Category: Blog

Coffee fest: how to brew the perfect cup on the move

Posted on by Sara Walker

It’s festival season, and if you’re a fan of live music you’re probably already pulling your sleeping bag out of storage and shaking the spiders out. If you’re also a fan of real coffee, though, you might be worrying about how you’re going to get your espresso fix in the middle of a field. Well, the good news is that festival food and drink has improved immeasurably over the years, and now it’s just as possible to get a latte at Latitude as a cappuccino at Creamfields. If you’re a coffee aficionado, though, best not to leave anything to chance. Here’s our guide to how to brew up, festival-style.

First, choose your coffee. For convenience, it’s probably best to take pre-roasted and pre-ground beans. Remember to take a measure along so you can get the dose right.

Next, boil your water. Most campsites don’t allow cooking on open fires, so you’ll need a reliable Primus stove. If you’ve got the space, a camping kettle is much better than a saucepan and will boil in around three to five minutes.

Finally, choose your brew method – and this is where it gets complicated. Simplest is a cafetiere, which is pretty foolproof and will allow you to make several cups at once if you’re in a group. It is, however, fragile and quite bulky to pack and risks getting broken during the event. Next to try is a stovetop espresso maker. Made of metal, these are light and robust and will stand the pace of festival life, but the quantities tend to be on the small side. Finally, you can go high tech and invest in a mini espresso machine, which uses professional-standard pressure to deliver the perfect single espresso shot.

You might be on your own when it comes to finding fresh milk, though…..

For all your commercial coffee needs, including coffee accessories, coffee beans and supplies such as sugar and cups, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Coffee fads: the carrot-cino

Posted on by Sara Walker

Hot on the heels of the avolatte, news has reached us of an even more bizarre coffee fad – the carrot-cino. We’ve had the rainbow coffee, the unicorn latte, bulletproof coffee and coffee with all sorts of bizarre things added from turmeric to salt, but now the carrot-cino is making everything that’s come before it look pretty normal.

The avolatte was basically a standard coffee served in a novelty container – or an espresso served in the hollowed-out skin of an avocado. Even its fans didn’t claim that serving it in a fruit did much for the taste, and even if it looked prettier it definitely made it trickier to drink. It’s no surprise to learn that, like its sister the avolatte, the carrot-cino originated in Australia. A cafe in Sydney recently posted photos of their root-vegetable-themed creation on social media. Again like the avolatte, the carrot-cino is nothing more than a fancy holder for coffee rather than a flavour enhancer. The cafe peeled a carrot and cut it into strips, using the strips to create a holder to pour the coffee into. The owners say they just like experimenting and have already tried avocados and apples as well as carrots. However, they admit that this probably won’t catch on as much as the avolatte, as the ‘holder’ is hard to handle and has a tendency to leak. As you can’t make a very big cup out of a carrot, you also have to serve the coffee very strong. The cafe said the carrot-cino and other coffee/food combinations are just a bit of fun, but who knows if they’ll come up with the next big thing one day?

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we stock a wide range of coffee supplies suitable for your commercial coffee business, including coffee beans, accessories and supplies such as milk and sugar. We also stock cups and lids – but unfortunately, not carrots.

 

The best coffee ice cream recipe ever

Posted on by Sara Walker

It’s finally summer, so we’re getting cool with our coffee. While iced coffee makes the perfect long drink for hot weather, coffee ice cream makes the ideal summer pudding. It’s sophisticated enough for dinner parties, but simple enough to make regularly. Our version uses real coffee as well as instant for a double caffeine punch. You will need an ice cream maker for this, but the results are worth it!

Real coffee ice cream recipe

Ingredients

You’ll need:

Four free range eggs, yolks only

Vanilla pod

100g caster sugar

200ml double cream

250ml full fat milk

30ml strong black fresh (espresso) coffee

  • one rounded tablespoon of instant coffee

What to do:

Place the egg yolks and sugar into a large mixing bowl, and beat thoroughly until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Slowly add the cream, beating to combine. Put on one side.

Put the milk in a large pan with the vanilla pod, and gently heat it through. Add the espresso coffee (hot or cold). Add a tablespoon of hot water to the instant coffee to make sure all the granules are dissolved, and add it to the pan. Give everything a good stir round until it looks like very milky coffee.

Add the cream and egg mixture to the milk, and mix to combine. Heat the mixture over a medium heat for two or three minutes, stirring constantly, but don’t let it boil.

Take the pan off the heat and let it cool, then chill it down in the fridge. Finally, follow the instructions on your own ice cream maker for the finished results.

Serve with chocolate coated coffee beans, chocolate sprinkles and mint sprigs.

For all your commercial coffee needs, take a look at our main website, www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk. We’ve everything you need for your coffee business, be it restaurant or cafe, all available at great wholesale prices.

 

Coffee fads: the avolatte

Posted on by Sara Walker
Image: Pixabay

The Australians love their coffee. The flat white, an espresso-based drink made with microfoam (steamed milk with very fine bubbles giving it a velvety consistency), was invented in Down Under and soon became popular over here, even outstripping the cappuccino. Australia also gave us ‘deconstructed coffee’ (basically espresso, water and milk served in separate little containers, so you can mix your own drink exactly how you like it), and ‘rainbow coffee’ (a caffeine-health drink made from turmeric, beetroot and green tea matcha, served with a barista-style leaf pattern on top). There’s also ‘golden coffee’, made from turmeric on its own, which is rumoured to be an anti-inflammatory. Heard enough? Well, it doesn’t stop there, because a few days ago the Truman Cafe in Melbourne launched the ‘avolatte’, apparently the world’s greatest brunch option, incorporating avocados and coffee.

 

 If you’re wondering how those two ingredients could possibly be combined in the same dish, we’re not sure they can! The ‘avolatte’ is basically a latte (complete with leaf design), served in a partially hollowed-out avocado shell. We’re not sure if the avocado part of the combo actually adds anything taste-wise, or if it’s just acting as a trendy cup – but either way, it looks pretty hard to drink in a non-messy manner – maybe the idea is to use a straw! The avolatte is currently trending on social media, with people around the world getting in on the act and posting pictures of their own versions.

 

Hmmm, well, call us old fashioned – but we prefer to drink out of a cup. With a handle. Possibly with a HobNob on the side.

To browse our extensive range of coffee supplies for your coffee business, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk, where we have coffee beans, accessories and everything you need for your commercial coffee business, all at great wholesale prices. Sorry though – we don’t sell avocados!

Ice cool customer: how to make the perfect iced coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker

As temperatures climb (well, we can dream!) then owners of coffee businesses may find themselves thinking about adding iced coffee to their normal menus. A perfect choice for a hot day, it cools and energises in one go.

There are several ways of preparing iced coffee, and the one you choose depends on personal taste as well as preparation time.

Iced coffee preparation methods

  1. Cold brew coffee. This is an easy method, which involves steeping coffee grounds in cold water for 12 to 24 hours. It’s not labour intensive, and some argue that because the coffee is actually brewed cold it retains a fresher flavour. Others, though, say that the long brewing period causes oxidation and actually harms the flavour, making it taste bitter. Very much a matter of personal taste!
  2. Hot brewed coffee. This method requires that you brew your coffee via conventional methods, then cool it as fast as possible by standing it in cold water then refrigerating it. This method works well, but does require some organisation so you have the finished result available when you need it!
  3. The gradual method. Make a batch of very concentrated espresso coffee, then drop ice cubes into the hot liquid until it’s both diluted and cold. This method is the one used by iced coffee aficionados, but it needs a lot of time – and a lot of ice cubes! Fans say it gives a good flavour, and is the best way of making sure the coffee’s not over-chilled which can make it lose its complexity.
  4. If you want more of a coffee smoothie, you can combine cold espresso coffee and crushed ice in a blender. The coffee will have to be stronger than usual to allow for the extra dilution – try adding an extra shot of espresso to your normal quantities.

For all your commercial coffee needs, visit our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk. You’ll find coffee beans, coffee grounds and all the supplies you need for your coffee business, all at great wholesale prices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you get a decent cup of coffee on a flight?

Posted on by Sara Walker
Image: Pixabay

We know several coffee connoisseurs who are so passionate about access to high-quality caffeine at all times that they used to take their own flask of coffee onto flights. Since restrictions on liquids came into force, though, that’s no longer an option. If you’re counting on getting a decent cup of coffee once you’re airborne, though, chances are you’re going to be disappointed.

There are three reasons why you’re probably never going to get a decent cup of coffee in mid-air – even though scientists claim to have perfected a machine for use on the space station! Factors that contribute to the taste include the water used, the brewing method and changes to your taste buds.

Airline staff don’t exactly have access to five-star facilities when they’re brewing up. Water comes from storage tanks, and it may have been sitting there a while, so isn’t as fresh as it could be. This will have an impact on the taste of the finished brew.

The second reason involves physics – at 30,000 feet, the boiling point of water is much lower than at ground level. This means that the temperature isn’t optimal for brewing good coffee.

To cap it all, your sense of taste alters (sometimes by as much as a third) when you’re flying. Your taste buds and sense of smell, which go to make up flavour perception, are affected and your ability to taste salty and sweet tastes is decreased when you’re in a pressurised cabin. Other factors include the lack of humidity, constant background noise and the lower air pressure, which all combine to mean your coffee really does taste different.

Probably the safest bet is to buy yourself a takeaway coffee at a concession after you’ve gone through security, and take it on board – or just switch to water for the duration of the flight.

For all your commercial coffee supplies, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk. We’ve got a full range of coffee beans, coffee accessories and everything else you need for your coffee business, all at competitive wholesale prices.

 

 

 

Chocolate and coffee Easter cake recipe

Posted on by Sara Walker

Looking for something a bit different to offer customers at Easter, or just to make for your own family? Chocolate and coffee are the perfect partners, and we’ve decorated this classic cake with mini Easter eggs for a seasonal twist.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 200g margarine or softened butter
  • 85g cocoa
  • 140g self raising flour
  • 200g sugar
  • 4 freerange eggs
  • milk

For icing:

  • 300g icing sugar, sieved
  • 100g butter, softened
  • 40g cocoa powder, sieved
  • 40ml very strong black coffee
  • six squares of dark (70%) chocolate, melted

To decorate:

Chocolate mini Easter eggs

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and baseline two 20cm round cake tins.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat thoroughly between each addition. Add the flour and cocoa, and continue to beat until fully combined. The mixture should be a ‘dropping’ consistency (if you let a little slide off a spoon, it should drop easily). If it seems a little thick, add a drop of milk.

Bake for around 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Remove and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto wire racks. Let the cakes cool completely before decorating.

Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the icing. Beat the icing sugar, cocoa and butter together, ideally using an electric hand whisk on a slow speed. Add the milk, a little at a time, then beat in the chocolate. Turn the whisk up to a high speed and continue to beat the mixture for another few minutes until it goes glossy. Use half the icing to sandwich the cakes together, and use the remainder to cover the top. Scatter with chocolate mini eggs, and serve.

For all your commercial coffee needs, visit our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Coffee break trivia quiz

Posted on by Sara Walker

Stuck for something to do for ten minutes while your Americano cools down? Test your coffee knowledge with our coffee trivia quiz. Scroll down to the very bottom of the page for the answers.

  1. When coffee first came to Europe, it was known as: A. Arabian wine; B. Kenyan liquor or C: black juice?
  2. The first wholesale coffee roasting company started up in the United States in which year? A. 1880; B: 1790 or C: 1923?
  3. In the early twentieth century, suburban households had their coffee beans delivered door to door by horses and carts. True or false?
  4. In 2013, which country in the world consumed the most coffee per capita (based on dry weight of coffee in metric tons)? A, USA; B: The UK or C: Finland
  5. Coffee as a world commodity is second only to: A, gold; B: grain or C: oil?
  6. What weight of coffee cherries (the raw fruit) would you need to pick to produce a kilo of coffee beans? A, 2kg; B, 4kg; C, 6kg
  7. A prototype for the first espresso machine was invented in France in which year? A: 1822; B: 1947; C: 1954
  8. Frederick the Great, king of Prussia in the eighteenth century, famously liked his coffee brewed with which unusual extra ingredient? A: chocolate, B: Champagne, C: vodka
  9. Lloyds of London, the insurance company, started out as Edward Lloyd’s Coffee House in the 17th century. True or false?
  10. Coffee sacks (for storing and transporting coffee beans) are normally made from A, hemp or hessian; B, cotton or C, plastic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers:

Question 1 – A, Arabian wine

Question 2 – B, 1790

Question 3 – True

Question 4 – C, Finland, with 9.6kg/capita. The USA consumes 3.1kg while the UK consumes only 1.7kg.

Question 5 – C, oil

Question 6 – C, 6kg – although this can vary based on the type and quality of the coffee. Each cherry normally yields two coffee beans.

Question 7 – A: 1822. The first commercial machine wasn’t manufactured until 1906 in Italy, though

Question 8 – B: Champagne. Sounds revolting!

 

 

Question 9 – True

Question 10 – A, hemp or hessian. This is a strong, tough material that allows the beans to breathe

 

Help raise funds for the Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal

Posted on by Sara Walker

Marie Curie offers care and support for people living with any terminal illness, and their families and last year they cared for over 40,000 people across the UK. The annual Great Daffodil Appeal (1 March to 31 March 2017) has been raising awareness and funds since 1986. If you’d like to get involved with helping to raise funds for Marie Curie, we’ve put together a few ideas for how to do it. You can find more ideas over at the Marie Curie website – just search for the Great Daffodil Appeal. Group activities like this not only help to raise much-needed funds for the charity, but can also be a great way of team building in your office or business.

  • Put a collection box on the reception or counter of your shop or business, and encourage staff to wear their daffodils each day in March
  • Donate a portion of the money raised though the sale of hot drinks to the charity
  • If you don’t normally charge for hot drinks at your business, put an optional donation box by the machine
  • Hold a bake sale, and ask staff to bring in homemade cakes to sell off at coffee break time
  • Ask staff to pay a small fee to wear yellow clothes on a specific day in March
  • Hold a ‘coffee tasting’ event, with the chance to taste different blends and strengths and attendees paying a small entry fee
  • Introduce premium coffee blends for your coffee machine, but charge a higher than normal price with the difference going to the charity
  • Organise a quick quiz during your office coffee break – with round one in the morning, and round two in the afternoon!

For all your wholesale coffee needs, including coffee beans, accessories and supplies such as milk and sugar, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Five signs you might be a coffee addict

Posted on by Sara Walker

With the UK drinking around 70 million cups of coffee every single day, it’s no wonder that many of us rely on a cup or so to get us going in the morning! Here are five signs you might be getting a little addicted:

  • Your local coffee shop not only know exactly how you want your (complicated) coffee preparing, they have it waiting on the counter for you when you come in. When you don’t turn up for two days in a row, they think about calling the police.
  • When you hear storm Doris is on the way, your first thought isn’t to rush out and tie down your garden furniture, put the car in the garage or worry about trees coming down. You’re too busy working out the safest route to get to your local coffee shop, and stocking up with emergency packets of beans in case the worst happens.
  • Your friends and family know almost to the minute the point at which it’s safe to talk to you. Phone calls before a certain hour start tentatively, with the caller enquiring if you’ve had your coffee yet.
  • You plan your holidays around coffee regions, visiting coffee plantations and coffee tours.While others sign up to go on walking and sightseeing trips, you’ve trying to persuade your guide to drive you up the side of a dormant volcano to visit a small, independent family coffee business.
  • When you arrive at work, your schedule revolves around coffee breaks. You have your own set of ‘equipment’ – mug, coffee beans, milk frother – designed to optimise the coffee drinking experience, and heaven help the inexperienced intern who uses your spoon by mistake.

For all your coffee supplies for your coffee business, take a look at our main website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk – we’ve got everything you need to satisfy the most demanding customers, all at great wholesale prices.