Tag: wholesale coffee supplies

Coffee fads: candyfloss coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker

We’re always on the lookout for the latest coffee fad – not because we want to follow suit, but because they make us smile! After all, when something’s as perfect as a good cup of coffee, why try and improve it? The rise of social media platform Instagram has a lot of answer for, with users posting pictures of rainbow coffee, coffee mixed with turmeric or green matcha powder. The latest ‘innovation’, though, comes from Shanghai, China. A café has paired up the very childish treat of candyfloss with the very adult treat of coffee. They’re offering a cup of coffee with a cloud of candyfloss suspended over it on a sort of metal rack. The idea is that as the heat from the coffee melts the candyfloss it drops little drips of sugary sweetness into your coffee. It’s called ‘Sweet Little Rain’ coffee, and it’s currently big on Instagram.

It’s more expensive than a regular cuppa, currently priced at around 58 Chinese yen or £6. And it does look interesting – but if you’re a coffee purist like us, we can’t help wondering if it’s actually adding anything to the drink, other than an undefinable amount of sugar. It doesn’t look that controllable, either – surely all that candyfloss would melt over the cup, spoon, saucer and table rather than being confined to your cup? We’re not sure it’s worth the effort of all the wet wipes you’d have to use afterwards!

If you’re looking for a great cup of coffee with no gimmicks attached, then you’ve come to the right place. We supply wholesale coffee for use in businesses and cafes, and we pride ourselves on the high quality of our products as well as our customer service. To find out more, or to browse our range of products, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk – and sorry, there’s no candyfloss on sale!

Glasgow café sells ‘camelccinos’ for charity

Posted on by Sara Walker

In amongst all the ‘avocado lattes’, ‘rainbow lattes’ and ice cream serving cups, sometimes there’s a coffee trend we can really appreciate. Yes, it’s a bit of a gimmick – but it’s a gimmick with a purpose. A café in Glasgow has invented ‘camelccinos’ – yes, that’s right, coffee with added camels’ milk – to help support traders in Kenya.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen trends for adding almost anything to coffee, including yak butter, salt and various non-dairy milks such as almond. This is a new one on us, though! Camels’ milk is said to be more nutritious than cows’ milk, containing more iron and vitamin C. Although we’re not used to it here in the UK, it’s commonly drunk across Africa and the Middle East and can be used as a substitute for human breast milk as it’s nutritionally the closest type of milk. It can have health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The initiative to bring ‘camelcchinos’ to Scotland is funded by the British government’s Department for International Development, and is being run by Mercy Corps, a global team of humanitarians with offices in Edinburgh. They’re helping female Kenyan traders to increase the shelf life of their camels’ milk, which can spoil rapidly in the high temperatures, leading to a lot of wastage. So far, the project has funded solar-powered cooling units as well as refrigerated transport. The Willow Tea Rooms, where the drink is on sale for £2.40, say it’s proved popular so far. The project aims to raise funds by donating 10 per cent of the profits from each drink, but also to highlight awareness for the traders.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’ve got everything you need to offer your customers a fantastic cup of coffee – except, possibly, camels’ milk! Take a look at our range of coffee beans, coffee accessories and coffee supplies at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

New research reveals UK’s coffee spending habits

Posted on by Sara Walker

New research claims that the myth of millennials not being able to put down a deposit on a house because they’re spending all their money on coffee shop coffees and avocado toast is just that, a myth. Research carried out into Britain’s spending habits on behalf of car company Dacia UK found that those aged 18 to 34, who are often maligned as being frivolous spendthrifts, are actually more cost conscious than their older counterparts.

The younger age group spend around £5.50 per week on coffee, which works out at approximately two cups, while those in the older 35 to 44 age group spend almost a pound more at £6.43. When buying lunches, takeaway food and hot and cold drinks, the older age group spend about £140 annually compared to the younger group. Most of the younger generation aren’t spending their hard-earned cash on avocado toast, either – over half the respondents said they ‘often’ or ‘always’ took their own lunch to work.

It makes sense that the older age group are happier to spend their cash, as they tend to be in better-paying jobs than their younger counterparts and are still moving up the career ladder. Once retirement is reached, though, people seem to be holding onto their money again. The over 55 age group spent less than the other two groups, with an average of £4.14 a week on coffee and around another £15 on other drinks, takeaway food and lunch, making them the most cost conscious.

At the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re specialists in coffee supply for restaurants, cafes, offices and commercial businesses. We supply a wide range of coffee beans and accessories such as flavoured syrups and whiteners, all available at great wholesale prices. To find out more, take a look at our website or call 0800 012 1226 to speak to one of our expert team.

Coffee fads: anyone for hot buttered coffee?

Posted on by Sara Walker

The ingredients of the perfect breakfast have always been hot coffee, toast, butter and marmalade. Now, though, we’re being encouraged to start combining some of those ingredients in slightly odd ways. The French like to dip their thickly-buttered toast into their milky coffee first thing in the morning – but here’s a trend that cuts out the middle man (or the toast). That’s right – adding butter to your coffee instead of milk.

At first glance, it seems very peculiar. It’s become normal, though, to add cream to coffee in certain speciality drinks, and butter’s certainly in the same category. Why would you want to do it, though? Well, in Tibet they’ve been doing it for centuries, using yak butter. Butter is nutrient-dense and rich in several vitamins including A, E and K2, and the result is a nutritious drink.

The main problem is that butter is very high in fat and doesn’t dissolve easily in hot liquids, so if you want to get the full experience you’ll have to use a blender. Add a cup of hot black coffee and one or two teaspoons of unsalted butter to a blender and pulse until the liquid is creamy and frothy looking. According to butter coffee aficionados, the trick is to use a very high quality premium coffee blend for the best taste.

We have to say we’re not totally convinced – but then someone had to be the first to think of putting milk in coffee! In some cultures, that’s just as odd as adding butter. So next time you’re sitting down to your toast and marmalade, why not give it a try – but maybe make enough coffee for two cups just in case.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company we’ve got everything you need for your commercial coffee business, including coffee beans, coffee accessories and coffee supplies, all at great wholesale prices. To browse our full range, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

 

 

 

Coffee fads: coffee you can see through

Posted on by Sara Walker
Image: Pixabay

Every time we think we’ve really heard it all in the world of coffee, something else comes along to prove us wrong. A Slovakian inventor and heavy coffee drinker, David Nagy, was so concerned with coffee potentially staining his teeth that he came up with a brand new invention – clear coffee, which he claims uses a unique brewing process. The inventor spent several months developing the product, now marketed as ClearCoffee (Clrcff), and launched a Crowdfunding initiative to help him bring it to market.   Rather than a traditional cup of coffee, the finished commercial product looks more like a soft drink, as it’s sold in a bottle and designed to be drunk cold.

Mr. Nagy said that his inspiration was to ‘Create a product that would grab everyone’s attention,’ and came up with the idea while he was living and working in the UK and saw how important coffee was to UK culture. A standard 200ml serving of the drink apparently contains as much caffeine as a cappuccino (usually around 12.83 mgs per 100 ml), and has no sweeteners or artificial additives. Although the exact brewing process is a closely guarded secret, we’d guess that it possibly washes the caffeine from the beans in a similar way to decaffeination as ‘natural’ caffeine is then added back into the drink.

According to Mr. Nagy, the product has a unique taste and aroma and there are no chemicals used in the brewing process. The result is a drink which is low in calories and contains nothing but Arabica coffee beans, natural caffeine and water.

It’s certainly true that coffee in large quantities can stain your teeth, as tooth enamel has microscopic areas of roughness that can harbour tiny particles of food and drink. Alternating coffee with drinking a glass of water can help to prevent these particles from remaining on your teeth long enough to stain, as can regular brushing and dental care.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re got everything you need to make your commercial coffee business a success. Choose from our wide range of coffee beans, supplies and accessories, all available at great wholesale prices.

 

Coffee all over the world: Italian bicerin

Posted on by Sara Walker
Turin is the home of bicerin, a chocolate and espresso drink. Image: Pixabay

ou might think that coffee is just coffee, but additives and preparation methods vary all over the world. Whether your additive of choice is cow’s milk, plant milk, sugar, spices, salt, cream, ice cream or just a nice biscuit to dunk, it seems there’s almost nothing someone hasn’t tried at some point. In Italy, though, they’ve taken it to a whole different level.

Popularised in the 18th century, bicerin is ubiquitous in the Italian town of Turin. The name itself means ‘little glass’ in Piedmontese (a diminutive of bicchiere meaning glass), and that’s how it’s traditionally served. Similar to a miniature Irish coffee, part of the appeal is visual, with clearly defined layers of very dark brown through to cream.

Possibly the world’s most indulgent drink, the layers are made up of chocolate, espresso and cream or whole milk. Fortunately it’s normally served in tiny shot glasses, so you don’t need to feel too guilty!

It combines fresh, strong espresso coffee as the first layer, with thick Italian drinking chocolate. If you’re making it yourself, melt some good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) with enough milk to make it liquid without being running. Pour the chocolate over the back of a spoon to create the layers, then top with a layer of either foamed whole milk or gently whipped cream. Again, pouring the milk or cream over the back of a spoon will help create a distinct layer.

If you drink it carefully, you can sip the thinner liquid of the coffee through the chocolate layer to get the full flavour hit. Otherwise, mix it all up with a spoon for a sort of ultra-sophisticated hot chocolate!

To get the full experience, you can visit the ‘home’ of bicerin, the Caffè al Bicerin itself in Turin. It’s been serving the drink for over 200 years, and may even have invented it.

 

 

 Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we specialise in all things coffee too. For wholesale coffee supplies for your coffee business or cafe, just take a look at our main website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Coffee shops buck high street trend

Posted on by Sara Walker
Image: Pixabay

The character of our high streets is changing. As online shopping soars in popularity and customers prefer to browse from the comfort of their arm chairs, shops are also being hit with rising costs. The number of new shops opening in Britain is currently at its lowest for seven years, and a study commissioned by Price Waterhouse Coopers has revealed that almost 6,000 shops closed last year. Famously among recent casualties are big chains such as BHS, Toys R Us and Maplin. Among the sectors hardest hit are clothes shops, banks and travel agents, with more and more customers preferring to shop, bank and book holidays online.

It’s certainly not all doom and gloom though, and the good news is that there are several retail genres bucking the trend – including coffee shops. It seems that spending all that time hunched over our computers buying shoes isn’t replacing our need to socialise – so after our online shopping, we’re still strolling along to our local cafe for some actual human contact. Other industries on the ride include bookshops, tearooms, craft beer pubs, ice cream parlours and shops selling beauty products and services such as nail bars.

It seems that stores offering experiences rather than just products are being more popular rather than less. Ordering a six pack of craft beer online simply doesn’t compare with the experience of drinking it in a pub with your mates – and it’s the same with coffee shops. Despite pressures on the British retail industry, 25 new coffee shops opened in the UK last year. Perhaps the ideal new business idea is a coffee shop selling books, ice cream, beer and face cream? It can only be a matter of time.

For all your commercial coffee needs for your cafe, catering or retail business, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk. You’ll find everything you need to keep stocked up in style, including beans, accessories, flavoured syrups and more.

 

 

Coffee news: independent cafe sparks online debate

Posted on by Sara Walker

The owners of a Surrey cafe have found themselves involved in an online discussion after they rebuked a large group of customers for not buying enough food and drink.

Many of us now treat cafes as an extension of our offices, browsing the internet, sending emails and arranging to meet clients. With the recent upsurge in remote working, more and more freelancers and homeworkers head to coffee shops for at least part of the day, lured by fast wifi and the prospect of some social interaction in an otherwise featureless day. There’s a tacit understanding between cafe and customer, though, that in order to qualify for the central heating, wifi and comfortable seating you need to keep being a customer – ie. you need to keep ordering food and drink. Try to get through a day on nothing more than free glasses of tap water, and you’d rightly expect to be asked to leave.

There are no hard and fast rules about how many drinks or sandwiches you should order per time period, though, and Henry’s Bistro Cafe in Wallington, Surrey, clearly thought they’d got the thin end of the bargain recently. The independent run cafe recently informed a group of 17 customers that they had been occupying the premises for too long, and hadn’t spent enough in return.

One of the group shared the cafe’s comments, which stated that the party of 17 had spent only £55 in total over three hours, on social media. The business claimed that this equated to ‘less than the price of a cup of tea’ per person per hour. The cafe went on to justify their comments by saying as they’re an independent business and a new start-up, they don’t have the financial cushioning of other, larger businesses. They pointed out that the amount spent by the group didn’t cover the costs of serving them (adding up staff costs and overheads), and said that the group had given them ‘no incentive or obligation’ to serve them in the future.

The Facebook post was widely discussed among the members of the Wallington town group. Many comments were in support of the business, pointing out that no independent enterprise could thrive in the town unless it was properly supported.

If you run your own independent coffee business, take a look at our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk for great prices on all your coffee needs.

 

 

 

 

How to say ‘thank you’ to your customers this Christmas

Posted on by Sara Walker

As we all know, loyal customers are the backbone of any hospitality business. Whether you’re a small high street coffee shop or a larger business, it’s more important than ever to help customers feel appreciated. Here are a few ideas to say ‘thank you’.

Start a loyalty service

This doesn’t have to be complicated – all you need is a small printed card and a stamp. Offering every 10th drink free, or offering bonus products, is a great way of keeping customers returning. Also, remembering regular customers’ names or how they like their drinks will help them feel appreciated.

Offer bonus products

Everyone loves a bargain, and Christmas specials such as a free mince pie or festive biscuit with every drink for a limited period will help people remember you.

Organise events

Invite loyal customers to ‘members only’ events at your venue. You can offer anything from tastings of new coffees and other products to a talk or book reading. The element of exclusivity means that people will feel appreciated for their loyalty. Alternatively, if you’ve got a milestone coming up in your business (anniversary of opening, or fifth Christmas, or new premises), throw a bigger bash for customers to help celebrate.

‘Just because’ discounts

In this age of relentless promotions, deals are often just seen as a form of marketing. Go spontaneous with a ‘just because’ discount (offering 20% off hot drinks, for example, for the week before Christmas). The unexpectedness of the discount means it will be appreciated by customers.

Shout about it

If you don’t tell your customers you appreciate them, they won’t know! Create a big poster, and stick it up in the window or behind the bar area, thanking them for their custom. Encourage people to take snaps with the poster for social media, and offer prizes for your favourites.

Merry Christmas from all at the Wholesale Coffee Company, the home of wholesale coffee beans and coffee supplies for the restaurant and catering industry.

 

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.