International coffee festivals and events

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Sara Walker

Love coffee? So do billions of other people, worldwide. All over the world, coffee and catering companies hold events and festivals dedicated to showcasing the best coffee-related innovations. For example:

Dubai, Middle East

The International Tea and Coffee festival is a trade event held annually in Dubai. This year’s event is from 6th – 9th November, and features everything to do with coffee, tea, bar and café products, equipment and services. The event is now in its fourth year, and is helping to support and expand the Middle East’s flourishing tea and coffee industry. For more information about this year’s event, visit www.coffeeteafest.com.

Philadelphia, USA

Philadelphia is holding its first-ever tea and coffee festival, aimed at individuals rather than trade. More than forty exhibitors will provide tastings, information, instruction and products aimed at the discerning coffee lover. The festival is on the 2nd and 3rd November 2013; for more information visit www.coffeeandteafestival.com/philly.

Seoul, Korea

Two events run consecutively during November in Seoul. The World Coffee Leaders Forum is held from 20st to 21st November 2013. Running for the second year, the event features speakers on a range of topics relevant to the coffee industry. Last year’s event attracted over 1,000 attendees from 30 countries, and this year’s is set to be even bigger and better. For more information, visit www.wclforum.org.

The Forum will be followed by the 12th Seoul International Café Show, featuring dozens of exhibitors as well as the Korean Barista Championships. Although the event concentrates on coffee, exhibitors will also be present representing bakery goods, ice-cream, café machines and equipment, chocolate, desserts, café design, franchising and new business start-ups and restaurants. For more information, visit www.cafeshow.com.

Don’t forget to check out what’s available nearer home, as well – here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we have a wide range of everything you could need for a coffee-related business, from coffee beans, coffee ingredients and cups to flavoured coffee syrups. Browse our range at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Chocolate Meets Espresso for Heavenly Indulgence

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Sara Walker

It happens to all of us. That moment when we just know we need chocolate, or coffee, or both. Sometimes it’s after a hectic meeting on a Monday morning. Sometimes it’s to start off the weekend with a kick on a Friday afternoon, and sometimes it’s because we are faced with a problem that’s so paramount that without chocolate and coffee we just can’t handle it. Coffee and chocolate can be life savers. Especially when combined. Of course they can be enjoyed just for the sake of enjoying them as well. They are, after all, deliciously indulgent.

In the below recipe you will find espresso and coffee combined. Divine. Heavenly. And flourless, so that means it’s almost healthy, right? Or not.

We found this recipe in the Huffington Post.

Fallen Mocha Soufflé

Ingredients

4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs, separated
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (you can also add 2 tblsp of Kahlua together with the espresso powder when combining the ingredients)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter and sugar a 4-cup soufflé dish or deep 1-quart baking dish (3 to 4 inches deep).
In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter, and stir over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the espresso powder.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
Stir one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. With a spatula, gently but thoroughly fold in the remaining egg whites. Scrape the soufflé into the dish. Place the dish in a larger baking dish or a small roasting pan and fill with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the mold.
Place in the oven, reduce the temperature to 400°F, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and beginning to crack around the edges.
Remove from the oven and the water bath and set on a rack to cool. As it cools, the soufflé will collapse. Unmold carefully and invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm or chilled.

You can of course serve this recipe with a nice cup of coffee and you can get the coffee beans from us. And all other great coffee ingredients you could possibly need for future endeavors in the kitchen.

Coffee Inspiration in the Cup

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Sara Walker

We went in search of more coffeisms, inspirational and funny coffee quotes and anything else coffe-esque. This is what we found:

I like big cups and I cannot lie. (Really depends on what coffee you put in them! Good quality coffee beans please.)

Coffee is not just a beverage. It’s a cup of liquid sanity. (We couldn’t agree more. If we wrote something weird, clearly we didn’t have enough coffee that day. Had a good day? Take credit. Had a bad day? Blame it on the coffee…or lack thereof.)

If you like coffee as much as we do, you probably had a giggle at these! And if you like coffee as much as we do you’d probably also want to buy coffee from us, right?! After all we sell some of the best coffee beans on the planet! Fresh roasted coffee beans, green coffee beans, ground coffee beans…coffee beans all round. As someone really clever said: Good coffee smells like freshly ground heaven. Amen.

Paleo Double Mocha Biscotti

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Sara Walker

In our last blog post we talked a little bit about coffee on the Paleo diet – most people allow it in small to moderate amounts, and we gave you a fabulous Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe. This time we are moving on to the treat to go with it – Double Mocha Biscotti. Once again they are Paleo and vegan if you use agave nectar rather than honey.

Now, all you need is some real good quality cacao and fresh roasted coffee beans for this recipe. As we are obsessed with beans, we have to state that it’s always better to get good quality coffee beans and cacao. It’s what’s separate gourmet food, from average food. Coffee beans being our passion we know what we are talking about. You may not know why if you’re not a coffee connoisseur, but the biscotti will taste better with good quality coffee beans. Guaranteed.

So we got a bit sidetracked with our coffee obsession, but now onto the amazing, fabulous, most certainly healthy biscotti (cacao, honey, almonds and coffee all have antioxidants and other nutrients that are good for you). We found the recipe at Elana’s Pantry. Enjoy guys!

2 ¼ cups blanched almond flour
¼ cup cacao powder
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon organic decaf coffee, espresso grind
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup agave nectar or honey
½ cup chocolate chunks

In a food processor, combine almond flour, cacao powder, arrowroot powder, ground coffee, salt and baking soda
Pulse until ingredients are well combined
Pulse in agave nectar until the dough forms a ball
Remove dough from food processor and work in dark chocolate with your hands
Form dough into 2 logs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Bake at 325° for 25 minutes, then remove from oven and cool for 1 hour
Cut the logs into ½ inch slices on the diagonal with a very sharp knife
Spread slices out on a baking sheet and bake at 300° for 12-15 minutes
Remove from oven and allow to cool, set, and become crispy
Serve

Makes about 14 biscotti

Paleo Coffee Treats

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Sara Walker

You’ve probably heard of the Paleo diet. Chances are if you are reading this you might be on the diet right now, or curious to try recipes from it. And therefore, you probably also know there will be no gluten, no refined sugars, and no dairy in the recipes. That doesn’t mean you don’t get treats, or coffee, even though strictly speaking, coffee isn’t part of the diet. For most people the important bit is health however and so long as coffee isn’t damaging your health, then it’s allowed, given you don’t so to speak over dose.

The Paleo diet is a lot about quality foods and sticking to what is natural. In other words: if you are to make a treat, or drink coffee, use the best quality options: organic, fairtrade and if decaffinated then use water processed coffee beans. And as always: fresh roasted coffee beans makes for the best cup. You don’t necessarily have to buy green coffee beans and roast them yourself, but if you have a grinder then it’s better to grind your own coffee! Or use Nespresso capsules!

Today we will share a Pumpkin Spice Latte Paleo recipe from Freckled Italian with you and our next blog will be Double Mocha Biscotti. Combined we figured they’d get you through the winter blues!

Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Paleo Way

Ingredients:

Makes at least two drinks.

5.46 (yep, that’s real) ounces of canned coconut milk

4 tablespoons of canned pumpkin (I just put the rest in a Tupperware)

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

A tiny dash of ginger

(Feel free to add more or less of something if you really love or hate one of these spices)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

An ounce or two of regular unsweetened coconut milk (in a carton)

A shot or two of espresso or some strongly-brewed coffee

1. Open your tiny can of coconut milk. Put a spoon under the thick part and pour the liquid underneath into a bowl. That’s what you’re using for your latte. The thick part will be whipped cream later, so put it in a separate bowl.

2. Mix everything except for the coconut milk in the carton together in a bowl and stir them up.

3. Once all the spices are incorporated into the pumpkin, add a few splashes of coconut milk from a carton to the mixture until it seems more liquid than thick. Heat up on the stove while you make some espresso or strongly-brewed coffee.

4. Take the bowl with the thick portion of canned coconut milk and whisk it up with a bit more vanilla and agave.

5. Fill a mug halfway with coffee and add the pumpkin mixture from the stove. Stir it–this stuff separates. Don’t get freaked out.

6. Add a few dollops of the coconut cream and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.

Café de Olla – an Autumn Favourite!

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Sara Walker

Autumn is coming towards us at a hundred miles an hour and it’s time for those days of hot stuff. Meaning: anything hot goes – hot chocolate, hot wine, hot fireplaces, hot duvets, hot…anything (we’ve heard hot people are especially in demand…hugs can keep one warm almost forever!)! Adding to the list of hot things is Café de Olla – a Mexican coffee drink.

Coffee ingredients you keep in the cupboard may include honey, sugar (brown, or white), sweeteners (xylithol and stevia are the most natural/healthy ones we’ve been told?!), honey, cacao to sprinkle on your cappuccino and maybe a flavouring syrup, or two. Have you tried cinnamon in your coffee though? It’s a delicious addition to any cup (in some places they use it instead of cacao for the cappuccino) and in Café de Olla it’s one of the main coffee ingredients. The Mexicans are very specific about how a cup of Café de Olla is supposed to be made, but if in a hurry, why not just try to add a dash of cinnamon sprinkled on top of your coffee? Did you know that cinnamon can help balance your blood sugar levels if you use a sweetener as well? Just don’t overdoes on it – too much cinnamon is not good for you. Many say you shouldn’t even use it every day.

Café de Olla from Nibbles and Feasts

Coffee Ingredients:
4 cups water
4 cinnamon sticks
4 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee (36 oz.)
4 tbsp. of brown sugar (piloncillo)

N.B. For better results boil the water in an earthenware pot and serve it in earthenware mugs. According to Mexican cooks, it imparts a more flavorful experience.

Preparation:
Boil 4 cups of water with brown sugar and cinnamon in a clay pot, when boiling add the coffee and turn off heat. Let stand 4 minutes, strain and serve, preferably in clay cups.
You can also add a little rum!

Makes 4 cups

Autumn Blueberry Cake

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Sara Walker

For you coffee fanatics out there it might be a challenge to find something that adds to your coffee, rather than subtracts from it. That is to say: it makes your fresh roasted coffee beans taste even sweeter than when just having a plain cup of Joe.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Co. we consume quite a lot of coffee. Our favourite at the moment is the Tunki coffee – after all Tunki coffee did receive an award as best tasting coffee in the world! All in all, a cup of Tunki coffee therefore isn’t a bad way to start your morning!

We wanted to find something seasonal to pair with our Tunki coffee with as a treat and just found this gorgeous recipe for Blueberry-Lavender Coffee Cake with lemon drizzle at Healthy. Delicious., which is looking very promising. It even promises that it won’t taste too much like perfume from the lavender. Phew.

Try the cake and try our Tunki coffee with it!

Ingredients

For the filling

1 cup blueberries
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon dried lavender

For the cake1 cup Gold Medal white whole wheat flour

1 cup Gold Medal all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), softened
? cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk

For the glaze

¼ cup confectioners sugar
1 lemon, juiced

Preparation

Prepare filling by combining blueberries, water, honey, and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy. Let cool.
Heat oven to 350*F. Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. In a second bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Stir in half the dry ingredients – the batter will be very thick and doughy. Stir in half the buttermilk – the batter will thin back out. Repeat.
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Spread with blueberry filling. Top with remaining batter. (The pan will be ½ to ¾ full).
Bake for 45-55 minutes. Let cool.
Add the confectioners sugar and lemon juice to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted. Immediately drizzle over the cake.

Coffee Shop Window Displays

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Sara Walker

When setting up a coffee shop the first thing you think of is probably not the window display. The smell of fresh roasted coffee beans, yes. The idea of roasting green coffee beans to perfection, potentially yes (if you want to roast yourself). Splendid freshly brewed coffee, most certainly yes.

When people set up coffee shops they usually reckon that the best way to get patrons is to have patrons in the shop already. That’s the best window display – large windows that show the ambiance of the place and the people in it. How to get people in there? A big sign outside with some special deal, or temptation, the waft of freshly brewed coffee and potentially some freshly baked cakes too, and decent pricing, really great ambiance, and excellent treatment once you walk in the door. This might work, but by ignoring the windows altogether, you are missing out a great way of attracting potential customers.

If you have two windows you can definitively keep one as a “keyhole” where people can look to see what the people are doing inside. The other can be used for window displays, or you can simply keep the lower part of the window free all the way along the front of the coffee shop.

Window displays are your outlet for creativity and for coming up with little gimmicks that will attract attention – whether through extreme beauty, creativity, humor, or shock. What you have to bear in mind is to keep the display in style with the coffee shop, just like the decor of the place has to match the menu. In other words: don’t do neon lights in your window display if the rest of the place represents an 18th century style salon.

Next time you are in town have a look at various shops and their window displays – note what attracts you to some, and what makes you step away from others! Below you can find some inspiration for fall decorations, albeit you might have to add some coffee beans to yours. And the smell of freshly brewed coffee…

Monday Morning Coffee Wisdom

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Sara Walker

It’s that time of the week where you look at your schedule and have a potential meltdown…and pick up the week’s first cup of coffee and drink it like you mean business. Because you do – it’s Monday morning and you have a mountain of work, making your schedule look more like Mount Everest than a walk in the park. Thankfully the caffeine will soon kick in, you will start to feel happier, more relaxed…and potentially even excited about your week ahead. That’s what coffee does to you: it opens your mind to possibilities. It keeps you going until wine o’clock when it’s time to chill out and do your best to enjoy the view of where you got so far on Mount Everest. After all, each day you get a little bit further up the mountain and instead of stressing out the best thing to do is to relax and enjoy the view that is a little bit better than yesterday. Even if you actually managed to fall and go down the mountain that day, at least you know one more route that DOESN’T work. Edison found 100 ways of how not to make a light bulb, before he made a light bulb.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Co. we love Monday mornings. It’s time for strategy sessions surrounded by green coffee beans, fresh roasted coffee beans, espresso machines, and fresh espresso served all round – whether made by Nespresso machines, or we ground our own coffee beans and made the espresso with a traditional espresso machine. It’s quite a treat.

The best thing about Mondays though is love. No, seriously. If you love what you do Mount Everest looks kind of grand from the Monday morning perspective. Quite divine in fact – it’s your mission, your purpose in life. Or at least part of it. The other part might be friends, family, relationships, hobbies…and as with work they are all mountains as everything comes with obstacles. It should seem like a bad thing though, but rather like climbing a mountain – a mountain where every day you get a grander view.

Life is a loving work. Work fueled by coffee beans… And if you are looking to buy coffee online, you know where to find us 😉

Barista Training Courses Worldwide

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Sara Walker

Fresh roasted coffee beans, maybe even some green coffee beans to roast yourself, great espresso and coffee machines, secret coffee ingredients…these are things that can make some people swoon and if this is you, it’s probably time to pack your bags and head to a barista school if you haven’t already. After all, if you love coffee so much you want to be able to make yourself the best coffee, don’t you? Know which the best coffee beans are and how to treat them for ultimate satisfaction when it comes to the end result.

Last week we talked about doing a barista vacation to the US, this week we talk about…the rest of the world. Of course we can’t cover all schools on here, so it makes sense if you want to go to first decide your budget and what area you want to go to.

London. Yep, if you like red double-decker buses, black taxis, the British accent, and rain, then you will be happy to know that you can also learn about coffee in London. In fact, the London School of Coffee (sounds just like Hogwarts to us) offers four different level barista trainings and various workshops around coffee, like how to set up your own coffee shop.

Like the UK, but would prefer a Scottish accent, or more mountains and less traffic? The Scottish Barista School will be your perfect match in that case. They offer a variety of courses and proper barista training.

Want something a bit more…exotic? Palm trees and all? Then there’s the Dormans Barista and Coffee Training Center in Kenya. They are the only Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) certified Barista training centre in Africa. There you can learn how best to brew your coffee, do various levels of barista training and do things like sip coffee from Kilimanjaro.

If you’d prefer Asia to Africa, then you could go to the Philippine Barista & Coffee Academy. They offer a range of barista course, business training for coffee shop owners, or to be coffee shop owners as well as short courses i everything from holiday drinks, to how to pair different teas with food.

Want to browse the rest of the world? A good place to start is the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. You can find out more about the courses their trainers hold around the world here. Also, if you want to partake in a great barista competition that’s the site to explore! On Barista Guide you can find a few more.