A huge rise in demand for speciality coffee means a great opportunity for hosts - but quality is paramount. Max Gosney gets some top tips from Italian-born barista Giovanni Lauretta.
Not so long ago, coffee drinkers were a simple bunch to satisfy. Offering black or white was all a pub needed to do to keep customers coming back for caffeine hits. However, with the arrival of high street coffee chains such as Starbucks and Caffé Nero, the British appear to have loosened their stiff upper lip to embrace the flavours of latte, cappuccino and espresso. Customers are demanding a choice of quality coffee and manufacturers are working closely with pubs and bars to help them cash in on the trend.
There has been a 60% rise in demand for speciality coffees in the pub sector over the past three years according to Douwe Egberts Espresso Report 2004. Giovanni Lauretta, coffee trainer at Douwe Egberts, is assisting operators looking to upgrade their offer. It's not an easy task, admits the Italian-born barista. "When I go into a pub and see them serving filter coffee which has been sitting there for several hours, I get really upset," he says. "You must serve coffee within 10 minutes of brewing or the quality suffers."
Giovanni speaks passionately to attendees at the Douwe Egberts Coffee Training Course in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The audience sits captivated as he demonstrates his love for coffee with a series of stories accompanied by excited gesticulations. "My grandfather told me that the perfect espresso should be strong like a lion, dark like the night and sweet like amore," he says. Several years after receiving Nona Lauretta's advice, Giovanni left his native Turin for England to spread a little love to the UK coffee market. "My heart has always been in teaching people about coffee. It's what gives me the most satisfaction." Coffee, like wine, has to be appreciated using more than one sense argues Giovanni. "It's important to smell the coffee," he says as we blind test three different types. "Inhale all of those beautiful aromas and then take a mouthful. It's important to take a big slurp."
Although likely to draw uncomfortable stares from fellow drinkers, gurgling actually allows you to enjoy the full flavour of the coffee says Giovanni. The technique is a success, as samples H, Y and T are correctly identified as cafitesse, filter and instant coffee. Different brewing methods bring different characteristics from the coffee explains Giovanni. "Espresso machine coffee is stronger and richer than filter or cafetièrebrewed varieties, but it takes longer to produce," he says. Douwe Egberts has attempted to combine the advantages of all three systems with its Cafitesse coffee. The technique involves creating a concentrate by passing hot water over freshly ground coffee. The roasted coffee and water mix is then frozen. The operator defrosts the pack, places it into a Cafitesse machine and presses a button to deliver the coffee.
However thousands of pounds of machinery doesn't always ensure a decent cup of coffee. "The barista is crucial to the final product," says Giovanni. "I would say a great coffee is influenced 25% by the machine, 25% by the quality of bean and 50% by the person making it." Mistakes are common, he explains, from not cleaning the coffee machine each night to staff that do not know their cappuccinos from their lattes. "It is incredibly frustrating when people get it wrong. But we are constantly visiting sites to improve knowledge and standards." To emphasise the role of the barista, Giovanni promises a more practical study during the afternoon. "I'll take you downstairs and we will have a go on the espresso machines," he enthuses. Nervous glances are exchanged as we follow him to a room equipped with several high-tech coffee-making contraptions.
Giovanni guides us gracefully through his repertoire of macchiato, espresso, cappuccino and latte. "Now, it is time for you to have a go," he proclaims. The room is quickly alive with the whir of coffee grinders and burble of milk frothers. Four novices frantically pull levers and twist knobs as they bid to create top-grade coffee. Giovanni shouts encouragement as the first espresso is delivered. "Look at the tiger-coloured skin. That's the sign of a good strong espresso," he says. "An Italian needs a strong espresso in the morning or they get bad tempered," he jokes. Other efforts are less successful. Lumpy lattes and messy macchaitos soon clutter the table and highlight the importance of a skilled espresso machine operator to a serious coffee lover.
But you don't need a master barista to bring café cool to your pub, says Giovanni. "Offer a range of quality coffees on your menu," he advises. "A quality delivery is also important, so I would recommend operators invest in top machinery. But most important of all is the quality of your water." Despite being by far the biggest component of coffee, water is commonly ignored he says. "It's a fatal mistake because water forms 98% of a cup of coffee. It doesn't matter how good the grade of coffee, if the water is poor the final drink will be poor."
Profit from coffee -
Union Coffee Roasters has teamed up with Meantime Brewing Company to launch the UK's first Fairtrade coffee beer. Meantime Coffee beer is a blend of aromatic hops from East Anglia and finest Arabica coffee imported under Fairtrade conditions, from Rwanda. The companies aim to boost the economy of the African country through the brew. Coffee beer will be available to pubs and restaurants and is described by Meantime Brewing as a "refreshing fullflavoured brew balancing coffee bitterness with vanilla sweetness." For more information contact Union Coffee Roasters on 0207 474 8990 or visit www.unionroasters.com
Coffee recipes -
Angelic Amaretto Coffee - Serves 1
Preparation time: 3 minutes. 15ml/1 tbsp Nescafé Alta Rica 200ml/7fl oz hot water 15ml/1 tbsp Amaretto liqueur 30ml/2tbsp double cream whipped 1 amaretti biscuit crushed
Dissolve the Nescafé Alta Rica in the hot water and add the Amaretto liqueur. Stir gently. Top with the whipped cream and amaretti biscuit crumbs.
Rudolf's Fudge Temptation - Serves 1
Preparation time: 5 minutes 10ml/2tsp chocolate syrup 10ml/2tsp caramel syrup 200ml/7 fl oz hot milk 10ml/2 tsp Nescafé Alta Rica 45ml/3tbsp hot water 45ml/3tbsp double cream, lightly whipped Bite-size fudge pieces and chocolate sauce to decorate.
Place the syrups in a mug and top with the hot milk. Dissolve the Nescafé Alta Rica in the hot water and float this mixture over the milk. Then float the cream on top and decorate with the fudge pieces and chocolate sauce.
Source: Nescafé Out of Home