How to get the most out of your Espresso machine this Christmas

It's the time of year when we sell espresso coffee machines like they're going out of fashion.

However we know that a lot of you wll be disappointed with the results of your first attempt at making an espresso based drink, whether it be an espresso, cappuccino or latte.

As a result I, Stefan and Ania have come up with a few top tips so that you get the most out of your espresso machine this coming holiday.

Ania first - Read the manufacturers instructions

Now I know that may sound obvious, but Ania knows what men are like. They see the shiney new machine plug it in and then try and work out how to use it with the instructions still in the box. It does only take 5 minutes to read the instructions, time Ania believes is well spent.

Stefan next - Take your time! - get organised

This is not a drink to be rushed. Make sure you warm up the machine properly before making a coffee. That includes group handles and cups. Only heat sufficient milk to make a couple of drinks maximum at a time. Chill out, enjoy the fact that it takes time to make great coffee.

Finally, David - Don't make the drinks too big

A great cappuccino only needs a shot of espresso in a 5 oz cup, topped out with milk and foam. You'll really appreciate the intense, balanced flavour far more than if you have a cup the size of a bucket.

.....and a couple of other points

Make the coffee first, then steam the milk, and once you have sufficient foam, pour straight on to the coffee, don't wait for the milk to settle.

Always use fresh cold milk, half fat will foam just fine. Reheating milk will not create any more foam.

Don't overheat the milk, there is a fine balance between a caramel taste remaining and the milk becoming almost bitter. Caramel enhances, bitter does not.

Always "flash" the steam wand after use, this gets rid of any excess milk that has made its way up the inside of the steam wand and will save you long term maintenance problems

Keep the machine clean, used grounds will not enhance the taste of your next coffee as they say, cleanliness is next to Godliness!

Have a great Christmas enhanced we hope by a cup of Coopers coffee!

You don't have to be a celebrity to be brilliant!

There's a restaurant here on Jersey that through the efforts of many different individuals is becoming increasingly internationally renouned.

It's name is Bohemia and the chefs name is Shaun Rankin. As the Independent on Sunday newspaper puts it "he has no television show, no sponsorship deals, no syndicated magazine column and no new cookery book, yet for my money Shaun Rankin is one of the most gifted, highly polished chefs in the British Isles".

Although not mentioned in the article Lawrence Huggler and his family have to be given some credit for taking the immense commercial risk of investing many millions of pounds in this venture, which combines The Club and Spa with Bohemia Restaurant to give a truly remarkable offering in the hospitality industry here on Jersey.

Shaun goes on to acknowledge the fact that Jersey offers a superb range of local ingredients. "I wish I could do more for the producers and bring them into the limelight....the guys bending over for eigth hours a day picking herbs and Jersey Royals".

As a businessman on Jersey supplying restaurants like Bohemia, we sometimes forget how high the standard of cuisine is on an island only 9 miles x 5 miles. Their efforts allow businesses like mine to bring in products which ordinarily we might not consider in such a small market. They also spur us on to new heights which I hope one day will result in a thriving export market under the Jersey brand.

It's a team effort and with competition nowadays coming from so many different parts of the world it's vital that Jersey businesses step up to the plate, not just as individuals, but united under the Jersey banner.

P.S. For the curious, the coffee we supply to Bohemia is our Bourbon Dark blend for espresso and a blend of Kenya Estate and Colombian Fair Trade coffees for their cafetieres. All hand roasted by us here on Jersey.

Jersey Supermarkets on Radio 4

As Chair of the Jersey Chamber Small Business Group I tend to get requests to do interviews whenever there is a potential threat on the horizon to the small business community.

Well a few weeks ago I had such a request from BBC Radio Jersey who were doing a piece for the BBC Radio 4 programme "You and yours".

Out of the blue today I got a call from a friend of mine to say that the programme had been aired and had I heard it?

It got me reflecting though on how fast things change. Since that interview, Le Masurier have put forward plans to build a new supermarket etc. in Bath street, whilst Channel Island Traders, the owners of the Le Riche brand have put forward a proposal on a site probably no more than 1,000 metres away also in St. Helier.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Well the debate rages - As I've said before the political will is there, but do the economics add up? There is after all only one cake on Jersey and all that happens is that that cake gets sliced up in a different way as market share changes hand.

The loosers I fear though may well be many small businesses, the old Central Market with its Fruit and Veg offering? Who knows? The winners, well the theory is the consumer in the form of lower food prices, however is this sustainable over the longer period given the logistics of getting things to this Island?

It's a tough call, but maybe ultimately it comes own to us as individuals, what do we really want? Jersey is a special place, it's different, and it's different because of its diversity. Surely it's all too easy to throw that all away for the sake of cheaper bread and milk, but then again if you are unfortunate enough to be below the poverty line, your qualiy of life won't be that great either, and you'll be one of those cheering on a new Supermarket offering.

I hope we all get the opportunity to debate this point before any decisions are made, in the mean time have a listen to this 5 minute piece, be warned you need to choose the "Co-Op" sound bite, the BBC seemed to have mixed up their segways. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/listenagain/wednesday.shtml

Rainforest Alliance Coffee tasting

I understand from those in the know, that the Rainforest Alliance people have been criticised for not putting themselves about enough in the UK when it comes to promoting coffee that they have certified.

It would appear that they are now making amends for this apparent omission by doing a "Sustainable Quality Coffee Tasting" in London on the 29th of November. The exact location is Canning House, 2 Belgrave Square.

We're excited because it's the first time that coffee roasted by us will be seen and tated at a major UK event.

We've normally been very reticent in this area, however because we now have the ability to supply coffee from a farm that I have visited and can vouch for, we've decided to tell the world or at least those who'll be attending this event!

The coffee we've selected is from the Daterra Farm in Brazil, and are their Sunrise and Bruzzi selections. We think that they are not only great coffees, but also that they truly represent sustainable coffee. They don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

If there were more farms on this planet like Daterra then we could all rest assured that the planet was in good hands. (and, no I don't have shares in the Farm!)

Of course if you can't get to the London event I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't tell you that you could buy both of these exceptional coffees from our website. Sunrise is great for Filters and Cafetiere, Bruzzi for all espresso based drinks.

Enjoy!

Green Tea - They may be healthy but!

We had the dubious pleasure of tasting our green tea offering yesterday. I profess at the start of this blog of not being a great fan of straight green tea, however I know there are a lot of you out there who love the stuff, and the Chinese and Japanese having been producing it for centuries, so it's probably me.

Of course Green tea has become known in the west for its health giving properties, it helps protect against Cancer, high cholesterol levels and many other nasties found in our society today. It does however contain caffeine, a fact not always that well known.

First of all a brief resume of why green tea is green and not black.

The tea is what is known as "unfermented tea". To stop the fermentation process, the tea has to be what is termed "fixed". This is done by steaming the leaves for a very short period of time. This has the effect of killing the enzymes that cause the oxidization process to take place. The result is that the chlorophyll still remains in the leaves and is why green tea is green.

Next the tea is kneaded, then dried for around ten hours during which time it is constantly turned and finally rolled according to the grade required. It never ceases to amaze me how much effort is expended in producing this simple beverage, and also for such little reward.

I start with our China Gunpowder Green Tea. It is so called because it is rolled into small balls, which is what (so I'm told) old fashioned gunpowder looks like.

From out tasting session, the amount of tea you use and length of time you brew it for are very critical in ones overall enjoyment.

We experimented first using a regular amount of tea and brewing for about 4 minutes. This we found was totally excessive. It led to a powerful pungent taste and smell, almost undrinkable. The infusion itself looked quite muddy.

The next thing we did was to pour away the liquid and reinfuse the leaves with freshly boiled water, this gave us a much improved brew. A much clearer infusion and quite palletable.

Finally we used a much smaller quantity of leaves, and infused for only a couple of minutes, what a difference. Although I have to say I don't find the taste of green tea particularly pleasant, flavoured with a slice of lemon, or Egyptian mint does help in its enjoyment.

The next tea we tasted was our Young Hyson offering. As suggested by its name it is made from young to medium leaves. Visually the leaves are short and fine and slightly twisted.

There are many types of Young Hyson, we carry the Chun Mee variety.

When infused this tea has a bright clear green liquor. Having learnt from our previous tasting experience, we kept the quantity of leaves down as well as the infusion time.

It still produced a pungent brew, however I felt that overall it was a much smoother and more pleasant taste than the Gunpowder. (I now see Gunpowder sales plummeting! - sorry, please don't be too hasty in your judgement!)

If you, like me aren't really a green tea drinker, but feel the need to try something cleansing, I would suggest trying our Lemon Sencha green tea. The lemon has a wonderful fragrance and is delivered into the cup. I find this combination of flavours much more enjoyable, however do take on board my comments above about the issues of quantity of tea used and the time needed for infusion.

The Renaissance of the Grand Hotel

I was last night invited by Gregor Ritchie the joint managing director of Hilwood Resorts & Hotels to a dinner with his team and other members of the local business community at the Grand Hotel. His group acquired the Hotel from De Vere's earlier on this year and are now setting about carrying out a £15 million refit.

Mr. Ritchie gave us a whistle stop tour of the plans, which I have to say were breathtaking and shows a real confidence in the future of the Jersey economy.

In the past we have experienced overseas investors who have ignored local suppliers due to a policy of centralised purchasing, however Mr. Ritchie is keen to use local suppliers where appropriate, a refreshing change. This is of course fantastic as it will keep money in the local economy at a time when we are all being asked to pay more in taxes.

We are really priviledged on Jersey that a number of entrpreneurs have shown a willingness to make some major investments in the Island in recent times. The Atlantic Hotel, Hotel de France and The Club and Spa have all helped to raise the bar.

Isn't it great that Mr. Ritchie and his team wants the Grand to once again join this illustrious list as he seeks it to become a 5 star hotel. What it also means is that the local suppliers will also need to raise their bars to justify his support.

I for one can't wait

Jersey Airport - A move in the right direction

At last! some light at the end of the tunnel. British Airways have announced the launch of a new early afternoon flight between Jersey and London Gatwick, increasing their capacity by some 20%. The new flights start on the 25th of March 2007 and we hope will bring more visitors to this wonderful Island. Well done to Julian Green and his team, as the BA spokesperson said it shows what can be done when Airlines and Airports work together.

The days of sofas in the baggage reclaim hall draw nearer!

Win, win, win

Kenya Peaberry Coffee - Another outstanding coffee from Kenya

The first thing you notice about Kenya peaberry is the beauty of the shape of the raw coffee beans. Whereas usually you get two beans from a berry, peaberry as the name suggests only produces a single round bean.

I'm not quite sure if this is by accident or design, however what I do know is that these beans are separated from the regular beans during the sorting process.

As is usual with Kenya coffees it is washed, giving a very clean cup.

Once again we tried two different roast styles, a light medium and a medium roast.

Once brewed the most noticeable feature about the coffee is its wondeful aroma. I probably go on about this a bit too much, but it has a great wiff 0f wild berries. Stefan's first impression was that he could drink this all day, and black.

Ania, who isn't a great fan of Kenya coffee, felt that this was the best Kenya she had tasted.

It does have that classic acid, fruit taste of Kenya, however it also has a little more body than its Estate equivalent.

A complete contrast to the Old Brown Java, which consists almost entirely of low notes, and which incidentially made a fabulous espresso.

Our recommendation for this coffee is to make it in a Cafetiere (French press) or filter, unless you're really brave it's probably advisable to stay away from the espresso machine on this one.

Coffee to inspire the connoisseur!

I've decided to change some of the coffees we offer in our shop a) because I like to keep things fresh, but also b) because each coffee we sell has to earn its place in our selection.

The coffees we tasted today were, Kenya peaberry, Ethiopian Harrar and Old Brown Java. We're currently experimenting with the roast colour, and so far only the Java has been agreed.

All of the coffees though are outstanding and very distinctive. We did the initial tasting in the shop, and the level of interest from our customers was superb.

I'll start on this blog with the Old Brown Java. The word old is used, because the coffee has been "aged", that is left in the warehouses prior to shipment for anything between 2 and 3 years. This in itself has a major impact on flavour, as the acidity levels in the coffee drop dramatically. The raw coffee also has a wonderful aroma of old sacks! A really earthy feel to it.

What is noticeable with the raw beans, which by now have lost there initial greenness and instead are a light tan is the range of sizes. It would appear that very little screening takes place at origin so as a roaster I'm concerned about how I'm going to achieve a consistent roast colour. The only way it would seem is to go dark.

We roasted the coffee to a full medium colour as well as to a dark roast and tasted the resulting brew. Our initial impression was that the lighter roasted coffee didn't seem to have much flavour and was rather flat, however what a difference going just a little darker made to our overall impression.

The liquor was a wonderful full dark colour, however the taste was very smooth, with a slightly nutty flavour coming through in both the taste and aroma. In fact it reminded us all of the Monsooned Malabar offering, despite being roasted significantly darker.

Following the tasting we made up a cafetiere (french press) of this coffee and all agreed what a great tasting coffee this is. Despite its dark colour I found it very palatable as a black coffee, the lack of acidity really helps here.

I'm looking forward to tasting it as an espresso, which I'll hopefully do tomorrow.

By the way for those of you interested in the details about the origin of this coffee, it comes from near the Kawah Ijen in the east of Java.

It really is a pleasure to be able to offer this coffee to you once again after many years absence. It will be available from our website in the next couple of days.

Lapsang Souchong Tea - an acquired taste!

We continued on our tea tasting today with one of our more exotic teas, namely Lapsang Souchong.

It has a magnificent smokey aroma, which combined with its wonderfully large rolled leaves creates a lasting impression. Once tried, never forgotten!

Of course such a tea has to come with its own legend of discovery and I'm pleased to say that our research didn't let us down.

The Legend goes as follows. During the Qing dynasty, an army unit passing through Xingcun (Star Village) camped in a tea factory filled with fresh leaves awaiting processing. When the soldiers left and the workers were allowed back to their businesses, they realized that if the tea was to arrive at market in time, they couldn't allow the leaves to dry in the normal way. So they lit some open fires of pine wood to speed up the drying process. Not only did the tea reach the market in time, but the smoked pine flavor created the taste and aroma we experience today.

Once you get past the smoke and tar flavours, the tea has a rich and malty flavour, and brews to a deep red colour. Although this tea can be drunk with milk, there seems little point as it is totally overwhelmed by the other flavours.

Once again I felt quite frustrated in my research at the lack of detailed information on this truly historic tea. There is no growing information easily available, apart from the fact that it is grown in the vast province of Fujian, and that the tea originally came from the Zheng Shan part of Mount Wuyi. This is fine, but where does this tea particularly come from?