What time of day is coffee time?

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Sara Walker

At the Wholesale Coffee Company, we think any time of the day is a good time to drink coffee. From kicking off with a cappuccino to unwinding with a decaff at the end of the day, coffee’s a big part of our everyday routine. It turns out, though, that drinking coffee first thing in the morning might not be the best way to enjoy it. Getting the first caffeine kick of the day too early could mean you start to build up a tolerance, so subsequent cups won’t have as much of an effect.

Naturally, we produce a hormone called steroid hormone called cortisol, which helps regulate many of the body’s processes such as the immune response. It also helps the body respond to stress, appearing when we’re either under pressure or afraid. In addition, though, it also helps regular our natural hormonal cycle known as the circadian clock. That’s what tells us to wake up in the morning, and to start winding down at night, so we feel more awake when our cortisol levels are higher first thing in the morning.

Scientists believe that we shouldn’t drink coffee when our cortisol levels are at their highest, partly as caffeine can interfere with the production of the hormone and partly as it’s the time of day when we need the caffeine least. Drinking coffee early can also help you build up a long term tolerance, which is why caffeine fiends have to drink more and more to get their buzz.

The other peak cortisol production times are mid-day and in the evening. Avoiding drinking coffee during these times, and instead focusing on the periods of low cortisol production will help you get the most from the energising effects. Try a cup between 10am and 12pm or 2pm and 5pm for the best results.

For great quality coffee beans and coffee accessories all at wholesale prices, take a look at our coffee beans page.

Is this the death of the office tea round?

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Sara Walker

Once upon a time, the tea round used to be ubiquitous in every office across the country. Some larger companies employed a special tea lady, the rattle of whose approaching trolley was the signal for meetings all over the building to draw to a hasty close before all the custard creams went. In smaller companies, it was the job of the most junior member of staff to make drinks for everyone at regular intervals. Now, though, it seems that the office tea round may start to be a footnote in the history books as a new survey reveals that almost half of office workers prefer to head outside for a takeaway drink.

According to research by The Office Coffee Company, 47% of staff now head for the high street rather than the office kitchen, and only a third of offices actually supply a kettle for workers.

The reasons for this change in coffee drinking habits are multiple, but one major factor is that discerning coffee drinkers are no longer satisfied with a mug of grainy instant brew when the high street boasts a plethora of places to buy a top quality cappucino, latte, Americano or espresso. This is great news for new job starters, who might previously have felt they spent the majority of their working lives trying to remember everyone’s milk and sugar preferences!

This increasing interest in coffee is reflected in the popularity of the London Coffee Festival, a celebration of the captial’s love for coffee. Artisan coffee suppliers, demonstrations and Coffee Masters, the new barista competition with a £5,000 cash prize, make this an event with a real caffeine buzz about it.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we sell everything you need to help your coffee business keep up with demand, from great quality roasted and unroasted beans to cups and accessories – and it’s easy to order online, too. For more information, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

The chemistry of coffee

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Sara Walker

Most of us drink our cup of coffee without thinking too much about what’s in the cup, but what we’re tasting can be very complex. Roasted coffee beans are made up of around 1,000 different compounds which combine to give your morning cuppa that unique flavour. Some of these compounds exist naturally in the raw bean, and others appear as a result of the roasting process.

The best known compounds are alkaloids, of which everyone can name at least one – caffeine! More correctly known as 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, it’s naturally present but varies according to the type of bean and the preparation method.

Scientifically, caffeine is a secondary compound as it’s not essential to the survival of the plant. Plants have evolved to produce caffeine as a form of natural pesticide, as it’s toxic to fungi, insects and even to other plants. The caffeine is stored in vacuoles, specific cells that work like a locked cupboard, keeping the compound safe until it’s needed. Caffeine is safe for humans to ingest in the doses that we drink it in, and in fact has a number of health benefits.

Another natural compound found in coffee beans is a bitter alkaloid called trigonelline. This degrades during roasting to produce two further compounds – niacin (vitamin B3) and pyridines. Niacin is vital for digestion, and also performs a range of other important functions in the body including repairing DNA damage. Pyridines contribute to producing the sweet, earthy aromas produced when coffee is roasted.

With all that going on, it’s no wonder that the flavour of coffee varies so much depending on country of origin, roasting time, roasting temperature, storage, growing season and much more. Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, though, you can be sure of a top quality blend all the time, as a great wholesale price. Visit our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk to find out more and browse our range.

The Wholesale Coffee Company’s ethical and environmental policy

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Sara Walker

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we pride ourselves on offering great value for money, and providing top quality products at competitive prices. Just as we don’t compromise on the quality of our coffee beans, we also don’t compromise on our environmental and ethical policy. Our coffee beans are supplied by Cafés Silvestre, a Spanish company who are continually reviewing their different products and processes and their impact on the planet.

Rainforest Alliance™ Certified coffee

All Cafés Silvestre blends contain at least 30% Rainforest Alliance™ Certified coffee (RFACC). Buying products with the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ guarantee helps support the rights and well-being of farm workers, the conservation of natural resources and the protection of wildlife and the environment.

Environmentally friendly packaging

It’s not just the environmental impact of the coffee beans that’s being assessed, either, as Cafés Silvestre uses Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified carton boxes for packaging most of their products. The FSC are working to make sure that our forests are carefully managed to ensure the harvest of timber is carried out in an environmentally sensitive way to maintains the forest’s biodiversity, productivity and ecology.

Non-chemically decaffeinated beans

All Cafés Silvestre’s decaffeinated coffee beans have been decaffeinated using the water process, so we can guarantee that no chemicals or acids have been used. Other commercial methods of decaffeination involve adding a solvent such as ethyl acetate or methylene chloride, but Cafés Silvestre’s beans are processed using water and carbon filters for a purer product.

Recycling

Cafés Silvestre has a committed programme of recyling, and empty coffee sacks are collected and reused for agricultural purposes. Any surplus cardboard and plastics are sent to recycling centres to be processed and reused, and any industrial machines not in use are broken down and sent to the appropriate recyling centres.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re proud to supply such top-quality beans with such a strong environmental and ethical pedigree. When you order your coffee beans online, you can rest assured you’ll receive a product that’s not only delicious and great value for money, it also won’t cost the earth.

Top five coffee gift books

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Sara Walker

If you’re looking for a present for the coffee over in your life, how about one of these – ahem – coffee table books? Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge of all things coffee or learn a few hints for making the perfect mug, you’re sure to find something here.

1. The World Atlas of Coffee: From beans to brewing – coffees explored, explained and enjoyed by James Hoffman. Publisher Mitchell Beazley. Available from Amazon, £14.28 for the hardback edition. This new book by champion barista and coffee roaster James Hoffmann takes a look at the history and complexity of coffee, examining different varieties of beans and the process from bush to cup.

2. Coffee obsession by Anette Moldvaer. Publisher Dorling Kindersley. Available from Amazon, £11.99 for the hardback edition. This new book will allow you expand your coffee repertoire with over 100 recipes for everything from liqueur coffees to the perfect latte.

3. Setting Up & Managing Your Own Coffee Bar: How to open a Coffee Bar that actually lasts and makes money (Coffee Boys Step By Step Guide) by John Richardson and Hugh Gilmartin. Publisher How To Books. Available from Amazon, £11.24 for the paperback edition. This is a practical step by step guide on running your own coffee bar, including advice on location, finances and marketing.

4. The Coffee Book: Anatomy of an Industry from Crop to the Last Drop (Bazaar Book) by Nina Luttinger and Gregory Dicum. Publisher New Press. Available from Amazon, £12.78 for the paperback edition. A comprehensive introduction to one of the world’s most popular products, The Coffee Book is full of facts and figures, cartoons and coffee history.

5. Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast. Publisher Basic Books. Available from Amazon, £6.63 for the paperback edition.This book reviews the dramatic changes in coffee culture over the past decade.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re experts in all things coffee. To browse our range of coffee beans, coffee accessories and coffee ingredients, all available to buy online at great wholesale prices, log on to www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Top five coffee cups and saucers

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Sara Walker

Although many of us keep a cup of coffee on the go all the time in the office to help us concentrate, sometimes there’s nothing like doing it properly. Sit down, put your feet up and relax with these lovely ‘proper’ coffee cups, complete with saucers.

1. Blue Early Bird cappuccino cup and saucer, Pip Studio

Specially made to hold that early-morning cappuccino is this pretty blue porcelain Early Bird cup and saucer set by Dutch designer Pip Studio. £13.99 for the set, available from www.cotswoldtrading.com.

2. POP coffee cup and saucer, Sagaform

This range by Sagaform draws inspiration and pays homage to both seventies product design and American fifties POP culture. Available in a range of colours. Was £15 for the set, now £8 from www.quinceliving.co.uk.

3. Jumbo cup and saucer, Festin Couquin

Perfect for a large breakfast cup of cafe au lait, his large, hand painted French pottery cup and saucer set with its attractive shape and pretty design will a little Provencal sunshine into your home. £26.50, available from www.boutiqueprovencale.co.uk.

4. Vintage postcard cups and saucers, Disaster Designs

This pretty cup and saucer is decorated with vintage-style postcards, so you can curl up with your coffee and dream of your next holiday. £11.99, available from www.mollieandfred.co.uk.

5. Butterfly espresso cup and saucer, Sophie Allport

A pretty blue butterfly adorns this fine bone china espresso cup and saucer. It’s perfect for a solitary indulgent cup of coffee, or great for impressing friends after dinner. £10, available from www.sophieallport.com.

If you’re looking for some great value coffee beans and coffee accessories to complete that special cup of coffee, look no further than the Wholesale Coffee Company. We’ve got a great online range of coffee beans, instant coffee, coffee ingredients and everything else you need, all at great wholesale prices – just check out our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Coffee recipes: Spicy Hallowe’en coffee cake

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Sara Walker

This dark, moist, sticky cake is a must to accompany your mid-morning coffee on the 31st October, but it’s a treat at any time of year.

To serve 12 to 14, you’ll need:

650g black treacle
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
80ml very strong black coffee, preferably made from freshly ground coffee beans
600g self-raising flour
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 large freerange eggs
570g plain yoghurt or creme fraiche
icing sugar for dusting

What to do

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a tin approximately 20cm by 30cm, and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.
Put the ‘wet’ ingredients, i.e. the treacle, butter and coffee in a large saucepan, and heat gently until the treacle melts and everything is fully combined. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
To the now-cool saucepan, add the spices and salt. Mix to make a stiff batter, then whisk in the eggs. Fold in the yoghurt or creme fraiche, mixing until just combined, and spoon the batter into the tin. Use the back of a spoon to even the mixture out.
Bake for around 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out cleanly, with no uncooked cake mixture adhering to it. Allow to cool slightly in the tin.
Turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack, and remove the paper. Leave to cool, then dust with icing sugar and cut into slices.

If you’re looking to buy coffee beans online, either for making coffee to drink or for recipes, you’ve come to the right place. Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we stock a wide range of coffee beans, coffee accessories and coffee ingredients, all available to buy online at great wholesale prices. To find out more, visit www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Ethiopian coffee ceremonies

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Sara Walker

As the legendary home of the coffee bean, Ethiopia has a long association with the world’s favourite drink. The Ethiopian people have such respect for coffee that they’ve developed a ceremony for preparing it, which you may be offered if you visit the country or eat at an authentic Ethiopian restaurant.

The hostess of the ceremony will begin by cleaning and washing the coffee beans (known as ‘bunna’, pronounced ‘boo-na’), to remove any debris or remnants of the fibrous outer husk. They’re then placed in a long-handled pan, similar to a covered frying pan. The pan’s placed on an open fire or in a stone oven, and the hostess will shake the beans continually so they don’t burn. When the beans are ready, they start to darken, release their oils and make a popping sound and the scent of freshly-roasted coffee will begin to scent the air.

Traditionally, the roasted coffee is then pounded in a heavy wooden bowl called a ‘mukecha’, using a metal or wooden stick called a ‘zenezena’, much like a pestle and mortar, although many ceremonies are now conducted using electric grinders for convenience and consistency.

The coffee grounds are transferred to a long necked clay pot called a ‘jebena’ and boiled over the open fire before being poured into another container, allowed to cool and re-boiled up to three times. Once ready, the coffee is poured through a filter set in the neck of the jebena into tiny china cups called ‘cini’. The resulting drink should be savoured in the company of friends.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re coffee experts and are proud to supply a range of coffee beans from around the world, all at great wholesale prices. For more information about us and our products, please visit our coffee beans page.

How to make a coffee hair rinse

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Sara Walker

As well as being tasty, coffee can be surprisingly useful. Whether you’re using it as a natural dye to tint fabric, paint or paper, turning the grounds into compost or fertiliser or using it as a baking ingredient, it’s extremely versatile. In addition, it contains no added chemicals or harsh artificial ingredients so it’s ideal for using as a beauty product. As coffee’s dark natural colour can add a subtle tint to a range of materials, it can also give brunette hair a deeper shine. Here’s how to make your own hair rinse.

Brew two large mugs of espresso coffee from beans (this is a great way of using up old or stale beans. Don’t forget to save the grounds to make a face scrub.) Leave the coffee to cool completely, then pour the coffee over your hair after you’ve washed and conditioned it, and leave it to dry. Alternatively, pour the coffee over dry hair, wrap your head in a hot towel and leave it for half an hour. Shampoo out as normal. Using some beer in the last rinse water will help seal in the coffee colour. Make sure you use an old or dark coloured towel, as the coffee may stain, and clear up any spills or splashes in the bathroom before they dry.

If you have very long or thick hair, you may need to use more coffee. Always use coffee from fresh beans rather than instant, which can contain additives. Don’t use coffee on very light hair, as the it may stain rather than adding shine and lustre.

If you’re looking for a reliable supply of good quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, look no further than our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk. We’ve got a wide range of beans from around the world, all available at great value prices.

How to remove coffee stains from a wooden coffee table

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Sara Walker

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we love our coffee. Even we’re prepared to admit, though, that our favourite drink might have the odd downside, such as the tendency to stain certain surfaces. Here’s how to remove coffee stains from your favourite wooden coffee table.

First of all, most stains on coffee tables are from heat damage rather than from coffee. Protect the surface of your table from ‘cup rings’ by using a coaster or mat, which will also help prevent coffee drips reaching the table surface.

If the table’s been knocked and the coffee split though, take evasive action as soon as possible. Dry up the spill with an old towel, and wipe the surface of the table with a warm damp cloth with a tiny blob of washing up liquid. Rinse with clean water, and leave to dry. When dry, apply a layer or wax or polish. If you’re quick enough, this may be all you need to do.

If the coffee has soaked into the table unnoticed, though, you may have to do some DIY. If the table is antique or valuable, contact a professional wood restorer. Otherwise, wipe the table top clean and dry and lightly sand the whole table surface with a fine grain sandpaper. Wipe again to remove any dust, and apply a layer of wax or polish. Leave to dry, then apply further layers as necessary until the colour is restored.

If the table is badly damaged, it could be time to customise it. Try painting, staining or varnishing the whole table, applying a decoupage design or adding mosaic tiles to create a unique result.

When your table’s ready, don’t forget we’ve got a wide range of coffee beans available on our coffee beans page, all at great wholesale prices, and we supply coffee accessories and ingredients too.