COFFEE
Hotels and restaurants up and down the country are still trapped in a world of coffee from the 1980s…
OK, that’s not 100% fair. Many businesses do serve good coffee in varying styles that are enjoyed by their customers. However, there’s a world of great coffee out there that many businesses are missing out on, as they are either not aware of it or think that it’s simply not for them.
It’s a massive shame, as most customers do know what good coffee tastes like, with quality-focused cafes now on every high street (and side street) up and down the country. We had the luxury of antipodean coffee culture reaching our shores in the early 90s, which saw a surge of quality coffee roasteries and cafes arrive.
Shit coffee? Yes please…
Despite this, customers have low expectations of the quality of coffee served in non coffee-shop settings. How many times have you had an amazing meal followed by a muddy or burnt tasting and utterly mediocre coffee? And have you ever seen anyone complain? No, this is Britain, we’re quietly accepting of this inferior product.
10 Reasons To Rethink Your Coffee
Here are our top ten 10 reasons for buyers in the hospitality sector to think again about their coffee. What we call ‘speciality’ doesn’t mean pretentious, or expensive for that matter – it just means it’s going to taste a whole lot better than commodity grade coffee.
- Speciality coffee is not always more expensive than big brand coffee, such as Illy or Segafredo. In most cases it’s actually cheaper, as they spend less on packaging and marketing.
- It is not all weird and funky tasting. Much of it is lovely balanced and sweet, and can be enjoyed by everyone. You just need a good supplier to advise you on what to choose.
- Most independent roasters actually know where the coffee came from, what the farmer got paid and that the farm treats their employees fairly. You should too.
- Most speciality coffee comes with detailed origin information, including how it was processed, what altitude it was grown at, the coffee plant varietal and background information on the farm and farmer.
- So long as you are buying from a good coffee roaster, your speciality coffee will be fresh and roasted within 4 weeks of you receiving it. In many cases, coffee that is older than three months is stale and already lost much of its flavour.
- When you buy from an independent, you get much more than bags of coffee. You are provided with information, training, good equipment and an on-going partnership that represents much more than just coffee supply.
- Despite perceptions, speciality coffee isn’t only for hipsters; it should be accessible for everyone. Don’t think that because your target market isn’t moody millennials, that you shouldn’t serve great quality coffee.
- Speciality coffee roasters put a lot of time into QC (quality control), as they are intensely passionate about their product. This means the level of consistency in the product is extremely high.
- As speciality coffee roasters source coffee all year round based on seasonality and not always on price, they tend to offer a wider range of coffees to choose from, giving you choice.
- Buying from a quality focused independent roaster is a positive thing. You get the care and attention that you will rarely receive from a large-scale supplier. Further, you will actually be serving something different from the hoards of other businesses dishing out the same generic product.
About Machina
We are a speciality coffee roaster that thrives on helping businesses of all sizes and styles to serve their customers speciality grade coffee to a high standard, supported with professional equipment, service and support.
We are incredibly proud to work with some of Edinburgh’s top restaurants and eateries, such as The Gardeners Cottage, The Lookout, Bross Bagels, Ransacked Black Oven, Bostock Bakery, Lady Libertine and the Devil’s Advocate plus many more partners across Scotland and the UK.
If you would like to know more about how to improve your restaurant coffee offering or visit our roastery for a free tasting, do get in touch.
Call us on 0131 656 9565
Or email us on roastery@machina-coffee.co.uk
