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

Peter Sidwell is the presenter of the popular TV series ‘Britain’s Best Bakery’ and will be presenting a number of artisan bakery sessions at this year’s Caffe Culture Show.   To give us a taste of what he’ll be showing you at the show, he has come up with an alternative Hot Cross Bun recipe… [Read more]

What better way than to give your customers a treat this Easter than by baking your very own Hot Cross Buns.  Fragrant and spicy and severed with plenty of butter, you just can’t beat them.  With businesses constantly looking for that point of differentiation, nothing can beat some home baking to make you stand out… [Read more]

As the decorations go back in their boxes and we all undo our belts a notch or two and commit to loosing some weight as quickly as possible, there is a great opportunity for the cafes and coffee bars to promote a range of healthy of lunchtime meals that satisfy.  And what’s great about this… [Read more]

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas…  Yes, it is that time of year again, when manic shoppers will hopefully be taking a well earned break if your coffee shop and looking for a little treat to get them in the festive spirit.  These palmiers make a fantastic alternative to a traditional mince pies,… [Read more]

To make 12 or 18 Savoury Muffins – either vegetarian or with diced bacon or ham.  These Kiwi specials are always popular for a savoury snack. To really dress them up and make a meal in themselves – slice the top off and spread with cream cheese and add some crunchy lettuce.  Again – a… [Read more]

While courgettes are still plentiful this makes a delicious and subtle alternative to carrot cake.Also known as Zucchini Cake by our friends from Australia and New Zealand.  Ingredients• 225g Unsalted Butter, Softened• 340g Soft Light Brown Sugar• 4 Large Eggs• 300g Plain Flour• 3 Levelled Tea spoons of Baking Powder• 80g Chopped Walnuts• 180g Finely… [Read more]

  This soup is best made now at the end of summer when tomatoes are at their best.Oven roasting them really maximises their flavour and gives a delicious seasonal soup that can be served hot or cold, spicy or mild.  Serves 12  Ingredients:• 3kg plum tomatoes quartered• 6 garlic cloves – not peeled• 2 litre… [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 delicious and colourful dish is very versatile – it can be served as your salad of the day, it can be the vegetarian option, or it can be used to serve with grilled chicken or salmon and a fresh green leaf salad.  Other options include using either bulgur wheat or quinoa instead of the… [Read more]

With all these lovely summer berries around this Summer Fruits Cheesecake adds a touch of indulgence to your counter.  We used the berries for a Union Jack over the Jubilee but they can easily be re-arranged to make Olympic rings for the weeks to come. Ingredients: 150g digestive biscuits 100g gingernut biscuits 100g butter ,… [Read more]

The Asparagus season came early with all that warm March weather so even if it is raining outside why not put a taste of Spring on your counter with this easy but impressive savoury tart served with bright spring salad leaves. Ingredients: For the pastry: 250gm plain flour 125gm cold unsalted butter 1 egg 2… [Read more]

Although fleeting, summer has definitely made an appearance so it is time to start thinking about lightening the menu with some lovely salads.  However, given that much of the country is experiencing its second winter, this lovely salad has a foot in both camps – with the fantastic light flavours of smoked trout and peppery… [Read more]

Easter is definitely a time to entice your customers with an array of freshly baked cakes, cookies and scones.  This recipe creates a stunning centre piece cake for any Easter display. Ingredients 175g light muscavado sugar 175g butter, softened 175g self raising flour 3 large eggs 25g ground almonds 2 tbsp milk 100g sultanas 100g dried cherries, quartered 100g dried apricots, cut into… [Read more]

With a long anticipated cold snap looking like it is here to stay for a while, what better way to attract customers than with a heart warming spicy bean dish.  Exceptionally easy to make and really tasty, this recipe is bound to be a winner, both in terms of your profit margins and with your… [Read more]

All the flavours of Christmas wrapped up in one wonderful cake, what better way to encourage your customers to indulge when they take a break from their Christmas shopping. Gingerbread and orange cake Makes one 23cm square  cake Ingredients For the cake 225g butter, softened 225g light muscovado sugar 225g golden syrup 225g black treacle… [Read more]

These are a spicy and delicious cupcakes make an excellent addition to your menu for the Christmas period.  Perfect with a latte. Ginger and nutmeg spiced cupcakes Makes 30 Ingredients Cupcakes 280g unsalted butter 400g golden caster sugar 120g black treacle 120g golden syruo 4 large eggs, plus 4 egg yolks 600g plain flour 2… [Read more]

A great quiche full of festive flavour.  Serve with winter salad for a really hearty lunch. Stilton, spinach and walnut quiche Makes a 25cm quiche Ingredients For the pastry 200g plain flour, sifted 100g cold unsalted butter 50g walnuts, finely ground 1 tsp paprika 2 large eggs, beaten   For the filling 250g spinach leaves… [Read more]

It’s official, with Bonfire Night behind us, we are well and truly into the Christmas season.  With it comes an opportunity to promote additional sales with festive treats.  You’ll see that many of the chains already have their cinnamon based drinks on the menu and Christmas cookies and mince pies won’t be far behind. Over… [Read more]

Do you always look closely at the margins on each of your products?  Whilst we all want to serve the best food we possibly can, it is also really important to make sure that the ingredients you are using aren’t making it impossible for you to actually make a profit on your most popular products…. [Read more]

As the weather begins to have a distinctly autumnal feel about it, it might be time to start adding some hearty seasonal soups to your menu. This is a fantastic recipe, creating colorful and flavoursome and hearty treat. It’s extremely easy to make and can be made in advance and heated as needed. – 3kg/7lb… [Read more]

Thanks to a little bit of sun and a lot of rain this summer, many local producers have an abundance of wonderful vegetables available. What better way to spruce up your menu for September than by taking advantage of some locally grown, seasonal (and therefore very reasonably priced) ingredients. This month we have two different… [Read more]

This recipe is really simple to make, even in the smallest of kitchens and makes really tasty cookies that we are sure will be a hit with your customers. The ingredients are also relatively inexpensive, meaning you stand to make a good profit too! 450g butter, softened                       … [Read more]