Wholesale Coffee Beans Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Buy Coffee Beans & Ingredients Online UK Wholesale

Coffee chocolate ‘martini’

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Sara Walker

This isn’t really a martini, as the alcohol it contains is creme de cacoa and coffee liqueur rather than gin and vermouth. It looks attractive served in a martini glass though.

To make 8 servings, you’ll need:

60ml coffee liqueur, such as Tia Maria or Kahlua
240ml creme de cacoa (if you want to make a less alcoholic version of this cocktail, you could also use an equal quantity of hot chocolate, chilled.
300ml vodka
240ml espresso coffee, made from freshly ground beans and chilled
white only of one free range egg
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
12 ice cubes

Put all the liquid ingredients – coffee liqueur, chocolate liqueur or hot chocolate, vodka and coffee in a freezer-proof jug, bottle or bowl. Cover, and place in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Put the egg white in a bowl, and whisk until frothy. Spread the sugar out on a saucer. Dip the rims of the glasses first into the egg, then into the sugar. Leave them to dry, then chill them in the fridge.
Crush the ice roughly, either in a food processor or by putting them in a plastic bag and wrapping it in a tea towel. Put the bundle on a chopping board, and hit it with a rolling pin until the ice is broken into suitable pieces. Divide the ice between the eight glasses.
Pour the cocktail mixture over the ice. If you have any egg white left, use it to stick a chocolate covered coffee bean to the foot of the glass.

These coffee cocktails make something a little different to serve at a summer party or celebration. Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we stock a range of coffee beans suitable for all uses, and all at great wholesale prices. To find out more, please visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Top five vacuum flasks for your coffee

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Sara Walker

Need to keep your coffee hot on the way to work or for after the gym? We’ve picked out five of the best vacuum flasks to keep your favourite drink piping hot and tasty, ready for when you need it.

1. Cartography vacuum flask, Berry Red

The traditional vacuum flask has been given a make-over with a printed leather-effect map of rain distribution over the globe. With any luck, though, your day out will be a sunny one! Holds 500ml. Priced at £21, available from www.berryred.co.uk.

2. Vintage world map flask, The Contemporary Home

Decorated with vintage maps to give you something to read while you sip your coffee, this flask is great for picnics, days out or long train journeys as well as taking to the office. Holds 350ml. Priced at £15, available from /www.tch.net.

3. Bike flask, Ted Baker

This vintage-style flask from Ted Baker’s new Wild & Wolf range is perfect for long countryside jaunts on your bike. Made from stainless steel, it has a vintage bike race printed sleeve and holds 500ml. £22.50, available from www.cotswoldtrading.com.

4. Petal flask, Orla Keily

Designed for gardeners but ideal for everyone, this petal flask from Orla Keily brings a touch of sophistication to any activity. £16.95, available from www.hintonshome.com.

5. Hola bird vacuum flask, Disaster Designs

This vacuum flask is beautifully illustrated with quirky bird designs. It features a handy carrying strap for extra stability, and holds 500ml. £14.99, available from www.cloth-ears.co.uk.

Now the cooler weather’s on its way, it’s the ideal time to invest in one of these lovely flasks. And if you need a little help with some coffee to fill it with, look no further than the Wholesale Coffee Company. We stock a range of coffee beans of all kinds, all at great wholesale prices. To find out more, visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Banana coffee muffins recipe

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Sara Walker

Possibly the ultimate treat at breakfast time, these muffins combine nutritious bananas and hazelnuts with the buzz of coffee. They’re also delicious mid-morning or for a weekend brunch, with a cup of – you’ve guessed it – coffee. This tasty recipe is a great way of using up any overripe bananas – just pop them in the freezer one by one, still unpeeled, until you have enough to make a batch of muffins, and defrost them at room temperature one to two hours before required.

To make 12, you’ll need:

75g butter or margarine, softened
4 ripe bananas
150g sugar
1 freerange egg, beaten
2 tablespoons very strong black coffee, such as espresso
225g self raising flour
150g chopped hazelnuts

What to do:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
Peel the bananas, put them in a large bowl and mash them roughly with a fork. Add the butter or margarine, and mix together with a wooden spoon. Add in the sugar, coffee and egg, and beat until fully combined. Add the flour, and beat until you have a rough batter. Stir in the hazelnuts.
Divide the mixture equally into the 12 cases, levelling off the tops with a knife. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the muffins are well risen and golden brown. To check they’re done, insert a skewer into the thickest part of a muffin. If it comes out clean with no uncooked cake mixture clinging to it, they’re ready. If not, return them to the oven for a few minutes.
Serve with a large mug of your favourite coffee.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we supply a range of top quality coffee beans suitable for all purposes, and all at great wholesale prices. To find out more, visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Cool muffins on a rack and serve.

Top five personalised coffee gifts

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Sara Walker

if you know someone who loves coffee, treat them to an extra-special gift that’s just for them. Here’s our pick of the top five personalised gifts for coffee lovers.

1. Wooden coffee storage crate, Plantabox

These cute little crates are ideal for storing coffee paraphernalia at the office, and there’s plenty of room for mugs, spoons, bags of coffee, biscuits, and everything else the dedicated coffee aficionado needs. It measures 31cm x 20cm x 15cm and can be personalised with 18 characters per line. Make this gift extra special by filling it with a selection of our 1kg coffee sampling bags. Crate costs £23.95 from www.plantabox.co.uk.

2. Personalised wooden coasters, Maria Allen Boutique

This set of four wooden personalised word coasters comes with the addition of any four names of your choice. They’re from cherry wood and MDF veneer and are laminated on the surface for protection. £35 for a set of four from www.mariaallenboutique.com.

3. Personalised square canister, Jonny’s sister

This smart enamel canister is ideal for storing your personal coffee stash. They’re hand painted and the wording is available in a choice of fonts. £27, available from www.jonnyssister.co.uk.

4. Personalised polka dot coffee mug, Getting Personal

This navy polka dot mug is the solution to keeping track of your mug in a busy office. It’s dishwasher safe, and can be personalised with any name. £9.99, available from www.gettingpersonal.co.uk.

5. Personalised travel mug, Snapdragon

This practical mug is ideal for keeping your favourite drink warm, whether you’re travelling to work, in a meeting or working in the garden. It can be personalised with your choice of characters up to 30, is dishwasher safe and features double wall insulation and a silicon lid. £15, available from www.snapdragononline.co.uk.

For all your coffee bean and coffee accessory needs at great wholesale prices, don’t forget to visit our website – www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Top five gifts for coffee lovers

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Sara Walker

if you’ve got a coffee lover in your life, buy them a coffee-themed gift with a difference. Here are five of our favourites.

1. Coffee necklace, Gift Wrapped and Gorgeous

This pretty pendant necklace features a coffee cup hand stamped onto a fine silver disc, which measures approximately 15mm. Each necklace is hand crafted from start to finish using 100% recycled fine silver, and each piece is unique. Priced at £32, for more information see www.giftwrappedandgorgeous.co.uk.

2. Coffee tea towel, Stuart Gardiner

Possibly the perfect gift for a coffee lover, or for someone who wants to pass themselves off as a connoisseur! If you think you know your ristretto from your espresso or can tell a French press from a stove top, then this tea towel is for you. Made and printed in the UK, it costs £9.95 from www.hintonshome.com.

3. Vintage coffee grinder, Raspberry Mash

his beautiful wooden vintage French coffee grinder is as attractive as it is useful. Use to decorate your kitchen, or to grind your own coffee beans for that freshly-ground taste. £38, available from www.raspberrymash.co.uk.

4. Coffee advertising wall clock, Newgate

The coffee advertising clock is a reminder that the day will improve, just as soon as that triple espresso makes an appearance. As well as the retro-look convex metal dial, the clock features wrap-around hands to follow the contours for perfect time keeping so you won’t miss your coffee break. Priced at £65, available from www.redcandy.co.uk.

5. Vintage metal coffee sign, Mollie & Fred

Remind everyone in the house how your day has to start with this vintage-style shabby chic metal sign. Designed to have a worn, distressed appearance with a vintage post card style background print, the sign measures 26.5cm by 35cm, and costs £9.99 from www.mollieandfred.co.uk.

Of course, the only thing you really need to keep a coffee lover happy is large amounts of good quality coffee – and that’s where we come in. At the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re proud to supply a range of coffee beans at great wholesale prices. For more information, please visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Coffee all over the world: Brazil

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Sara Walker

Since the coffee bean was first introduced from French Guiana in the 18th century, Brazil has quickly become the world’s largest coffee producer. Unlike Colombia, where the size of the farms are limited by rugged terrain, plantations in Brazil can be immense. With no natural boundaries to stop the expansion, some plantations are run on an industrial scale with hundreds or even thousands of workers operating each one. This doesn’t mean, though, that Brazil produces sub-standard coffee; on the contrary, modern equipment, a suitable climate and advanced processing methods tend to mean a consistently high quality product.

Brazil produces both robusta and arabica coffee beans in its different regions, many of which are large enough to have differing climates. ‘Brazilian’ has become an industry term for a mild blend, although Brazil has now started to produced specialist coffees as well. Depending on the area, beans are wet or dry processed and this is one of the factors that has an effect on taste, helping to distinguish the beans of different regions.

In the mid 20th century, the Brazilian Institute do Café set quotas for exporting coffee. Unfortunately, this had the unforeseen effect of reducing quality, as suddenly growers were expected to produce a certain quantity. Some sources also believe that the institute was founded primarily for political reasons, and promoted cartels rather than the coffee industry itself. The organisation is long defunct, and in the 1990s the new government encouraged significant reforms in how the beans were grown, processed and exported, leading to a sharp increase in quality which has continued to this day.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we stock a range of coffee beans from all over the world, all at great value wholesale prices. For more information and to browse our range, please visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Espresso and walnut tray bake

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Sara Walker

If you’re hosting a coffee morning or just expecting a houseful over the weekend, this super simple tray bake will solve your catering problems. Serve with a big mug of your favourite coffee for an extra caffeine hit.

You’ll need:

250g granulated sugar
250g margarine or butter, softened
250g self-raising flour
4 freerange eggs
90ml freshly brewed strong espresso coffee
100g walnuts, finely chopped
300g icing sugar
12 walnut halves

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 20 by 30cm cake tin, and line the bottom with a sheet of baking parchment.

Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl, and beat together either by hand or with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 30ml of the coffee, then beat in the flour. Add in the chopped nuts, and beat until you have a smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, level it off with the back of a spoon and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until well risen and golden. To check it’s cooked, insert a clean skewer into the middle part of the cake and check no uncooked batter is sticking to it when removed.

Leave to cool in the tin for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Meanwhile, beat the remaining coffee and icing sugar together to form a thick glace icing. Spoon the icing over the cake, and decorate it with the walnut halves, positioning them at regular intervals so that when the cake’s cut into twelve squares each has a walnut.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we stock a range of top quality coffee beans suitable for all uses, all at great wholesale prices. To find out more, please visit our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Top five coffee spoons

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Sara Walker

For the coffee lover who really does have everything, how about a special coffee spoon just for making their favourite drink? We’ve picked out five of our favourites.

1. Ceramic animal spoon, Berry Red

This pretty little spoon is made from white ceramic, and features either a bird or bunny in a shabby chic design. Handwash only, 16cm tall. Priced at £3, available from www.berryred.co.uk.

2. Acrylic demi tasse spoon, House Envy

This little spoon has an old fashioned design but is made from modern materials. ‘Demi tasse’ spoons were originally designed to go with coffee cups, so this spoon has an appropriate heritage. Available in a wide range of colours, it’s dishwasher safe and costs £3 from www.house-envy.co.uk.

3. Spanner coffee spoons set, Culinary Concepts

A perfect gift for those with a mechanical bent, this set of four coffee spoons is made from hand-crafted stainless steel, with a spanner handle design and ‘drop forged’ detailing. Costing £28.99, the set’s available from www.cotswoldtrading.com.

4. Long handled spoons, Rice DK

If you prefer a long coffee drink like latte or even regular coffee in a large cup, these long handled melamine spoons are the answer. Long enough at 18cm to stop you burning your fingers, they’re sold as a set of six individual colourful spoons and measure and cost £8.50 for the set. Available from Berry Red as before.

5. Bud coffee spoons, Robert Welch

We love these slender, elegant coffee spoons by Robert Welch. Each one has a sculpted handle which tapers and gently curves into the palm of the hand for a comfortable feel, and is made from high quality stainless steel. £26 for a set of eight, other items are available in the same range. Available from www.johnlewis.com.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we take our coffee very seriously. To browse our range of coffee beans all available at great wholesale prices, please visit our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Coffee all over the world: Indonesia

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Sara Walker

Indonesia has the perfect climate for growing coffee, and is currently one of the world’s largest producers. Composted of thousands of islands, some of the larger islands, such as Java and Sumatra, are well known in the coffee world for the quality of their beans. Not indigenous to Indonesia, coffee bushes were introduced by Dutch colonists in the mid-17th century in an attempt to break the Arabian monopoly, and they soon began to thrive. As the industry grew, roads and railways were built to aid transport from the interior of the islands to the ports, and so the landscape of Indonesia was shaped by the coffee trade.

At the end of the 1800s, many of the coffee bushes were smitten with coffee rust, a fungus that produces a fine powdery covering on the underside of the leaves. This wiped out whole plantations, and some owners replanted with tea or rubber plants which they felt were hardier and more resistant to disease. Others replanted with different varieties, initially Liberica coffee from Africa and then the tougher robusta, which still makes up the majority of the coffee crop in Indonesia.

Famous for its speciality coffees such as kopi luwak (civet cat coffee), Indonesia is also the home of aged coffees. Originally, this referred to coffee stockpiled by farmers who were waiting for the high point of the market. It was discovered that storing the coffee in this way enhanced the flavour, and now these coffees are sold to connoisseurs.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’ve got a range of coffee beans available, all at great wholesale prices. For more information, please visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.com.

Easy coffee cake recipe

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Sara Walker

If you think you can’t bake, this simple coffee bake recipe will have you changing your mind. Delicious mid-morning with a cup of your favourite coffee made from freshly-roasted beans, it’s also brilliant at lunchtime. Any leftover slices will freeze for up to three months, just leave them to defrost at room temperature until required.

You’ll need:

4 freerange eggs
250g self raising flour
310g butter or margerine, softened
250g granulated sugar
120g icing sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons very strong black coffee

What to do:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease two springform 20cm sandwich tins, and line the bottom with circles of greaseproof paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and 250g of the butter together until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Break in the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition, then add one tablespoon of coffee. Add the flour, and beat vigorously until the batter is fully combined. Lift a spoonful of batter; it should cling to the spoon for a second before sliding off. If the mixture looks a little thick, add a drop of milk. If it’s too runny, add a little more flour. Finally, spoon the batter into the prepared tins and smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Bake in the centre of the over for around 30 minutes until well risen and golden. Push the surface of the cake with the tip of a finger, it should feel slightly springy. Leave to cool in the tin for ten to fifteen minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, put the remaining butter and icing sugar in a bowl, and beat until combined. Add the coffee, a few drops at a time, until the mixture is a spreading consistency. Use the buttercream to sandwich the cakes together.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we stock a wide range of coffee beans, all at great wholesale prices. For more information, please see www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.