Coffee is more popular than ever, presenting opportunities to bars
SOME people say money makes the world go round, others say love but for many of the planet’s inhabitants the answer is clear: it’s coffee.
Coffee’s importance to the world is underlined in the fact it is the second-most traded commodity on earth, behind crude oil.
And that demand is reflected in Scottish pubs and bars too, as consumers are increasingly insistent on a good standard of coffee, meaning licensees must be ready to satisfy expectations.
In order to deliver a superior coffee to customers, licensees should look to improve their hot beverage offer by “buying good quality coffee equipment, find a local roaster using high quality coffee, and train your staff as if you’re training a chef”, said Simon Lewthwaite, wholesale account manager at Caravan Coffee Roasters.
Scotland’s summer might lead to a rush in the requirement for iced coffees.
And the opportunities presented to pubs and bars from pushing coffee are not just restricted to hot serves.
As summer hits Scotland, thirst for iced coffee is expected to be high, said Lewthwaite.
“The need for cold coffee is starting to build everywhere,” he said. “The long and short of it is that it is really easy to make and generally the margins are really good too.
“My recommendation would be to use a cold brew making kit and a nice fruit-led African coffee. All operators need is ground coffee, filtered water and around 12-15 hours to let the coffee brew.”
While Daniel Campbell, founder of Edinburgh-based Red Box Coffee Roasters, said operators that wish to take advantage of the thirst for cold coffees have to invest in the necessary equipment.
He said: “Scotland is not blessed with tropical temperatures so our summer might lead to a rush in the requirement for iced coffees.
“We operate a number of tourist hot spots in Loch Ness and Edinburgh and have invested in top of the range coffee machines that can produce iced lattes and cold milk foam to make milk shakes to meet demand.”
And coffee’s firmly established role as one of the world’s favourite flavours means licensees can take full advantage of that popularity by providing a range of alcoholic coffee serves.
Coffee plays an instrumental role in our culture and is a major part of our daily routine.
Gemma Monaghan, on-trade marketing manager at Tia Maria, said that a rising appreciation for, and standard of, coffee is boosting demand for caffeinated cocktails in pubs and bars.
She said: “It isn’t just coffee cocktails that are on the rise, we are now seeing more coffee cocktail hybrid bars opening more frequently, as consumer interest grows for such an outlet.
“Coffee plays an instrumental role in our culture and is now a major part of our daily language and routine.
“The quality of coffee has improved so much that it is having a direct impact on the quality of cocktails, which is especially important at a time when people are paying more and more attention to the provenance of their food and drink.”
Whether it’s a machiatto in the morning or an Espresso Martini at midnight, the appearance of a drinks serve in bars has arguably never been so important, so it’s essential that drinks are as aesthically pleasing as possible.
Rebecca Asseline, global brand ambassador for Courvoisier Cognac, said: “In the age of social media, this is more important than ever. Consumers regularly upload pictures of food and drink and presenting your cocktail in a beautiful way will compel them to share yours. This in turn will influence others to visit your venue.
“At the end of the day, no matter how delicious your drink is, if presented poorly, it will reflect badly on your bar.”
