The leading information and business resource for the UK's cafè bar market

At virtually the same time, Starbucks has presented a scholarly paper on the saving of waste to a very high-powered American academic institution… and on the other side of the world, has created what might be thought an entirely unnecessary piece of disposable coffee-related equipment. At the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American… [Read more]

In contemporary business society a rainmaker is often regarded as that person who really makes it happen, the salesman who consistently brings home the bacon or the deal maker that always pulls in the big revenues. Download How to Guide 12 here

The image of the business methods of major coffee chains is now seriously in question and there could be an adverse knock-on effect which might harm the public image of the coffee trade as a whole. The problem arises from the recent spate of stories, more than usual, about disputes between the major chains and… [Read more]

The café trade’s customer-service policies have again come in for criticism in the press, with several recent stories about non-customer members of the public being refused use of the lavatory facilities in coffee shops. There has been the extremely embarrassing situation of an elderly pensioner in a Costa in Sussex (allegedly the second such case… [Read more]

As the days turned into weeks and even months, we slowly but surely began building a reputation for quality coffee. However one of the challenges that we were encountering was how to manage the staff and the coffee shop as a whole. We would find it so much easier to ask each other to do… [Read more]

The subject of ‘strength’ with regard to coffee has surfaced again – and it has done so at both ends of the spectrum, at exactly the same time. In the UK, the Cafédirect organisation has spoken of now putting its ‘strength’ classification on all its retail packs, while in the USA, the dramatically-named Death Wish… [Read more]

This gluten–free recipe has been taken from the Honeybuns Gluten-Free Baking Book by Emma Goss-Custard, published by Pavilion, photography by Cristian Barnett.  It makes 15 piecesCooking time: 40 minutes for the baseStorage: 5 days in an airtight tin – it also freezes well  You need to bake the Polenta Shortbread base first:  Ingredients: • 125 g/4½ oz/generous… [Read more]

This month’s highlights include an industry profile of Angus McKenzie from Kimbo , the latest ‘How to Guide’, a feature on the ‘Gluten-free market’ not just illustrating the size of this market, but showing how it can add value to your business – plus one of Honeybuns new gluten-free recipes to try out for your customers. Victoria… [Read more]

Café Life London by Jennie Milsom is a refreshing addition to the already crowded market of London coffee house guides… The great problem with guides to coffee in London is that the same places tend to crop up time and time again – many of them simply cannot be left out. The same style of… [Read more]

This month’s interview is with Davinder Dhallu of Six Eight Kafé in Birmingham who is striving to bring excellent quality coffee to the city. He found Hannah, their new Manager in an unusual way: 1. Location: Temple Row, Birmingham City Centre 2. Number of outlets: 1 3. Date Opened: February, 2011 4. Who owns the business? Owned… [Read more]

The Coeliac UK organisation has announced new training and accreditation to help the catering industry capitalise on the growing gluten-free sector, just at exactly the same time as one of the café sector’s major suppliers, Honeybuns, has published its book on gluten-free baking.

Kimbo is very proud of telling the story of how three guys started off their own roastery in Naples in the 1950s, and became firmly linked with the city’s coffee style

The trade’s tea and coffee brands have both done well in this year’s Great Taste Awards. While some of the bigger suppliers to the café-bar trades are represented with multi-star awards, several smaller suppliers have made a creditable appearance as well. There have also been unusual awards, including a 2-star prize for an all-robusta espresso…. [Read more]

How to increase your profits with clever menu management.  Within the top five misconceptions is the assumption that if you simply create amazing coffee you will have a great business. It is an often made mistake. Download How to Guide 11 here