Take a Trip to London: The Caffè Culture Show 2013 A guide to getting the most from the UK’s leading café bar trade event
A vibrant and essential networking and business opportunity for every café bar operator in the sector, the Caffè Culture Show (15th & 16th May – Olympia, London) has become a focal point for the industry, offering practical support and advice for all aspects of café bar and coffee shop operation.
Visitors to the show will be able to interact with 230 specialist industry suppliers whilst the two main features, the Caffè Culture Business Theatre and the Caffé Culture Taste Experience Stage, will offer a full programme of FREE seminars and practical interactive demos to enable operators to learn the latest skills and techniques and hear vital industry hints and tips on how to enhance the profitability of their operation.
With a running programme of practical demonstrations and interactive sessions over the two days, the Taste Experience Stage is designed to help visitors reinvigorate their food and beverage offering in a way which is accessible and transferable to each visitor’s particular business type.
Sector leaders will cover many key areas of coffee service using informal demonstrations and a specialist knowledge of the industry to impart vital skills. Paul Eagles will be opening the programme each day with a workshop on Perfecting your Hot Chocolate, which looks at the importance of hot beverage choices including a good hot chocolate offering and practical advice on how to prepare quality hot chocolate on a coffee machine.
Other sessions on the stage include Ben Townsend of The Espresso Room demonstrating essential techniques which offer quick and easy ways to improve your espresso whilst TV chef Peter Sidwell of Britain’s Best Bakery fame, provides a practical talk on some fantastic savoury baked goods that are easy to recreate even in the smallest café kitchens.
The White Stuff presented by Hugo Hercod, from Relish continues the Taste Experience programme with a demonstration on the importance of using the best ingredients with an emphasis on the impact that choosing the right milk product can have on the final offering. This is followed by DaVinci Gourmet and Coffee Community exploring How to successfully market speciality drinks including preparing a strategic marketing plan to extend drinks menus.
A round up of sessions from the Taste Experience Stage each day comes from the Beverage Standards Association demonstrating How to raise beverage standards and boost profits by serving high quality products together with preparation and serving advice to maximise impact.
The Caffè Culture Business Theatre offers a further resource for visitors, hosting a series of seminars focusing on the key issues facing café bar operators today. Leading industry consultant, Richard Willis & industry author, Jill Sutherland, launch each day with An introduction to setting up and running a café or coffee bar business will provide an invaluable look at the process of starting a successful business in a highly competitive market place. From brainwave to business by entrepreneur Celia Gates then offers visitors an insight into how to turn creative ideas into practical and profitable developments to ensure that your business stays ahead of the competition.
Hospitality consultant, Kenneth Sharpe, then introduces a lively new seminar to the show this year. Your mission should you choose to accept it … is an account of how Kenneth took on a challenge by the Caffè Culture team to select a café business which was doing ‘ok’ and identified how to convert the ordinary into the extraordinary with an emphasis on how these profitable initiatives can be applied to any business.
Further insight into understanding key visitor motivators and choice drivers is introduced by Helene Miles from Pragma, in a seminar called Survival of the fittest which includes crucial ways to adapt your business to not only survive but thrive in this busy market place. Hints on improving profits and keeping a handle on costs, can be gleaned from Richard Dorf’s session on utilising a range of in-store technology and business intelligence to make simple changes to your operational systems.
On Wednesday the Business Theatre is wrapped up with a Story of a start-up, which is a personal account from Edwin Harrison on the launch of his café, Artisan, and the difficult transition and scale up from one to two outlets. The session gives operators invaluable lessons in business progression and growth with an honest appraisal of the pitfalls and successes.
Elliot Gard, Event Director, comments:
“The Caffè Culture Show is not just an exhibition, it’s a real opportunity to build solid business practices based on shared experiences and practical advice, making it an unmissable date for serious operators in the industry. We are committed to creating an event which is the ultimate resource for all those with a tea or coffee offering, to ensure visitors keep their business profitable and the coffee bar sector thriving.”
Whether you’re an established business looking for fresh ideas or a start up operation seeking expert advice, the Caffè Culture Show offers valuable ‘time out’ from the everyday running of a café business, and provides creative input and objective support for both the business and individual to keep venues fresh and profitable.
For more information and to register visit www.caffecultureshow.com/register
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MEET THE EXHIBITORS:
The Caffè Culture Show is the place to discover the latest suppliers from all areas of the sector as well as keeping up to date with the latest café industry trends.
Many of the leading brands will be represented at the show including renowned coffee roaster Matthew Algie & Co Ltd (F7) demonstrating its range of quality filter and espresso coffee using only the finest ingredients. The world’s first triple certified product, the range is recognised by the Fairtrade Foundation, Rainforest Alliance and the Organic Food Federation, providing caterers with a sustainably produced coffee offering. Adding a touch of personalisation, leading premium syrups company Monin (D30), will be showcasing its innovative range of frappe powders designed to create a wide range of popular drinks, including smoothies, frozen coffees, frappes and cocktails. Speciality coffee will be taking centre stage on the DaVinci Gourmet (K20) stand where a range of recently unveiled syrups and sauces will be demonstrated which allow operators to create on-trend drinks menus with excellent profit margins. For visitors looking at the very latest way to dispose of used coffee grounds from espresso machine portafilters, Mitchell & Cooper (G7) will have live demonstrations of its unique ‘Pro-fondi.’ Far less abrasive than traditional knock-boxes, café operators will discover how they can extend the life of the portafilters whilst creating a quieter environment and better tasting coffee for the customer. Chocoholic fans of all types will be catered for with a visit to Beyond the Bean (E14) where the team will be on hand with tasters of its new White Hot Chocolate. Made using a blend of cocoa butter, sugar and skimmed milk powder, the new drink will add a rich, creamy favourite to any establishment’s menu. For those looking to spice up their tea offering, Bondi Chai Tea (L4) will be offering visitors the chance to sample its unique Indian blend powder sachets, a product that is already adored by cafés across India. Experts will also be on hand to demonstrate the company’s unique and popular, digital loyalty card.
For those needing to enhance their grab-and-go offering, a visit to the Wenlock Spring stand (B24) is a must as the company officially unveils its new 250ml Sports Cap Bottle. Aiding healthy hydration, the bottle has been designed specifically for the young children’s market, making it ideal for family friendly establishments or for adults on-the-go. Also catering for those on the move is Lotus Bakeries, (B25) who, in addition to sampling their famous ‘little red biscuits’, will be giving operators the first chance to see their unique Lotus Lid, which ensures that those who do not have time to eat-in, don’t miss out on a moreish Lotus Caramelised Biscuit. If it is cakes rather than biscuits that drives business through your door then Erlenbacher (F35) will be handing out samples of its high quality cakes, made using only the finest ingredients and without the addition of any artificial flavours, colours, preservatives or added fats and oils. The range includes cakes for chocolate lovers, fresh fruit advocates or simply anyone with a sweet tooth. Offering customers something unique is a speciality for Macaronique (K35) which has gained a reputation for making the best French Macaroons in the UK. The Jewel of French pastries and the ultimate indulgence, the macaroons are handcrafted in a dedicated bakery, using only the finest ingredients. A selection of gourmet foods from Yum Yum Bros (F1) provides further snack food choice with visitors having the opportunity to sample the attractively presented Ndulge pre-packed bars and bites range. Newly launched at the show will be the Ndulge two and four pack cookie range which has been specifically developed to meet customer demand. On stand C12, NISI is proud to be exhibiting its Great Taste Award winning range of premium Italian biscuits and those visiting the stand will be able to sample this small bakery’s Chocolate Chunk Biscotti made famous internationally when chosen as the product for all of the Athletes competing at London 2012.
The very latest in accelerated cooking technology can be found at the Manitowoc Foodservice (E30) stand, where experts will be on-hand to demonstrate the market-leading features of the Merrychef eikon range. The popular e2, makes light work of quickly and efficiently heating café favourites including panini’s, wraps, warm baguettes and pastries, in a minimal, space-saving footprint. For those looking for the latest in coffee machine design, Wega (G12) will be showcasing a technological jewel in the form of the new Sphera. Designed with the highest quality, reliability and functionality in mind, the unit features a steam wand with level spouts and an alphanumeric, multifunctional display with day, date, quantification of coffee brewed and water softener regeneration alarm. Combining the latest in Pod machines with the finest in Italian design Buongusto (E34) will be demonstrating the need for taste consistency within an effective coffee offering whilst N&W (C31) will be launching a new dispenser at the show which offers high quality hot drinks based on authentic Italian espresso coffee. The new Karisma is a super automatic table top coffee machine specifically developed for high volumes of footfall in sites and co-ordinates stylish accessories with a user-friendly, touch screen interface and elegant contemporary design.
For visitors looking to improve dishwashing efficiency, Nelson (H24) will be showcasing one of the most ergonomically specified warewasher ranges available in the UK today. The Advantage dishwashers use a low quantity of water and energy and yet provide exceptional reliability and outstanding results. The Advantage range will be displayed alongside the company’s range of catering equipment from its popular Blue Seal range.
Technology of another sort will offer hospitality professionals the latest in marketing opportunities as Easy Apps Business (E12) demonstrate its unique way of promoting an outlet’s individual offering using push notifications. Point One (K8) a leading supplier of EPoS technology has designed a complete package with the Café Owner in mind. Boosting sales by offering loyalty cards which encourage customers to revisit an outlet, the cards can be pre-loaded with credit, allowing the customer to charge transactions to their card.
For those looking for products that are made with the environment in mind, International Paper (F32) will be launching its ecotainer® product line, consisting of hot cups, cold cups and food containers all made from fully renewable resources. One of the first packaging companies to manufacture an environmentally friendly offering, the company utilises the latest in manufacturing techniques and material from carefully selected, sustainably managed forests. Another supplier of sustainable, high quality and affordable packaging is London Bio Packaging (B16). Made from completely renewable or recyclable resources and with the ability to be fully composted or recycled, the range of food packaging, containers and cups is sure to be a big hit with establishments looking to minimise their impact on the environment.
With every element of café and coffee operation covered under one roof, the show also includes suppliers with an interior design and furniture offering. Go In (J4) will be exhibiting a range of airy sofas, tubchairs and innovative table-bench sets for operators looking to maximise the potential of outside space. The 2013 collection of outdoor furniture will enable those within the industry to turn any terrace into a relaxing, vibrant outdoor space. For interior design considerations, visitors to the Catersales (H30) stand will have a chance to see first-hand the company’s impressive range of equipment and furniture, while experts will be on hand with the latest in layout and design plans to suit a range of establishments. Magrini (G4) will also be exhibiting at the show, catering for outlets with a family focus and demonstrating its Breeze High Chair, an addition to its expansive range of commercial childcare products. Able to be stacked as well as being fitted with the latest in space saving and safety devices, the highchair will prove invaluable for attracting the family market. Independent, family-run catering equipment supplier, Stephensons (F6), will further enhance the show’s interiors offering with its innovative range of tableware including Dudsons coffee cups and saucers, Churchill vintage print high tea ranges and Elia buffetware. Stephensons will be proudly using the Caffè Culture Show to celebrate 144 years of supplying the catering industry.
More information on new products being showcased at the Caffé Culture Show will be released during the build-up to the event. A full list of exhibitors, together with further details on their offering, can be found at www.caffecultureshow.com.
