Coffee - Products
One of the biggest names in coffee has launched a new company that will supply equipment as well as roast and ground ingredients. Nescafé Coffee Company works in conjunction with supplier Mulmar and soluble drinks machine maker Coffetek.
Nestlé FoodServices commercial manager Alan Prior explains: "Recent research has shown that pubs want a fresh approach to coffee supply and service, which we believe we can deliver."
He continues: "Our focus in the past has been on building and maintaining brand leadership in the soluble market. Consumer demand is skewing to roast and ground, pubs are looking for alternative solutions and there are gaps in the market."
Nestlé consulted hundreds of licensees before forming the new company, which will offer a onestop shop covering ingredients, machines, training, maintenance and PoS merchandise.
Machines
You've probably seen the adverts - serve just a couple of cups of cappuccino or latte per day and you'll cover the cost of an espresso machine. Buy a filter coffee machine for under £100 or install a "soluble" coffee machine and watch the profits roll in.
But before making a decision, licensees should take stock of the type of coffee offering that best suits their customer base and the expected peak demand. It should also be remembered that machines aren't the only solution. Cafetieres are a convenient alternative and are preferred by many.
When it comes to choosing a machine, it's a smart idea to see as many as possible in action. A friendly operator may be willing to help on that front, especially if your business isn't seen as competition for theirs.
Basically, there are three types of espresso machine - manual, semi and fully-automatics, and super-automatics.
Manual - Manual or piston espresso machines are works of art, but are extremely difficult to operate and need an experienced barista to produce consistent, good quality espresso. Manuals work at a brewing pressure of eight bar (120lbs/sq in) to thoroughly infuse the coffee. The tricky part is the rate at which the lever is pulled down - too fast or too slow will produce a less than perfect espresso.
Semi and fully-automatics - These owe their ancestry to a patent taken out by Achilles Gaggia in 1938 when he coupled
an electric pump with a traditional espresso machine. The pump gave a consistent brewing pressure and eliminated much of the complexity of the manual machines. Fully-automatics are variants of semis: a measured amount of water passes through the coffee.
Super-automatics - All machines have built-in grinders that
deposit used grounds into a separate internal bin for later disposal. Super-automatics are designed for speed of operation, mess reduction and maintenance. They can also dispense a range of coffee types and are particularly good for the current fad of café crema. Super automatics grind a pre-measured amount of beans and extract the right amount of grounds for the coffee being made.
Soluble solution
Café Bar UK's entry-level soluble drinks machine can dispense up to 180 cups per hour, suitable for all but the busiest outlets. Drinks selection includes cappuccino, espresso, mocha, latte, hot chocolate, and choco-latte, together with hot water for making tea. The company offers a nationwide technical service with 38 field engineers.
Beans galore
The Drury Tea & Coffee Company claim to have the widest range of espresso beans available, with 14 varieties. Drury
director Marco Olmi comments: "Naturally some coffees sell better than others, but all 14 have a place on our tariff and we roast them for stock on a regular basis. I suppose when you've been roasting for 60 years as we have, the range does have a tendency to expand."
Add-on cappuccino maker for Nespresso machines
The Cappuccinatore CS 20, price £95, delivers coffee drinks in just 40 seconds and makes up to 20 cappuccinos or 20 lattes before refilling. Disposable clipon pipettes and nozzles are a hygienic bonus.
