A Sac, not a Bag

Paper T-Sacs allow you to offer loose leaf tea without the stigma of tea bags.  Benugo uses these to great effect at all its outlets.

Available from Jenier Teas.

Resurrection of the Fruit Cake

Have you noticed how few cafes now sell fruit cake?  The cost of ingredients has put it out of reach of the best selling carrot cake and sponges.

The Handmade Cake Company has come to the rescue by reintroducing a pre-cut, home-made looking, quality fruit cake to their range.  It's not cheap but they are finding customers will pay for a slice of Winston Churchill's favourite tea-time treat.

Cake Presentation - The Worst & Best - Part 2

How not to
(a museum cafe in  Leeds)

Create Food & Party Design should be proud of their cakes and display at Fulham Palace













See Part 1 at  http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2011/05/cake-presentation-worst-and-best.html

Wacky, Weird, Eccentric & Ingenious

A self-pouring teapot from 1886.

Apparently they were hugely popular.  You raise the lid, put your finger over the hole in the top of the lid, lower the lid and presto, it pours.

One of the first patented Teasmades from 1902.   Ask your granny if you have never heard of a Teasmade - they were all the rage in the 1960s/70s and, unbelievably, a modern "uniquely British icon" version is still being made.

One of my favourites - a combination lock stopper to stop your servants nicking your whisky.





This, and some other fine eccentric gadgets, are on hire to museums and other establishments from the delightful Maurice Collins mauricecollins@msn.com who puts all hire proceeds to disability charities.    His own disabled daughter was the inspiration to start the charity Kith & Kids http://www.kithandkids.org.uk/  Heartwarming.

Chestnuts; Summer's over

It's finally autumn and the Recipease cafe in Brighton captures the season perfectly

New Products at Lunch!

Toblerone pastries - a triangular pain au chocolate - from Delice de France and a new natural energy drink 'Pussy' - shades of Mrs Slocum - seen at the Lunch! contemporary food to go show.

High Speed Panini

Great panini presentation at Chessington Garden Centre's new Sedum cafe restaurant and they are using Electrolux's High Speed Grill as seen at Pret.  The kit is not cheap but allows you to serve a panini/toastie within 60 seconds.

























For details see http://tools.professional.electrolux.com/Mirror/Doc/MAD/ELECTROLUX/English/PA0001.pdf

Flavoured Water

I have always maintained cafes should be profitable given they sell mainly flavoured water (tea, coffee and soup) and flour (scones, cakes and cookies).  Jelly fits the bill perfectly and helps with the calorie count.  Red Cherry Berry Jelly at EAT.

Tea Witch

Stick it in the spout of a teapot and it stops the tea leaves (and calcium) coming out.  Tracked down from an initial sighting at St John Bread & Wine  and available from a rather good new outfit called Jenier Teas www.jenierteas.com

Loose leaf tea is not found very often - teabag tea is just so much less mess - but it carries a huge quality premium and cachet.



See post http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2011/08/tea-pot-spouts-strainers.html

Learn To Bake Like A Pro

Anthony's basement piazza in Leeds' Corn Exchange features lots of alcoves with a culinary surprise in each - a working bakery being just one.  The 'Learn To Bake Like a Pro' course especially appealed.

Ice Cream Station

Squire's Garden Centre at Badshot Lea has a new 350-seat cafe with an idea borrowed from Pizza Hut - the kids love it.

Tubby Telford

6,626 calories, 9" high and £15 - The Titanic Burger was introduced 8  months ago and 400 have won the challenge (eat within 45 minutes and get a T shirt and a free main course on your next visit) of the 2,000 sold including one competitive person who ate it in 7 minutes.

40oz of meat including burgers, chicken breast, bacon, cheese, onion rings, waffles, buns, salad and mayonnaise plus milkshake and chunky chips.  Not sure Oscars in Telford has heard of the Responsibility Deal.

Leeds - The Old & The New

The old - 4 different Fishmongers in Leeds Markets

The new - Cup cakes (and pork pie cake) in Leeds Corn Exchange

Garden Crepes

Crepe station at Squires Garden Centre, Badshot Lea

Her Majesty's Prison

Really impressed with The Clink restaurant at HMP High Down in Sutton in terms of its objectives and mission to train worthwhile skills to those about to leave prison.  They have a location for their next venture - a cafe to be called Clink 2 - and offers of help, time and equipment are welcomed by their Chief Exec Christopher Moore at www.theclinkcharity.com    

Need something to bolster your corporate social responsibility credentials that is relevant to our industry?

"New" Cafetiere Coffee

Costa with 1,300 stores now has more outlets than McDonalds (and plans to open 300 more this year) so we need to take anything they do into account. They influence our market big time.

'New Cafetiere Coffee' spotted here in Birmingham - one off trial or a national roll-out?

Gourmet Hot Dogs

Primo's Gourmet Hot Dogs in Leeds' historic Corn Exchange look fun.

Cubanos (Cuban sandwiches), Nutella Cappucino and Banana Latte enliven the menu plus some very switched on marketing.

Do You Know Anybody Who Wants to be Fat?

Have you switched on to obesity and calorie counts?  It does make you think and I am sure it will alter demand over time.   That daily latte looks dangerous!  No, we don't want to stifle the creativity and innovation of homemade food and changing menus but how about showing information on at least some bought-in items?

Aye lad, that's some wedding cake

Anthony's is an institution in Leeds with their ambitious and fairly amazing space  in the Corn Exchange.

This is their Pork Pie Cake for 70 persons at £195!  They do say Yorkshire is a county with character.

Dandelion & Burdock

The Tiled Hall (est. 1884) Cafe in Leeds Art Gallery is operated by Boutique Catering and looked good.

The Dandelion & Burdock and Lime & Courgette cakes were particularly of note.

Doddington Hall Farm Shop & Cafe & More

Like the design of the new cafe at Doddington Hall in Lincolnshire with its hanging watering cans and gardeners' baskets.

The tray holder is fun - it was used on the estate to pick up sacks of spuds.


This is an old-established stately home that is going places with restaurant, retail, banqueting facilities, farm shop and cafe - the bedrooms come next.

Today is Going To Be A Good Day

Love the signage at the fast expanding Breakfast Club in Spitalfields.  The only mention of their name is on an external clock (that's all that is needed).  If you can get people to smile in this business, you are half-way to getting their custom.  How straight and downright dull is your cafe - loosen up!

Green Goddess & Jamon

Look at the sandwich selection at Allpress Espresso in Shoreditch - interesting, different and distinctive.  I am still trying to work out the Green Goddess Egg & Jamon.   The roastery is on full display and a real feature.

Cakes on Sticks

Pop Bakery's cake heads at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair.


This mother daughter team are certainly inventive - see http://www.popbakery.co.uk/gallery/


See also http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2011/04/lolly-cake.html

Is a Chilled Sandwich truly Fresh?

M&S with their simple, ambient temperature, display for baguettes at their Kensington lunchtogo unit.




Worth looking at M&S' 150 product lunchtogo menu range that they offer on-line and deliver in certain locations http://www.lunchtogo-e.com/site2011?argref=DF4AA373DBADE5A68AF5695EE5AA5CB0&btnShowAll=true

To see how other major cafe operators are displaying fresh sandwiches at room temperature - within the 4 hour rule and as one would make at home - see http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2011/04/now-thats-how-to-sell-sandwich.html  and http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2011/06/pret-coffee-kitchen.html

Feast for Your Eyes

Stands and towers of mini-cupcakes, whoopie pies and brownies at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair at Olympia designed to catch the eye.  A show is not that dissimilar to a cafe - buy with your eyes.

Drinks for "Summer"

Limeade & Pink Lemonade from EAT, Strawberryade from Leon - you can at least drink summer even if you don't feel you have had the weather of a summer!

National Cupcake Week

Am sure you knew!  It's National Cupcake Week this week as organised by British Baker
http://www.nationalcupcakeweek.co.uk/

The caterers Create have fully entered into the fun with savoury cupcakes - goat cheese and red onion / mozzarella with a tomato and basil icing - and the lure of two new flavours a day.  Tasted surprisingly good.  Featured here at their Fulham Palace cafe.

Profit Spray

The American Jetspray "visual display dispenser" allows you to sell home-flavoured water at a great mark-up.  Itsu gets £1.70 for its Detox Zinger.  Perfect bit of kit for home made lemonade.












Details of the Visual Display Dispenser at http://www.cornelius.com/stellent/groups/web/@guest/documents/catalog_sheet/000371.pdf#xml=?IdcService=GET_XML_HIGHLIGHT_INFO&QueryText=dDocType+%3cSubstring%3e+%27Catalog_Sheet%27+%3cAND%3e+xProdModel+%3cSubstring%3e+%27EJ1%27+%3cAND%3e+%28not+xMedia_Status%3dArchive%29&SortField=dTitle&SortOrder=Desc&dDocName=000371&HighlightType=PdfHighlight

Brummie Head in the Sand

Ostrich meat kiosk in central Birmingham. "The healthiest meat in the world" according to iloveostrich

Mouth Watering Display - Part 2

Konditor & Cook's cake display under the City's iconic Gherkin

Fruit Danish at the Albion Caff

See Part 1 at http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2011/06/mouth-watering-display.html

Shame about the Coffee, Syd

Syd's Original Coffee Stall established on the same spot in London's East End off Shoreditch High Street in 1919 has coffee from the same era. Wonderful social history but shame no espresso machine within.

It's Popping

Meet Joe&Seph's gourmet popcorn established 2010 and pretty darned tasty.  The Speciality and Fine Food Fair at Olympia had at least four other popcorn companies on show.





Do you still have just crisps for sale?!




See blog post dated 5th April http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2011/04/popcorn-and-not-just-at-movies.html