Although famous for our tea drinking, the British were the first European nation to embrace the pleasures of coffee drinking on a commercial basis. The first coffee house was in Oxford in 1650 and, during the 17th and 18th centuries, there were more coffee shops in London than there are today. However, they were very different from the trendy shops that we have now. A true coffee house was crowded, smelly, noisy and smoky, and they were used by artists, intellectuals, merchants and bankers and as a forum for political activities and developments. London coffee houses were nicknamed ‘Penny Universities’ because for the price of a cup of coffee you could sit and join in the stimulating conversation with the great thinkers of the day. The UK coffee market now represents a staggering 42 per cent of the total European market with over 70million cups drunk every day. The facts 47% of consumers visit a coffee shop once a month 24% of consumers visit a coffee shop once a week 29% visit branded cafes, with 14% visiting independent cafes, 10% supermarket cafes Coffee selling tips for your business Offer take-away coffee, especially if your outlet is in a high traffic location Use strong point-of-sale material and signage to attract attention to coffee Offer different sizes of coffee cups Serve speciality coffees and be creative with special recipes Describe what is in the beverage - syrups and toppings - and endorse them with your own quality rating Use appetising words like ‘rich,’ ‘smooth’ and ‘delicious’ when describing the beverage Use attractive cups, mugs or glasses and add a special flourish - like a twist of lemon peel alongside an espresso, a dusting of cinnamon on a cappuccino or a tall spoon for a latte Ask customers for customised beverage orders - let them devise their own beverages Other top tips When storing cups on top of your machine to heat them, keep them upright, NOT upside down. That way the cup will be warmer and your customers won’t burn their lips Don’t re-froth milk or mix old and new as this will affect the quality of your foam. Froth only what you need Once your milk is frothed, gently bang the jug on the work surface to eliminate large bubbles Avoid grinding too much coffee in advance, as it will deteriorate very quickly Avoid leaving brewed coffee on a hot plate for longer than half an hour. It will deteriorate rapidly after that Every morning, flush the water from each group head for at least 30 seconds to get rid of yesterday’s water left in the boiler   Terms & Conditions - Sitemap