Balthazar Beauties

 Quiche

 Salads

Cakes and perfect looking scones

No Nuts

 You can guarantee nut-free traybakes by buying in items from It's Nut Free http://itsnutfree.com/

Cup of Chandelier

Guest Spot

Sue McCracken, the National Trust for Scotland's passionate catering boss, sends in a fun chandelier posted on a friend's Facebook page - inspiration comes from many directions nowadays.

Award Winning Insomnia

Insomnia are one of the biggest coffee/cafe brands in Ireland with 60 units and they have just started franchising.  They seem to have cracked the tea drinkers as well.  Real leaf tea in biodegradable pouches - several UK chains could learn a lesson or two.

Take Your Seats

 Quirky seats and hanging light fittings at Tinderbox in the City.

Double Loaded

Fudge topped Brownie at Konditor & Cook

What's Yours?

Price list visual at Taylor St Baristas in the City.

What We All Need

Nais Q10 'anti-ageing' drink with the same stuff that is in anti-wrinkle skincare products.  You may send me a wagon-load.

Happy Easter

Easter cupcakes, Easter Egg biscuits and Easter Bunny Biscuits at Carluccios

Increasing those Sales

Guest Spot

The new cycle racks are working at Wells-next-the-Sea's Beach Cafe.  Those smart bikes need nice racks.  Manager Alan is on the ball and bike.  See previous blog post http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/wow-cyclists.html

Cocoa Cafe

 Hotel Chocolat have a Roast & Conch shop/mini production facility/cafe in Covent Garden

 Scone with Ganache

 Roasting the beans and making small batches of chocolate from rare cocoa

Liquid chocolat and brewed cocoa

Chocasheek

Stacie Stewart's Chocasheek at the Fortnum pop up.

Brilliant Balthazar

Great sandwiches at the New York-inspired Balthazar Boulangerie, Covent Garden.

Provencal tuna on potato and onion bread.

 'Tatinez' Montgomery cheddar, red onion marmalade on Pain de Seigle

 Bayonne ham and Gruyere on demi baguettes

More photos of their cakes, quiche and salads to come.

Fake Sourcing

This joins the Howlers section.  Seen at Dublin airport.  Check out more at http://pinterest.com/turpinsmale/cafe-howlers/

Barcake

 Barcake had a great display at IFE with new product development Salted Caramel Bubble Bar

 and Red Velvet Squares

Fish Out of Home

Guest Spot

The River Cafe, overlooking the River Wye in mid-Wales, with its appropriate decoration has won the heart of Henry Norman from OOH (Out of Home) Magazine who features select snippets from the blog each month - see page 14/15 of http://www.oohmagazine.co.uk/

Coconuts, Cucumbers & Coobo

Coconut water was everywhere at IFE.  Low in calories, premium priced it is big in the USA and in the rest of Europe apparently.  I learnt that the real stuff comes from young coconuts, such as the Dr Antonio Martins brand, whilst Coca-Cola have their Zico brand (from concentrate but sadly I preferred the taste).

Qcumber cordial won the best drink innovation award

Coobo is the first bubble tea in a bottle.  An unusual taste sensation.

Raindrops & Red Caviar

 Tiny peppers from Peru in the shape of raindrops.  Delicious.  The Dutch supplier Enrico (www.enrico.ni) was looking for a distributor at IFE.

Tiny and tasty 1 cm tomatoes - the world's smallest.  One for the menu designers Phil.

IFE 2013

It's that time of year to eat the most extraordinary range of foods in a couple of hours - the International Food & Drink Event at Excel.  What caught the eye this year:

Halal Beef Bacon - popular in Dubai and possibly worth trying to attract the Halal market for a Bacon Butty here.

Really innovative and one to watch if they can create a market - Fruitbroo hot drinks - from the guy who created and sold Clipper tea.  An alternative to tea and coffee with flavours such as Apple & Rhubarb and Honey & Lemon.

Salmon sold and steamed on a cedar plank from DJM Food Solutions

More to come over the next few days.

Jamie's Kids

Simple, effective and honest - good on Jamie.

Door Tamper

Fun and appropriate door knobs / coffee tampers at Prufrock.

White Smoke & Red Noses

Guest Spot

Heather Borderie, Manager of the Glendoick Garden Centre cafe near Perth keeps it topical with Pope and Red Nose Muffins

Story on a Serviette

Telling a story is more and more what cafes and restaurants need to do to explain why they are different and worth visiting.  Zizzi's story about their gelato supplier is well told and well communicated via their serviettes.

Blaa

The kind of food we all like to eat "in-between times" at Hatch & Sons Irish Kitchen in Dublin.  They make the effort to get a speciality of Waterford - a bread roll Blaa - from over 100 miles away every day.  Blaa are famous for needing to be eaten fresh.

Fizzy Seat

 R.Whites Lemonade case seats outside at Dishoom in Shoreditch.

Rhubarb Tart

Albion Caff, Bakery & Foodstore's simple and seasonal rhubarb tart.