Achieve More

 This little book was on sale at the Timberyard Cafe which makes much of its meeting friendly space.  Out of Office by Chris Ward is all about how your creativity and productivity increases if you move from an office to your local cafe.  Great Cafes agrees and perhaps a New Year Resolution that all cafe operators would endorse.

A happy and prosperous 2014 to all our readers.

Timberyard

We like lots about Timberyard and their tag line:
Tea, coffee, work and play.  Re-imagined.
See tomorrow's post about the book Out of Office to make more sense.
 
 Located on Old Street along from Look Mum No Hands.  Popcorn in pots.

Pitta Chip crisps and great hot drinks.

Show Your Gear

Five Guys Burgers with their spuds and peanuts stored on open display in the order/seating area.  Drinks are self-serve.

Hands Off

Look Mum No Hands Bicycle Cafe provides locks for customers' precious bikes.

Flunch

Impressive good value displays at a very busy Flunch cafe restaurant in Lille.

Fruit Bar plus quality displays

Self-service food, drinks and beer.

All ages are catered for.

Kids order via a screen.

Coffee Loves You

External tables as signage plus window cake display at Curators Coffee Studio in the City.

Artful Cakes

 Company of Cook's Atelier at the Royal Academy's Burlington Gardens with superb cakes

 Chocolate Cashew & Salted Caramel, Florentines and Rumbles

 Apple & Two Seed Almond Cake, Sticky Buns and Lamingtons

Rhubarb & Ginger and Red Velvet

Like It or Hate It

Marmite Brownies at Paul A Young

Muriel's Cakes & Colanders

 Muriel's Kitchen now has three outlets with this latest one in Soho.

 Cakes are the feature

 plus colander lights

 swinging seats

 and pastries with a twist - sour cherry mince pies and berry topped chocolate loaf.

Butter Wouldn't Melt

 Great Cafes rather likes this Christmas present from caterer Baxter Storey and the Benugo influence - Butter Wouldn't Melt is their Guide to Baking compiled by Philip Skinazi, their Exec Pastry Development Chef and covers many cafe favourites.

Coffee Planter

 Coffee plants are the table plant decoration of choice.  Above at The Liberty of Norton Folgate and below at Allpress Espresso.

Three Price Café

Wonderful French sense of humour (and manners) at Le Petite Syrah, Nice.

Have You Had Some Cake Yet?

Wi-Fi Network Address at the Alpine Restaurant, part of the Grange Garden Centre in Melton.

Barbican Beauty

Cake table at Compass' Foodhall in the Barbican.

Cakes & Carvery

Bowler hat lights plus bread and cake display table at Euphorium Bakery's new unit in the City.

 Carvery unit

 Tea & Toast Offer.

Pop Up Britain

Start Up businesses are being given one week's exposure in this pop up shop on Piccadilly.  Clever idea and of relevance to our sector with its talented street food entrepreneurs.  It's a culture shift - get trying new concepts via pop ups.  Who needs expense and leases to try out ideas? 

See http://www.startupbritain.co/ with Luke Johnson, serial cafe owner, as one of the founders.

Little Waitrose: Big Offer

The "Little Waitrose" in the City has tempting displays, fresh unrefrigerated baguettes ....

.... and free take-out coffee for Waitrose card holders.

Shake Me to See the Sparkle

 Glitter Juice drink at M&S - 2½ pomegranates, apple, aronia/chokeberries and edible glitter!

Great Layout

Company of Cooks' Brewhouse Cafe servery at Kenwood House has four tills, does great business and is worth a study of how to bust queues in a tight space.  All the kit is mobile so rapid conversion to a function space is possible.

Costa in Cookham

If you think that the national chains are just opening in big towns with high footfall, think again.  Cookham near Maidenhead, Berkshire has a total population of 5,500 and the site had been a pub and then a succession of failed Indian restaurants. It has just opened and is already busy. The coffee and cafe revolution continues and smaller operators will have to up their game to compete.