2019 is well underway and it’s been an exceptionally busy time for Perkee coffee. We have several large new sites opening and our Barista team is expanding to be able to meet the demands of the business across the UK.
Alongside our openings the third annual bartlett mitchell Barista Championship has been taking place The preliminary rounds are now complete ahead of the final on 16thMay, look out for our round up piece wrapping up the competition.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting La Marzocco new showroom located in Shoreditch. It’s an amazing space, elegantly designed and showcasing all their machines, from top of the range home machines to mammoth traditional barista service machines. Our relationship with La Marzocco has been growing steadily over the past two years. They are one of our leading machine suppliers, giving us opportunities to fit out our cafes with the highest quality equipment available and being at the forefront of new innovations they introduce. The latest is the KB90 which debuted in early 2019, following on from the hugely popular LEVA and Modbar.
Modbar
The Modbar is an intuitive modular setup which allows cafes to create an immediate design impact without taking away from the performance and control that a traditional La Marzocco machine offers. It removes the physical barrier between barista and customers, creating interaction across the coffee bar, in turn creating an environment where the barista and customer can engage informally.
We’ve wanted to bring the Modbar into our business since its general release, but it requires knowledgeable baristas, the correct working environment, and engaged customers to make the most of the design of the machine.
The Modbar also showcases new innovations such as Drip-Prediction; this feature can track the profile of extraction which allows the machine to modify the shot according to the preprogramed brew ratio. If we were to put a different measure than expected in, the machine will intuitively continue to deliver espresso to the set brew ratio.
The way the Modbar can be set up allows for a lot of flexibility, as the internal parts of the machine can move around and fit into almost any space. Whether you have the Modbar under the counter or set in the side, it gives freedom to even the smallest units where space becomes very important to flow and service.
Coffee Trends
As summer approaches we can see new trends, some reinvigorated ideas alongside new innovations.
Cold Brew will be back again, using the cold water brew method which can produce a broad range of complex flavours that are far more pronounced and delicate than traditional Ice Americano. Definitely worth getting your hands on Cold Brew if you like fruitier, floral and more delicate tastes. An absolute treat on a hot summer’s day!
One of the newest food trends that’s come out of coffee production is Cascaras (the rest of the coffee cherry) You can now find Cascara teas and flour in health conscious environments as Cascaras are said to have more iron per gram than spinach, more protein per gram than kale and more anti-oxidants per gram than a pomegranate. As a result of this new knowledge we will see Cascaras appearing more frequently on the high street as they gain popularity.
Look out for the opportunity to try Bulletproof Coffee (which will be making appearances in health and good eating conscious cafes) which is a combination of Espresso, Butter, Coconut oil and other ingredients, that results in a powerful coffee which stops hunger cravings throughout the day whilst getting rid of the negative effects of caffeine and sugars.
As we continue in 2019 there are many exciting opportunities on the horizon that we look forward to showcasing to you. Look out for our bartlett mitchell Barista Championship 2019 round up at the end of May.
Theo Pearson
Deputy Brand Manager
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