How much of your local cafe or favourite shop have you paid for?

This question came about when my wife looked up from her crafts box (after receiving a parcel of items from her favourite web supplier) and asked me “I wonder how much I have spent with Company X ?”

I remarked that she probably owned an office chair or at least their invoice printer by now as she has spent several hundred pounds with them in the past few years.

So taking away the cost of the stock and assumed overheads we reckon the nett profit alone would be in the region of £200 – £300

She favours this supplier because of 2 reasons;
1. Great product range with keen pricing and good stock availability
2. Service (faultless)

I’m not sure other websites or operators get a look in and I can see the company’s profits being boosted further in the coming months as she makes our Christmas cards and presents for friends and family

There’s a lesson in this, that by having a great range of items at keen prices and listening to your clients (and adapting to their needs) you will build and retain a loyal client base.

It is the incremental spend that will help keep you afloat and able to offer great service time after time.

So, next time you are heading towards your favourite place (or website) spend a minute and let the staff or owner know why you chose them instead of their competitors. They’ll appreciate it and you will gain from it in the long run too.

A £3.15 Temperature Sensitive Sticker has transformed my Hario Buono Pouring Kettle from a simple hot water storage and pouring device to a functional (and essential) piece of kit for any home coffee brewer to use.

I’m amazed at how accurate the temperature reading is, to within 1c of the water temp inside the kettle.

When you combine this with a set of scales and either a Hario V60 or an Aeropress you give yourself the ability to replicate brewing variables best suited to the bean you are using.

The advantage of knowing your temperature is that you have control over another key variable

Along with Time (adjusting your grinder accordingly to determine the contact time between the water and the ground coffee) and Turbulence (controlled by your hand movements during the brewing process) you can determine just how good your coffee can taste.

If only I was allowed to have an Über Boiler on my bench …

Thank you to everyone who booked their home barista training with us in July.

Our home coffee training diary for July filled up pretty quickly, and we are now taking bookings for August, September and beyond.

It was such a joy introducing people to the art of extraction and seeing the expressions of family members who cannot believe that their partner, father, brother or sister just made them a coffee that (in their words) was better than their local cafe produces.

We’ve been spoilt with such affordable, high quality, roasted coffee beans, from roasters all across the UK, and have been discovering new tastes not previously experienced.

We are pleased to announce that we are extending our offer of a 250g bag of freshly roasted beans throughout the summer months for all confirmed bookings. When booking your home barista training session we will determine what your preferred tastes are and try to match a suitable bean or blend.

To reserve a date for training at your home or workplace please email Glenn or phone us on
0845 226 6523

…an army of volunteers, sourced from around the world…

For the SCAE & WBC events, an army of volunteers, sourced from around the world, was drafted in to assist both behind the scenes and in an official capacity, working tirelessly to make sure the entire event ran smoothly.

I would encourage people to volunteer at any available opportunity in the future – the experience was so enriching and I can honestly say that I took more out of it than I imagined I would. I learned so much about coffee in 3 days, with the collective minds of the worlds best baristas and suppliers on hand to give their opinion, debate a theory or demonstrate what they meant by a post on Twitter.

One of the highlights for me was working for a short time on the brew bar, with the Über Boiler and the new Über Grinder, alongside Gary Whiteley and Faith Ortiz – 2 solid volunteers who made hundreds of Chemexes, Aeropresses and Filter Coffees over the 3 days of the show.

Volunteers were invited to attend the Barista Party, held on the Friday evening after the show had finished, and was a great opportunity for all volunteers to forget their sore feet for a few hours and mix&mingle with the WBC competitors and support crews.

For many people this was the last opportunity to congratulate the competitors and bid farewell to acquaintances, both old and new, before they headed home.

Finally, a thank you to all organisers who assigned the volunteers their tasks, and who helped make this event a success

^*1 Rwanda and Tanzania were unable to attend

Click here to view a selection of images taken at WBC2010

I’d like to thank Ms Gourmet Chick for the opportunity to visit the Summer BBC Good Food Show and BBC Gardeners World event at the NEC in Birmingham, having won tickets on the Gourmet Chick blog last week.

This morning (having slept in a little longer than planned) we headed north, full of anticipation, and looking forward to getting some inspiration for dishes to create this summer.

The layout in the exhibition halls had changed from previous years and the aisles seemed narrower, with more space being dedicated to the theatre events, where celebrity chefs (and wannabe chefs) were demonstrating their skills, or advertising their sponsors latest products. There were very few free seats when we arrived and by lunchtime there were rows of people up to 4 or 5 deep trying to get a glimpse of what was going on.

There seems to be a surge of ‘spice’ based cuisines at present, with many of the stalls selling pre-packaged curry’s, chutneys and asian accompaniments to spice up any meal. Some of the stalls screamed of mass production and there was not the level of care and creativity in the presentation of many products, compared to the Foodies Festival at Hampton Court a few weeks ago.

 Most show specials were realistically priced, but some stands were hard to reach due to the sheer volume of people trying to push and shove to get prime position for a freebie taster of a product, not helped by the number of pushchairs, prams, wheely trolleys and even dogs (*these were not Guide Dogs, just simple family pets), that you had to navigate around (with the aim of keeping both shins intact), whilst trying to stay upright – no mean feat when you are being barged from behind by walking stick weilding grannies.

Escaping the mayhem we headed for the considerably less densely populated) (and much quieter) nature and gardening arena, where the RSPB volunteers were holding court with less than 10 people (in a 50+ seat capacity theatre), and the Bee Keepers were giving demonstrations on hive maintenance and honey extraction methods

Top Tip: Adopt a Beehive

A third of the food we eat requires insect based pollination and bees are dying out across the world. The worthy cause of the day (in our opinion) is the Adopt a Beehive scheme being run by the British Beekeepers Association, where for £29.50 you can adopt a beehive for a year (as we have just done)

We finished our visit to the show with a stroll through the show gardens before heading for home.

The drive home offered me the chance to reflect on the show and some of todays experiences. If I had paid to attend (the going rate was £14+ per adult) I would have been disappointed, as the quality was not as high as previous years and other events I have attended recently. I’m not sure that the exhibitors in certain parts of the show are getting value for money as some people were ignoring stands completely (or could not get to them) due to the lines of people queuing for freebies from the stand next door – an unfortunate situation to be in.

Should there be a charge to attend an event?

Should there be a charge to attend an event as a consumer, where the main purpose of attending is to taste and buy products (many that can be bought in a supermarket or from the high street)?.  The exhibitors have already paid to be at the event, and will recoup the cost of their stall through sales. I would happily pay to attend a workshop, or presentation that is of interest to me but increasingly the events are no more than a chance to put a salesperson in front of you, rather than as a pretty picture on a label or a review in a magazine or on a website.

I think i’ll stick to attending more of the specialist shows and boutique markets, leaving the headline annual events for the masses, who are brave enough to dodge the prams and wheely trolleys or who are desperate to catch a glimpse of a celebrity strutting their stuff.

Expect a flurry of social media activity between now and the end of June 2010.

In 11 days time the World Barista Championship 2010 kicks off in London, coinciding with Caffe Culture, an established annual cafe bar tradeshow.

The organisers are expecting 10000+ visitors to the event, and a large number of these have a healthy interest in social media technologies, with many companies tweeting, blogging and interacting with their clients in ways not dreamt of just 12 months ago.

To receive a list of recommended tweeters to follow during the  World Barista Championship / Caffe Culture then send a tweet to @5mcoffee, or join our mailing list

To join our mailing list simply enter your name into the subscribe via email box on the top right corner and click subscribe

add your twitter name or blog address to the comments section

If you’d like to be included on the list of tweeters then add your twitter name or blog address to the comments section. The list will be sent out on Saturday 19th June.

We have just received a most amazing thank you email from one of our recent home barista training clients and I cannot stop smiling!

Our client has granted us permission to share these excerpts with you

“Having done your course my life has changed completely. I just love making a coffee at home and enjoy making them for others”

“… I don’t need to stress anymore.  I just put my machine on and enjoy the making and drinking experience when I feel the desire to have one”

“Doing your course was one of the best things I’ve done in a long time.”

Sally, Dorset

We just love what we do, and view training as the gift that keeps on giving

Feedback like this keeps the spring in our step!

You can read more about our training services here

Last week I entered a competition on Twitter, run by Teapigs – a quality obsessed, independent tea company, and won a pair of tickets to the Hampton Court Foodies Festival, the first of a series of festivals in the UK.

The day started out overcast and by the time we arrived the umbrella was required, but that didn’t stop people attending and enjoying themselves.

Held in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, the Foodies Festival is aimed at food lovers who don’t mind rolling up their sleeves and cooking. It is not a show for armchair chefs.

Surrounded by food but first – a coffee…

We made a bee-line to visit Weanie Beans, who we normally bump into at their pitch at Barnes Market, but this weekend have shared a stand with Outsider Tart – usually resident at 83 Chiswick High Road, London.

Their flat whites are right up there with the best we have tasted and are served with a smile. It’s always a pleasure to see Adeline, she is so cheery!

Coffee in hand we started on our gastronomy tour, with a cheeky tasting of a wild boar and apple sausage from Supreme Sausages, followed by a lamb and rosemary. The tastebuds were lit up like a Christmas tree and this was only the first stand. We bought a pack and carried on.

After chatting with the team on the stand we were buzzing from their enthusiasm

Next stop was the Teapigs stand where we tried a Licorice & Peppermint infusion, which cleansed the palate , in readiness for more taste sensations. After chatting with the team on the stand we were buzzing from their enthusiasm and bought a couple of their tea temples (boxes of teabags)

I won’t bore you with the details of every stop we made but there were a few exhibitors that stood out. The passion from these smaller producers is so infectious, and their intimate product knowledge helps you understand exactly how a product is lovingly made, often by hand or with very little automation, yet sold for very realistic prices.

The standout product at the show (for me anyway) was the Pomegranate and Fig Balsamic, enjoyed with a leaf of spinach, from the gift of oil.

There was no shortage of chutney producers – each with a unique taste, and a dazzling array of spices to use in preparing a curry. We sampled many of these infusions and bought a few home with us.

Stopping briefly to pick up a matured cheddar cheese block from Barbers Cheese, we started to plan our exit as we were pretty well laden with all sorts of gastronomic delights.

I’m glad we only had a light breakfast as the last stop of the day before leaving was to the Hog Roast stand (whose company name eludes me) where I tucked into a roast pork filled ciabatta with home-made apple sauce.

Spotting even darker clouds on the horizon, we squeezed in 1 more coffee each from Weanie Beans, a few minutes of jazz and then a sprint to the car before the heavens opened.

A review of the Duracell Instant Charger – a useful USB powered, rechargeable device for charging the iPhone and other handheld battery operated devices

don’t let the dainty looks deceive you, this thing packs a punch

At first glance you could mistake the Duracell Instant Charger for an iPod Nano, as its dimensions are fairly similar, but don’t let the dainty looks deceive you, this thing packs a punch.

I received the device on Friday and charged it immediately (whilst charging my iPhone at the same time)
With a USB Power Cable IN at one end and a USB OUT at the other, you can charge both the instant charger and another device at the same time.

There is a simple led charge indicator (red meaning still charging and green meaning charged), an on/off switch and a charge remaining light on the case next to the USB port.

Eager to test the chargers capabilities I happily used my iPhone for FourSquare check-in’s, sending tweets and general web surfing until the (formerly) dreaded Low Battery message flashed up on the screen. The iPhone instantly recognised the external battery source and started charging immediately.

Within several minutes the battery was back in the green. By the time we had relaxed and chatted over a lovely filter coffee and cakes there was a healthy level of charge, allowing me to resume social media activities and web surfing.

the iPhone is increasingly used for long periods of time and battery life is critical

There is, however, a tangible business benefit too. Having recently downloaded business related apps such as the award winning MoJoToGo^TM app for calculating coffee extraction – an iPhone version of the PC based ExtractMojo^TM software – the iPhone is increasingly used for long periods of time and battery life is critical. You only truly realise how important it is when you absolutely need it and cannot access vital statistics that have not yet been synced with a laptop or internet data storage device, or when an important call ends half way through.

I let my battery run right down yesterday before charging the iPhone using the charger only (not plugged in via the charger from the laptop) and easily got an extra 2 hours of usage from a single charge of approx 30-45 minutes. I am confident I could have used the phone for longer if I had left the charger plugged in (without using it) for a little longer.

I’ll be putting the charger through it’s paces at the WBC when I expect to be away from home for long periods each day and will be relying on my phone more than ever to coordinate my life and keep up with social media updates.

disclaimer: I responded to a tweet offering me the chance to receive one of the Duracell devices after following @DuracellUK on Twitter. I had been looking into external battery chargers to cope with the ever decreasing battery life on the iPhone and was actively researching options at the time. I would have bought this type of device had I known about it earlier and find it something I now could not live without. My gadget obsessed friends will be getting these for their birthdays!

Saturday 22nd May 2010 saw the much anticipated Square Mile Coffee retail presence arrive in London, in the form of Penny University.

Penny University – situated in Redchurch St, just off Shoreditch High St in the suddenly fashionable East End of London – introduces a new concept in the UK.

With the focus on brewed coffee there is a noticeable absence of milk and sugar, and whilst this may not be to everyones taste, it lets the coffee do the talking and relies on the barista to extract the best out of each bean served.

Penny University is a cosy shop with seating for 6 in front of the preparation area, formed from 150 year old reclaimed pine and adorned by an Uber Boiler.
(there is an outdoor bench seat if you prefer to enjoy your coffee al-fresco)

The minimalist (yet stylish) interior design lends itself to focussing on the coffee preparation, of which you are made to feel part of.
Each drink is lovingly crafted in front of you, and your barista is on hand throughout the process to answer any questions you may have, and should you request, he or she will regale the history of the bean and reaffirm its provenance.

On opening day there were 3 brewing methods available;
Pourover – using a Hario V60 1cup dripper
Siphon
Woodneck – through a cloth filter

The coffee’s on offer can be enjoyed on their own or as a tasting package (minimum 2 people), giving you the opportunity to sample 3 unique tastes

Water is served in a funky, delicate, individual water pitcher.

Coffee is available for purchase and an extensive range of Hario and Eva Solo products can be acquired, to allow you to enjoy these coffees at home.

There is an eye catching and enticing display of brewing products that you cannot fail to miss as you walk through the door.

Make a point of visiting Penny University when you are in London – you’ll be glad you did!