Who needs Cocaine or Caffeine when you can have Chris on Cafés?

"It’s now 5.04 am and I have yet to sleep this night. I have 132 ideas, mostly now written on pieces of paper, drawn out on sheets of A4 and A3, jotted down in Notes on my mobile and yet still my brain will not rest.

It was a whirlwind tour of the fourth wave but I am cresting on my very own current of creativity. It was a menu of brick walls, exposed ceilings, handbags on string and cheese in drawers; container malls, concrete floors and graffiti walls; toasters on tables, letraset signs and corker cakes in colourful creative curls. Who could forget the smell of coffee roasting or the sight of pallets floating? The taste of a fougasse at Albion or a brownie at Paul Young’s?

It was inspiring, stimulating, exhilarating. I am buzzing with ideas – and some far removed from what we saw – and I think I only had 2 coffees. Think on this: I have had no sleep. I have lots of ideas.  My poor staff.

Thank you, Chris. And good morning."

Wonderful quote from recent London Cafe Tour participant Jane Cox, Owner

Glendoick Garden Centre, Restaurant & Food Library
Garden Centre Cafe of the Year 2009/10

Free London Cafe Tour

To celebrate 100,000 page views Great Cafes / Turpin Smale are offering four fortunate individuals a free London Cafe Tour on Monday 19th November 2012.  Starting at 10.30am in the City we will visit up to thirty of the best and brightest new cafes in central London.  Cake, coffees and cabs included and, if you feel it is a day well spent, a donation to charity would be nice.
Apply at chris.brown@turpinsmale.co.uk

Get out of the office enough?

A short video of our acclaimed London Cafe Tour - see what our clients say at http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/p/london-cafe-tour-benefits.html

Keeping up with what's new?

A short video of our acclaimed London Cafe Tour - see what our clients say at http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/p/london-cafe-tour-benefits.html

Cake + Plants = 55 Million

55 million people visited a garden centre cafe last year according to a report just out from the Horticultural Trades Association - up from 36 million in 2008.  Garden centre cafes are booming - 10% up in 2011 on 2010 according to the larger centres represented by the Garden Centre Association.

The only slight issue may be that customers under 45 are apparently less delighted with garden centre catering than those over 45.  My take on this, as outlined at the GCA's conference yesterday, is that as the cafes get bigger and more professional they are losing some of their appeal in terms of personality, humour and quirkiness.

Solution:  Read this blog and sign up for a London Cafe Tour!  The best have already done so.

Good food is at the heart of a great cafe but I am coming to realise that good design is the way to stand out, be noticed and win the hearts and business of those under 45s.

London Cafe Tours

Check out our new London Cafe Tours video produced by talented Pete Horton-Fawkes with music by Avicii.  The tours are customised for each client and designed so that you can appreciate trends, innovation and best practice in this fast-changing sector.

Contact us if you all too rarely get out of your office and want to see what is happening in the marketplace in terms of:

·         New and evolving cafe developments, brands and products

·         The latest and leading elements of 'buy with your eyes' cafe presentation

·         How the bar is constantly being raised in terms of standards

·         The leading players and those to watch

·         Design ideas as they may relate to your market

·         Being challenged by a leading catering consultant who is aware of who is winning business and why