden pellets, as well as other sustainable materials such as coffee plastic.

Brita filters funds for charity Brita Professional is showing its support to industry charity Hospitality Action (HA) by donating £1 for each Traditional AquaQuell filter and AquaQuell Purity replacement cartridge ordered in November. The water filtration specialist is encouraging as many customers as possible to exchange old water filters in a bid to raise as much cash as possible for HA – and improve profitability for operators across the industry (call Brita Professional on 0870 487 0900 and quote ‘HA’).

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 13

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Awards 2012

Sponsored By

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.

The Cafe Society, set up in the early 1990s, has six principal objectives: • To promote good quality standards in terms of both beverage making and the café environment in which products are sold.

• To safeguard the integrity of the café market and environment by setting technical standards for beverage making and retailing as well as by encouraging those in the industry to uphold these standards.

• To encourage excellence and innovation in the café market.

In these challenging times, it is all too easy to let standards slip and to put innovation and creativity on a back burner - yet the long term future and integrity of the café market depends on us all maintaining the high standards and reputation that the industry has achieved to date. The Café Society Awards were relaunched in February 2010 to encourage good practice, innovation and standards by recognising those who continue to push the boundaries and lead the way in promoting all aspects of the Café Society in the UK. The 2012 awards will take the form of a luncheon at the Roof Gardens, Kensington, on June 6th 2012, when seven awards will be presented. So why not enter your business in the 2012 Awards and gain the prestige and recognition your business deserves.

Entry Entry to the awards is open to anyone in the industry. You can either nominate your own business or put forward someone else who you think the judges should consider for an award. The Secretariat of the Society will collate information on all those entered and present it to a panel of judges. The judges, who will include

Cafe Culture editor Clare Benfield, will be chosen for their knowledge of the industry and the independence from those who have entered. The closing date for entries is: 30th March, 2012 The Awards The following are the 2012 award categories: The Café Society Award This award will be given annually to an individual or organisation that is considered by the judges to have been exceptionally influential in shaping the Café market in the UK. In making submissions for this award, please state why you think the individual or organisation you nominate deserves an award.

The Café Innovation Award This award aims to encourage innovation in the market, either by operators or suppliers. The judges in this category will be looking for successful innovation that has been influential across the market.

Submissions in this category should provide details of the innovation, evidence of its success as well as any evidence of its influence on the market as a whole.

ENTRY FORM

• To promote the café market, the way of life it encompasses, and members to consumers.

• To provide a collective voice, and represent the views of, all those involved in the industry to government, both central and regional.

• To provide mechanisms for increasing knowledge and understanding in the café market, particularly through the publication of a regular news magazine about the industry.

The Café Design of the Year Award This award aims to encourage good design practices in the sector bearing in mind the importance that the atmosphere of an outlet can have on its success. The judges in this category will be looking for good practical design that sets new standards. Submissions in this category should provide details of the design brief, its successful application as well as pictures of the results.

New Product of the Year Award This award aims to encourage the development of products (including drinks and equipment but excluding food) for the market. Submissions in this category should provide product information as well details of why the product is particularly suited to the Cafe Society.

The Café Food Award This award aims to encourage the innovation and development of food products specifically for the Cafe Society market. Submissions in this category should include product information as well as details of why you think the product deserves this award.

Café/Coffee Bar Chain of the Year This award aims to recognise the work being done by leading operators to set standards and drive the market in terms of innovation, standards and consumer satisfaction.

Submissions should set out on an A4 sheet why you think the business deserves an award in this category.

Café/Coffee Bar Independent of the Year This award aims to recognise the work being done by entrepreneurs in the industry to develop successful independent café/coffee bars. Submissions should set out on an A4 sheet why you think the business deserves an award in this category and should be supported by any relevant information you can provide, such as photographs, menus etc.

Remember, you need to submit your entries before the closing date – 30th March, 2012 If you would like further information about the Café Society Awards, please contact Pam Sainsbury on 01291 636341.

Name _____________________________________________________________

Please state which category or categories you wish to enter:

Business Name _____________________________________________________

■ The Café Society Award

Address____________________________________________________________

■ The Café Innovation Award

__________________________________________________________________

■ The Café Design of the Year Award __________________________________________________________________

■ The Café Food Award Tel No _____________________________________________________________ Email ______________________________________________________________ Name of business/product being submitted: __________________________________________________________________

■ New Product of the Year Award ■ Café/Coffee Bar Chain of the Year ■ Café/Coffee Bar Independent of the Year

Please attach the supporting infomation for each entry and post it to: Pam Sainsbury, Café Society Awards, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB Or email your entries to: pam@jandmgroup.co.uk

CAFÉS FOR SALE THRIVING SANDWICH BAR/CAFE/RETAIL BAKERY

CRAFT BAKERY & SPA TEA ROOMS

BISTRO

CAFE

BRIDLINGTON

LIVERPOOL

NORTH YORKSHIRE

SOMERSET

2 dining rooms WT £3,500-£4,000, Established 1987 Enclosed rear garden

WT £2,500 Trading 5 days only Well equipped lock up Rent £190pwx

T/O £171,000 Well presented throughout Scope to develop further 34 cover dining room

WT £1,600, GP 41% Established for over 15 years Excellent location & premises Ample scope to increase trade

£170,000 LEASEHOLD

£40,000 LEASEHOLD

£275,000 FREEHOLD

Ref 33653

£65,000 LEASEHOLD

Ref 36830

Ref 37244

Ref 37681

LIVERPOOL SANDWICH BAR & CAFE WT £1,100, Main road location, Daily contracted work, Well equipped throughout REF 37675 £19,500 LEASEHOLD

REF 34026

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE CAFÉ/RESTAURANT Proj T/O £750k+, Refurbished to a high standard Evening trade currently just 4 days per week Rent £730pwx REF 36848 £450,000 LEASEHOLD

CHESTERFIELD CAFÉ/SANDWICH BAR WT £1,200, Superb main road location 12 covers, Fully equipped kitchen REF 38476 £36,000 LEASEHOLD

COVENTRY LICENSED CAFE WT £2,500, Busy shopping parade, Well established, 40 covers REF 36508 £70,000 LEASEHOLD

POST OFFICE, DELI & COFFEE SHOP CUMBRIA Imposing converted church property, Town centre location, Awarded Calor village of the year PO sal £68,000 plus T/O £180,000 REF 35632 £695,000 FREEHOLD

DARWEN WELL FITTED SANDWICH BAR/COFFEE SHOP Well fitted & equipped kitchen, WT £1,000, Low overheads, 1 bed flat accommodation REF 34964 £124,950 FREEHOLD

GATESHEAD CAFE BAR/SANDWICH SHOP Scope to introduce evenings/weekends, WT £2,500 GP 65%, Fitted to a high standard, Well equipped REF 34804 £79,950 LEASEHOLD

POTTERY PAINTING STUDIO AND COFFEE SHOP LEICESTER T/O £79,444, GP £55,884, Unique lifestyle managed business, Hosting around 300 children’s parties per year, Branded VW Beetle car included REF 38032 £85,000 LEASEHOLD

LIVERPOOL SANDWICH BAR & CAFE WT £2,000, City centre location, 20 covers, Well equipped throughout REF 37507

DEVON THRIVING SANDWICH BAR T/O £81,000, Very well established, Superb town centre trading position, Scope for deliveries & catering REF 38112 £65,000 LEASEHOLD

MANCHESTER 20 COVER CAFE 20 covers, WT £1,500, 1 bed flat above, Well fitted throughout REF 30242 £135,000 FREEHOLD

SUFFOLK COFFEE SHOP WT £1,700, Highly reputable, Strong client base, Scope to increase hours REF 36940 £52,000 LEASEHOLD

WEST MIDLANDS CATERING COMPANY T/O £220,000, GP £75,000, Well established, Corporate & party catering, Varied menus, database of over 500 clients REF 35793 £135,000 LEASEHOLD

WEST YORKSHIRE DELI/SANDWICH BAR Superbly furnished throughout, T/O £82,228, Recently re-opened after development, Reduced for quick sale REF 34926 £62,950 LEASEHOLD

BRIKENHEAD CAFE WT £1,000, Busy main road location Well equipped premises, Low rent/rates £29,500 LEASEHOLD

REF 36675

BRIDGEND 68 COVER LICENSED CAFE 68 covers, WT £5,000, Monopoly position, Rent £280pw £180,000 LEASEHOLD

£55,000 LEASEHOLD

For your free, no obligation appraisal, call us today on:

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

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SEPTEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 15

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COFFEE MACHINES

Tradition and

technology The northern Italian city of Milan has an enviable reputation for its rich café culture with espresso machines made by the famous coffee machine company, La Cimbali (the largest espresso machine company in the world), to be found at the heart of many a café and restaurant there. After a recent visit to their headquarters in Binasco, Café Culture magazine found out more about the tradition and technology of a company that will be celebrating its centenary next year.

The beginning A private company that has been family run for four generations, La Cimbali (pronounced “chim-ba-lee”) started out in 1912. The first type of coffee machine it made - effectively a vertical boiler that produced a basic, ‘black drink’ - originally come into fruition in 1901 courtesy of Milan’s Luigi Bezzera. Things did not alter much in the coffee machine making world until the 1940s when Gaggia came along with its first lever operated machine that went on to enjoy fame worldwide.

The use of a lever was viewed as a revolution at the time as not only did it change the whole look of the machine, it also impacted upon the very nature of the type of coffee drink produced. In place of the black liquid came a drink topped with a more visually-pleasing crema (the caramelcoloured top of an espresso), and all made possible by the application of the lever deployed pressure which helped boost the all important extraction so as to get the

An automatic machine from 1969.

16 NOVEMBER 2011

CAFÉ CULTURE

fullest flavour and therefore deliver a far nicer tasting shot of coffee than had so far been the norm. As a result, the phrase crema espresso – “expressly for you” – came about.

The lever technology was picked up by other companies and soon led to boom times after the war in terms of the sheer volume of coffee machines being made at that time. By the early sixties, Cimbali, in conjunction with Faema (a much higher volume manufacturer that they linked up with and acquired), report that they were manufacturing 100,000 plus machines a year (today, the number is around the 40,000 mark).

Faema were the company behind the well known E61 (the ‘Solar Eclipse’ model named after that year’s solar eclipse) that was created in 1961, regarded by many as the machine which made the lever-based technology even easier to use as it deployed the power of the water to move the piston inside the machine and in turn

A 1950’s machine.

the lever. It was also one of the first machine brands, often promoted via ad’s featuring cycling teams.

This collaboration led to the development of new inventions with the second generation of the Cimbali family at the company being particularly involved in leading its creativity. For example, it was recognition that the German and Swiss markets had a requirement for automatic machines led to them developing the first bean to cup machine in 1969, and later the first electronic machine in the early 1980s.

Thirty years after the E61 machine came out, what was to become the ‘Caffè Nero machine’ was developed with Cimbali working with designers, Giugiaro.

Cimbali today Cimbali now has four factories (two in Binasco, one in Cremona and one in Bergamo) with a total indoor area dedicated to production of 40,000sqm. In 2010 their consolidated turnover was 117 million euros. They employ 600 people and export 70% of their production to more than 100 countries via a network of 700 dealers whose job it is to guarantee on-site before and after sale technical assistance, with, they say, the UK currently being a prime and growing market for them in terms of its future potential. They can claim to have almost a 50% market share in their home market, making them the most well known espresso machine supplier in Italy.

As a result of all their overseas success and experience, the company has built up strong links with all areas of the coffee-

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COFFEE MACHINES

serving trade, furnishing it with an impressive knowledge and understanding of the specific needs of all types of operators, tastes, traditions, as well as

consumer styles in Italy and abroad.

From their UK-based work, including that with BP (earlier this year they signed a three year service contract following a year’s preparation and negotiation to cover the coffee machine equipment for the 313 UK Wild Bean Café sites), they have been able to identify what they feel characterises the market here. They have

observed that the high street chains are dominant, demanding quick service, consistency, and machines that are easy to use and clean.

Thus, they see the UK market (in which they claim a 25% share, and where they have a direct presence at offices in Elstree, Hertfordshire, www.cimbali.it/uk), typified by its high demand for predominantly very milky drinks, and lack of barista skills, as being ‘difficult’, but in terms of its peculiarities as opposed to its challenges!

With milk being so critical in the UK, auto-frothers to cope with the lack of widespread milk foaming skills are often the order of the day. Other aspects such as the possibility for telemetry to relay management data also comes into play too when supplying a product and service to our market. Add to this the rise of the highly skilled, artisan coffee shop in the UK as well, and there is a paradox, or is it a dilemma?

Although most well known for its espresso machines, La Cimbali (or Gruppo Cimbali as it is now more accurately known after the official unveiling of its new name and logo at the October HOST exhibition in Milan) also designs, produces and distributes coffee machines, milk-based

Café culture Milan-style Any visit to Milan, of course, is not complete without sampling its café culture and put quite simply, the coffee shops are a delight and there are plenty to choose from!

Perhaps one of the most famous, if not the oldest, coffee bar in Milan that must be visited is the Gran Bar Zucca that has acted as a meeting point for some of Milan’s most famous personalities and is characterised by its raised bar/low floor devised so that the horse-riding gendarmes of a previous era could access their coffees with minimum fuss.

Located at the entrance to one of the city’s famous designerfilled shopping galleries Galleria Vittorio Emanuele – it

www.cafeculturemagazine.co.uk

opened in the same year as the mall (1867), and is a place which to this day, still epitomises what café culture is all about via its range of skilfully prepared beverages and bar snacks or aperitivi.

Here, a cup of espresso

coffee is just the tip of an iceberg of a whole host of drinks, many of which are well known in Italy, and in particular Milan, such as the bar’s namesake rhubarb tonic drink that originally came about after the wife of the founding owner

had been prescribed a rhubarbcontaining preparation by her doctor. Needless to say, this particular bar is equipped with a modern day Cimbali machine, but with a far older and eyecatching one from a bygone era situated close by.

Other café bars to visit on the café culture trail here could include Princi (also in London), where some freshly prepared bakery goods and coffee help re-define the whole ‘breakfast on the hoof’ experience. The delicatessen Peck - a sort of mini Harrods food hall on four levels – also has its own premium quality café on the top floor serving all types of speciality coffees that have yet to be widely perfected here.

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 17

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COFFEE MACHINES Coffee guru, Brazilian, Mr Nora

drinks, soluble drinks and grinder-dosers too, and encompasses four brands – Cimbali and Faema (both makers of professional machines for the coffee and cappuccino sector), Casadio (a brand of professional grinder-dosers and machines for soluble drinks) and Hemerson (a producer and distributor of dishwasher machines and ice makers).

This in turn means that they are well placed to be able to supply a machine solution for every market niche (from fully automatic to traditional espresso and semi-professional machines, there are over 150 models available in their range – far more when you take into the consideration the potential for different configurations).

The Milan headquarters and factory is also home to a research and development facility (which deals with the mechanical engineering side of things and has fifty five employees, a laboratory and a unit dedicated to electronics design and development), the marketing department (which interfaces with the research and development department so as to look to the future), and a small museum showcasing a selection of iconic coffee making machines from across the decades.

As of next year, Cimbali’s Milan HQ will also debut a large, coffee-inspired visitor, training and exhibition centre which will form part of the centenary celebrations.

Although the museum and visitor centre will be located on the Cimbali premises, it will be by no means limited to Cimbali coffee machines or visitors from the trade for that matter, but rather be open to the public as a vibrant and active place that records, represents and further encourages the changing face of coffee and coffee drinking in terms of the culture surrounding it.

In recent years, Gruppo Cimbali is keen to emphasise that it has invested 9% of its turnover in research and development and in innovative technology for the sector. Its

18 NOVEMBER 2011

CAFÉ CULTURE

continuing innovation is evidenced by the fact that it has more than 50 active patents, nearly half of which were obtained during the past three years, and which relate to both machine functionality and the quality of the supplied drinks.

It is also interesting to note that the company has invested in environmental safeguarding and energy sustainability.

December 2010 saw the company provide the Binasco production site with a photovoltaic system – solar panels on the factory’s roof top - for the production of electricity by means of solar energy which allows a considerable decrease in the amount or carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, note the company.

Pressure profiling In reaction to the ever changing demands of a developing coffee-drinking market, the company report that they have a dedicated team working regularly on the profiling of coffee blends used in their customers’ machines, with the benefit of the input and experience of a highly regarded and experienced coffee expert from Brazil, Mr Nora. A past judge for the SCAE, Mr Nora now acts as an advisory consultant to Cimbali, guiding trials and work which enables the company’s customers to be in a position to modify the taste of their coffees if need be, and so get the best from the machines.

As is now well known in the industry, different taste profiles can be obtained from the same coffee beans by the application of different machine pressures (also known as pressure profiling) in conjunction with temperature. And it is this type of profiling that helps machine customers to establish the best blend for the area where their coffee is being brewed, as well as take account of the machine being used and the type of coffee being served. In this way, Cimbali point out, they are committed to offering extra

support to their customers and able to react to changes in the market which, they observe, have been occurring quite rapidly in recent times as the demand for espresso-based drinks spreads to new countries and new markets.

Indeed, acknowledge Cimbali, pressure would appear to have the greatest influence on the eventual taste of coffee, temperature less so, with the use of pressure to create different taste profiles having been a real revolution in the coffee world. Therefore, the company has worked to make changing pressure an easy thing to do on its machines (traditionally, nine bar pressure has been the accepted ‘standard’, but it is possible to experiment with lower and higher pressures on their machines, higher pressures being used to get a ‘sweeter’ taste, for example).

Taste profiles can be worked out for each country, and Cimbali say that they have plans to build a dedicated laboratory to carry out further work in this regard, something which is sure to be of interest

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COFFEE MACHINES to artisan operators with a more scientific eye on the ‘next level’ of coffee.

The company has also been leading the way when it comes to the quality of water, and water treatment. It can be an expensive task to filter water so as to comply with the regulations and spirit of the EU’s Drinking Water Directive (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/ water-drink/index_en.html), with work having been undertaken in Italy concerning this. At Cimbali, this has led to the creation of Tapworks, a sodium/salt ion exchange based system of filtration that is becoming more popular. However, the fact is, say Cimbali, that water filtration is often still a neglected aspect in many countries. Yet, the nature of water can be very critical to not only the taste of beverages, but the efficient running of beverage making machines too, which is why most machine suppliers suggest their customers take the quality of their water seriously.

It was in response to a criticism direct from the EU parliament itself that too high a trace of heavy metals was being found in the beverages being served there - even though no sinister connection was found that Cimbali took the precautionary step of devising a special coating technology (Ruveco Teck) that could be used to coat any metals coming into contact with water, thereby preventing contamination.

The factory The Binasco factory is a major one for Cimbali who, unlike other some espresso machine manufacturers, also produce and assemble their own components. They emphasise the use of high quality materials - stainless steel and brass for the brew groups, for example, so as to help retain the right temperature.

As might be expected, the factory is mainly concerned with the correct production and citing of the boiler, the all important heat exchange technology (this is where the water for the coffee comes from) and maintaining a high quality of assembly at all times.

It is the nature of construction which can help to differentiate one manufacturer from another, say Cimbali, who also suggest that the weight of a coffee machine is a good indicator of a machine’s quality in terms of its solid, metal components.

Across their six production lines at this site, they make in the region of 200 machines per day. Recently, the factory has increased production for the Q10, which they describe as an easy to use, superautomatic machine that’s versatile and compact, and which has proved particularly successful since its launch, and so there is an automated production line dedicated to its manufacture.

New machines and developments Cimbali estimate that some 200,000 restaurants and coffee shops across the world use one of their machines, which is not surprising when you consider the range to choose from, as well as the heritage of well built machines that last. They calculate that each day 30,000,000 drinks are served from a Cimbali/Faema machine each day.

Some of the latest developments in technology at Cimbali include a wireless LAN system for an on demand grinder which means that if the extraction time is not correct, a signal can be sent from the machine to the grinder so as to make a correction and help with achieving greater consistency.

They have latterly also developed a

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software controlled and energy optimising ‘smart’ boiler system which feeds a small amount of water in at a time and leads to a constant refill, once again something which helps in maintaining beverage quality. A double heating system, a Faema thermal balancing system, a patented turbo/auto steam system that simultaneously delivers air and steam for hands-free heating and a milk precision system which allows the temperature of a drink to be varied – something which could be of increasing to their customers in the future, feel the company – have also been important areas of development.

They have also been looking at the flow of milk in machines, and a more hygienic ‘reverse flow’ method and at how GSM and GPRS systems can provide remote access when it comes to providing help and support of the machines and solutions they supply.

Cimbali’s more recent machines include the M39 GT which combines flexibility and thermal stability, as well as the all important reliability, and contains the new patented thermal system. With a 10 litre boiler, it is well placed to cope with the demands of a modern cafeteria whilst at the same time maintaining beverage quality.

The HD (high definition) version of the M39 makes it possible to customise and adjust not only the water temperature, but the water pressure on the coffee too during each extraction, and again based on patented technology. This means that an ideal pressure curve for each type of coffee blend used can be easily defined and changed if necessary in an intuitive way (up until recently, this had only been possible in a more complicated way on lever-operated machines).

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SOUP

Winter in particular is the time when ‘comfort food’ is at its highest demand - giving diners the solace of a hot meal to counteract the cold weather - so adjusting menu options accordingly and offering soups throughout the day can be an effective way for cafés to drive footfall.

Winter warmer One in five starters ordered during the winter is a soup, according to Mintel (Service Restaurant Trends, September 2009) and many experts believe that soup has yet to reach its full potential in the out of home environment. Not only does it require few culinary skills to prepare, it gives customers a healthy light option and virtually guarantees caterers an excellent profit margin.

Serving cost-effective, wholesome soup can generate incremental profits for cafés, according to the innovative fresh food specialist, New Covent Garden, who now offer eight of their most popular soups in a 1kg carton, making them ideally suited to out of home dining.

“The benefits of offering soup are endless,” says Nigel Parrott, New Covent Garden’s group marketing director. “As well as being simple to prepare, it’s popular with

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diners of all ages. It can also be offered at a relatively low cost whilst maintaining a high profit margin – meaning it has appeal for both diners and café proprietors during these difficult economic times.”

The colder weather will tend to drive demand for soup even higher, with customers seeking warm, filling foods as they enjoy cosy meals out with friends and family. However, customers’ changing perception of food has also led to an increasing demand for healthy options, believes Nigel Parrott.

“People are becoming increasingly interested in the content of their food and drink, and are more conscious than ever before of the effect food has on their health,” he explains. “They are therefore less interested in eating meals which involve bingeing on unhealthy dishes. Instead, many customers are seeking out options which, whilst tasting delicious, are still

good for them. As New Covent Garden soups contain locally sourced, fresh ingredients, they can fit the bill perfectly as a ‘feel-good’ menu option.”

Available from chilled wholesalers, New Covent Garden’s 1kg soup cartons come in the following variants - Carrot & Coriander, Leek & Potato, Minestrone, Plum Tomato & Basil, Spicy Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato, Thai Chicken, Wild Mushroom and Winter Vegetable (www.newcoventgardenfood.com).

The Soulful Food Company (www.soulfulsoup.com), who exhibited at the recent lunch! show and supply soups, stews and sauces to cafés and restaurants throughout the London area were founded with the express aim of offering consumers a healthy, natural, convenient lunch with maximum taste and minimum cost.

Back in 2004, when they started out, they had already

recognised that more people than ever wanted their takeaway food with nothing taken away - no compromises, as they put it – noting a gathering increasing interest on the part of consumers in exactly what they are eating, and the ingredients used to make it. Their menu reflects this with most of their products being gluten, wheat, and dairy free, low in fat, salt and carbohydrates. They also provide an extensive range of vegetarian and vegan recipes.

All their food is 100% natural, say the company, and made by hand, which they believe allows them

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SOUP Coriander, as well as a range of ‘skinny soups’ featuring Chickpea Spinach Dhal.

Some of New Covent Garden’s soups are available in 1kg catering cartons.

Cross-selling “Since 2007 the value of the soup market in the UK has risen by 11% to over £500m according to Mintel’s 2010 figures, proving that there’s still a place for soup on any menu and at any time of year,” says Liz Deutsch, category business lead at Nestlé Professional®.

“The ease with which soup can be made makes it particularly well suited to café operators. By simply adding more substantial ingredients such as root vegetables during the winter months and lighter options such as celery when the weather is warmer, a café can keep their menu fresh and interesting all year round while cashing in on the current seasonality trend.

“Soup also offers great opportunities for crossselling. Breads and

to maintain the integrity of flavours and in turn provide the good chunky recipes that their customers have come to enjoy. It also means that they Zorba’s Spicy Meatball soup.

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can provide that personal touch, altering recipes to a client’s individual needs, for example.

They offer a range of both seasonal and international recipes that change quarterly and take care when sourcing ingredients (all of their vegetables are traceable to source, and their meat is free range when required from Gatcombe Farm in Devon), and soon they plan to start a Soup Club (check in with their web site for the latest details).

Just some of their extensive range of soups includes Autumn Veg, Pot Barley & Pesto, Smoky Bacon, Lentil & Savoy Cabbage, and Sweet Potato, Coconut &

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SOUP

Pea souper recipes "Comfort food is anything that makes you feel better and gives you a sense of belonging, taking you back to the memories that you have associated with such foods - such as soups!" explains chartered clinical psychologist Dr Funke Baffour (of Day Break, Celebrity Big Brother fame). "These soups give a sense of wellbeing associated with childhood or with home cooking, it's related to their familiarity, simplicity, pleasant associations."

Accordingly, Yes Peas! (www.peas.org) have revealed their twelve soup recipes for next year with award-winning chef and ambassador for Yes Peas!, Rachel Green, who has concocted a recipe for every month of the year. They include Cream of Pea Soup with Haggis Croutons and a Spicy Curried English Pea Soup, perfectly served with a Paneer Stuffed Naan.

"I love the versatility of frozen peas; they require no forward planning and can be used at the drop of a hat to rustle up a nutritional and tasty pan of soup, a good old winter warmer or an easypeasy summer supper," says Rachel Green.

sandwiches are an obvious accompaniment and are relatively inexpensive to produce. Cafés can add further value to these cross-selling opportunities through creative presentation. Instead of a straightforward bowl and plate, consider using a wooden bread board for example to present a specialty bread selection to create a dramatic visual impact.”

Nestlé Professional’s Maggi® range of dehydrated soups is available in a range of classic flavours that are low in salt and fat. They are simple to make and can be used a base or stand-a-lone ingredient, say Nestlé Professional. The range of dehydrated soups currently consists of the following 12 flavours – Asparagus, Celery, Chicken, French Onion, Leek & Potato, Minestrone, Wild Mushroom, Oxtail and Scotch Broth (www.maggimenusolutions.co.uk).

“People are becoming increasingly interested in the content of their food and drink, and are more conscious than ever before of the effect food has on their health,”

January - Cream of Pea Soup with Haggis Croutons

Nigel Parrott

February - Chinese Pea Soup with Floating Pork Dumplings

New flavours Zorba Delicacies Ltd has launched a new winter range of fresh, foodservice soup under its The Real Soup Co. brand.

The range of three additional premium quality soups – Chicken and Sweetcorn, Spicy Meatball and Lentil and Smoked Bacon (and which are all free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives) – can be utilised as a start any meal, or as a lunchtime snack, and have been specifically developed for caterers, say the company. They are available in convenient 4kg buckets that are ready to heat and eat, making them a useful addition to a variety of foodservice outlets, but particularly cafés.

“Industry research shows strong growth in the soup market and in particular increase in demand for fresh chilled soup,” comments Marie Gawley, business unit manager for Zorba Delicacies Ltd. “As the winter months draw in, everyone will be longing for a first rate cup of hot and hearty real soup with events such as Bonfire Night, Halloween and Christmas.”

March - Green Pea Soup with Pancetta Cream April - Clear Pea and Vegetable Soup with Brown Rice May - Pea, Pear and Watercress Soup June - Pea Soup with Camembert and Fresh Mint July - Chilled Pea Vichyssoise with Prosciutto August - Pea Minestrone with Polenta and Basil Scones September - Pea and Prawn Latska October - Curried English Pea Soup with Paneer Stuffed Naan November - Pea and Bacon Chowder with Basil & Cheddar Croutons December - Pea and Roasted Garlic Soup All of these pea soup recipes can be found at www.peas.org

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Serving soups that customers are used to seeing on their supermarket shelves is one way for outlets to capitalise on brand popularity.

Zorba Delicacies have a total range of 21 fresh chilled soups, including the top five selling flavours nationwide (tomato, potato and leek, chicken, carrot and coriander and mushroom), but have also observed that different regions have their own favourites.

For example, French onion is popular in the south, pea and ham is popular in the north, with Lentil and Scotch Broth being popular in Scotland. Other flavours include Italian tomato and pancetta, Thai

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chicken and spiced parsnip and honey to ensure caterers have a full and varied range to choose from.

The launch of their new winter flavours of the Real Soup range is just the first development in Zorba’s long term growth strategy, say the company, who have plans to develop new quality soups to match seasonal changes and consumers’ changing tastes.

Heinz Foodservice agree that during winter months, the demand for warm

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comforting foods increases and serving soup is the perfect way to maximise footfall and potential profits.

The brand has added to its popular condensed range with the launch of Chicken Noodle soup. Available now, the new variant will expand the current range to five soups, enabling outlets to offer consumers a different Heinz variant each day of the working week, say the company.

The new flavour retains the same benefits as the rest of the condensed soup range including quality ingredients and a homemade taste, and like the other soups in the range, Chicken Noodle is also free from MSG, artificial colours and preservatives.

Each 830g tin provides nine servings and, costing around a fifth of an ambient pouch soup, offers excellent value for money whilst also offering convenience by eliminating preparation time and hassle, claim Heinz, who also point out that the condensed soup format contains high quality ingredients so as to ensure the best results are delivered every time.

Emily Frank, brand manager at Heinz comments: “Our condensed soup range has proved popular with a number of outlets, particularly on the high street, as it gives operators the opportunity to offer a quality, well loved brand, and value for money compared with many other ready to eat soup options available. By introducing a new flavour we are giving outlets the opportunity to offer more variety to consumers and the option of serving a different Heinz soup each day.

“Chicken Noodle soup scored very highly in our recent consumer research, being singled out as a flavour that consumers would like to see on offer in the coming winter months.

“Research has also shown Heinz is one of the nation’s most loved brands according to a Cambridge Direction and U&A study in February 2010, and 74% say Heinz is their favourite soup according to Conquest research. By increasing in-store branding, outlets can capitalise on our strong repertoire and let consumers know they are being served a brand they can trust.”

The full range of condensed soups available from Heinz Foodservice now includes Cream of Tomato, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, Country Vegetable and Chicken Noodle. To use these condensed soups, caterers simply add an equal amount of water, and then heat and serve. They also give caterers the opportunity to double their soup volume with half of the storage capacity (nine servings per 830g can).

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Christmas collection

The festive season is almost upon us, and despite the challenging economic times, if what the researchers tell us is true, consumers are still more than happy to spend a little extra on a speciality beverage and a sweet treat.

Grab and go For many outlets the festive season is the peak opportunity of the year to secure those extra purchases as consumers seek out ‘on the go’ treats and are tempted by impulse buys.

In fact, making sure that you are getting the most out of your grab and go sales has never been more important to the coffee shop entrepreneur, and with many of the sector’s suppliers giving a festive flavour and theme to their products at this time of year, there should be something to appeal

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to most outlets.

As a result of feedback from a number of customers and Australia’s National Airline, Byron Bay Cookie Company (www.byronbaycookies.co.uk), for example, has re-launched its festively themed White Chocolate Chunk & Cranberry Cookie as a single wrap option.

“We originally launched this flavour as the limited edition winter cookie last year, but found that people were still asking for it in March!” reports Paul Maxwell, European marketing manager for Byron Bay Cookie

Company. “This cookie works well with lattes and hot chocolates and has already become a firm favourite with Qantas passengers and those coffee shops already stocking it.”

For many, Terry’s Chocolate Orange has become as much a part of Christmas as turkey and sprouts and now you can offer consumers the taste of Terry’s Chocolate Orange in the form a cookie from CSM. Containing real pieces of Terry’s Chocolate Orange, these generous cookies will appeal to all ages as an indulgent treat

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that’s just right for Christmas time, say the company, and can even help you appeal to those customers who wouldn’t normally think of choosing a cookie but who can’t resist their favourite chocolate brand.

Presented as a pre-scored sheet of cookies, simply cut into portions and bake to let the rich aroma of freshly baked cookies tempt customers to indulge their love of Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Free Terry’s branded ‘grab and go’ bags are available for presenting four or six cookies in festive packaging as a small Christmas gift. In addition, CSM can also supply bite sized portions of flapjack, chocolate brownie, Rocky Road and shortbread which make great treats.

“With these easy to prepare products and others in our cupcakes, muffins and cookie ranges, CSM United Kingdom can open up some great business opportunities for food service outlets. Ask our team for information about our range and see the potential for yourself,” says CSM’s marketing manager, Siân Mattison.

Also tapping into this demand, baking manufacturer, Cuisine de France, has launched six new products within its Christmas range, including two individually wrapped sweet treats and savoury pork and stuffing roll, perfect for retailers offering hot food-to-go. The new SKUs are part of a bigger range and sit alongside four existing Christmas products - Rosemary & Cranberry Loaf, Festive slice, Mini Mince Pies and Luxury Mince Crowns.

In line with the growing consumer need for convenience and on the go eating, Cuisine de France has introduced a brand new range of individually wrapped sweet treats including a Yule Chocolate cake bar with moist chocolate sponge and added chocolate chips and a Viennese Mince Pie. Counter top units are also available, enabling retailers to display the range in a prominent position to drive impulse sales.

The new products have an RSP of £1, which is expected to help further drive their rate of sale.

“The individually wrapped treats open up a huge opportunity for outlets wanting to better cater for consumers eating on the go,

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Cranberry twists from Cuisine de France.

while the Pork and Stuffing Roll, alongside the existing and hugely successful Festive Slice, will equip retailers with the perfect hot Christmas snack offering,” says Jon Smythe, marketing director for Cuisine de France.

“A classic flavour combination of pork sausage meat, blended with sage and onion stuffing, wrapped in a light golden flaky pastry makes the Pork and Stuffing Roll a delicious seasonal addition to any hot foodto-go range.”

The new Christmas products also address indulgence trends with the inclusion of some of the best ingredients available, including Canadian Cranberries in the new Cranberry Twist. A soft buttery pastry with smooth vanilla custard and cranberries, the Cranberry Twist is both a Christmas classic and taps into the ‘superfood’ trend, say Cuisine de France.

The Cranberry Twist can be displayed on the ISB fixture alongside the Mini Mincemeat Danish Pastry and other morning goods and pastries. The Mini Mincemeat Danish, as well as the Luxury Mince Crowns and the Viennese Mince Pie, will also deliver innovation within the mince pie category, giving retailers the opportunity to differentiate their offer and excite their customers with something new.

Cuisine de France have also teamed up with confectionery experts, Toblerone, to launch the UK’s first branded pastry treat.

The Toblerone Pastry combines the finest all-butter pastry with smooth, Swiss

chocolate for a delicious, premium on-thego snack.

Premium treats present a huge sales opportunity for retailers with over half the population continuing to purchase indulgent foods despite tighter budgets, and two in three consumers now buying snacks for onthe-go consumption, according to Mintel’s Consumer Snacking 2010 report).

“As lifestyles become increasingly more hectic, the demand for on-the-go snacks is booming, so it’s important that retailers capitalise on this by having a wide range of great tasting products available in-store. Not only is the new Toblerone Pastry delicious, its instantly recognisable ‘triangle’ shape and branded sleeve have great shelf standout and we’re confident they will be a real hit with consumers,” says Jon Smythe.

A selection of branded POS, including display units, posters and shelf talkers, is available to support the launch. Toblerone Pastry will be available to retailers frozen and ready for baking in cases of 36 units, along with ready to use branded hand-held sleeves. The product must then be baked in a pre-heated oven for 16-18 minutes at 170oC, before displaying at room temperature (the product must be consumed within 24 hours of bake-off).

Cakes and desserts Mintel research (Mintel Cakes and Cake Bars, June 2011) shows that there are as many as six million on the go snacking

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FESTIVE FAYRE

Erlenbacher’s latest cake triangles.

occasions in the UK, with 58% of consumers eating cake, or cake bars, as a snack.

In time for the celebrations, and of interest to outlets seeking to enhance their cake displays, Erlenbacher have recently launched a new cake concept - cream and mousse cake triangles. These small, elegantly shaped triangular slices are available in a variety of flavours, with the individual slices fitting together to create a larger, more traditional-looking cake if required.

They are available in seven flavours, from fruity creations such as Strawberry Buttermilk, Raspberry Cream Cheese, Tangerine Cream Cheese, to some classic traditional chocolate and nut flavours such as Sacher (a twist on the Viennese classic, made with dark, juicy layers of sponge filled with apricot jam and coated in a fine cocoa sugar glaze).

The subtle arrangement of the individual slices can provide the illusion of a large, conventional cake, but in actual fact it is comprised of twelve pre-cut, conveniently sized single portion slices with tempting fillings. The concept provides flexibility, is easy to handle since the slices are pre-cut, and reduces wastage as the right number of portions can be defrosted as necessary, point out Erlenbacher (www.erlenbacher.co.uk), who have also launched Sweet Moments tartlets selection, the latest addition to their range of frozen desserts.

These single portion treats features luxuriously rich fruit or chocolate centres, including the Stracciatella Cherry tartlet – a sweet treat made using a mixture of cherry and stracciatella cream on a shortcrust pastry base and that contains a fruity cherry filling. The tartlets are packaged in cartons,

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each of which caries 12, allowing the products to be stored easily, and facilitating efficient stock rotation so as minimise wastage. All Sweet Moments tartlets are already baked and frozen so only require being thawed prior to serving. The range is extremely versatile, combining a high visual appeal with high flexibility and low usage costs. As with all their products, Erlenbacher confectioners do not use any artificial colours, preservatives or hydrogenated vegetable fats or oils in the Sweet Moments selection.

The English Cheesecake Company (www.englishcheesecake.com) has been making cheesecakes for the past 20 years and has launched a range of eight individually wrapped cheesecakes for the eat in and take away market.

These include Strawberry Squad (juicy strawberry compote laced into a smooth and creamy baked vanilla cheesecake on a crunchy biscuit base) and Honeycomb Hysteria (filled and topped with heaps of crunchy chocolate honeycomb in a creamy baked vanilla cheesecake on a crunchy biscuit base). There is also Cookies and Cream (luxurious baked vanilla cheesecake blended with crushed cream cookies on a digestive base and topped with an overload or more crushed cream cookies).

All of the cheesecakes are handmade and with a homemade look, made using the freshest, finest and most natural ingredients, say the company. Other cheesecakes in the line up include Sicilian Lemon Squeezers, Skinny New York Cheesecake, New York, New York, Toffee Twister and Cookie Dough Collision.

“Christmas dessert menus are often based on the much loved, traditional favourites, but that doesn’t mean that an

establishment can’t inject some creativity and fresh thinking into their presentation,” says Julia Jones, head of customer marketing for Mövenpick Ice Cream. “And what better to enjoy a ‘modern classic’ alongside a festive pudding than with a scoop or cylinder of contemporary icecream?

“For example, as an alternative to a classic brandy butter accompaniment, the warm tones of Mövenpick Grand Marnier or Mövenpick Amaretto & Almond Ice Cream can be used to complement rich, fruity desserts such as Christmas pudding and mince pies. Seasonal dishes such as a Tarte Tatin with Mövenpick Cognac VSOP or Fruit Crumble and Mövenpick White Chocolate Ice Cream, will also help add interest and indulgence to any dessert menu.

“Increasingly, we are finding that our catering partners are looking for lighter dessert choices. The winter months are so often associated with hearty puddings, yet in reality, many customers often prefer lighter options, to balance out the heavier main courses that are more popular at this time of the year. Dessert options such as a miniature warm chocolate fondant served with a scoop of Mövenpick Pistachio Ice Cream offers an interesting and light alternative.

“A trio of ice-cream can also be a refreshing choice, and with a diverse range of innovative flavours available such as Espresso Croquant, Swiss Chocolate & Coconut and Caramelita available, ice-cream is certainly no longer viewed as the ‘boring option’!”

Christmas drinks “Last year our Christmas coffee proved very popular – we sold about three quarters of a tonne! – so we’ve kept a similar recipe this year, but have just added a little bit of hazelnut and a touch of pecan nut,” reports Kate Jones, of coffee supplier Cherizena.

“Coffee shops found that putting it on a beverage menu, either as a guest coffee or as a limited edition coffee, was an easy way to seasonalise their offering. It’s quite versatile too because it can be used to round off a meal or as a morning coffee, and it’s got a wonderful festive aroma which helps to add to the cheery atmosphere that operators are aiming for in the run-up to Christmas.

“Warming spicy flavours of coffee are popular in the winter, so it makes good commercial sense to add these flavours to a drinks menu. Operators could also consider promoting special offers. Although the Christmas coffee works well on its own as a drink, one option is for café owners to team up a Christmas coffee with a mince pie or a piece of fruit cake, and do a special festive deal for customers. When shoppers are out

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FESTIVE FAYRE Just in time for festive season, Eliot’s have launched a new hot and cold drinks dispenser.

and about, often with friends, they need refreshment stops and seasonal promotions are a good way of bringing them in.”

Eliot’s, the on-trade drinks supplier best known for its range of hot-serve alcoholic beverages, has launched a new and improved bartop dispenser in time for the peak winter and festive season. The dispenser, which swiftly heats each individual serving of Eliot’s drinks at the point of delivery, has been engineered and thoroughly tested to give a ten-year, 20,000 serving lifespan.

All four of the drinks in the Eliot’s range – Mulled Wine, Winter Warmer, Spicy Cider and Sangria – can be served hot when customers need a warming drink. However, Spicy Cider and Sangria have been specially blended to taste just as good chilled over ice during the summer months, say the company, meaning operators can keep their Eliot’s dispenser in use all year round.

“With stockists now serving Eliot’s all year round, we wanted to further to improve the spec and make our patented dispenser stronger and more powerful to cope with demand,” explains Fraser Henderson, managing director of Haywoods Drinks Products which owns the Eliot’s Brand. “The

new model has an increased lifespan and is also easier to clean. It’s the ideal time to upgrade.”

The award winning Mulling Syrup from Taylerson’s – which has been carefully formulated to provide an authentic ‘tastes like Christmas’ - flavour should also appeal to many outlets as it’s a quick and easy option. Just add it to apple juice, or other juices (orange etc), or to some fruit based smoothies, and you’ll have a mulled drink so good that everyone will think you made it from scratch, claim the company.

Simply measure out the drink to be mulled, then measure out the mulling syrup

Deep clean As outlets prepare to cater for the hustle and bustle of the festive season, certified kitchen cleaning professionals, Ingot Services (www.ingotservices.co.uk), highlight the risks of health, safety and even hefty fines being increased by busy custom, but that can easily be taken care of during January downtime, suggest the company.

It has been well reported by the industry that a build-up of grease in extractor hoods and air ducts can be the cause of fires that devastate buildings and businesses and after a period of high usage the risks will be greater still, warn Ingot.

Once the season of celebration is over, some commercial kitchens will experience a quieter start to the New Year, making it an ideal time to plan for essential kitchen maintenance and deep cleaning, reducing the very real threat of future fire outbreak.

“A greasy air duct positioned over

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flames is a fire waiting to happen, and with flues often going up throughout a building the outcome can be devastating but avoidable with regular cleaning,” explains Alan Maynard of Ingot Services.

“With extra custom over Christmas and New Year, outlets will need to make sure that they keep up with the strict fire safety regulations on clean ductwork, and a quieter time in January is an ideal opportunity to do this.”

Taking a short cut and doing it yourself is not advisable, feel the company, as supportable proof of cleanliness is now a major requirement of most insurance policies after the introduction of the Fire Safety Order in 2005.

“We can issue a Certificate of Cleanliness that will satisfy insurers that appropriate measures have been taken to protect against the outbreak of a kitchen fire, saving our customers from hefty fines as well as reducing fire risk,” says Alan Maynard.

(one part syrup to every seven to 10 parts drink generally works well, but it’s best done to taste, advise Taylerson’s). You can heat in an open pan, but don’t boil it, as this will ruin the taste. Alternatively, single serves can be warmed up via a few seconds in a microwave, say the company. Adding some fruit bits that float about in the juice can add to the visual appeal of drinks that can just as easily be served at Halloween or on bonfire night (www.malmesburysyrups.co.uk).

The key elements of success when flavouring a coffee have also now been captured scientifically, claim Taylerson’s, who have now developed their own Syrupodic Table of the elements for a successful, flavoured coffee! Over a cup of flavoured coffee, they discovered that you could align these basic elements into a table that if nothing else, breaks new ground in point-of-sale materials. They have also adapted their Syrupodic table into an Android App (available on Amazon to download for free), making it easier to work out which flavours go with what. The

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FESTIVE FAYRE Syrupodic Table will be available as a poster for coffee shops placing orders with the company this season.

Taylerson’s Malmesbury Syrups are based in rural Wiltshire, making their syrups at Park Farm in Oaksey. They use their own spring water source and a low energy system for processing which they feel makes their flavoured syrups taste better and use less energy. The Mulling Syrups are a finalist in the Q Awards this year, and were a Great Taste Gold Winner in 2010. Available in one litre PET bottles, the company says that it supplies mainly independent coffee shops throughout the country.

“Cafés can enhance their seasonal profits by offering something a little different to the normal coffee based beverages for a warming winter treat,” agrees Belvoir Fruit Farms’ café channel manager, Dan Bewicke.

“Our Spiced Winter Berries Cordial, Ginger Cordial or Apple & Ginger Cordial mixed with hot water provide a delicious pick-me up from the colder weather outside and are a sensation for the senses! With each bottle containing up to eight pints of warming cordial when diluted this is an excellent opportunity to gain incremental sales with very little expenditure.

“Belvoir branded glassware and bottle display units are always available free of charge from us and our wholesale partners, but I find the best advert for these winter must-have drinks is the smell when they’re served hot!”

Belvoir Fruit Farms supplies 13 Cordial varieties, 10 bubbling Pressés and five varieties of still Fruit Crush to the on-trade.

The whole Belvoir range is made from the finest ingredients with no artificial flavours, preservatives or any other ‘nasties’, say the company, tapping into the increasing demand for healthier products. Their drinks include elderberries, blackberries, blackcurrant, ginger and spices making them ideal winter warmers too.

Belvoir also produce 25cl Pressés and 27.5cl Fruit Crush drinks aimed at cafés, coffee shops, bakeries, sandwich bars and delis alike, with varieties such as Elderflower, Ginger Beer and Raspberry Lemonade. Fruit Crush is made with 40% real pressed fruit and blended with Belvoir spring water to produce a delicious 100% natural, still, fruity soft drink. Varieties include Pear and Raspberry, Apple and Blueberry, Apple and Elderflower, Blackcurrant and Apple, and the newest addition to the range Orange and Pink Grapefruit, which launched earlier this year.

Belvoir Fruit Farms was the first company in the UK to make elderflower cordial commercially available and is still the only elderflower maker to grow orchards of elder(flower) trees (www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk).

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Recipe Ideas Glacé cherry gingerbread biscuits These festive favourites are a lovely winter warmer, with added French glace cherries to make them more moist and delicious.

Makes approximately 15 large biscuits Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients 75g French glacé cherries, roughly chopped 275g self-raising flour 5ml bicarbonate of soda 10ml ground ginger 50g butter 45ml golden syrup 75g demerara sugar 1 medium sized egg, beaten Method 1. Sift the flour, soda and ginger into a large mixing bowl. Reserve a few glacé cherry pieces for decoration, then add the remaining glacé cherries to the bowl and mix well.

2. Place the butter, syrup and sugar into a medium-sized saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until melted. Remove from the heat, cool slightly and stir in the egg.

3. Gradually pour the syrup mixture into the flour and mix together to form a soft dough.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 5mm thickness. Use a variety of people or animal shaped cutters to cut out the biscuits. Lift them onto a non-stick baking sheet.

5. Make ‘eyes’ and ‘buttons’ with the reserved glacé cherry pieces and bake for 10-15 mins at 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4 until golden and crisp. Allow to cool before serving.

Glacé cherry flower pot bread This sweet tasting flower pot bread tastes delicious and is ideal for a teatime treat.

Wrap with cellophane and ribbon and they make a perfect gift.

Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, including proving Cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients 450g strong white bread flour 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt Grated zest of 1 lemon 100g glacé cherries 50g macadamia nuts, lightly toasted 75g butter, melted 1 x 7g sachet easy bake yeast 1 egg, beaten 200ml warm water Method 1. Line 6x9cm high terracotta flower pots with parchment paper.

2. Put the dry ingredients into a bowl, sprinkle with the yeast.

3. Add 25g butter, egg and water and mix to a soft dough.

4. Remove from the bowl and place onto a lightly floured board. Knead for 10 minutes (alternatively, if you have a mixer with a dough hook, place all of the ingredients into the mixer bowl and with the dough hook attached, mix to a soft dough. Remove from the bowl onto a floured board and knead for five minutes).

5. Cut the dough into six equal pieces and shape to fit into the flower pots.

6. Place the flower pots onto a baking sheet and cover with a damp tea towel.

Leave in a warm corner and leave to prove until double in size. The dough will prove over the top of the pots and will take about and hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 190°C/370°F/Gas Mark 5 and bake the breads for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter. Serve with butter or preserve.

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 29

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INSTANT COFFEE

Instant improvements Influenced by a broadening taste for darker, stronger coffee, as well as a requirement for quality across the board, instant coffees have been evolving. As two well known brands confirm here, instant coffee is ever popular and in demand, in and out of the home.

Soluble coffee According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO, www.ico.org) instant – or soluble - coffee was invented in 1901 by Japanese-American chemist, Satori Kato of Chicago.

However, it was not until 1938 when Nescafé began marketing it commercially, helping to turn it into the globally known brand name that has become synonymous with this type of coffee.

Needless to say instant coffee became, and still is, popular due to its ease of use, convenience and competitive price point, but the fact that it is manufactured on a large, industrial scale has led to it having many detractors over the years, not least in more recent times with the advent of roast and ground coffees, and the widening availability of a whole host of speciality beverages made to order using coffee machines which deliver a far more theatrical brewing process.

Soluble coffee is manufactured, just like any other coffee, from ground beans. The first stage involves the preparation of a coffee concentrate from which the water is removed, either by heat, known as spray dried, or by freezing, to produce a soluble powder or granules.

During the process of dehydration, the coffee essences may be lost, but these are captured and returned to the processed coffee.

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Influences Paul Freeman, marketing manager at Douwe Egberts, who have had particular success in the foodservice arena with their Pure Gold brand of instant coffee, acknowledges that, to some extent, instant coffee will always suffer from a bad press with espresso purists.

Yet, he points out, at the same time it is important to recognise that instant coffee is still drunk in great quantities across in the UK, whether in offices, leisure centres, hotels or cafés. Australasia too, is a major market for instant coffee as well, he reports, with both regions being big espresso markets (the inference being that even if espressos are not predominantly drunk as ‘neat’ espressos, then they form the basis of speciality drinks, and have thus come to impact upon our palates).

“In the home environment in the UK, we are different to the rest of Europe in that we tend to make decisions based on convenience. On the Continent they are more au fait with making ground coffee, whereas we tend to still reserve the cafetiere for the weekend.

However, as some of the home equipment for roast and ground coffee becomes more affordable to use, this could change,” says Paul Freeman.

“Having said that, we can certainly see the impact of roast and ground coffee on the changing taste of instant coffee. There has been a definite move towards bolder, stronger coffee. This is why when we launched our Continental Rich Roast granulated coffee for foodservice in 2009, we went straight to a darker, richer blend which we supply in 750g catering tins.

“Although there will always be a ‘stigma’ attached to instant coffee, instant is more acceptable and back on the table, and in future we could well see trends towards origins of certain espresso coffees being made available as instant coffees too. It could be that flavours of instant coffee start to reflect emotions and moods more, particularly in retail. We have recently launched some blends into retail and we will be watching them with interest to see what pointers they might give us for foodservice.”

Globally, Douwe Egberts can

claim to be the largest OOH roaster, and in the UK it is the third largest coffee company.

They use the same beans for all of their coffees, irrespective of type, aiming for quality across their product range.

The Nescafé brand, another major brand of instant coffee, has also been very successful in developing their soluble

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INSTANT COFFEE coffee both for the retail consumer and in the OOH (out of home) environment. They are constantly involved in NPD (new product development) and promotional campaigns accordingly.

“Soluble coffee has come a long way and contrary to popular belief, the quality of coffee from fully-automatic instant coffee machines has seen remarkable improvement.

It is now widely recognised that automatic machines have come very close indeed to replicating the drinks served by skilled staff,” says Martin Thorpe, head of dispense beverage business unit at Nestlé Professional® (www.nescafemilano.co.uk).

“Many machines on the market - like our Milano, for example - can serve a premium cup of coffee 30% faster than a typical bean to cup machine.

This means that consumers could be taking the first sip of their premium coffee in just 25

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“Although there will always be a ‘stigma’ attached to instant coffee, instant is more acceptable and back on the table, and in future we could well see trends towards origins of certain espresso coffees being made available as instant coffees too.”

seconds versus considerably longer for a typical roast and ground coffee. With systems like the Milano, the coffee takes care of itself, allowing café owners and managers to focus their time and energies on getting the rest of the service right.”

The Nescafé Milano has been designed to deliver a true roast and ground style quality coffee and offers between eight and 14 premium café style drinks, all delivered at the touch of a button. Clean tasting, is uses fresh 100% skimmed milk powder, helping to avoid the storage and hygiene issues of handling fresh milk.

As there is no capital investment, training or hidden costs that you might sometimes associate with roast and ground solutions that often require trained specialists, to many, it offers a fast and efficient, easy to use option.

Each cup tastes as good as the last, regardless of who serves it, claim Nestlé Professional.

And with its contemporary and stylish looks, the Milano is the type of machine that can be displayed at the front or back of a counter, or table top, its small footprint making the machine ideal for low, moderate and high-volume establishments.

Nescafé’s Gold Blend® (the

nation’s favourite premium coffee, according to IRI, MAT May 2011 research) has recently had its flavour improved to give a new, richer aroma that has been specially designed to stimulate the senses, say the company. The new recipe has been developed to retain all the much loved attributes of the original blend, say Nescafé, but provide consumers with an even richer coffee flavour.

“Nestlé Professional is committed to driving

innovation and development, in line with what our customers want, and we are proud to offer this new Nescafé Gold Blend recipe,” says Wendy Christensen, category lead for standard ingredients at Nestlé Professional.

“Gold Blend offers a great opportunity to those caterers who want to deliver a coffee that has instant recognition with their customers – a brand they can trust. The Nescafé team is investing significantly in marketing initiatives to support and create awareness around

Celebrating 30 years of service…tea, coffee, specialist equipment, expert advice, and soon…. a trade brochure and quarterly newsletter to keep you up to date with all the latest!

Call or visit us on 01243 5557775 or www.edgcumbes.co.uk NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 31

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INSTANT COFFEE the ‘better than ever’ recipe, which started with a television advertising campaign that launched in September.”

There are a variety of formats of Nescafé Gold Blend to suit a range of business needs, from catering tins to single serve coffee sticks. There is also a decaffeinated option to offer to those customers wanting to cut down their caffeine intake (www.npextra.co.uk/ goldblend).

Chain coffee in an instant Back in 2009, the global high street coffee chain, Starbucks, launched its own brand of ‘instant’ coffee - VIA™ Ready Brew – in what was pitched as being the biggest innovation in instant for 40 years, and now the coffee is available in over 3,700 locations, including retail, grocery, online, airlines and trains.

In July 2010, two varieties of Starbucks’ VIA coffee were launched into UK supermarkets - Starbucks VIA Columbia (a

rich, smooth coffee with a signature walnut-like taste) and Starbucks VIA Italian Roast (a bold, sweet, dark-roasted

Cup size International Paper Foodservice says that it is giving the UK vending market the opportunity to replicate the high street coffee shop experience by suggesting it makes a radical move away from the traditional standard plastic 7oz vending cup. The paper cup manufacturer is producing 8oz, 10 oz and 12 oz cups, typical of what you would expect to get in a high street chain coffee shop, say the company.

“High street coffee shops serve drinks in 8oz and 12oz cups mainly and, whilst there have been 12oz paper vending cups for many years, the 8oz has not been available,” says Mike Gardner, sales and marketing director for International Paper’s Foodservice business in Europe. “Whether the consumer is on a factory floor, in an office, or any other place of work, the idea of a machine giving coffee as good as the high street is going to appeal.

The size of the cups and the fact that they are paper and not plastic adds to the experience. We are calling for a revolution. It’s time to switch your 7oz plastic cups for our smart, well-designed paper cups – and bigger drinks mean bigger margins !”

International Paper has been producing paper cups for over 50 years and has a reputation as a world leader for innovation in this field. Its range now includes an 8oz cup for vending machines and, as these have a 73mm diameter, they can be dropped into 7oz squat cup units without the need for splitter modifications (www.ipfoodservice.co.uk).

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coffee). Both are available in packs of three (£1.39), seven (£2.99), and a multiple serving tin that provides 24 servings (£6.99). In addition, customers visiting Starbucks stores can also purchase Starbucks VIA Decaf Italian Roast and Starbucks VIA Breakfast Blend, described as a lighter roast, delivering a crisp flavour and a clean finish.

Starbucks teamed up with Fine Food distributor R.H. Amar & Co Ltd to secure the grocery retail distribution of Starbucks VIA in the UK, so that consumers who have previously bought this product in its coffeehouses could purchase it during their weekly shop (Starbucks whole bean coffees have been available in grocery stores across the UK since 2006). The launch was supported by extensive in-store sampling, digital engagement and newspaper advertising.

“The expansion into grocery is part of the company’s strategy to sell high quality coffee beyond the coffeehouse,” said Ray Conway,

director, Global Consumer Products, Starbucks UK and Europe at the launch.

“It represents a significant opportunity because although consumers have got used to better coffee in our stores, the instant they drink at home hasn’t significantly improved for 40 years. We trialled VIA for a year before taking it nationwide and into supermarkets, and found the customer response to be exceptional. During our Taste Challenge weekend some 400,000 tried VIA, and almost half of them went onto buy."

Starbucks VIA™ say that it took nearly 20 years to develop and marked a major breakthrough in quality and innovation as it contains fresh micro-ground coffee to bring a full-bodied taste and aroma to coffee made in an instant. Put simply, Starbucks’ aim was to provide a coffee that tastes as good as its fresh filter coffee, targeted at coffee lovers who want convenience, but who find that conventional instant falls short of their expectations.

“In the home environment in the UK, we are different to the rest of Europe in that we tend to make decisions based on convenience.”

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Introducing

Vouchercloud Café Society members can now take advantage of a great new marketing tool following agreement between the Café Society and Vouchercloud, rated the UK’s leading consumer voucher app by the Sunday Times, Sun and Daily Telegraph with over 1.3 million downloads.

Promotions Vouchercloud enables businesses to run voucher promotions over mobile phones, providing consumers with an instant incentive visit their outlet. Furthermore, because it is localised, even individual cafés and coffee shops can use it as a means of promotion – and you can change the promotions from weekto-week, month-tomonth or even day-today. You can also control how many vouchers each person gets with each voucher campaign as well as how many in total can be redeemed. With every redemption you also receive a digital receipt.

For the consumer, the apps are free to download, free to use and deliver a fantastic range of money-saving offers from popular national brands, such as Odeon and Vue cinemas to Debenhams, as well as local businesses.

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Using GPS technology, Vouchercloud instantly identifies the deals nearest to where the consumer is located when they are out and about. Alternatively, they can choose any location they will be travelling to in the UK to check out what’s on offer.

Food, drink, entertainment, leisure, travel professional services and shopping – they're all there, with new ones added every day. So there is a real benefit.

User friendly Vouchercloud is also extremely user friendly and using the app is as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1) Consumers simply browse for an offer by category or using the search facility.

2) Then they read the terms and conditions, and 3) When in store, press the USE VOUCHER button, show the next screen when paying and press SHOW CODE when prompted to do so.

The voucher use is then recorded through the system.

Benefits In setting up an arrangement with Vouchercloud, the Society has agreed a 12.5% discount for members off the annual rate for a business to use the system. For a small café, this brings the annual cost down from £199 + VAT to £174 + VAT. Any members wishing to take up this offer (or get more information on it) should contact Tony Lorimer at the Society on 01291 636333 (tony@cafesociety.org.uk) to obtain the special discount code.

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 33

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A dairy farm’s

café cool

A Yorkshire couple - Jeremy and Louise Holmes – have proved that the cream always rises to the top with a successful farm diversification project producing artisan ice cream.

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PROFILE Diversification Four years ago husband and wife team, Jeremy and Louise Holmes, like so many other dairy farmers, wanted to diversify their third generation milk retailing business to ensure sustainability, as well as put the surplus of cream produced on the farm to good use. They also wanted to unleash their creative flair on a product that showcased the best of their farm and other Yorkshire producers.

Jeremy, always a fan of ice cream, decided that this might be something to try and so Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream Company was born (www.yummyyorkshire.co.uk). They started producing in April 2007, using the milk and cream from the farm combined with fresh, authentic ingredients, sourced from local producers where possible.

“Louise and I were both born in Yorkshire and are very proud of where we live,” says Jeremy. “We wanted to produce something truly Yorkshire that would be appreciated, not just by locals, but by those from further afield too.”

Initially, the couple only sold their ice cream to retailers from the farmyard gates.

But word soon got out, and it became apparent that another outlet was needed to cope with demand and capitalise on the interest that the product was generating from the general public.

“We knew we needed to get our ice cream on to cones because that is where the majority of profit is,” says Jeremy. “So a year later, with an investment of £19,000, we converted two redundant calf pens on the farm and opened our own ice cream parlour and coffee shop. This gave us the opportunity to continue developing the brand and to showcase our products directly

to a wider audience.”

The ice cream parlour has since become a popular destination for both foodies and families from Yorkshire and beyond.

Ice cream suppliers In addition to selling directly to customers via the ice cream parlour, Louise and Jeremy have also grown the wholesale side of their

Deliciously thick and creamy gourmet yogurt made from a secret family recipe proudly made in Little Melton, Norfolk.

Made for adults, loved by kids. www.littlemeltonyogurt.co.uk www.facebook.com/littlemelton

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NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 35

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business, and now supply coffee shops, tea rooms, restaurants, hotels, farm shops, delis and award-winning gastro pubs throughout Yorkshire.

Recently, several tourist attractions keen to sell ice cream in their on site coffee shops, have also signed up to Yummy Yorkshire including the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Ripley Castle and National Trust destination, Hardcastle Crags.

Despite the fact that Yummy Yorkshire was launched in one of the wettest summers on record, ice cream production levels have increased year on year, report the entrepreneurs.

Today, the business produces 120 litres of ice cream on a daily basis in an everexpanding range of flavours ranging from the traditional to the more adventurous – some recent additions include Yorkshire Pudding Ice cream made with raspberry vinegar and gravy, and Beetroot (a subtly sweet flavour that has proven to be one of the summer’s bestsellers, also scooping a Gold Star at this year’s Great Taste Awards).

Local flavour Louise, who is responsible for ice cream production as well as the development of new flavours, says: “Our interesting flavour variations have become well known in our corner of Yorkshire and customers always want to know which outlets are stocking our flavours so they can hunt them out! We feel this gives us an edge over the large scale producers who churn out the same group of flavours.”

Louise also believes that another key factor in the company’s appeal to local outlets lies in their commitment to using regionally sourced ingredients.

“We partner with other local producers where possible. Many of our suppliers see the advantage of this and work closely with us to achieve a mutually beneficial product.

This has resulted in flavours such as our triple award-winning Lou’s Liquorice ice cream made using Pontefract cakes and the Chilli Jam ice cream using an unusual product from the Chilli Jam Man based in Leeds,” explains Louise.

A local grower in Garforth, Leeds, is also a

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CAFÉ CULTURE

source of major inspiration according to which fruits are in season. Strawberries are stock-piled in the summer to keep this family favourite going all year. Others, such as Gooseberry Fool, Raspberry Ripple and Elderflower & Blackberry, come and go according to the availability of the fruit.

According to Louise, customers are very responsive to this approach. “There is an ever-increasing shift in wanting to know where food comes from,” she observes. “We have seen this develop over the four years we have been in the industry and people are now far more aware of the quality of the food they eat thanks to chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

“Our wholesale customers want to know where the ingredients come from, as they in turn will get asked by their customers. Some will even ask us what the cows are fed on during the winter months. As a result, we ensure that provenance is wellcommunicated to stockists through labelling, newsletters and joint PR with suppliers.”

Yummy Yorkshire’s dedication to using local, seasonal produce has also helped them develop a year round portfolio of flavours, which is popular with coffee shops and venues that are keen to keep their menus fresh and interesting.

“We know from our own ice cream parlour that there is definitely a demand for ice cream all year round. The key is tapping into it,” says Louise. “We recommend offering seasonal flavours that tie in with events on the calendar such as Bonfire Night and Christmas and as a result now produce flavours such as Parkin, Toffee Apple and Christmas Cake ice cream.

“We have found that people love being able to get unusual flavours at this time of year that they can’t get at any other time.

Add these flavours to a great dessert like some of the chefs do that we work with and it’s a winner.”

Needless to say, innovative flavour creations like this have not only resulted in more wholesale customers for Yummy Yorkshire but also many award wins on both a national and regional level. Among them, five Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards and Deliciouslyorkshire supreme product of

the year as well as Food & Drink Producer of the Year in the 2010 Yorkshire Rural Awards.

The award wins have helped ensure that the brand name now carries significant value and Yummy Yorkshire is often featured on many of its customer’s menus by name. As such, Jeremy and Louise have invested heavily in the brand and every new customer is supplied with A-board swing signs to support their ice cream sales. A bi-annual newsletter which is distributed both in the farm’s ice cream parlour and to the general public at events, highlights new wholesale customers and showcases their products where possible as does regular social media activity and PR. Future plans Future plans for the business include extending the ice cream parlour and increasing ice cream production capacity which will enable Yummy Yorkshire to start supplying larger venues and organisations.

But despite their expansion plans, Louise and Jeremy intend to keep their ice cream as a premium, artisan product.

“Being a relatively small operation means that we can play around with our flavours until we get them right,” says Louise. “We can literally just lift the lid of our ice cream maker and taste it, so we know straightaway if something needs to be added. We also have the flexibility of easily introducing a new flavour to our product line without compromising our standards. We have created many one-off flavours for outlets looking for something special or exclusive for their menu. Just recently we created Malted Chocolate Honeycomb for Bradley’s Restaurant in Huddersfield.”

Louise has one final piece of advice for coffee shops and outlets looking to capitalise on ice cream: “Most customers are looking for a dessert option which is indulgent but also affordable, and this is where premium, artisan ice-creams really come into their own,” she says. “Ice-cream, whether you serve it as a simple scoop, in a cone, or as part of a dessert, is often seen as a ‘special treat’, so quality is extremely important. If you get this right, then there is plenty of profit to be made!”

C

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FEE F O

CL

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

INIC

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

The strange and the silly!

It’s that time of the year again (where has this year gone?) that I can put a few little snippets of jobs that we've been out to over the year that have made me or my engineers chuckle, or look in terror. Our yearly totals of strange and silly call outs have dropped a bit this year, but looking back through the records we still went out to 11 call outs where the machine had been switched off (only six this year were the water had been turned off).

Five call outs where they were saying the shots were

too small, only to discover they classed an espresso shot as A TIDDLY WIDDLY BIT (as one girl put it). Numerous telephone conversations about how to fix blocked milk tubes on bean to cups, but one takes the cake by, after talking her through the cleaning and saying that nothing was still happening, we went to site only to find that the milk fridge was set to the lowest temp which caused the milk to turn to an ice block! She went a little red when I picked it up in one block and advised another jug of milk will fix the fault!

Question We have a Jura Bean to cup machine that we use at home and it’s been serving us well for the last three years. We had a party a while ago and after the machine had been used quite constantly it came up with FILL WATER TANK which we told a friend how to do, but he ended up putting the water down the cleaning spout instead causing the machine to go bang. After we checked it out, and nothing was turning on, we left it overnight and found that it tripped the fuse. We turned it back on and tested the machine but it still went bang. We then left it for a week or two, and decided to turn it back on just recently.

It actually started up and worked, but there are strange messages coming up on the screen and it also turns itself on and off quite frequently.

It also started dispensing drinks out the opposite nozzle the other day so we’re concerned that it could be seriously in trouble. Any ideas?

Answer Shoot your friend! It’s sounding like a logic board that has got electrical issues. From the sound of your description the machine is an X5 Jura. My suggestion would be to call an engineer out to have a look, but explain the situation first as the boards themselves aren't the cheapest to buy and take a little time to fit.

These accidents can happen and it isn’t as rare as you think. We have had quite a few call outs for pouring water down the wrong spout! I hope that you can get it repaired and you get back to having your coffee again shortly.

Call out of the year...

Now this isn’t a customer call out, but an engineer. After having a stressed out week, an engineer down south had an installation organised for the Friday morning.

He had put the machine in his van, all ready for the long journey down to the install, but his girlfriend asked a massive favour - to move

some furniture for a friend – so he removed the machine and did his girlfriend the favour. Unfortunately he didn’t put the machine back in and drove the 175 miles down to the site only to open the rear van doors to discover no machine! After a disgruntled customer realised he didn’t do it on purpose,

they both laughed, but the engineer did have a 700 mile round trip for one install. We

did all kill ourselves laughing after catching up for a beer a week later of course.

Fom all the staff at Coffix, I hope that everyone has a great Christmas and an even better 2012.

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 37

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MARKET TRENDS

Lunch must meet

lifestyle needs Consumers are now focusing on speed, convenience and everyday value for lunch options that fit their routine, argues Patrick Noone of US-based market research company, Technomic, Inc. whose multiple UK Consumer Trend Reports, as well as the MenuMonitor menutracking resource, provides revealing insight into lunchtime behaviours, attitudes and menu options.

The lunch market At lunch, consumers seek options that suit their busy lives, especially during the week. The lunch market at limited-service restaurants is dominated by a few menu categories, but the midday meal is much more fragmented at full-service restaurants.

At limited-service restaurants, sandwiches, pizza and salad comprise 65% of main course items on menus, according to Technomic’s menu tracking resource MenuMonitor. An analysis of the top 150 UK chains reveals that sandwiches make up 35% of main courses, pizza 17%, and salad 10%. And each of these has increased in incidence and share since 2009.

Full-service UK restaurants offer a wider variety of lunch

options. Sandwiches still comprise the greatest portion of main courses, but their share is much smaller than on limited-service menus - 10%.

Pasta and burgers each hold a 9% share, beef 8% and chicken, pizza and salad each makes up 7%. Burgers, beef dishes and pizza have grown on full-service restaurant menus.

Taking a bite of sandwiches Because they are the most frequently menued lunch item at top chains, and consumers name them a top choice for lunch, sandwiches are worth a deeper look. They also provide a snapshot of what consumers are looking for in lunch items overall.

Technomic’s UK Sandwich Consumer Trend Report, which included results from an in-

Base: 1,000 consumers aged 18+ Source: Technomic U.K. Sandwich Consumer Trend Report

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depth survey of 1,000 adults, found that more than half of consumers (54%) order sandwiches away from home for lunch at least once a week.

And about three in 10 (29%) have sandwiches more often than once a week. Many of these consumers may be relying on sandwiches as a quick and portable option that they can pick up for lunch on workdays.

When asked to select their favourite sandwich to eat for lunch, one out of five consumers chose a mayobased sandwich (21%) such as egg, tuna or chicken. Following that, at least one in 10 consumers also say that they prefer to eat chicken breast, sub (12%) and filled roll sandwiches (10%). Operators that draw a heavy lunch crowd, or want to boost business during lunch hours will want to consider offering these types of sandwiches if they are not doing so already.

Interesting gender differences also emerge. For instance, mayo-based sandwiches are preferred for lunch by more women (24%) than men (17%). Burgers and breakfast sandwiches are preferred for lunch by more men than women. This is likely related to the fact that males are less concerned with customisation and health. At lunch, consumers are most

Patrick Noone is vice president of Business Development for Technomic, Inc., a Chicago-based consulting and research firm focused on food and foodservice.

Noone is responsible for the development and marketing of online resources, reports and custom studies providing manufacturers, distributors, operators and financial institutions with key industry data that is actionable to their strategic and tactical business planning process. He can be reached at pnoone@technomic.com.

likely purchasing their burgers and breakfast sandwiches from quick-service restaurants, locations that are perceived to offer items that are not especially healthy and are often not made to order.

Consumers who selected a favourite sandwich to eat for lunch were further asked about why they prefer this sandwich, providing insight into what attributes are important to consumers at lunch. Nearly three out of five

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MARKET TRENDS

consumers (56%) report that their favourite lunch sandwich satisfies their hunger. This was the top reason by a wide margin, indicating that if a sandwich is not perceived to be filling, it will likely not appeal to many consumers for lunch.

Women are especially interested in ordering a healthy sandwich for lunch (34%, compared to 24% of men), while men place more importance on portion size (39%, compared to 27% of women).

Operators may also want to think about how they can offer sandwiches at lunch in such a way that will satisfy multiple consumer need states. The most effective strategy seems to centre around offering sandwiches that are filling but are still affordable, healthy and portable.

Operators could differentiate their sandwich offerings and marketing messages by gender. For instance, males seem to want more substantial sandwiches at lunch. Operators could consider offering larger or meatier sandwiches (such as Leon’s slow-cooked Shredded Pork Sandwich). On the other hand, Leon’s new Grilled Chicken Wrap with yoghurt and aïoli may resonate more with females. Another approach would be to allow customers to add more

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toppings to a standard size sandwich.

In addition to looking at the drivers that are most important to consumers when selecting their favourite sandwich for lunch, Technomic also crossed this data by sandwich type to help operators determine how to market offerings based on consumer perceptions.

‘Satisfaction of hunger’ was chosen among the top three purchase drivers for each type of sandwich. This is not surprising, considering that we have already seen this to be the strongest driver overall by a wide margin. Likewise, considering portion size goes hand in hand with satisfying hunger, it is not surprising that consumers also consider it when ordering sandwiches for lunch. ‘Good portion size’ is the top reason consumers chose sub sandwiches (53%), burgers (45%) and filled roll sandwiches (42%) for meals at lunchtime. In addition, ‘good portion size’ is also one of the top three reasons consumers chose paninis, breakfast sandwiches and toasties.

Health is also a factor.

Consumers perceive chicken breast sandwiches and wraps to be particularly healthy sandwich options. Those who prefer chicken breast sandwiches (53%) and wraps (61%) cite health as a reason for the preference.

Additionally, more than a third of consumers who prefer mayonnaise-based (33%) and filled roll (30%) sandwiches at lunch say it is due to health.

Whether they purchase healthly items or not, 31% say it’s very important to know the nutritional content of sandwiches.

Consumer demands at lunch When deciding where to purchase a sandwich for lunch, taste and quality are integral.

Beyond that, about seven in 10 consumers say that overall value (71%) and price (68%) are important traffic drivers at lunch. Interestingly, only 18% of consumers say vouchers strongly influence their sandwich purchases. Use of

Base: 963 consumers aged 18+ who chose a favourite sandwich for lunch Source: Technomic U.K. Sandwich Consumer Trend Report vouchers has been high in the past few years, but this research indicates a shift to placing priority on a strong everyday value position rather than on money-off deals.

About two-thirds of consumers report that having a variety of sandwich and sandwich ingredients (68%) and portion size (66%) are important factors when deciding where to purchase a sandwich for lunch. Six in 10 consumers (60%) say that location is an important traffic driver at lunch.

Takeaway and ready-made options provide added convenience. Consumers say about seven out of 10 of their away-from-home sandwiches (69%) were purchased for takeout. A similar percentage (71%) says ready-made sandwiches are a good option when pressed for time, and 50% of consumers feel they are more convenient than made-to-order options.

Operators that are not already doing so might want to consider how they can capitalise on consumers’ need for speed. One option could be to tout speed of service by offering ready-made sandwiches for consumers to quickly grab during lunch hours. For many consumers these items may be especially appealing options because they require no preparation time, and therefore the entire sandwich purchasing transaction can take just a minute or less.

What’s next?

As this research shows, consumers focus their priority on convenience and everyday value for lunch options that fit their routine. Looking ahead, Technomic expects to see interest in healthy lunch options escalating as new legislation/guidelines are proposed. In-store calorie count displays, paired with lower-calorie items, will become more widespread.

Driven by demand for greater variety and higherquality food, fast-casuals will continue to gain share. Quick service operators will respond through expanded menus to broaden their customer base.

And pubs will play an increasingly important role at lunch, especially if they are able to tackle timing issues.

Time constraints will push consumers to consider takeaway for more lunch occasions. So we see highly portable handheld options proliferating for on-the-go lunches and snacks. Retail store takeaway will play a great role by offering freshly prepared packaged meals, snacks and grab-and-go items that align with the busy consumer lifestyle. Home and office delivery takeaways will flourish. The US food truck trend will roll into the UK, meeting the needs of timestrapped consumers and cashstrapped operators. And popup takeaways and takeaway formats for established concepts will take off.

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 39

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NEW PRODUCTS

New Bloom tea

Welsh baker aiming to be top of the cake pops An award-winning Welsh bakery is aiming to be top of the cake pops with customers across the UK with its mouth watering new products.

Innovative Clam’s Cakes, based in Crickhowell, has launched two chocolate cake pops which are going down a storm with sweet toothed customers in coffee shops and other retail outlets. Cake pops are the hot new thing in baking in the UK, having been a hit in America for many years. A ball of cake is dipped in chocolate, individually decorated and is eaten like a lollipop.

Sales director Lewis Phillips ventured into cake pops after seeing them on an American stand at London Coffee Festival earlier year. It took him two months to perfect the manufacturing process but the investment has proved well worthwhile.

Clam’s Cakes has so far developed two varieties – dark chocolate cake decorated with Smarties and white chocolate cake decorated with Hundreds and Thousands (call 01873 812283 or visit www.clamscakes.co.uk).

We all know how healthy tea is for us, but finding the right tea to suit our needs isn’t always that easy. New London tea company, Bloom, have solved this problem with a simple range of five delicious teas that are tailor made for different times of day! A simple menu arranges each tea to suit your body’s changing needs throughout the day so you can make quick and informed decisions about which tea is best suited for your own needs, or you can use the menu as a guide to find the perfect

tea as a gift for someone special.

There’s re-awakening Breakfast Tea, destress and relieve muscular tension midmorning with Fragrant Green Tea, aid digestion with stomach cleansing ingredients at lunch with Soothing White Tea, restore concentration and energy levels late afternoon with Energizing Earl Grey Tea and relax and detox after a long day in the evening with Caffeine Free Rooibos Tea (call or visit www.BloomTea.co.uk).

Magrini sponsor British Smoothie Championships Magrini were recently the proud sponsors of the British Smoothie Championships 2011 which took place at the lunch! exhibition at Old Billingsgate where the prize on offer was a Vitamix Quiet One blender worth over £1,200.

Now in its third year the championship was won by Silvie Parcot from Crussh with her delicious Pomegranate Passion Pleasure smoothie which combined pomegranate, banana, mango, pineapple, pineapple juice, passion fruit and yogurt all blended in less than 14 seconds in the Quiet One blender!

After knocking out defending champion (and pre-event favourite)

Vimal DePala from Shaketastic in the first heat, Parcot went on to beat Oliver Wilson-Fish, co-owner of Lancasterbased Juicafe, and Daniel Gentely, owner of Elephant Juice Bar in EC1, to win the title of nation’s best (call 01543 375311 or visit www.magrini.co.uk).

N&W promises to roll out its finest at Vendex North 2011 – and that includes the coffee!

N&W will maintain its usual high standard at this year’s Vendex North with an exciting line-up which includes the Canto, the Samba Top, the Kobalto and the new fully automatic table top machine, the Solista.

To ensure visitors to its

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CAFÉ CULTURE

stand have a memorable experience, N&W will also be serving Kopi Luwak, or Civet coffee, the world’s most expensive coffee. This rare and exotic coffee bean will be produced in N&W’s Canto Espresso plus fresh brew model to give coffee lovers the

opportunity to enjoy one of the most exceptional and exclusive hot drinks brewed by one of the most superior machines.

Visit the N&W stand, E16, at Vendex North on Tuesday, 15 November (call 01902 355000 or visit www.nwglobalvending.co.uk).

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NEW PRODUCTS

Pidy triumphs at lunch! 2011 It’s a hat trick for Pidy as they get their third top award this year (they were also winners of the Food Processing Magazine Product of the Year category in September 2011 and winner of an IFE Fresh Ideas Award in March 2011).

The company’s national accounts manager Simon Matthews (left) receives gold from lunch! event manager, Chris Brazier (right). The highest award in the lunch!

2011 Innovation Challenge, was given to Meringue Crumble, Pidy’s flagship show launch product. Pidy’s

container for the Crumbles is an easy-to-hold dispenser and has a flip open top with a choice of pouring size which also helps maintain its freshness.

“We gave Pidy Gold because of the simplicity of the concept, its versatility, its instancy and the thought which had been put behind dispensing the product,” said the judges. “It captured our imagination and we wondered why no-one had thought of it before.”

Call 01604 705666 or visit www.pidy.com.

Famous Scottish cake maker selects QED equipment for new Clydebank restaurant

Victor tops the lot Victor Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of British-made hot and cold foodservice solutions, has a range of Heated Display Units for all applications where space is short but expectations high. The range features six models in a range of sizes with a choice of glass or stainless steel tops.

The Gastronorm GN1/1 compatible HDU30G glass top unit has a slimline base and 300W operator changeable quartz heat lamp to maintain hot food temperatures ready for service.

Measuring 1110 x 580 x 520mm it has a stainless steel body and boasts a toughened glass sneeze screen with independent controls to both base and gantry. With a 13 amp plug fitted and two metres of cabling the ‘topper’ is an extremely versatile and invaluable addition to any operation. A complementary matching chilled unit is also available (for a copy of the new colour brochure call 01274 722125, or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

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Sutherlands is best-known as a manufacturer of colourful and tasty cakes, which it sells from its factory in Dumbarton and to retail outlets throughout Scotland. The company has recently expanded by opening a new coffee shop/restaurant in the busy Clydebank shopping centre, near Glasgow. As an important part of the design, it selected the Continental Coffee Shop system from Glasgowbased Quality Equipment Distributors (QED) The system comprises chilled and ambient serve-over counters combined with modular bar units, back bar storage and mirrored shelving. The Decoration J design selected by Sutherlands is finished in stainless

steel cladding with marble worktops and trims. QED also supplied a stainless steel multi-deck display case and a glass-topped ice cream cabinet to complete the scheme (call 0141 779 9503 or visit www.qualityequipment.co.uk).

Scanomat UK bean to cup with support!

Scanomat UK has two major launches in its Venezia range. The machines brew any type of coffee from espresso through to latte and cappuccino as well as hot chocolate and not forgetting, hot water for tea.

The Scanomat Venezia Bean to Cup hybrid coffee machine offers fresh ground coffee, backed up with a soluble option, and the Scanomat Venezia instant coffee machine has an option of a fresh milk system that can be installed under, or over the counter.

Scanomat UK Limited was formed in November 2010 to deliver the prestigious Scanomat brand of beverage systems direct

to the British market. It offers hot and cold beverage solutions, from instant machines through to roast and ground systems, a choice of own-label, inhouse roasted coffees and Fairtrade brands, all with full merchandising support and comprehensive maintenance and service back up (call 0800 032 7581 or visit www.scanomat.co.uk).

NOVEMBER 2011 CAFÉ CULTURE 41

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INDEX

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 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

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

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

Technomic Inc. Knowledge Center, 300 S Riverside Plaza, Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois IL 60606 Contact: Patrick Noone Tel: +01 205 991 1234 Fax: +01 205 980 3770 Email: pnoone@technomic.com Web: www.technomic.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

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

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