OK, that’s not 100% fair. Many businesses do serve good coffee in varying styles that are enjoyed by their customers. However, there’s a world of great coffee out there that many businesses are missing out on, as they are either not aware of it or think that it’s simply not for them.
It’s a massive shame, as most customers do know what good coffee tastes like, with quality-focused cafes now on every high street (and side street) up and down the country. We had the luxury of antipodean coffee culture reaching our shores in the early 90s, which saw a surge of quality coffee roasteries and cafes arrive.
Shit coffee? Yes please…
Despite this, customers have low expectations of the quality of coffee served in non coffee-shop settings. How many times have you had an amazing meal followed by a muddy or burnt tasting and utterly mediocre coffee? And have you ever seen anyone complain? No, this is Britain, we’re quietly accepting of this inferior product.
10 Reasons To Rethink Your Coffee
Here are our top ten 10 reasons for buyers in the hospitality sector to think again about their coffee. What we call ‘speciality’ doesn’t mean pretentious, or expensive for that matter – it just means it’s going to taste a whole lot better than commodity grade coffee.
About Machina
We are a speciality coffee roaster that thrives on helping businesses of all sizes and styles to serve their customers speciality grade coffee to a high standard, supported with professional equipment, service and support.
We are incredibly proud to work with some of Edinburgh’s top restaurants and eateries, such as The Gardeners Cottage, The Lookout, Bross Bagels, Ransacked Black Oven, Bostock Bakery, Lady Libertine and the Devil’s Advocate plus many more partners across Scotland and the UK.
If you would like to know more about how to improve your restaurant coffee offering or visit our roastery for a free tasting, do get in touch.
Call us on 0131 656 9565
Or email us on roastery@machina-coffee.co.uk
]]>A lot of words get thrown around when it comes to coffee and it's impact. Fair trade, organic, green, sustainable, the list goes on but these terms don't always have the clearest lines to trace them back to the source. And then there's what importers and roasters do with the green coffee beans. The coffee industry is multi-layered and this adds levels of confusion for consumers.
We've always known where our coffees come from. The importers we work with have been chosen by us because of their involvement with the farms they trade with. In coffee, knowledge is crucial - the more we know about the farms the better we can judge if we're putting our money in the right channels.
With roasting and sending coffee out, we've made economical choices early on that were not the most environmentally friendly - mainly choosing single use plastic bags for the bulk orders we send out to customers. Our new move decreases how much we waste, and it also removes the burden on our customers as well. We're moving towards becoming more environmentally focused as a business.
What We've Done
A few weeks ago we launched our Reusable Coffee Containers for our widest customer base - our local Edinburgh businesses. Instead of packing loads of kilos into single-use plastic bags, we pack up to 6 kilos into our new containers that can be reused again and again. We've cut down nearly two-thirds of our weekly plastic waste this way!
We're really excited about this change, and hope to develop it further to include a wider variety of what we can pack in reusable containers. As we expand into other areas, we hope to bring our containers with us (we're looking at you Glasgow).
What Our Customers Say
Overall, our new system has been well received.
Ruben of the vegan / vegetarian restaurant David Bann says:
'We aim to reduce our carbon foot print wherever possible. With the amount of zero waste options growing I think it is important to move along with the 'trends' even if they take an extra small effort. When I do my shopping I take my own bags, containers and bottles to carry all my fruit and veggies, dry store needs, cleaning products/toiletries, etc. and I do not do it for my own convenience but for my ethos and my children. It is very important to me to set an example for them. So all in all it is great initiative and I'm happy to see businesses getting on board with more environmentally friendly attitudes.'
Mal of Honeycomb & Co says:
'I am pleased that Machina have changed their packaging, I definitely think that the tubs are a good idea! I am pleased that we at Honeycomb & Co can work more environmentally friendly with this move to tubs! [They] may take some getting used to but it's obviously worth doing to save using bags!'
Of course, there's always room for improvement. We think of this as a first step towards becoming more environmentally friendly as a business. In future, we hope to replace our current retail bags with ones made from 100% biodegradable materials as well as create a system to allow for local customers to bring in refillable containers for their coffee beans.
Written by Jess Browning
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Earlier this year, coffee/tech company CafeX installed a robot barista in a shopping centre in San Francisco, signalling what may be the beginning of the end for baristas. The concept is simple; you place your coffee order via an app, which is sent to the CafeX robot to make, and upon completion, you pick up your coffee from the “cafe” (if you can call it that).
Admittedly, the CafeX robo-barista, which should really be called The Caffeinator, is pretty impressive. In terms of efficiency, it puts many cafes to shame. You even get a choice of coffees from a couple of different roasteries, a nice touch. If reports by the BBC and Wired are to be believed, the coffee is quite tasty. However, how will it fare when compared to real cafes?
In terms of coffee quality, I think it is fair to say that the quality is likely comparable to high street chains such as Starbucks or Costa, but that it cannot match the output of trained baristas in speciality coffee shops. Why can I say this with such confidence? Well, humans have something that machines don’t; taste.
In our own cafes, our baristas dial in the coffees daily, setting very precise brew recipes to create optimal taste. If we change to a new roast date of beans, or if the coffee is not tasting quite right, the dial-in process will be repeated and optimised. This convergence of scientific method, with a very human desire for perfection, is easily comparable to the care taken by fine dining chefs... or robotics engineers.
In addition to taste, baristas are also human (well, mostly). The joy that comes from connecting with another human being is completely removed from the CafeX robo-barista. I don’t know about you, but I’m a little sick of the amount of time that I spend looking at a screen. Even if the CafeX is cheaper and quicker, I’d trade it for a chat with the staff at a coffee shop any day.
Robo-baristas are also unable to answer customer questions or recommend products to customers. Humans will have the upper hand in the service industry for a long time to come due to our ability to empathise with others and provide opinions that aren’t pre-programmed. Don’t know what a particular coffee is or want to ask what would work best for you particular flavour preferences? A speciality barista has got you covered, the CafeX… maybe not.
Most importantly, at Machina, we like to think our baristas have a bit more personality than their bionic equivalent. Robots clearly can’t create a welcoming space to enjoy a coffee with a friend. They can’t choose music to match the atmosphere of the cafe. They can’t chat to customers, whether the conversation is about coffee, Game of Thrones or existential dread. And that’s why robots won’t be replacing us just yet.
Written by Oliver Scotting, Cafe Manager & Barista
]]>Firstly, here is the ad for your viewing pleasure.
After quite a few views and quite a bit of laughter, I believe I’ve isolated the criticisms of the advert. Let’s address these issues!
Do you know how many shots are in a Starbucks Grande (16 oz) Latte? There are two shots of espresso. Guess how many are in an 8 oz Latte from a speciality coffee shop…. Yep, it’s also two. There’s no capitalist conspiracy in speciality coffee to rip off customers, coffees are served in the sizes they are to provide optimal tasting coffee. Coffees that actually taste like coffee, and not a milkshake.
A classic paradox of choice. Customers want more choices but are caused anxiety due to being overwhelmed by choice. However, there is a solution; ask for assistance. We’ll always have time to recommend a coffee because we want our customers to have the best possible experience.
While we all know some coffee shops in Edinburgh and elsewhere, where you’re more likely to get a look of disdain than a smile from the barista - my experience as a customer in speciality coffee shops has been overwhelmingly positive, with good quality coffee and friendly staff. We do work hard at Machina to make sure everyone feels welcome and enjoys their coffee. Yes, some of us have beards, wear dungarees, and listen to obscure music - but ultimately, we’re all nice folks trying to create the best possible experience for our deserving customers.
On this point in the advert, maybe when we start making deconstructed coffees, we’ve gone too far. With that being said, customers don’t need to order bizarre coffees if they don’t want to. We sell classic options like a long black and a latte. Problem solved.
Yeah… I’ve got to give it to McDonald’s on this one. Putting a Ping Pong table in a small coffee shop is a pretty silly idea.
First world problem, amirite?
Is it a Sunday? Again, not a great business decision for a speciality cafe.
If this ad was filmed in London, I can attest to the £6 price tag for a cake. That would, however, be ridiculous.
This isn’t a problem in McDonald’s because their coffees are less aesthetically pleasing.
I thought that “flyhighwithyourdreams” was a beautiful password. No?
I have no response to this absurd criticism.
Speciality coffee is the iPhone circa 2007; it’s a premium product. It goes without saying that it is going to cost more than a cup of coffee from McDonald's. Not only are the coffee beans used of a higher grade and price, but the time taken for a barista to make each coffee is greater, leading to higher staffing costs. Weighing out espresso shots takes extra time. If the coffee runs to quickly or too slowly, the espresso may be discarded and remade. The emphasis placed on consistency and quality mean that a greater level of care goes into making each coffee, and compensation for this is justified.
Written by Oliver Scotting, Cafe Manager & BaristaEveryone told me of the desolate, coffee-less wasteland that is the UK. Afraid and alone, I embarked upon a journey to the UK, only to be surprised by the coffee that I found.
]]>When I decided that I was moving to the UK on a two-year visa, there was an outpouring of concern regarding how I was going to maintain my dedication (*cough* addiction *cough*) to coffee. In the 5 years I had worked as a barista in Sydney, Australia, I’d developed quite a taste for good coffee. Even after I had left the coffee industry, I maintained a careful dosing of 4 - 6 shots per day and frequented cafes each weekend. When it came time for my fateful move, I feared the worst for my coffee addiction. Here’s what happened…
I realised my coffee habit would send me broke
Living in London and trying to maintain a coffee habit, whilst forking out a fortune for rent and the tube, was impossible. With coffee in Australia being a little less expensive, the move to the UK meant I had to cut back on my coffee intake. Thankfully, I’ve now re-joined the coffee industry and benefiting from free coffees. Thanks, Machina!
Where’s the brunch at?
Admittedly, I have been able to find decent brunch. My issue is that most speciality coffee shops do not also have an amazing breakfast/brunch selection. This winning combination is a weekend staple in the coffee hotspots of Sydney and Melbourne, and is a sorely missed aspect of my life. Choosing between good food and good coffee is enough to drive me a little mad.
The UK and Australian coffee quality seems to be on par
In no small measure, my fellow Australians who had spent time in the UK had warned me of the dreadful coffee quality in the UK. Additionally, many in the Australian coffee industry believe Australian coffee to be the best in the world. In my humble opinion, there is an equal ratio of good coffee to bad coffee in both countries. Australia is certainly not some promised land of coffee where every cup is heavenly (by a long, long way), and the UK has some of the best coffee I’ve ever consumed.
A great UK coffee, made by an extraordinary barista (me).
Speciality coffee has come a long way
When I left the coffee industry in 2012, filter coffee hadn’t risen to its current status of stardom, shot weighing and absolute precision and consistency in espresso based coffee serving were only beginning to grow. I remember first encountering a cafe with weighed out espresso shots in the early 2010’s and thinking that this was overkill. Now, I couldn’t go back to a time before weighing shots, precise volumetrics, shot timers and filter brewing recipes. It may take a little extra effort, but the quality and consistency improvement is worth the monetary and operational investment.
Having been away from home for nearly two years, I’m interested to see the industry growth in Australia upon my return, and give a stern telling off to any who dare insult the UK coffee scene!
Written by Oliver Scotting, Cafe Manager & Barista
]]>Here at Machina Espresso, we’re all hardcore coffee geeks. We love coffee because it gives us opportunities to play with cool machines, create beautiful art, teach people about something fascinating, and experiment with different brewing methods and roasteries. Of course, we also love coffee because it just tastes so damn good.
However, loving fungi is different. Most people recoil in horror when I say that I study fungi. But, like coffee, fungi are fascinating things that need a closer look.
What exactly are fungi?
Let’s start by talking about what they aren’t: fungi are not plants, animals, or bacteria. In fact, they have characteristics of all three. Believe it or not, fungi are more closely related to humans than they are to plants. Plants make their own food, while animals and fungi get their nutrition from other things. Some fungi even capture and eat live animals. Some fungi are single-celled organisms that live in the guts of insects, while, on the other end of the scale, the largest organism on planet Earth is a fungus. They are everywhere--inside the leaves of all plants, in the soil under your feet, and, if you’ve been for a stroll outside lately, you are likely covered in microscopic fungal spores.
Fungi are necessary for life. “Good” fungi are essential for baking bread, brewing beer, making cheese, growing plants, synthesizing antibiotics and the Grateful Dead. Where would we be without fungi? That said, there are many “bad” fungi out there as well. These cause a myriad of human diseases, large-scale frog extinctions, food-moulds, insect insanity (no, really!) and a ridiculous amount of unsightly and economically disastrous plant diseases.
The Coffee Plant
That brings us to genus Coffea--the coffee plant. Coffea is surprisingly able to withstand fungal infection because of the unbelievable number of chemicals in its tissues (if you don’t believe me, check out the “Chemicals” page on Coffee Chemistry). These chemicals were evolved to deter insects, bacteria, and fungi from eating the plant--but they’re also what make coffee taste so interesting when roasted. Beer, wine, tea, chocolate--these delicacies don’t even come close to coffee in number of complex flavor molecules. However, some fungi have evolved ways of getting around coffee’s defences and have caused large-scale destruction of coffee plantations.
Coffee diseases
In some Rwandan and Burundian beans, a mysterious defect causes the coffee to taste... a little odd. A parasite attacks the coffee beans without leaving any visible signs that something is amiss until the coffee is brewed--when the grinds come into contact with water, they release a strong, pungent smell of raw potatoes that is impossible to overlook. For a long time, researchers thought a fungus caused the defect because some fungi produce the same chemical smell. Although there is still controversy on the subject, most researchers now agree that potato defect is caused by a bacterium, not a fungus. So fungi are off the hook for this disease.
However, there are an astounding 38 fungal diseases specific to Coffea. Many of the fungi are parasites and require the plant to complete their life cycle; in other words, if the fungal spore doesn’t land on a coffee plant, it won’t ever be anything but a spore.
Coffee berry disease (CBD) is one of the most common and devastating coffee diseases. It starts out as brown spots on the young berry, which is why it's sometimes called brown blight. It’s caused by a fungus called Colletotrichum and essentially transforms a healthy berry into a black, dried pouch. It originated in Kenya and is most problematic in central Africa, which is why coffee plantations there often spray copper-based fungicides on the young berries more than in other parts of the world.
Most coffee pathogens “rust” fungi, which means their bodies look like spots of rust on the surface of the leaf. These spots prevent the leaf from photosynthesis and eventually destroy the leaf tissues and cause the leaf to drop from the plant.
Healthy Coffea leaves
Rusty Coffea leaves
The most famous rust is Hemileia vastatrix, often called roya. “Vastatrix” means “waster”, or “devastator” in Latin, which makes it an excellent choice of name for this parasite. Over the 150 years since it was named, roya has spread from East Africa (it probably originated in Ethiopia, like coffee itself) to all tropics worldwide. It was responsible for collapse of the coffee industry in Sri Lanka in 1890, a central-American and Carribean epidemic in 2012 (remember when specialty coffees were incredibly expensive a couple years ago?), and in 2013 Guatemala declared a state of emergency due to roya destroying nearly its entire coffee output. Roya is still a huge problem today, although fungi-resistant strains are now grown worldwide.
High-altitude, shade-grown, and disease-resistant
There is a lot of confusion in the coffee community about why shade-grown and high-altitude coffees are so important (and why they’re more expensive). These are two separate things, but they both have an effect on fungal disease. Although all coffee is tropical, high-altitude plants are grown between about 900-1800 meters. At that altitude, the air is cooler, the wind is higher and the plants mature slower (=more complex, flavorful beans). High-altitude coffees generally see less fungal disease because the tropical fungi are less adapted to the colder, drier climate.
Shade-grown coffee is mostly an ecological issue, because coffee grown in the shade of other kinds of trees essentially means the coffee is not coming from a gigantic monoculture plantation, and this is better for forest diversity and health. But shade-grown coffee may be more vulnerable to fungal infection because the fungi need a wet, stable environment to grow. Coffee grown in full-sun will be drier (and easier to spray with fungicides) and less susceptible to fungal infection. However, shade-grown coffee grows more slowly and in better soil, which makes the plant more robust and less prone to infection. After you weigh up the pros and cons, it’s still better to spring for the high-altitude, shade-grown coffee for more sustainability, and leave the fungi issues to the farmers.
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