Quality equals loyalty

Operators and suppliers are agreed; the best way to build your business is to offer a good quality product well served. Ian Martin reports

"A decent speciality coffee is difficult to make in the home, so coffee sales will remain strong despite the recession," insists Elaine Higginson, managing director of First Choice Coffee (FCC).

"But customers will remain loyal only if coffee quality remains high and consistent, "she says adding: "Coffee will continue to be one of the biggest profit drivers in the hospitality industry.

"It costs approximately 21p to make an Americano; and with a selling price of £2, that's a 90% profit margin. Serving 25 cups of coffee a day, could generate annual profits of £16,000."

Research conducted by Kenco confirms quality as key to the consumer when out and about, followed by convenience, value and sustainable sourcing.

As far as cost is concerned, Mike Osborne sales director of Café du Monde says the recession and the recent weakness of sterling against the euro have combined to increase the prices of genuine Italian-built espresso machines.

But Café du Monde has now introduced a "recession-beating" machine from La Spaziale starting at £2,570. The so-called Special uses tried-and-tested components but avoids "some of the refinements and features expected on more expensive models".

Featuring push-button operation and two frothers as standard, the 2-group machine with 10-litre boiler has a list price of £2,570 while the 3-group with 15-litre boiler lists at £3,125; fully-inclusive lease deals are also available.

Osborne says: "The Special could save customers as much as £1000 on comparable machines".

Nick Neal, sales director at water boiler manufacturer Instanta, also recognises that price remains crucial to purchasing decisions.

"However, we are seeing growing interest in products that have built-in features that save energy or increase reliability," he adds.

"For example, machines in our Thousand series can be switched to Eco mode during quieter periods and have no fewer than five probes to monitor everything from water level to scale build-up."

As space-saving is also "a big issue" with catering operators, Instanta offers a range of under-counter boilers.

And if size is really the overriding concern, then a US manufacturer has developed "the world's first truly portable espresso maker".

Called the Twist, it is available in the UK from Catering & Leisure Supplies' Cream Supplies division, is 27cm long and weighs less than half a kilo.

Powered by a gas cartridge hidden in its handle, it produces one large or two small espressos in 20-30 seconds; each cartridge is sufficient for eight espressos.

Meanwhile, the compact prestolino! fully-automatic coffee machine from WMF measures only 325mm by 676mm by 555mm and fits small counter tops.

With a touch-screen display providing step-by-step instructions, it eliminates the need for a barista or for extensive staff training.

Offering 16 hot drink specialities, it is available with one or two grinders, with or without hot chocolate or a topping container. The prestolino! is equipped with an automatic cleaning programme, drinks counter, hot water and barista button so the user can tailor coffee strength to suit individual tastes.

An adjustable spout means cups of 70mm up to 180mm high can be filled.

In other developments Kenco has just has launched the FreshSeal 2Go hot drinks system which works in conjunction with Kenco FreshSeal products to provide branded hot drinks "even in the most operationally-challenged environments", including outdoor catering. The compact unit can be plumbed and non-plumbed.

And FCC has launched the Black&White COOL bean-to-cup machine that operates from cold milk to produce a high-quality and consistent textured foam at the touch of a button.

The touch-screen control system operates in real-time with "smart" buttons to provide information as needed. An automatic cleaning function is also incorporated.

FCC's Elaine Higginson explains: "It is ideal for high-volume outlets that don't employ full-time baristas because it produces barista-standard coffee every time at the touch of a button, meaning any member of staff can operate it."

She says: "The Black&White COOL provides an opportunity to extend the beverages menu as cold milk is dispensed for speciality coffees and chilled summer drinks that can be flavoured with syrups."

Sielaff's new Piacere bean-to-cup machine range comprises the Mono with one grinder and the Duo with two, both of which utilise the company's precision grinder mechanism.


Each is available with or without a chilled fresh milk module and can be configured with an additional soluble ingredient hopper for chocolate, flavouring or whitener.

Features include: a hot water tap as standard; a four-line display detailing functions being performed by the machine; and a height-adjustable swivelling cup shelf to accommodate tall latte glasses or pots of up to 190mm in height.

Marco Beverage Systems has introduced the Filtro Mini Jug, a small batch filter coffee brewer that prepares coffee directly into a 1.6-litre thermal jug, eliminating traditional hotplates.

The unit operates on the "flash" boiler principle: Hot water is sprayed over a bed of ground coffee in the filter basket after which the brewed coffee is poured directly into the thermal jug.

Once the brew-ready light comes on, the thermal jug can be removed. This approach means coffee is not left on a hotplate for long periods and the insulated jug keeps the coffee hot without it stewing for an hour or more.

Launched this summer, the cordless, one-litre Dualit Mini Kettle boasts all the design features of the Dualit Jug kettle - but on a smaller scale.

Its rapid-boil concealed element is protected by a boil-dry safety feature, while a heatproof guard and ball knob on the hinged lid protects fingers when the kettle is hot.

The company has also newly-launched the Latteccino milk frother, which can prepare up to 240ml of hot milk or 140ml of frothed milk in 70 seconds at the touch of a button.

Suitable for small catering establishments, the double-walled vessel features a non-stick coating for easy cleaning.

Recommended for medium-duty commercial use of up to 250 cups per day, the Schaerer Coffee Art Chocolate Plus drinks machine available from Café Bar features a "super-steam" arm which froths the milk without the need to tilt or manipulate the milk jug.

This mixes milk, air and steam fully automatically and eliminates the need for a trained barista. The makers claim it has all the attributes and functionality of its Coffee Art Plus as well as a module for popular chocolate variations which automatically processes the powder with the selected beverage and delivers directly into the cup.

Rancilio's latest automatic steam wand - the mark 2 iSteam - "produces textured foam that is truly indistinguishable from manually textured milk", according to sole UK importer, The Coffee Machine Company (CMC).

The iSteam can be fitted as an option on Rancilio Classe 10 and Classe 8 espresso machines, is heat insulated for safety and is totally programmable.
To keep clean the wand can be "purged" at the touch of a button and wiped over with a damp cloth.

Tudor Coffee offers a range of coffee machines from leading European margues, including Franke, Egro, Reneka and Animo.

A spokesman said that among the company's best-sellers are the Swiss manufactured Egro 5035P, a fully automatic coffee machine for users requiring a self service commercial 'bean to cup' coffee machine capable of producing two milk coffees at once, and super fast!

Another poplar model it sells is the Reneka Viva S2, a two-group automatic traditional coffee machine with hot water faucet and single steam arm. The spokesman says the French maker has built a reputation for reliable, high performance commercial espresso coffee equipment at excellent value for money prices.

It also offers the Franke Sinfonia automatic coffee machine from Switzerland. Designed to use freshly roasted coffee beans and fresh milk, the Franke Sinfonia allows the user, at the simple touch of a button, to make their choice from any of the following drinks: Espresso, Double Espresso, Americano (Black Coffee), Regular or Large Cappuccino, Caffe Latte, Latte Macchiato (layered coffee), White Coffee and Hot or Foamed Milk.

The brand new Melitta Alpha-F, fully automatic filter coffee machine can be used alone or incorporated into a modular suite beside the Alpha machine, milk fridge and cup warmer.

It offers an intelligent programme facility so that the minimum amount of coffee you require is always available. This starts at just half a litre, for quieter times, right up to 4 litres (which, over an hour, equates to 500 cups).

Once the stored amount drops below a pre-defined level, the machine will start preparing a fresh supply so that there is always coffee ready.

Espressopots by Bezzera offer consistent coffee every time with no waste and perfect portion control. They are single-portion containers of ready-made high-quality coffee with a two-year shelf-life.

Manufactured using a high-quality blend of 80% Arabica and 20% Robusta coffee beans, Espressopots can only be used with Bezzera coffee machines that are available from Maidaid Halcyon.

And finally, the quality of the water you use has been addressed by Lincat with its range of 'Filterflow' automatic water boilers, which offer temperature control and built-in filtration.

Professional tea taster Ben Poole says he searches the world for some of the finest teas ever grown and many of these are sold at his own tea emporium, Imperial Teas of Lincoln.

He has now installed two EB3F water boilers, which he retains at different temperatures for different types of tea.

"It is important to understand that the key ingredient for a really good cup of tea is freshly filtered water, which is free from taint and odour and heated to the correct temperature.

From basic staff training all the way up to full barista courses, operators are finding that its no longer enough simply to sell good quality coffee.

"Barista training helps operators position themselves ahead of their competitors and provides customers with a positive drinking experience that they are likely to want to repeat," says Rob Briggs, managing director of Rombouts Coffee GB.

The company offers a range of courses at its training centre in Berkshire, including City & Guilds Level 2 in barista skills.

In a three-day course costing £350 per person, classroom-based teaching and practical training in a café environment are combined to show how to produce a range of specialty drinks to a consistently high standard, in particular espresso-based coffee drinks as well as filter coffee, teas, hot chocolate, juices and smoothies.

Briggs says Rombouts also offers advice on launching a coffee menu.

Another supplier Café Bar provides barista training and also runs a Product Competence Centre in Holland equipped with latest coffee brewing machines and drinks dispensers.

Information is delivered in classroom facilities while hands-on training is provided. Trainees gain an understanding of coffee processes and putting barista skills into practice.

And contract caterer BaxterStorey, with more than 900 accounts and annual sales topping £200 million, is so convinced of the benefits it has established a Coffee Academy with support from First Choice Coffee.

Since setting it up in early summer already more than 300 staff have attended a one-day barista course in Milton Keynes.

BaxterStorey's training and development director Graham Eveleigh says: "This ups the status of our baristas and helps us provide our customers with a consistent cup of coffee, which leads to better sales and repeat business.

"They are also taught about, for example, customer service skills."

And machine training helps the company's corps of barista-trained staff to troubleshoot problems, reducing downtime and wastage and boosting productivity, says Eveleigh.

FCC's Elaine Higginson adds: "We tailor a coffee offering to suit the outlet and its customers, from providing training on how to operate and maintain semi-automatic equipment for high-volume outlets right through to full barista training on traditional equipment.

"We also provide regular refresher sessions. In fact, the right training can mean even non-catering staff can serve coffee professionally."

After buying a Rancilio Classe 10 coffee machine from The Coffee Machine Company (CMC), staff from the new Colchester-based beauty salon Soleil attended a course in London.

Salon manager Carrie Banks says: "We learned a lot about coffee but also about the importance of the milk. They showed us how to pour coffee properly and how to make shapes in the milk - because presentation sells."

Not always seen as a natural fit, it seems more and more sports facilities see the value in offering customers a good quality coffee offer, according to Franke Coffee Systems which recently produced a report on the sector.

Marga Gyger, chief executive of the Switzerland-based company, says: "Today coffee is part of our lifestyle. People with busy lives are able to enjoy their favourite pick-me-up almost anywhere – at home, at work, on the move and in their time off.

"This is also true of the sports sector and of spa and leisure resorts. Our report took an in-depth look at the role of coffee in sport.

"Franke Coffee Systems also feature prominently on the sporting scene; indeed our coffee machines are very popular at many major events.

"They played a significant role in 2008 at both the Euro Football Championship in Switzerland and Austria and at the Olympic Games held in Beijing."

During Euro 08, for instance, up to 30,000 fans strolled about Vienna's official fan zone every day. To make sure that fans kept their energy levels up, McCafé set up a spacious Coffee Corner within the zone.

There, fans had the opportunity to sip away at a huge range of different coffee specialities from four Franke Sinfonia coffee machines, ensuring that the friendly atmosphere did not only last until halftime.

Demand among catering operations at many sporting events is characterised by intermittent business. After all, it is not every day that there is a game or fixture on the programme at sports grounds or indoor venues.

"That means you need reliable coffee," says Christian Meckel, Sales Manager GeV and Vending at Jacobs Professional in Bremen, Germany.

The guests and VIP visitors of newly promoted Bundesliga side 1899 Hoffenheim enjoy coffee specialities before, during and after the game in the corporate area of the Dietmar Hopp Stadium thanks to Franke machines.

"The equipment can stand unused for several days, then when it is switched on the machines can be in use for eight hours on the trot.

"It's not just the reliability of Franke coffee machines that we appreciate," says Meckel, "whether it's the truck or paddock club, VIP marquee or corporate box: Franke has the right machines whatever the location."