Issue 1 24 • July 2020 THE BIG PICTURE Why staying true to your values is essential for success A NEW KIND OF NORMAL What can you do to help your business bounce back? MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Food and tea combinations that really work COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS Simple tips and advice to boost your CSR credibility PLUS DOES YOUR BUSINESS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DIVERSIFY? July 2020 boughtonscoffeehouse.com THE VOICE OF THE CAFE COMMUNITY Issue 124 • £8 magrini quiet blender with App control Tel: 01543 375311 • Email: sales@magrini.co.uk • www.magrini.co.uk blending just got smarter create - blend - share t: 01543 375311 • e: sales@magrini.co.uk • w: www.magrini.co.uk The B285 blender with App makes blending easy, enabling you to create & share recipes across multiple sites. Centrally create recipes, access the app and download at site to the blender. The B285 also has a 20% smaller footprint and its Silent Sound cover provides excellent noise reduction. For chains wanting consistent blended drinks & independents wanting the latest recipes from suppliers the B285 blender connects you33 boughtonscoffeehouse.com WELCOME The contents of this magazine are owned by the publisher and may not be reproduced without permission. All prices and dates in the magazine were correct at the time of going to press and while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all adverts and details, Newhall Publishing Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. The Editor reserves the right to shorten or modify any material submitted. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those held by the Editor or publisher. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the safe-keeping of unsolicited material. Coffee House is published six times per year at a subscription rate of £48. Subscription and distribution records are managed by Newhall Publishing at the address above. EDITORIAL Group Editor Anita Comerford Art Editor Gareth Evans Senior Designer Lindsay Price Pictures Robyn Barr Sub editors Fergus McShane, Gillian Hook SUBSCRIPTIONS Sue Thompson E sue@boughtonscoffee house.com T 0151 668 0494 ADVERTISING Dean Brown E dean@boughtonscoffee house.com T 07896 496981 Ali Wigg E ali@boughtonscoffee house.com T 07973 944940 PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY Newhall Publishing Ltd, New Hall Lane, Hoylake, Wirral CH47 4BQ T 0151 632 3232 E hello@newhallpublishing.com Chairman Andrew Douglas Managing Director Christine Blackford Commercial Director Richard Woolliams Cover: The Watch House’s manager Umair Arshad at their new site at Somerset House photographed by Liz Gregg. Find out more about the Watch House story on page 33 Meet the team FOLLOW US @BoughtonsCoffee boughtonscoffeehouse.com So who would have thought as we sent out the last issue of Boughton’s that the country would come grinding to a halt with a total lockdown, almost complete closure of our high streets and everyone staying at home with only immediate friends and family for company? It was an unprecedented situation that saw the whole world turned on its head – from worrying about green credentials and five-year business plans, strategies were abandoned to comply with the restrictions. The first tentative signs of recovery are there, but it is going to be a long time before it’s business as usual. We have been speaking to people within the industry, from previous cover stars to industry experts, suppliers and event organisers to share their experiences and their plans for the future in our feature Boughton’s Business Bounce Back (page 6). Hopefully they will provide some food for thought for your return-to-work preparations. The cover this month – taken before lockdown – features Umair Arshad, manager of Watch House’s latest venture at Somerset House. Founder Roland Horne reveals his determination to retain its core values in Coffee Blend on page 33. Roland is just one of this month’s entrepreneurs who have transformed their visions into reality, like Rimi Thapar, founder of the vegan confectionery brand LoveRaw. Read her story on page 23. The main feature (Time for a change?, page 26) looks at ways to change up your business model – in line with social distancing advice of course – whether that’s diversifying with pop-ups or supper clubs to creating a co-working space, or personalising your core offering with slot-roasting. With so many businesses having to re-evaluate their model, an ability to shift and change will become even more important to remain viable in such challenging times. WELCOME We’d love to hear from you – email us at hello@boughtonscoffeehouse.comDISCOVER ALPRO’S HOT NEW LOOK AND BRAND-NEW OAT DRINK Check out our Alpro For Professionals range – developed especially for baristas and now looking even better than ever! Not only have we given ourselves a make-over, we’ve also been creating our new, gluten-free Oat drink. Creamier and tastier than ever, it’s a must for any menu. THE PLANT-BASED BARISTAS ALPRO FOR PROFESSIONALS. CRAFTED ESPECIALLY FOR BARISTAS. I’M NEWCREDIT : ST YLE CONTENTS boughtonscoffeehouse.com 6 BOUGHTON’S BUSINESS BOUNCE BACK After months in lockdown many businesses are having to reconsider and re-evaluate what their new normal service will look like. Owners, suppliers and industry experts share their views 15 Q&A WITH ERIKA VONIE Previous winner of Coffee Masters New York talks about the role of coffee in bringing communities together and why it’s time to drop the coffee jargon 16 GOOD KARMA We reveal why good deeds are also good for your business, building your reputation within your community with positive PR and growing your potential customer base 20 A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Tea has just as much potential as wine in creating fabulous food pairings – our expert guide will help to get you started 23 NATURAL GROWTH Rimi Thapar, founder of LoveRaw, reveals how she’s transitioned her business from the kitchen table to a commercial brand 26 TIME FOR A CHANGE? Looking for some inspiration to realise the full potential of your business and extend its appeal post lockdown? Tristan Parker talks to experts and owners for their tried-and-tested advice 33 COFFEE BLEND Watch House founder Roland Horne reveals the secrets of his success running a multi-site operation and why it pays to stay true to your values 37 LOCAL HEROES We take a trip to Spoon in Glasgow, a social enterprise business that is making a difference to the lives of its employees and customers alike 42 “TIME TO TURN CRISIS INTO OPPORTUNITY” Jeffrey Young, CEO and Founder of Allegra Group considers the huge impact of the pandemic on the coffee-buying public and the coffee shop industry Please note that some of the businesses included in this issue are still closed as interviews and photoshoots took place before lockdown. Check their individual websites for details of their re-opening information THIS ISSUE Issue 124 6 16 37 336 Businesses have been pushed to the limits by the impact on trading during the pandemic. We’ve caught up with some operators, suppliers and industry experts, many of whom have featured in Boughton’s, to see how the lockdown affected them and their plans for the future boughtonscoffeehouse.com BUSINESS BOUNCE BACK7 boughtonscoffeehouse.comboughtonscoffeehouse.com BUSINESS BOUNCE BACK After battling the winter, we were relishing a good spring with positive trading at both our cafe and with bookings for our mobile converted 1972 Citroen van catering unit, but then the coronavirus pandemic came like a sledgehammer blow. We decided we should re-open as a takeout operation as soon as restrictions on travel were lifted. We had a screen erected over the door so we could serve people without contact. We encouraged contactless payment but having surveyed our customers online we knew that December 2019 / January 2020 the right boughtonscoffeehouse.com THE VOICE OF THE CAFE COMMUNITY Issue 122 • £8 Issue 122 December 2019 / January 2020 HAVING IT ALL When a mobile and permanent site work hand in hand REDEMPTION ROASTERS Could you help kickstart someone’s career? GREENING UP YOUR BUSINESS Understand the real challenges of sustainability TOP TRENDS FOR 2020 Industry experts share their views PLUS BOOST YOUR REVENUE POTENTIAL WITH OUR NEW SERIES ON TEA boughtonscoffeehouse.com THE VOICE OF THE CAFE COMMUNITY Issue 116 • £8 December 2018 / January 2019 Issue 11 6 December 2018 / January 2019 TECH TALK Reduce waste and boost customer loyalty DAIRY FREE Make the most of plant-based milks Rise to the challenge NEW FOR Industry experts share their predictions to stay ahead of the curve Claire Bowen’s tips to stand out from the crowd Cover_Issue 116_Boughtons Coffee House 129/11/2018 10:46 “It’s time to adapt and change” “This is also a time of opportunity” Mark Trevarthen of Café Allez! – who featured in Issue 122 – reveals the changes they’ve made in their operation Andrew and Claire Bowen are coffee shop consultants and regular contributors. They believe there will be positives as well as negatives from this situation ‘cashless only’ would be a step too far. We’ve designed a socially distanced, clear queuing process that works well. We’re massively proud of our new online ordering system. Our EPOS providers, Goodtill, have a platform called Goodeats and with their help we built and launched this system in two days flat. We launched with an explanatory video so customers could place their orders online and then we make their drinks fresh when they arrive at their allocated collection time. Customers love it and more than 20 per cent of our orders are now online. We’ve had to make some tough decisions about how to staff the service and who to keep on furlough – with only one person allowed in the kitchen it’s also meant a slightly restricted menu. Sales have been outstanding all things considered but longer term though, as the weather turns in autumn, and the reality of a socially distanced indoor cafe hits, we know we are in for a tough time. There are still some restrictions with our suppliers, but I think we are just learning that you need to adapt as the news changes in order to survive. cafeallez.uk The successful hospitality businesses in a post-Covid era will all have something in common with the successful ones pre Covid-19. The lockdown will have changed many things for people both in their personal and working lives and there will be temporary changes to transition to the new normal, like screens and floor markers, but it’s the long-term changes to society that will have the most significant impact. So many employees and employers benefited from remote working that many will never do the 9 till 5 again. Local independent businesses that stayed open or adapted during the lockdown will have renewed loyalty. The businesses that adapt and understand these changes quickest will come out strongest. Independent coffee shops that offer fast WiFi and power sockets will attract the home workers desperate for company. Suppliers who have been unsupportive of their shop customers during the crisis will lose business to the supportive. The closure of so many big brands will bring the opportunity to bring some exceptional people to your teams, and there will be lower rents available. With every owner who takes the chance to leave our industry, there will be an opportunity for expansion or start-up. The new entrants will invigorate the market for equipment suppliers as well as roasters. The businesses who have had access to cheap government-backed money will be looking to invest wisely. These unprecedented times will also produce unprecedented opportunities for those who are prepared. cafesuccesshub.com8 BUSINESS BOUNCE BACK boughtonscoffeehouse.com After closing all five of our sites for the lockdown we have now managed to reopen them all again. We’ve introduced a zone-working system, dividing the now empty coffee shops into three zones, the Kitchen zone where the chef works and stays, the Barista zone where drinks are prepared, and the Service zone where orders are taken and customers are served. With three staff working we have one in each zone, with tables used to separate them and drinks and food passed over them. This keeps social distance during the shift and has given staff the confidence to return to work. We’ve moved to card-only payments, which helps remove the virus transmission risks but is great as it speeds up service and means there’s no long cashing up process or trips to the bank for banking or collecting change. We’ve moved to 100% takeaway packaging and takeaway cups, which is not great environmentally but there’s no other way. We’ll be keeping both DAN’S TOP TIPS ONE KEEP IT CASHLESS Going cashless made us realise how much time was spent dealing with cash! TWO PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS Focus on what you can do without relying too heavily on suppliers THREE BE FLEXIBLE Don’t try to plan too far ahead as things are still changing so rapidly boughtonscoffeehouse.com THE VOICE OF THE CAFE COMMUNITY Issue 119 • £8 June / July 2019 Issue 11 8 June / July 2019 BETTER BY DESIGN Dan Beharall reveals the secrets to his success SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS Are you practising what you preach? COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS Small changes that make a difference FRESH IS BEST Create a healthier summer menu PLUS ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS Cover_Issue 119_Boughtons Coffee House 130/05/2019 15:36 “We’re now reinventing ourselves” Dan Beharall of The Larder – featured in issue 119 – explains the challenges of reopening a multisite business these changes in place for the foreseeable future as it simplifies our operation. When lockdown was announced we were just days away from launching a sister brand The Fast Foodie (thefastfoodie. co.uk) to deliver small scale wholefood catering to local businesses using zero-emission cargo bikes. Once we re-opened we knew customers were looking to reduce their social contact when venturing out, so we quickly re-purposed the site to allow customers to pre-order their coffee, along with cakes and sandwiches, ready for collection at the cafe. Not only has this proved popular it’s helped people get to know about the site and is leading to growing orders of new products like our Picnic Box. Through this process we realised we were also using so many external suppliers pre-lockdown, creating so much complexity – and expense – in our business. During the recent period we’ve worked hard on our own recipes and are selling only home-made cakes – our spiced coconut chai cake is proving really popular and again, customers seem happy with a narrower range if it’s high quality. If the government timetable doesn’t change we’ll allow guests inside from 4 July. We are not simply going to turn off what we’ve been doing but slowly build out from it, broadening the offer as demand picks up, effectively re-inventing ourselves in a way that is appropriate for the new normal. We’ll have no choice but to operate more carefully with costs – leaner teams, smaller menus, and above all a greater focus on the Larder as makers. Budgeting and forecasting have now gone out of the window – we don’t know how big the social distancing impact will be once guests can sit in again and of course the feared second wave of virus infections could completely change everything. So planning has to revolve around being flexible and nimble and being very focused on the business. We really want to survive this and to do that we must manage our costs at the micro level and embrace alternative incremental revenue streams, such as the delivery site. But we still need to be willing to invest where it’s going to be a clear-cut benefit. As a business all this has given me a rare opportunity to calmly rethink, re-invent ourselves operationally, and ensure we are positioned to come out of this stronger. larderlondon.co.uk 9 boughtonscoffeehouse.com As lockdown lifts and coffee shops re-open, proprietors are going to have to balance immediate demands with strategies that will enable business success over the medium term. Covid-19 has been a massive disruption to the coffee industry, but the government’s interventions and support have enabled much of the industry to put their business on ice. Now that the furlough scheme is established, business rates relief and grants are in place, and with landlord rent holidays and deferrals underway, many coffee businesses are – in fact – in a stronger cash position than they were just before shutdown. And they need to be. The support to date is likely for the duration of the pandemic, and we’re not sure when the coronavirus risk will end. The uncertainty on the planning horizon makes it difficult for many proprietors, especially those that have limited resources. Compounding the situation is that it is now widely anticipated that much of hospitality will be re-opening in early July. Trading with the virus still in circulation presents additional challenges. Proprietors often live in supportive echo chambers of friends, family, colleagues and engaged customers; however for the average Joe on the street eating and drinking out is seen as more risky than BUSINESS BOUNCE BACK October / November 2019October / November 2019October / November 2019 boughtonscoffeehouse.com THE VOICE OF THE CAFE COMMUNITY Issue 121 • £8 Issue 121 October / November 2019 IN THE KNOW Meet the experts at this year’s Caffè Culture BETTER TOGETHER Learn the art of collaboration and reap the rewards COFFEE CONFIDENTIAL The essential links in the coffee keychain TWO FOR ONE Maximise revenue with a dual-function venue PLUS UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF NEW ALLERGY LAWS Cover_Issue 121_Boughtons Coffee House 130/09/2019 09:21 “It’s going to be a marathon not a sprint” Tim Ridley, founder of United Baristas – featured in issue 121 – considers the wider view of the coffee industry desirable. A recent Ipsos Mori poll found that the majority of British public think re-opening shops puts too many people at risk. Additionally, many people are also reluctant to return to the office – the core customer base for many urban coffee shops. Some coffee shops have re-opened to date and their headline trading figures seem to reflect public’s sentiment. So far I have had feedback of post- lockdown revenues varying between five per cent for central London shops to 150 per cent of normal revenue for some of London’s villages. In such an environment, success is relative. Some proprietors will be aiming to keep their businesses afloat, others to weather the storm, some to re-position for a brighter tomorrow, and a lucky few will benefit from this opportunity as a cash cow. With such a variety of circumstances it is important not to be judgemental of others or their decisions. At a certain level, we are all having to make it up as we go along. That said, those likely to succeed are those that make decisions for the medium term. We are likely to have to manage the current situation for somewhere between another three to 18 months, and our financial resources and emotional energy is going to have to sustain us, our teams, and our customers over that period. This means it’s neither going to be a return to business as usual, nor some kind of new normal. It’s going to be bumpy, stop-start, and a career-defining experience for many of us. Coming out of lockdown also presents an opportunity to reimagine the coffee industry. As we re-start, this is an ideal moment to build a better industry for the future by making decisions that will both benefit us now and over the medium-term. United Baristas is compiling a list of practical resources to help proprietors get their shops safely re-opened and make the industry more sustainable. As coronavirus passes we are still going to have to deal with the financial precariousness of much of the industry, tackle our carbon footprint, make sure we attract and retain the brightest and best talent, and continue to win consumers to drinking more and better quality coffee. Whatever the next weeks and months look like, our ongoing survival and success is still going to be determined by our response to these issues. It’s going to demand our best work yet – and it’s going to be a marathon not a sprint. View Re-start Coffee resources at unitedbaristas.com/re-startNext >