Krups XP4050 - Case example of support in theory

It's that time of year when as a retailer you find out just how good the support is for espresso coffee machines you sold prior to Christmas.

We had a query on a Krups XP4050 espresso machine that we sold which wasn't functioning as expected. In anticipation of receiving the machine I took a brand new machine from our stock line and set up the machine ready for use.

The first thing you notice about this machine is its level of automation at such a competitive price which should be applauded. You sense that the manufacturers are a little nervous of "real users". Upon filling the water tank the machine primes itself, that is fills the boiler with water automatically, which is fine as long as it works. In my case no problems.

However just to make sure I made a few cups of coffee and deliberately ran out of water, like many a "real user". This results in the pump sucking air into the boiler.

I refilled the water container and then went to make another coffee only to discover that the machine couldn't get any water into the boiler - it was air locked. I turned to the troubleshooting page in the manual and found ............nothing!.................yes that's nothing on how to overcome a simple air lock. Extraordinary!

For those of you who experience this problem the solution couldn't be easier - simply press the water button on the front panel. This has the effect of opening the boiler valve and forcing the air out which in turn is replaced by water and away you go.

The second issue about which there is no mention in the manual is if you experience problems foaming your milk for cappuccinos. Again all is simple in theory, and the principle used is one used on much more expensive systems, so it should work well. What I got was a lot of "spitting" hot milk and only a hint of foam. Yes I used fresh milk, yes it was cold but now what? Manual troubleshooting? - you'd be lucky

So I turned to the "helpline" who couldn't or wouldn't deal with the problem but instead offered to send me a replacement part. Now I don't know if I even have a faulty part, all I want is someone to tell me what I might try, to improve the situation - surely in the computer vaults of Krups someone has had to deal with this very same problem a zillion times, sadly if they have, Krups are keeping the information close to their chest.

A solution I found and not a particularly satisfactory one was to raise the milk container from which the milk is being drawn so that the flow of milk down the tube into the steam wand
was much greater. More foam was produced, however I still wasn't comfortable with the amount of milk that ended up in the cup.

So Krups whoever is responsible for customer care at your multi-million pound organisation, please take a long hard look at your manuals, particularly the troubleshooting bit and put some really helpful tips in; and when it comes to a 'phone helpline, please allow your support "engineers" access to the kind of information that might just help me a simple user.

The beauty of language

This evening (Sunday 23rd December) was the annual "festival of nine lessons and carols" at Holy Trinity church in Jersey.

The Church was packed, the choir and congregation were in great voice and one got the sense that it was a wonderful community event. Community! such an old fashioned word in today's highly mobile society.

What though was it that made this service such a wonderful event? For me it was the language - the readings were mostly taken from the King James bible which turns the English language into an art form. The opening lesson from Genesis3: 8-15 with Adam complaining that "the serpent beguiled me"- What if instead of beguiled, the word "tricked" or "deceived" were used in its place? No sometimes the beauty of the English language is that we have a word when used in its correct context adds so much to the imagery and immensity of the occasion.

The language though that I wish I had learnt at school is Latin - the choir sang two pieces with Latin titles - "In Dulcie Jubilo" and "Laudamus Te "; it's so frustrating when you don't know what these titles mean so with apologies to all Latin scholars this is what I came up with from the dictionary: "Good Christian men rejoice" - incidentally there appears to be no "e" on the word "dulci" but I stand corrected.

As for "Laudamus Te", it appears to be a shortened version of the full sentence "Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur", which translates to "O God, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord." - a few words that mean such a lot.

The one hymn that I felt could be improved by not being sung in English though is "Silent night, Holy night", I've always thought that the German language gets across the magic of this hymn, not that I have much knowledge of the German language , I think it's just the sound. For the record here is the hymn translated:

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Christ, in deiner Geburt!

Silent night, holy night
All is calm all is bright
'Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

It's a difficult decision for a Church in Jersey to sing a hymn in German on such an auspicious occasion given the history of what happened nearly 70 years ago, but surely that's what Christianity is all about forgiveness - I hope that one day we'll have the priviledge of hearing this wonderful hymn sung in what traditionally isn't a language particularly renowned for its beauty.

Now we move on to Christmas, and I wish all those who read my blog a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year

Ethiopian Coffee Trademarking & Licensing Initiative

We're really pleased to be mentioned in dispatches on the CSRwire web site. We recently signed up to the above initiative as we believe that it is vital for inidividual countries to keep control of their unique coffee heritage.
Our job as coffee roasters is to communicate this wonderful heritage to our customers and endeavour to highlight those unique characteristics that come out of each origin by roasting the coffee as carefully as possible. In our case we sell Ethiopian Harrar as a single origin coffee, as well as using its unique characteristics in some of our finest espreso blends.
Where better a country to start such an initiative than in the true homeland of coffee.

Briel Espresso machine cleaning - updated

I was reminded the other day when two Briel espresso machines were recently brought into us that I first did a blog on this topic back in August 2006, however we still seem to be getting the same issues.

HEALTH WARNING

Before you attempt any of the following take great care to ensure that you are aware of which surfaces are hot and give them time to cool down. When using any chemicals flush the machine thoroughly with clean water afterwards, and should you splash any chemicals on your person wash away immediately as they can be quite aggressive on the skin.

A further issue though was brought to my attention, that of the steam wand becoming blocked. This part is usually blocked for one of two reasons:

1. Scale

If it is a scale problem, "pray" that you can still get some water through the wand. If you can it means that you can get descaling solution into the heart of the wand by filling the water tank, then turning on the water pump and opening up the steam wand immediately. Once you see a trickle of water coming out of the end of the wand switch off the pump and turn off the machine. Leave for 10 minutes, then switch on the machine repeating the process of switching on the pump and opening the steam wand valve. If there's any justice the flow of water should increase as the scale falls away or is dissolved. Run plenty of clean water through the machine afterwards prior to using it.

2. Milk

The problem occurs because after the steam wand has been used no attempt has been made to "flush out" any milk that may have gone up inside the steam wand. Gradually this builds up to the point where it is impossible for any steam to escape.

We have tried chemicals in the past to clear these types of blockages, however because nothing is moving it has not proved to be a good approach. As usual the simplest methods tend to be the best.

You will need to dismantle any plastic attachments found on the end of the metal part of the steam wand. Check if any of the holes are blocked, they tend to be very small and usually only a pin or "unbent" paper clip will do the trick.

You can very quickly establish if the problem lies in the plastic section by checking if any steam is coming out of the metal part of the wand, if it is all problems lie within the plastic section.

However should the metal part of the steam wand be blocked you will once again need to use (and I have found this to be the best) an unbent paper clip to try to dislodge any congealed milk. Once you think you've removed any solid bits, let the machine heat up again and open up the steam wand valve. Pay a lot of attention at this point as you might find that nothing will come out immediately, however after a few moments the steam pressure may suddenly blow out the last vestiges of crusty milk so don't have your hands or face too near the end of the steam wand.

This process may need to be repeated a few times if the blockage is really bad, however do persevere we've usually got everything working again after a few attempts.

The lesson ultimately is that when you have finished foaming or steaming your milk always flush out the steam wand to air, otherwise you face the challenge of the above activity.

The following is a copy of my earlier blog

Briel espresso machine maintenance (Aug 2006)

We've had a couple of machines in recently which if our customer had been more sensitive to the maintenance requirements of their machine, we wouldn't have seen, so I thought it would be a good idea to highlight a couple of things you can do to increase the longevity of your machine.

The following refers in particular to Briel coffee machines, however the principles can be applied to all domestic machines.

1. Maintenance of the group head

When you take out the group handle and inspect the area from which the water emanates, you will notice a large brass screw. Around the edge of the screw there are a series of notches at regular intervals. It is vital that these remain clear of any debris, otherwise the machines pumps will be put under severe pressure, and you will struggle to make a coffee.

The main causes of blockages are ground coffee, and limescale.

When the machine is cold, use a short handled screwdriver to remove this brass screw. It's important that you get the right sized screwdriver, otherwise you are in danger of damaging the screw.

If you experience problems removing the screw, it's sometimes a good idea to descale the coffee machine first. This can help to remove any scale that might be causing the screw to stick.

When you have released the screw you will find that there is a spring and rubber "bung" that comes out at the same time.

This bung helps seal the boiler so that no water escapes into the group head whilst the machine is heating up. The spring helps keep the bung in position. So suffice it to say, don't lose either of these parts.

There are now a couple of things you can do. If you haven't already, now is a good opportunity to descale the machine, following carefully the manufacturer's instructions.

Once you have done this clean the notches that surround the screw with either an old tooth brush or some other tough scarifying material. Wash thoroughly after you have finished.

Once everything appears clean, replace the screw, spring and rubber bung. Hand tight should be sufficient.

Switch on your machine and flush through with water to ensure that any remaining loose material is removed.

If you use your machine regularly then you should look to do this procedure I would suggest once a month. In hard water areas probably weekly.

Remember, if you do have to switch on the machine at any point during the cleaning process ensure that you leave an appropriate amount of time for it to cool down before you continue working on it.

Local heroes

Not quite sure that we justify such an awesome tag "local hero", but great to see a local restaurant highlighting the quality of all things Jersey. We are truly fortunate on the Island of Jersey to have such a wonderful heritage of small businesses doing outstanding things. Thank-you for the public acknowledgement Boathouse, a great idea and may it bring a lot of benefit to all those passionate about food and drink here on Jersey.

Costa Rica - Dota Tarrazu

Traditionally we've always stocked the classic "San Marcos" Tarrazu coffee, however we've decided to give Coope Dota a try and I must say haven't been disappointed.

As you can see from the title the coffee still comes from the Tarrazu region which is near San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica and is grown at altitudes between 1,100 and 1,800 metres.

This coffee is certified by the Speciality Coffee Association of Costa Rica and rightly so,
we love the sweet aroma and caramel notes that come with this coffee particularly when made through an espresso machine.

Another coffee for the connoisseur. The following link will take you to the product on our website

Costa Rica Dota Tarrazu

Papua New Guinea Fair Trade Organic Coffee

Yet another great new coffee for us. It comes from the Eastern Highlands Province and is grown at between 4,800' and 6000'.

We've put it through a Cafetiere (French press) and got wonderful nutty and citrus notes.

For the techies amongst you it's 100% Arabica with a combination of varietals that include typica, arusha and bourbon.

It's a great looking coffee, carefully processed by the "wet" method with no discernible defects. We've roasted it to a full medium colour to accentuate those wonderful flavours.

You can find it on our website by following this short cut

http://www.cooper.co.je/product/productinfo.aspx?id=368&cid=3

Steam wand issues in domestic espresso machines

Two of the most common problems in the steam department of home espresso machines are:
1. Lack of cleaning
2. Air locks

This blog is based on the assumption that the machine is actually producing steam

Today most modern espresso machine steam wands come pre-fitted with an "auto-frothing" device, whilst being a very clever idea, guaranteeing foam when working properly, they can also be very frustrating to use. The main problem is one of cleanliness.

If the holes which let in the air within the frothing device become blocked you will end up with some very hot milk but no foam. For foam to be created air has to be driven into the milk by the steam. What I have found on many occasions is that the user is unaware that the frothing device can be taken apart and washed, as a result the foam mysteriously disappears and the machine gets blamed for its inability to create vast quantities of foam.

Foaming devices can be easily pulled apart - once inside you will find lumps of dried milk - give each part a good clean, reassemble and hopefully frothy cappuccinos can once again be yours.

If this doesn't cure the problem then issue two as mentioned above, an airlock is likely to be the cause of your problems.

Airlocks can be created if the machine runs out of water and can usually only be removed by driving water through the steam wand and group head of the machine. This is done by opening fully the knob that controls the steam and then switching on the pump that is usually used to drive water through the coffee.

Place a receptacle under the steam wand to catch any water that comes out - When you have a good flow of water, turn off the pump, and shut down the steam wand using the controlling knob. Allow the machine to heat up again and hopefully steam pressure will have returned.

As I experienced the other day, this proceedure may need to be carried out two or three times to remove all airlocks, do persevere because unless there is a more major problem such as an element failure in the machine (which would mean that no steam was being generated) it should be perfectly possible to achieve a good steam pressure once again.

Enjoy your cappuccino!

Population growth - Politics versus Reality

Why is it possible for a brand new Hotel on the Waterfront to get 10’s if not a 100 licences for unqualified staff, yet many existing small businesses on Jersey struggle to get given one un-qualified licence?

Why is it that there are youngsters in our society who struggle to find a job yet many small businesses complain that they can’t find qualified staff to fill critical vacancies?

It all stems from the thorny political problem of wanting economic growth without excessive population growth – So on the one hand we encourage a new Hotel development as a welcome addition to our tourism offer, however sweep quietly under the carpet the reality that there are insufficient locally qualified individuals to staff the Hotel, hence the liberal sprinkling of unqualified licences. What population growth problem?

So why then instead of surreptitiously handing out licences on a case by case basis doesn’t the minister put his cards on the table and openly state what the policy is? Surely if a small business knew they could automatically have at least one unqualified licence then a lot of the heartache, ill will and suspicion that many businesses have towards the Regulations of Undertakings department would evaporate as at a stroke a small sliver of red tape was removed.

But of course if we are going to make any attempt to control population growth long term we have to ensure that we maximize the use of our existing Human resources. To this end an initiative has been put forward to bring the many disparate areas namely Social security, Careers advisory services etc. under one banner called the “Skills executive”.

A commendable idea, but I fear it doesn’t tackle the core problem, that of the right data being in the hands of the right people. It’s a huge challenge particularly when the obvious source, namely Regulations of Undertakings could well be restricted by the Data Protection act. Yet another hurdle, but then what’s new!

If students don’t know about the opportunities, and businesses can’t tell them how can Govt. know what training is required? I know there are careers advisors in schools but they are fewer than 10 versus the 2,500 businesses on the Island who employ 10 or fewer. They are only going to put forward industry sectors, and small business is not an industry sector.

I have been talking with Andrew Gibbs at the Highlands careers advisory service to see if there is a way to set up a central database that can be used by both students and businesses alike.

A relevant, reliable and flexible system; get this in place first, then and only then will in my view a skills executive succeed in delivering its intended benefits.

David Warr

Vivre la difference!

As global corporates do, somehow Nespresso managed to get an Independent Newspaper reporter to do a 3 page spread for free. Because I don't have the budget to compete against that kind of power and in case the Independent Newspaper don't publish my response, here are my views on the editorial:

4/10/07

The Editor

The Independent Newspaper

Re: Article “The cult of Nespresso”

Dear Sir,

As a roaster of speciality coffee I read with despair the item on Nespresso and how two of the top restaurants in the UK proudly use the product.

Comments such as “consistency” and not having “half an hours worth of washing up” only go to highlight why the ubiquitous tea bag and M & S ready meals have come to be such a success in a generation of time starved automatons.

Do the chefs of Sketch and the Fat Duck pop down to their local supermarket for ready made Shepherd’s pie when they put it on their menu, in the knowledge that it will be “consistently good”? I doubt it, so why then should Coffee not be given the same level of respect?

Coffee is an organic product, and like meat, broccoli or potatoes varies from batch to batch and season to season, the challenge is to consistently put great coffee in the cup, but then isn’t that true of most foods, and why we recognise great chefs?

In a world of de-skilling and dumbing down none is better than global organisations such as Nestle. Why should I as a business go through all that costly training with real human beings when Nestle offer the panacea of the capsule. Just think how a businesses bottom line is improved, simply pressing a button allows you to carry on paying the minimum wage to the next person off the boat.

To hell with the cost in terms of packaging waste and the double standards of people who on the one hand re-cycle their newspapers, but on the other make every coffee they drink using a Nestle capsule.

I’ve spent the last 18 years of my life roasting coffee for a living, and it is a huge challenge, but it has been and is a wonderful, sometimes frustrating, but mostly exhilarating journey. I’ve met people from all around the world – People who are passionate about what they do, despite being paid very little, mostly because the largest roasters in the world are able to play one country off against another.

I can count growers as my friends; I want to continually do the best I can for them and all their hard work. I can’t morally beat them down when I know what goes into delivering great coffee, and nor should our society.

Great coffee, like great wine and great food can take a lifetime to perfect, please don’t let it be reduced to the equivalent of a happy pill. Where are the Gordon Ramsey’s or Delia Smith’s of the coffee world who will stand up and defend the good name of coffee as roasted by thousands of micro roasters around the globe? It’s time to stand up and be counted, otherwise everything written in the seminal booklet “Mugged” , Poverty in your coffee cup by Oxfam will come true.

Inspiration for small businesses

As anyone who runs their own business knows, it can be a lonely place sometimes. You do what you think is right and what you believe in, however things don't always go to plan and as a result it can leave you deflated and wondering why you make the necessary sacrifices.

Well a customer of mine called today asking why we didn't do a particular product line under our own brand, he believed that our reputation is such that people would fall over themselves to use it if we put our name to the product.

I told him that we continually look for these kinds of opportunities, but that the volumes involved sometimes meant that we couldn't justify the cost. He was pleased to hear this and appreciated my dilemma. He then came out with this wonderful quote which really reassures you that what you are striving to achieve isn't being done in vane and is appreciated:

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"

Apparently it is attributed to the English philosopher Edmund Burke

I know it sounds dramatic, and not all our competitors are evil, but at least it reflects that other people appreciate our values and that we are not ploughing a lone furrow.


I hope that inspires those of you who run your own businesses

Passing of Marcel Marceau (Mangel) aged 84

This has absolutely nothing to do with coffee, tea, Jersey, simply humanity.

The quote comes from a wreath placed at the graveside of Marcel Marceau who was buried at Pere Lachaise (apologies for the lack of an accent) cemetery alongside such names as Edith Piaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison.

"The cry of silence will be eternal."

Rest in peace Marcel, isn't it incredible how one man's silence had the ability to bring so much joy to the world.

A classic milk moment

I go on and on about milk handling and it's importance to the quality of your cappuccino however I've never ever been quite as eloquent as Hanna Neuschwander in her interesting article published in the latest Barista Magazine

The article entitled "The House that Foam Built" goes into immense details, but at its core has the simplest message "You can have the most expensive, drug-free, cow-happy milk in the universe - hell, you could milk the cow yourself - and it will still suck if you steam it wrong"

Here here

Stale coffee, blunt blades, leaking group head seals - An everyday story of a low volume coffee site

As a coffee roaster who wants every customer to enjoy great coffee it can sometimes be a frustrating business, particularly when dealing with smaller cafes.

An experience I encountered the other day makes you appreciate that it's not easy to serve great coffee when it's just one of a long list of items from staffing issues to the next rent payment that you need to worry about.

If you are reading this blog and the above sounds familiar, then can I suggest that you pay real attention to the following critical areas in your coffee making day.

1. Review how much coffee you are actually selling, if your usage is below 1 kilo (about 140 cups) a week you should be considering using individually packed pods. The coffee beans being an organic product stale quickly once open to the air, whereas pods are designed to only be opened when they are needed. They seem expensive against the price of beans, but will deliver a consistent cups of coffee whilst you try to build up those sales.

2. If you can justify using beans, then don't overfill the coffee grinder hopper. At most a 1/3rd full will suffice. Better to top up from the bag often, than to have the coffee beans getting stale in the hopper. Just to add that once a bag of beans has been opened, ensure you squeeze as much air out as possible, and then store in a cool place.

3. Don't grind too much coffee, again less and often are two words that if followed will deliver a better tasting cup of coffee. I would suggest throwing any ground coffee left over away, but you'd probably say that that was a roaster speaking!

4. Coffee grinder blades - Their condition is vital to the quality of grind you get. Worn blades will not deliver great coffee. As a rule of thumb, every time you have your espresso machine opened up for insurance purposes, it's a good idea to get the grinder blades changed at the same time. It's not that expensive, and will benefit coffee sales.

5. Before making any coffee, ensure that the machine is at the correct operating temperature. Machines left standing doing nothing will not deliver great coffee if used immediately after a quiet period. Ensure a couple of cup-fulls of water are sent through the group heads prior to making a coffee.

6. Cleanliness - Do a "chemical" clean of the group heads of your machine at least once a week. A water flush at the end of the day is vital to stop the heads clogging up, but a chemical clean will break down any stale oils left hanging around. Also don't forget to clean the group handles and baskets at the same time. Baskets may look clean from the top, but take them out and you will be surprised how black the underside can become. It will all go in the cup of coffee otherwise.


7. Steam wand cleaning - Ensure that milk isn't left hanging on the steam wand, it will clog up the holes and can cause a major hygiene problem, it doesn't look great either to a potential customer and to my mind makes a statement about the place before a coffee is even made.

There I hope that helps those of you who don't sell that much coffee for whatever reason. As a roaster whether you are large or small, we only want you to sell great coffee.

Guatemalan coffee from the Nueva Granada estate

I was introduced to Holly Nottebohm at the Speciality Coffee Association of America coffee conference held in Los Angeles earlier this year where her farm won an award for their coffee quality from the Rainforest Alliance.

Her enthusiasm for her farm shone like a beacon of light; She also tells me that one of her pet hobbies when she's away is to collect books to take back to her local school. A real human face that for me is what has been missing for so many years when coffee was treated as so much commodity.

So it's with great pleasure that I announce the introduction to our range, of her farm's coffee. The particular line is "Monteflora", the estate Nueva Granada. We have been careful not to roast the coffee too dark to ensure that those caramel notes that one of the judges highlighted shine through. It's great in filter machines and French presses with a fresh pastry. I'm feeling hungry and thirsty already!

The total madness that is the Island’s waste management system

My comments stem from what I foolishly thought was a clever idea as to how we might recycle our cardboard waste.

A recent employee of mine who came from Sweden was appalled at the fact that we simply threw in the bin all our cardboard waste, something that simply doesn’t happen in Sweden. So I made contact with John Rive the recycling guru on the Island who gave the thumbs up to the idea that we take our cardboard waste to the Central Market waste area for recycling.

So far so good; however on the last occasion that we walked our cardboard waste around to the Central Market we were told that this was the last time they would accept it. I guess it was all too simple.

Apparently a letter will be making its way round to us from a gentleman by the name of Paul Griffin of Property Holdings; they’ve got nothing to do with waste management, but look after the Central market. Apparently the problem was that the scheme was so successful that their people didn’t have enough hours left in the day to do their other market work. They also aren’t prepared to hire more staff to do work that I guess rightly so isn’t their problem, but of course ultimately it is their problem, because the Island’s waste management is a problem for the whole of our society.

So now who do we turn to? Well apparently that’s a very good question; Transport and Technical Services are in charge of the central handling of waste on this Island, that means they run Bellozane, but don’t tell anyone, they also collect waste from some bins around the Royal Square I’m reliably informed. The rest of the waste in the Parish of St. Helier is collected by the Parish. By the time you add up all the parishes together there are an unbelievable 13 different collecting agencies on an Island 9 miles x 5 miles!

What solutions are their on the table? Well for our cardboard waste the answer is none, because TTS and the Parish of St. Helier are fighting it out between them as to who will bear the cost, in the mean time we have no choice but to dump all our cardboard waste, which is criminal.

The Constable of St. Helier is trying to fight the fly tippers by removing Eurobins left, right and centre, which means that instead of full Eurobins we’re seeing epidemic proportions of black bin bags being left on our streets for the seagulls to rip apart, which in turn has to be cleared up by the Parish.

The whole waste management system is from where I’m sitting is in complete chaos, with each public sector empire either passing the buck or blaming the other for the current malaise.

The public are crying out for cost savings in the public sector yet here is as clear a restructuring opportunity as you can get, which no doubt has the potential to save the tax payer hundreds of thousands of pounds but I’m sure it can’t be as simple as that!

The last fossil fueled delivery van?

Today I reluctantly signed the dotted line for the purchase of a Volkswagen Transporter T30 delivery van. I say reluctantly because I had hoped that our next vehicle would be electric powered thereby reducing not only our costs significantly, but also our carbon footprint.

I had high hopes that I might purchase a Smith Edison vehicle from www.smithelectricvehicles.com, but when push came to shove, the price tag which is at the thick end of £35,000 and its size proved too great an obstacle in comparison with the £17,000 of its fossil fuel equivalent.

In addition there is absolutely no publicly available infrastructure on the Island of Jersey which would enable us to charge up the vehicle over night. Tragic really when there is so much rhetoric about eco-friendly activity and so little of significance actually being done.

The Island of Jersey is surely an ideal place to start a culture shift in our attitudes to alternative forms of power? Yet it would appear that it won't be until businesses like mine are prepared to take the financial risk required and only after it has been shown to be financially beneficial that a global change in our psyche will take place.

I hope that as a small business although we haven't felt able to take this risk at present, in 36 months time when we come to replace this vehicle that the world will have moved on.

Flavour stability of filter coffee

We've all been there, sat in a pub, had a great lunch / dinner and then ordered a filter coffee only to find that it tastes as bitter as hell and smells burnt.

Who's at fault here, the pub or the coffee roaster?

Well we've put our filter coffee to the test, we brewed 60g of Kenya and Colombian coffee with about 1.5 litres of water in a Bravilor Mondo 2 filter coffee machine. We then tasted the coffee every 15 minutes to see how the flavour of the beverage held up.

1. Freshly brewed - Pleasant light taste, the brightness of the Kenya shining through

2. After 15 minutes - No discernible change in the coffee flavour

3. After 30 minutes - Some of the bright notes starting to get lost. A slightly heavier coffee taste is coming through. Still quite drinkable

4. After 45 minutes - The darker notes are starting to become more prominent, however still drinkable and a good colour when milk is added.

5. After 60 minutes - Hint of a smoky flavour coming through, the lightness of the original brew has now gone, however still an acceptable beverage and retaining a good colour when milk is added.

6. After 85 minutes - Smoky taste becoming more pronounced, still drinkable and still looking fine when milk is added.

7. After 100 minutes - A very discernible burnt taste is now coming through to back up the aromatic change. Surprisingly the colour when milk is added remains good, and the milk (particularly Jersey Yellow) masks and lot of the damage.

8. After 115 minutes - Not much change to the last commentary

9. After 175 minutes - A caramel burnt flavour has now appeared.

The time-scale we used for our test would be typical for an outlet on a quiet day and highlights how important it is to be aware of demand in a food service environment. It's very easy to get a reputation for inconsistent drinks and drive customers away.

My final comment would be a pat on the back to Bravilor whose machine we used. The hot plate although gradually stewing the coffee was doing so at a much slower rate than I thought it might. The engineers have clearly got their holding temperatures set about right which is pleasing to us roasters.

Party Time!

So who would you invite to a fictitious dinner party, if you could choose from both the living and the dead? I was recently asked this question by the local Jersey Evening Post and the following are my thoughts. I fear it does date me though!

Bjorn Borg – A boyhood tennis hero of mine. When he eventually lost to John McEnroe I was devastated. He never returned to Wimbledon and retired a year or two later. Only as I’ve grown older have I appreciated the fleeting nature of success and how when opportunity comes you have to grab it with both hands. The famous poem by Rudyard Kipling found at Wimbledon …. “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same….you’ll be a man my son” should be taught to every child.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta – I always remember reading her obituary and in particular the fact that all she left was the dress she wore and the bowl from which she ate. She was someone who gave her life to those who have nothing, was known by world leaders and did everything she could to help the helpless. What drives such a person?

Margaret Thatcher – She single-handedly put the “Great” back into Great Britain after the decline and decay of the 1970’s. In Jersey we have been fortunate never to have had queues outside the job centre, the ubiquitous UB40 form. We do well as a society to remember such times and that success isn’t guaranteed Yet by the end of her time the electorate couldn’t wait to get rid of her. Maggie, Maggie, Maggie….gone, gone, gone still ring in my disbelieving ears.

Sir John Harvey-Jones – A man who presided over the now crumbling ICI. In charge of a company that was the first at the time to make £1 billion in profit. Yet it’s his help to small business in his subsequent television career that brought him to my attention. His common sense approach and sense of humour always impressed me.

Shirley Bassey – I’ve always liked her as an entertainer, however it was her recent appearance at Glastonbury that got her on my list. Real star quality, what a gift it is to light up peoples lives even if for only an hour. You don’t see “Star quality” written on too many CV’s!

Bob Dylan – An amazing song writer who caught the mood of a generation. My younger son has just started playing the guitar, and one of the songs he is learning to play is “Blowin in the wind”. He loves it, surely the sign of a great song writer when you can transcend generations with your music.

There are so many it seems almost unfair to choose just six.

Grinder trouble

I sometimes think that equipment failure on coffee machines is a bit like London buses; nothing significant happens for months, and then along come three at once.

In the past couple of weeks I've experienced a number of grinder problems, the major ones being blunt blades and settings that have changed markedly from one day to the next.

Grinder discs wear out, fact! - This means that all food service outlets should have in place a programme to monitor the performance of their grinders, whether it's a case of calling in people like me or routinely changing them after a certain period of time based on the volume of sales. Grinders past their "sell by" date do horrific damage to great coffee. Rather than "cutting" the beans, they tend to simply crush them. It may not sound significant, but boy does the taste in the cup tell the story.

In an effort to break down the bean, worn out grinders use a lot of energy. That energy comes out in the form of heat and can raise the temperature of the coffee so much that it burns the coffee. The other major impact is on the flow of the water through the coffee. The range of particle sizes produced by a set of worn out blades is so great that you could spend a lifetime trying to get the water to flow through the coffee correctly but never achieve success. The moral of the story, set up a monitoring programme.

The second issue, that of wildly mis-set grinders usually comes about when someone is over-scrupulous with their cleaning routine . The button that holds the discs in position accidentally gets pushed thereby releasing the blades which in turn "unscrew" leaving you with "chips" of coffee beans. This has happened to me twice in the last 4 days. The problem is easily rectified by resetting the discs to their correct position and then marking the set position so that it can easily be re calibrated if necessary.

It's actually quite an eyeopener for many of my customers to see the impact that an incorrectly set grinder can have on the taste of their coffee, and proves the old adage that you learn more by things going wrong than you ever do when everything goes right.

“Economic and Strategic challenges: Is Jersey capable of being rescued?” - A response to a speech recently given by Senator Stuart Syvret

It’s probably somewhat ironic to be writing this response to Senator Syvret’s speech some 36,000 feet up in the air in a plane somewhere between Los Angeles and London. However such is the nature of this global world in which we live that my organisation’s long term survival relies on me knowing what is happening some 6,000 miles away from my home market.

I have at least assuaged some of my guilt by paying U$6.00 to an organisation called Trees of the Future (http://www.plant-trees.org/main.htm) that will go some way towards my journey being at least partially carbon neutral. Is this something we could offer to those who fly into our Islands?

That aside, what Senator Syvret had to say at the Chamber luncheon should be very seriously reflected upon by our society.

We are extremely fortunate to live in a temperate climate, with full employment and none of the uncertainties faced by many of our fellow human beings around the globe. That fortune though brings responsibilities. Responsibilities we too easily ignore when faced with the certainties of a strong economy and excellent public services.

It has always struck me as somewhat hypocritical in my industry (coffee) that we expect the countries from which we buy our products to be environmentally considerate when we blithely throw away tons of packaging material on a daily basis with sustainability being the last thing on our mind.

So when are we going to wake up and smell the coffee? If Senator Syvret is right Armageddon is just around the corner and we’re sleepwalking straight into it.

Surely it’s therefore about time Jersey, with her vast financial resources took matters into her own hands.

Energy security has to be a matter of huge strategic importance in a world already thinking past the days of cheap oil.

I’ve asked the question before but without answer, when will our planning authorities demand that all new builds have a rain water harvesting capability as a standard building requirement?

When will the use of solar panels also become part of a new build, or subsidies offered to encourage retro-fitting. When will the infrastructure be put in place by Government to encourage the use of electric vehicles?

Why aren’t businesses encouraged through grants to seek out more energy efficient methods of production?

There is so much that needs to be done and still we can barely organise the separation of household waste.

As Senator Syvret says “an entire paradigm shift is required” – not tomorrow or the day after, but today, or will it be a case of looking in our grand-children’s eyes and saying “if only…………..”?

Third wave or just new truths?

For those of you who didn’t even know that there had been a first wave let me explain.

In the very trendiest Barista parlance there have apparently been 3 “coffee waves”. The first took place in the “old days” – that’s around 20 years ago. In those days coffee simply came from a country, whether it was Colombia, Brazil, Kenya etc. By naming the country of origin this was deemed to be “specialty coffee”.

The second wave probably started around 10 years ago with the idea that within a country there were growing regions that could be differentiated – Ethiopia, one of my personal favorites instead of simply having “Djimah” coffee, a blend of various regions, now had Sidamo, Harrar and Yirgacheffe and we coffee roasters started to recognize the significant differences in flavor that each region produced.

So we come to the “third wave”, where regions have given way to individual farms – Ethical trading and fair prices paid for great quality. Baristas in some cases having a relationship with the farmer who has grown the coffee they use.

It seems quite extraordinary that such a change should take place in such a short period of time, but isn’t this the case with so many aspects of modern life – old “truths” replaced by modern “truths”.

But as a customer of mine asked me the other day; Who David is driving this change? I don’t have customers banging on my door demanding to know the name of the farmer whose coffee I just served!

So what is going on here?

I believe that we are witnessing the fallout of Globalization; the rapid dissemination of information through the Internet and a media desperate for news 24/7.

20 years ago the old “truths” held sway. Jobs were for life, international companies didn’t have to worry about exploitation – an age of innocence. The birth of the computer changed all that; the old certainties were swept away – now it’s survival of the fittest.

Middle aged bank tellers were replaced by ATMs along with so many in their position, their experience counting for nothing only cost in the world of the bean counter.

So a younger more transient and questioning workforce has emerged. No longer shackled by that old fashioned term “loyalty” – Not shackled by history, the past, only by the certainty that the only rule is that there are no rules.

A new “truth” has resulted, a more humanitarian one – a meeting of equals. In coffee a sense of unity, equity; your dedication deserves my dedication. In a room in Los Angeles at the SCAA conference the question was put, “but surely this is simply evolution?” – I believe that it’s more like revolution, a revolution of a youth seeking new “truths” because the old truths have been shown to be “lies”.

Optimising coffee taste

There is such a fine line between the "perfect" cup of coffee and disaster that you could make a coffee roaster very paranoid.

When anything goes wrong with the taste of the coffee the first thing blamed is the coffee. "The guy roasting the coffee fell asleep on the job", or "he mixed up the coffees" or heaven forbid "he used an inferior coffee"

Yet most of the time in the food service industry it is usually wear and tear on the equipment, a setting change, or an attempt to push the envelope when it comes to serving an extra large coffee. In the last two or three weeks I've had the "pleasure" of enlightening individuals of the various issues mentioned above.

Case 1. - A worn out set of grinding discs -

This problem is evidenced by the fact that no matter how fine you grind the coffee you can't seem to slow the flow of the water down sufficiently to achieve a "crema" or anything that resembles a decent cup of coffee.

What is happening here is, rather than the coffee being "cut" by the grinder discs it is instead being crushed. Not only that a huge amount of energy is going into the crushing process which in turn heats up the coffee sufficiently to deliver a burnt taste. All in all pretty disastrous.

Change the blades and all your problems are solved. One suggestion I had for an equipment supplier was that when the annual insurance inspection is carried out on the coffee machine automatically change the grinder blades, £35 - £40 well spent.

Case 2. - Incorrectly set blades

This can happen as blades wear. Although in theory the grinder settings should be checked on a daily basis to adapt to various atmospheric conditions this rarely happens in the food service industry. However there should be some monitoring done of the time it takes to make a shot of espresso (between 20 and 30 seconds)

When you reach 10 seconds, as sure as eggs are eggs your customer is going to complain about the insipid watery taste of your coffee. The problem is the water has no time to pick up the flavour that delicately roasted coffee can provide. Solution review your grinder settings, if you're not sure, talk to your supplier, after all it's their coffee you're destroying!

Case 3. - Pushing the envelope

I was helping to set up a machine today, a "bean to cup" variety. Now the maximum amount of coffee this machine could grind was 9 grams, however the customer had a particularly large cup. So we tried to push more water through the coffee, add more milk, basically all the tricks known to man in an attempt to fill that cup with a satisfactory drink, but to no avail.

We started out with a beautifully balanced cup of coffee, and ended up with one of the harshest cups of coffee I have ever had the pleasure of drinking.

Simply put we were trying to get flavours out of the coffee that the average human being is never meant to taste, bitter, burnt, simply nasty as we attempted to fill this cup.

The moral of the story, watch how the colour of the water changes as it runs through the coffee. When you get to the point where the thick crema disappears and almost clear water starts to run through stop the machine, and then come back from there. Don't use the cup as the guide, use your eyes. If you can't increase the dose of ground coffee, reduce the cup size. You'll do everybody a great favour and hopefully enhance coffee sales.

There all you coffee roasters can rest easy, well until the next batch of coffee that seems to have a higher moisture content than usual!

Modern Air travel - My idea of hell!

I had the dubious pleasure of travelling from Jersey to Frankfurt the other day, an experience from which I am still recovering! Not because I was delayed, or missed a flight, no everything in that respect went perfectly well. No it was the endless security searches, being packed in like a farm animal, the soul-less automatic check in, the complete lack of a smile from either passenger, crew or anyone for that fact. What's happened? I always used to look forward to air travel, now I shudder at the thought, where did it all go wrong?

I analysed my experience trying to understand why I felt the way I did.

I went through 5 security checks - shoes off, belt off, jacket off, watch off, keys out, mobile 'phone out, all personal grooming liquids out and placed in a clear plastic bag. Then all put away or put on. In the case of Frankfurt airport twice within 10 minutes!

You show your passport / ticket endlessly

There are endless arguments about only being allowed to take one piece of luggage on the plane

You're permanently in a queue, whether to check-in or go through security

You used to at least have the pleasure of a smiling face when you checked in, now due to advances in technology you're better off checking in electronically because due to reduced staffing levels at the check-in desks the queues have become unbearable.

Seat space - Both airlines in their attempt to ensure maximum capacity stick each chair as close as possible, so that if you have the misfortune to be 6 foot tall (as I am) you are literally unable to move in your seat. No wonder deep veined thrombosis has become an issue in modern travel.

The charging levels for a simple hot drink are outrageous. Surely if a reasonable price were asked then more product would be sold, or is that just me?

Then when you get to the end of your journey, there is a mad rush to get off the aircraft, with not even a semblance of courtesy shown between passengers as people desperately switch on mobile phones in case they've missed something life threatening.


I found the whole experience crushing and demoralising. Is this the ultimate consequence of free market competition? Is this what we deserve if we don't want to pay a reasonable price for our air ticket? Is this the result of airlines trying to maximise returns for their shareholders and woe betide underperformers? I simply don't know

Asked the question is it better to travel than to arrive? My answer, neither, stay at home!

The Challenge of keeping Coffee fresh

Coffee like all organic products deteriorates rapidly in quality when exposed to air for any length of time. The challenge for my industry is how do we slow down this loss of flavour so that you the consumer end up with something that you can drink and enjoy?

On the supermarket shelf two techniques are used. The first is to use a high barrier packaging material. Appalling for the environment , but capable of delivering "shelf life". The second is to modify the atmosphere, whether by removing it altogether, thereby creating a "brick pack", or by changing the gas makeup within the bag, usually to a food grade nitrogen.

The problem is that you can theorise all day about what level of flavour degredation is acceptable, when actually there should be "zero tollerance" in this area if you really want to get the best out of your coffee.

But what do I mean by zero tollerance?

A number of roasters in the US use the term "born on" date which refers to the day on which the coffee was roasted. This at least gives the consumer some idea as to the freshess of the coffee. In theory the best flavour will come from coffee that has been roasted just before you purchase it, however I don't believe this to be the case. My experience is that coffee needs to "settle down" for around 24 hours after it has been roasted. This doesn't mean leaving it out in the open, but simply not using the coffee until it has "calmed down" after roasting. The only comparison I can make is with a good stew. Leave it 24 hours after cooking and all the flavours are so much more developed; well the same is the case with coffee.

So first tip is to buy coffee that has been roasted fairly recently, something of the order of 4 weeks ago should give pretty decent results as long as it has been stored properly over that period.

Buying whole beans and grinding the coffee yourself is the best approach, however some domestic grinders aren't particularly accurate when it comes to getting an even grind which in turn affects the taste of the coffee, particularly espresso based drinks. But that's a whole different blog.

The next important point is that when you get the coffee home and open the packet for the first time that you either reseal the bag taking care to remove as much air as possible, or decant it into a container from which you can remove the air much in the same way as wine is stored after opening the bottle. So called "hermetically sealed" containers simply don't work when it comes to retaining the flavour of the coffee. There's just too much air about.

Finally the coffee should be stored in a cool dry environment to stop the coffee oils evaporating. Once again there is huge debate over the definition of what is meant by "cool". Personally I have no problem storing coffee in the fridge, I know some of our customers store their whole beans in the freezer and grind from frozen. I guess the only danger with the fridge is that other flavours might get into the coffee. My response to that is that if you use a proper barrier storage material, you shouldn't experience any problems.

In summary then, be aware of how long ago the coffee has been roasted. Take great care over how you store it and finally consume it as soon as possible after opening the packet. I suggest a maximum of 10 days, however for espresso you will see a deterioration in the drink quality within 24 hours.

My suggestion, purchase little and often - if you have a speciality coffee shop in your area ask which coffee was the last one to be roasted, that way you should get great coffee every time.

Sunday Trading - We can be different!

Re: Public Consultation – Draft Legislation Paper – Draft Shops (Regulation of Opening and Deliveries) (Jersey) Law 200-

Because this issue runs to the heart of our society it is necessary to look at it in a wider context, that of social and family cohesion.

A Unicef report (“An overview of child well-being in rich countries”) published in February this year placed British children at the bottom of the league of the 21 most developed nations, branding them the least well looked after, the worst behaved and the least happy.

David Cameron commented – “ social breakdown is like a gun aimed at Britain. If we don’t do something soon, the whole community will take the bullet”

Community leaders in the UK and Europe continually use the words “Social and family cohesion”.

Everyone talks a lot about the importance of the family unit but, precious little constructive work appears to be being done to stop what appears to be the inevitable.

Here in Jersey there are immense financial pressures put on families and they break down into two areas.

The first is the cost of living on Jersey. Housing costs in particular mean that in many cases both parents have to work to generate sufficient income to pay the mortgage, but at what social cost?

How can it be healthy for our society when family members barely get an opportunity to talk to each other? What then would be the impact of deregulating Sunday trading, another day, another opportunity lost to the family to communicate with each other.

Simple pleasures like watching a son play football, a daughter playing netball, that sense of a time shared together; “Quality time” all lost because due to competition pressures as their employer now has to open on Sunday to survive.

The second area is a much deeper one that runs through our society; a culture that puts money, performance, competition and consumerism at its heart. A society that thinks that if you sweep the streets you are a failure, yet our society needs such individuals as much as we need Doctors.

Deregulation of Sunday trading only feeds the habit of consumerism; an ethos based on owning things that says that the more things you have the more people will respect you. This attitude is corrosive and a legacy we don’t want to leave to our children.

There has to be a rethink, a reorientation of the values of our society and Jersey sitting at the crossroads has an opportunity here to take I believe a moral stance for the benefit of our Island society.

We can be different to the UK and we should be proud of that fact. Surely that is why people visit this Island, not to shop!

The dumbing down of making great coffee

In my previous blog I bemoaned the lack of demand for training on how to make great coffee in the food service industry.

Having further reflected on this point it's absolutely criminal because it perpetuates the downward spiral of de-skilling staff by bringing in more automation (bean to cup machines) to theoretically deliver a more consistent cup of coffee. Rubbish!

I recently went on site where a "bean to cup" coffee machine had been installed. As a coffee roaster I couldn't make one change to the settings, I was totally reliant on the engineer with his programming key. Our reputation is on the line and yet I can't do a damn thing to change things around even if I believe an adjustment is required.

Yet coffee and milk are both organic products. Their features change on a day to day basis which in turn requires the machine to be constantly monitored but how do you do this if none of the staff even have the first inkling as to what a great cup of coffee should look or taste like?!

So whatever happened to Empowerment? The buzzword used by all management consultatants? You know giving staff the information and training to be able to make informed decisions which in turn actually makes it worthwhile for them to turn up on a Monday morning?

If the Nespresso's, Lavazza's, Senseo's of this world have their way all the coffee we drink will end up being determined by some technician in an annonymous laboratory developing a 20 page spec sheet on what a strong espresso should taste like.

Why bother having different brands when the man from Nespresso knows what you'll like already?

As our lives become ever busier aren't we loosing site of what is important in life? That part of the enjoyment of living is the food and drink we consume. Preparing it, understanding its little nuances, where it comes from? Have we become so sad that we rely on boffins in labs to determine what we will enjoy?

So please all you Baristas in the food service industry, demand more knowledge from your suppliers. It will not only make your job more rewarding , but you'll also bring a smile to the face of your customer.

Training, and why it's vital to survival in business

A key part of our business is the training we provide to our Food Service customers. We provide it for free, yet many of our customers choose not to take up our offer usually with the statement that "our people know what they're doing so don't worry". The problem is I do!

I've been in the coffee industry for nearly 20 years now and not only have training techniques changed significantly in that period so have customer expectations. The sad part is that the staff who make the coffees are usually some of the lowest paid and well you know when you're churning out coffee after coffee and you're not valued you're really not going to pay that much attention to the quality of what you serving. There's that text you've got to send to your mate about tonights gig etc.

So how can business owners / managers change this attitude? Well business owners and managers have to change, they have to start to invest in their staff, but how many small business operators really do? "It's a waste of time, the turnover of staff in the industry's so big anyway"

Well if you treat people like Monkeys they'll act like Monkeys and in the end the business owner will be the biggest Monkey when the business doesn't make the returns expected.

That's why training staff is absolutely vital in this day and age where competition is so fierce. Committed people will do a better job, customers will be happier and come back for more, and guess what the bottom line will look healthier.

I can only speak for coffee, but like so many jobs I'm sure, it may sound simple to do in theory, but very difficult to do with a high level of consistency and excellence in practice.

Is the machine at the correct operating temperature? Did I overheat or underheat the milk? Why is the water racing through the coffee? The questions are endless, but if no one tells you the answers how do you have a cat in hells chance of delivering great coffees?

The most frustrating part for me as a roaster is the lack of respect this attitude of non-training shows to the people who have put a great deal of effort into the manufacture of the product. All the way from the grower, to the processor, to the roaster care will be taken only to be destroyed as it makes its final journey into the cup.

The moral is train, train and train again. You'll make a lot of people very happy!

My Fair Trade's cheaper than yours!

Sustainable practices are the only way forward if our planet is to survive as a hospitable place for future generations.

With "Fair Trade fortnight" now upon us, those goods that attract Fair Trade certification are being heavily promoted to make us all reflect on just where our food comes from and to think about whether producers are getting a fair price.

It therefore irritates me immensely when I see on the Supermarket shelf that there is 20% off Fair Trade products to temp the consumer the buy x brand rather than y brand. We find ourselves in the midst of a bun fight over market share. Tell me then what's the difference between this kind of activity and Nestle putting 10% free extra coffee in a jar, or the ubiquitous B.O.G.O.F. (buy one get one free)? There is none, it's simply large corporations riding on the back of feel good publicity and using it to "buy" market share. Where are the ethics in that? I think that it's cynical expolitation of the lowest type.

I conclude with a reminder that the "Fair Trade" certification programme is just one of many ethical programmes, each of which do a great job in their attempts to provide a sustainable future.

Rainforest Alliance, Utz Kapeh and the Ethical Tea partnership are all third party certifiers who guarantee that both environmental and economic sustainable practices are implemented at origin. Just because your farm doesn't form part of a co-operative doesn't mean that you automatically carry out unsustainable practices, one of the great dangers of using the emotive words "Fair Trade" and looking no further.

Bean to cup coffee machines - The battle between the engineer and the coffee connoisseur in the food service industry

I have just returned from a holiday in mainland Europe and couldn't help noticing that everywhere you look the "Bean to cup" coffee machine seems to dominate in the Hotel, Cafe and Bar environments.

I have to say that I struggled to get a decent cup of coffee from any of these machines despite the huge amounts of technology involved. (We're talking about machines costing in excess of £8,000 each). Why the difficulty?

Well I can only go on my experiences here in Jersey where these machines have become so complex that unless a trained engineer is standing next to me I (as a coffee roaster) have no way of being able to adjust the output of the machine.

The engineer knows a lot about the machine's capabilities, but (on the whole) very little about what a great cup of coffee tastes like. This is incredibly frustrating for the roaster who may well go to a huge amount of effort to build a blend or buy a particular coffee only to see all his or her hard work destroyed because the coffee machine has not been set up appropriately.

Coffee being an organic product changes depending upon a myriad of conditions. If the operator can no longer make those tiny adjustments how is it possible to deliver truly great consistent coffee?

So please rocket scientist coffee machine manufacturers think about us humble roasters and come up with some much easier control systems that allow us to deliver that much sought after great cup of coffee.

Bio-energy coming soon from a farm near you!

Human activity is causing global warming. We now all have environmental footprints, we’ve discovered “food miles” and carbon neutral activities, which is all fine but what are we going to do about it?

The challenge for all Governments when it comes to implementing a “green” strategy is that talk is cheap. They can preach about the merits of collecting cans / newspapers / using fewer plastic bags, but in order to make a real impact I believe the private sector has to be able to make money out of green activities.

The Eco-Active event recently held at the RJHA buildings in Trinity focused attention on a number of local businesses all of whom in their different ways are trying to get us to see the error of our ways.

The business that stood out for me though goes by the name of Farmfuels. Their product, that of selling wood pellets and wood pellet stoves seems fairly unremarkable at first sight, however its implications for Jersey are immense.

They are looking at growing a crop called “Miscanthus grass”. This is recognised as a Bio-energy crop; that is it is grown primarily for fuel. Given the current state of the agriculture industry on Jersey, a new crop will help hard pressed farmers if there is sufficient interest shown.

Upon harvesting, the crop is dried, shredded, and finally compressed into fuel pellets or heat logs.

The Islands demand for power is huge. We import over 3,000 tons of coal every year, a significant amount of Gas and Oil and demand / output of electricity has grown by 25% in the last decade. Isn’t it time we looked in our own backyard to give us more energy security, especially if it’s green energy security?

The clever bit though is getting people to change the habits of a lifetime. Deputy De Faye has recently talked about a “green tax” which probably sent a shudder down the spine of the business community. Of course the absolute opposite is happening in southern Ireland where a grant of Euro 1,100 is being given to anyone installing a pellet burning stove / boiler, which is seen as carbon neutral.

The burner falls under the Greener Homes Scheme Registered Product list and is surely a great incentive to encourage people to switch from traditional sources of fuel.

Wouldn’t it be great if planning on top of demanding rainwater harvesting systems as standard in all new builds, also incentivised people to choose a green solution for their hot water and central heating requirements and gave them money to do so?

Finally five suggestions to help save the planet –

1. Think before you print off that email – is it really necessary?

2. Keep a supply of A4 used paper by the printer, because if you really did need to print off that email you could at least use used paper.

3. Switch off the charger for your mobile ‘phone at the wall when you’re not using it for charging. It consumes electricity when left on but not in use.

4. Do you need to print all documents in finest quality? Why not try changing the default on your printer to print in draft. You’ll save a lot of cartridges.

5. Next time the person behind the counter asks you if you would like a bag for your two or three purchases, say no if it’s practicable.

"Shout about how great you are"

Chef John Benson-Smith wrote a great article in the local Jersey Evening post on Saturday 27th of January in which he castigates local suppliers for not shouting loud enough about the quality of their produce.

He came to the Island some 8 months ago to open the Boathouse Restauant in St. Aubin. Not knowing who the local suppliers were he found that instead of people banging on his door, he found that it was "like trying to crack the code for entering a secret society". What he has discovered is that "Jersey produce is a darn sight tastier than the fantastic produce from the UK".

If I look at my organisation. We now supply coffee and tea to two Michelin starred restaurants, namely The Ocean at the Atlantic Hotel, and Bohemia, part of The Club and Spar Hotel, as well as many other of the finest dining establishments on the Island. How many other regional roasters can boast this accomplishment? So why don't we shout about this achievement?

Well I think it's because on Jersey, people's expectations are so high. We have an incredible number of restaurants on an Island that is only 9 miles x 5 miles. The competition for a limited audience is immense and only the best survive. That means suppliers have to be on their mettle. It's no good being ordinary, you have to be extraordinary. Reputation in a small community is everything if you are to succeed, and the result is that Jersey has many great small businesses. But because they are small there are no great marketing campaigns, a lot that happens is word of mouth. I can therefore completly understand Mr. Benson-Smith's frustration.

But this leads me on to a much bigger criticism of how Jersey produce is marketed outside of the Island. I have a particular gripe as a coffee roaster.

Whilst Genuine Jersey is fine for local growers, my business isn't entitled to be a part of the party which is ridiculous! Anyone who roasts coffee will know that no matter where it comes from it is the roaster who ultimately will make or break the coffee. In the same way that clay to make pots comes from all over the world, yet it is the skill of the potter who determines whether it will turn out to be a great pot.

Nowhere was this more apparent to me than when I visited SIAL in Paris last December. This is an exhibition at which countries and regions from around the world showcase their produce. As usual Jersey was nowhere to be seen. The UK had a stand, Latvia had a stand, Tuscany had a stand, as did many other regions within Europe, and yes they even had coffee from these regions. So what the hell are we doing wrong in Jersey?

It transpires that the criteria to be on a stand from the UK is that you have to "add value" to that product within the UK, such as roast and pack coffee. At last! common sense prevailing.

Given we have an Economic development department deparate to grow our Economy wouldn't it make sense if they paid a lot more attention to the potential export opportunites that local businesses like mine can provide? Export earnings = economic growth!

Come on Economic Development, sort it out, we're doing great things here, and as Mr. Benson- Smith says "it's time Jersey stood up and shouted about why its produce is as good as it is, rather than letting it remain a delicious secret"

Jura Impressa J5 - One Hip Coffee Machine!

The latest bean to cup coffee machine from the Swiss company Jura has just arrived in our store and what a sleek looking coffee machine it is, a vision in White and Chrome.

Having brought out the C5 series to compete in the £500 - £600 price bracket, this machine appears to be attempting to fill the gap between the F90 (with its touch screen operation) and the top end Z5.

The machine is about 2 cm narrower than the Z5, however is the same depth. To accommodate this narrowing, the water tank has been reduced in size to decent 2.1 litres.

Machine operation is very simple, the fully automated cappuccino system found on the Z5 which I believe results in other buttons being made redundant has been abandoned in favour of making the coffee and milk separately. An auto-frothing device for the milk comes as standard as the traditional steam wand of earlier models is consigned to history. I'm not sure about this, but more about that later.

Let us get on with the important bit, making a cup of coffee!

The bean hopper is located as usual at the back of the machine, however a new device has now appeared entitled "Aroma protection". I hate to say it but as a coffee roaster I don't see how a plastic device with holes in it can stop flavour loss of coffee beans, maybe I missed something.

Ania felt that this device was impractical (there's a woman speaking!), and simply gets in the way without really doing anything (that's men for you!).

On the positive side the J5 has been fitted with a bean detector a feature from the Z5, which informs the user that they are low on beans.

If you choose to use pre-ground coffee, this hopper is located just in front of the grinder hopper. I say this because it took us a minute or two to find it. The manual isn't very clear, and because the lid is designed into the shape of the machine wasn't easy to spot. Once again Ania came to the rescue, it's probably Polish intuition!

The bit I do like is the programming of these machines. Jura have found a very simple system that allows a huge number of permutations. I have seen so many modern day coffee machines that need a manual to get you through the programming that in the end you give up. This is not the case with Jura. Once you understand the logic, and it is very logical you can change settings to your hearts content.

At last, the coffee. We chose to make an espresso and found that the water was running through the coffee very slowly. A simple adjustment to the grinder setting (a knob found on the top of the machine) soon saw the machine producing an excellent espresso.

I now move onto the milk. Now I'm sure this is a very British thing, and this is why I bemoan the loss of the traditional steam wand.

First of all I will say that creating steam is simple and straightforward and quick. Two button presses and you're ready.

The auto-frother is also very effective. This technology has come a long way in a very short time. By adjusting the settings on the auto-frother you can get either foam or steam milk (no bubbles).

The frothing bit I have no problems with and you get a terrific cappuccino, but the steamed milk for me is a problem. The problem is that the milk is drawn through the auto-frother so quickly that it barely has time to heat up the milk. Anyone with a smattering of Physics will know what I mean, the laws of thermodynamics.

The problem is that in the UK market, lattes are very popular a reflection of our appreciation of things American (I think that's a good thing!). Now a latte needs HOT! steamed milk, something the auto-frother is incapable of delivering no matter how much you fiddle around with it.

We were so concerned with this that we turned to the manual for help. Interestingly in the manual, they make no claim to delivering hot milk. They use the term "warm" milk. Very accurate, but why?

The simple solution surely is to supply an adaptor for the steam arm that allows you to steam milk to your hearts content. When you look in the neat little storage area on the top of the machine what do you find, an attachment for the steam arm that allows you to deliver more water! In the British market, we're all used to boiling a kettle for teas because we know of the limitations of a coffee machine (that's no disrespect to Jura, simply a fact in the UK market)

So please Jura, I know we're only an Island of 55 million people, but please can you put back our optional steam wand and get rid of the extending water spout, and we promise never complain again!

That's the only issue I have with this modern wonder of technology and I hope the message gets through to the boffins at Jura HQ.

Other than that we can't stop ourselves from stroking this machine everytime we go past, well the boys can't!

Jersey milk (from the Island of Jersey) - Excellence in your coffee cup

A new year and a new test!

This time we at Coopers have been trying out the different types of milk readily available in the local Supermarkets and their impact on the taste of our coffee.

I had hoped to replicate the tabular format in my blog, but I'm such a luddite that I'm afraid its coming out as a list - However don't let this detract from the results!

Results of a tasting of different Jersey Dairy products in coffee carried out by Cooper & Co. on January 16th 2007

Coffee maker: French Press or Cafetière
Coffee type: Medium roasted Brazil Daterra Sunrise
Quantity of coffee used: Approx. 50g

We wanted to establish the impact of different levels of fat content on the flavour of the drink.

We used: Fresh Milk, Long life milk (UHT) and finally Cream
A desert spoon of liquid was added to each drink to ensure consistency

To understand the list, it goes as follows: Milk type, colour of drink following the addition of the milk, and finally our tasting notes.

Fresh Milk

Fresh Blue milk
(1.8% fat content)
Darkish in colour
This type of coffee maker produces a thinner style of coffee, and the Blue milk with its low fat content doesn’t do anything to enhance the flavour or sense of wateriness in the mouth

Fresh Green milk
(3% fat content)
Medium dark in colour
Slightly thicker mouth feel, with the acidity of the coffee dampened down

Fresh Yellow milk
(6% fat content)
Medium brown in colour. Some fat globules floating on the surface
Outstanding! – We all agreed that the texture in the mouth, and the way in which the flavour of the coffee was mellowed made this a wonderful drink.

Long life milk

Orange pack
(0.3% fat content)
Very dark
Sadly, quite unpleasant. The wateriness I talked about earlier is even more pronounced. If anything this milk actually increases the sense of bitterness in the mouth.

Blue pack
Currently out of stock

Yellow pack
Light brown, with noticeable globules of fat appearing on the surface of the drink
Very good - Not quite as good in the mouth as its fresh equivalent, but still really compliments the coffee taste experience.

Cream

Whipping Cream
Light brown, with as you would expect a lot of floating fat globules
Good flavour, however the cream is starting to overwhelm the coffee flavour. The two yellow milk tests certainly came through a lot better.

Double cream
Very light brown appearance. Cream struggling to dissolve into the coffee
Totally overwhelms the coffee. The only thing we could taste was the cream.

So in conclusion we believe that all coffee should use the highest fat content fresh milk (yellow) to deliver the most enjoyable cup of French Press (Cafetiere) coffee.

Isn't it infuriating that in this day and age when we are so obsessed with our levels of fat intake that we are actually spoiling our enjoyment of a great beverage.

Next week we here at Coopers will throw caution to the wind and use only Jersey fresh Yellow milk in all our drink offerings - No compromise!

Tourism Brochures - you've got to laugh!

Those in the Tourism industry will know that the latest glossy magazines namely "Jersey Holiday Guide" and "Pure Jersey" have recently been dispatched and are in the process of hitting the door mats (people do still have door mats don't they?) of what they hope will be potential visitors to this beautiful Island.

Now I don't know who is responsible for designing these things , but I would suggest it looks very much like a committee, oh dear!

Not being au fait with the Hotel grading system I have to tread a little carefully, however I would suggest that not a great deal of imagination has gone into the layout of the Accommodation page in the "pure Jersey" brochure.

Lets start with the "Graded Hotels" - 4*, 3*, 2* 1*, so far so good, but hey what's this we've gone back up to 5*, and then 4* again. Eulah Country House Hotel should therefore by rights be at the top of the page?

But no, if you cross reference the "Jersey Holiday Guide" advertisers list on page 112, Eulah Country house appears under "Guest Accomodation!" ah, so that's why it's not at the top of the pJ guide, but then shouldn't they appear under the pJ heading of "Guest accomodation?

La Haule manor too seem to have got trapped in this nether world as well? Didn't anybody bother to proof read this?

But of course we all know (?) the diamond grading system has been done away with, well everybody apart from the Jh guide. The Lavender Villas application must have got lost in the post! Well the Jh's post, but not you'll be pleased to hear the pJ's post!

It also appears that even the advertisers are confused. Condor Breaks.com on p.52 of pJ tells us that both Mayfair and Metropole are 2* Hotels. Didn't anyone tell them that the Metropole is now 3*? I'm not quite sure what happened to the poor old Mayfair. I have a suspicion that they too are reclassified as 3*, but still appear in the 2* section. Then again I could be wrong, couldn't I?

I could go on, as a potential visitor to this Island went on to me about these brochures, but I'd probably loose the will to live!

I have tried to be humourous in this Blog, because at the end of the day we all make mistakes. What I find though really infuriating is that this industry is really under pressure at the present time and it is vital that a professional image is conveyed to potential visitors.

A business has been hired to produce this brochure for I'm sure a considerable amount of money, surely we (the people of Jersey) are entitled to expect something better than what on the face of it appear to be schoolboy errors going out to potential customers.