When catering assistant Ashley Edmond and chef Wayne Burrows came up with the idea of a mother-and-toddler coffee shop and play area, the managers at Van Hage Peterborough decided to back the proposal.

And now, nearly three months after the opening of Kids Zone, mums and their small children are flocking to the garden centre attraction. As well as becoming a popular meeting place, it can now hold children’s parties and half-term activities.

“Thanks to the Kids Zone, a visit to Van Hage Peterborough has become more of a social event for mums,” said catering manager Charlotte Butcher.

“It’s a great place for them to meet other mothers, and have a chat over a cup of coffee while their young children have fun in the soft play area."

The Kids Zone is located in the former Himalayas Coffee Shop inside the garden centre. The store already had a play area for children next to the main restaurant but it wasn’t big enough.

Ashley (pictured outside the soft play area) said: "We gave customers a survey to complete and It soon became clear that mothers would welcome a special coffee shop designed for them and their children.

"Philippa McKean looked in to the costs and feasibility and came up with the fantastic idea of a themed play area and coffee shop based on the Gruffalo.

"You can imagine how excited we felt when the managers at Van Hage decided to go ahead. With an agonising wait for the opening we started to prepare new menu ideas for adults and children."

There has been great feedback for the soft play area, which has an age limit (up to 5) and a height limit (children mustn’t exceed the height of the Gruffalo at the entrance to the feature).

“We’re finding the busiest time is when mothers have dropped off their older children at school and then travel here for a coffee and chat with like-minded mums. And their little ones can have a great time too,” added Ashley.

The Kids Zone ran a successful Children’s Club in half-term with lots of activities, including painting, plant pot decorating, growing cress and pizza making, and it plans to hold similar events in school holidays.

“The Kids Zone has been a great addition to the catering offering at Van Hage,” said Charlotte.

“As well as being a popular attraction in its own right, making full use of what used to be a fairly unused space in the garden centre, it has also allowed us to utilise the spot where the former small play area used to be. This is now being used as a more relaxed area off the main restaurant, with sofas and TV playing BBC 24-hour news.

“We’re really proud of the changes we are making here, and it’s fantastic when the company backs an idea from members of staff.”

For more information visit www.vanhage.co.uk

There is a wide range of food and drinks on offer for mothers and their young children inside the Kids Zone at Van Hage Peterborough.

The hot meals for kids, priced at £3.99, include chicken nuggets and pizza slices, which are the two most favourite. There is also pasta tubes with tomato sauce and macaroni cheese. Children can also have the Van Hage Kids' Pick 'n' Mix, five items to include a sandwich and a drink.

Meanwhile their mothers can choose between the 5 item or 8 item Van Hage breakfast menu served in the Kids Zone specially for parents, a breakfast bap (£1.99), paninis with a selection of fillings (£5.99), soup and a crusty roll or an on-the-go meal deal (£4.99).

Drinks include a babyccino for 99p – a cappuccino without the coffee – and the frog cakes have been a big hit with the kids.

For two jam-packed days in May, London Olympia revelled in the delightful aromas, tastes and sounds of the café and coffee shop industry as hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of trade visitors came together to network, promote and appreciate the most recent developments and latest trends in this burgeoning sector.

Over 200 exhibitors and upwards of 4,500 visitors made their way to London on the Mauy14-15, for the ninth edition of the Caffè Culture Show. The popular event remains the leading focal point of the industry, attracting buyers from big chains, smaller independent operators and those looking to make the most of the significant opportunities available from a quality hot beverage and food offering.

New to this year’s event, visitors were full of praise for the Artisan Food Market. Bringing together a host of innovative independent companies and a vibrant display of delicious, mouth-watering products all made with the highest quality ingredients, the market created a bustling village-like atmosphere on the show floor.

Also new to this year’s show was a comprehensive seminar programme focusing on the rapidly growing street food market, led by Richard Johnson, author of Street Food Revolution and the voice of the Street Food scene in the UK. The programme saw hundreds of engaged visitors make the most of this free expert business advice.

Cheryl Carroll, Event Director, comments: “This year’s show has been a fantastic success, attracting a very similar number of visitors to last year’s show, something which only goes to show the stability in the market.

"With the event showcasing an extensive range of new products and services and with an enlightening schedule of business seminars and product demonstrations which were extremely well attended, we have received some very positive feedback. New additions and features such as the Artisan Food Market and Networking Café on the show floor and a focus on the growing trend for Street Food and Artisan Baking allowed visitors to glean insights and tips from those who are championing these opportunities.

"All in all, the general feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike has been resounding in the fact that the Caffè Culture Show continues to be the pinnacle trade event in the industry.”

Martin Perry, General Manager of Qualitasse, leading importers of quality coffee and espresso machines commented: “Certainly, our experience yesterday was fantastic – we had twice as many enquiries as we had hoped for, and so we are very, very pleased with the show.”

Amanda Grove, Marketing Manager at Magrini added: “It has been so busy! From opening, we’ve been rushed off our feet – we’ve gained the most leads we’ve ever taken at Caffe Culture. We’ve already re-booked for next time, with a bigger stand.”

Verde Coffee’s Clare Denning was delighted by the quality of the leads received from the show, commenting “We think that the show’s been very positive. We’ve been able to spend our time talking to people who are exactly the right target market for us; from people starting up new business through to long-running cafés, as well as distributors and established restaurants, there’s been the perfect mix of visitors.”

The Caffè Culture Business Theatre and the Caffé Culture Taste Experience Stage in association with Unox once again proved to be a big success drawing big crowds keen to gather free business advice from industry experts across all areas of coffee shop service and see live demonstrations on ways to improve beverage and food preparation and presentation.

A full list of exhibitors, together with images of the show and details of the new products showcased can be found at www.caffecultureshow.com.

Fresh from its win of Best Trade Show 2013 at the UK’s Exhibition News Awards last month, lunch! is looking to make headlines again when it returns to Business Design Centre in London on September 23-24.

To celebrate the show’s latest win and mark the opening of visitor registration for 2014, the list offers an exclusive first look at some of the companies who will be helping to shape the future of the food-to-go sector over the next twelve months.

“Just when I thought lunch! couldn’t get any better, 2013 proved to be the biggest and most captivating lunch! exhibition yet,” said visitor Heerum Fleary, category manager at Gate Gourmet.

Getting “better” every year is exactly what lunch!’s organiser Diversified Communications UK has been achieving since its launch in 2008.  lunch! is frequently cited by food-to-go retailers and buyers as their key annual event for discovering innovative new ideas and concepts, and, as such, has enjoyed significant year-on-year increases in both attendees and exhibitors (37% and 42% respectively in 2013 alone).

With over four months to go until doors open and only 20 stands left to sell on the venue’s upper feature level, the 2014 edition promises to raise the bar yet again.

lunch! 2014 will feature around 300 exhibiting companies showcasing a wealth of new food and drink products, packaging, equipment and technologies.  The 2014 exhibitor list will be available to view and search at www.lunchshow.co.uk later next month.  

The following is a preview of just some of the companies already confirmed:

• ABDA Creative Design And Build
• Adelie Foods Group
• Alan Nuttall
• Alara Wholefoods
• Aran Candy
• Around Noon Sandwiches
• Bagel Nash
• Bailly / A L’Olivier
• Belvoir Fruit Farms
• Brew Tea Co
• Cakesmiths
• Chiltern Foods
• City Pantry
• Coffee Tree
• Continental Bakeries
• Crown Foods
• Dina Foods
• Drink Me Chai/Tea
• Enhance Drinks
• Eposability
• Equip Line
• First Pack
• Forest Feast
• Fracino
• Freshfayre Chilled Foodservice
• Go2Grocery
• John Mower & Co
• JR Press (It’s a wrap™)
• Just Egg (Chilled Foods)
• Love Smoothies
• Magrini
• Manitowoc Foodservice UK
• Matthew Algie & Co
• Metcalfe's Food Company
• Morning Foods / Mornflake
• Odysea
• Pan'Artisan
• Pegarich UK
• Pidy
• Plenish Cleanse
• Popchips
• Prima Coffee Service
• PT Organics
• Radnor Hills Mineral Water Company
• Rapid Action Packaging
• Rational UK
• Reynards (UK)
• RoughStuff Oak Food Boards
• Simple Simon Foods
• Snack Ham Associates
• Soulful Food
• St Neots Packaging
• Sweet Ideas
• Tasty Little Numbers
• Taylors of Harrogate
• Tayto Group
• The Brownie Bar
• The Food Doctor
• The Good Food Company
• The Handmade Cake Company
• The SHS Group Drinks Division
• The Wrigley Company
• Tri-Star Packaging
• Tudor Tea and Coffee
• Tyrrells Potato Chips
• Unox UK
• Vita Coco
• Vittles Foods
• Vitz Drinks
• Zafron Foods

Show features include the Working lunch! Keynote Theatre, Innovation Challenge Awards, Innovation Challenge Showcase, and the British Smoothie Championships.

“lunch! has a great mix of suppliers covering a range of categories, enabling me to keep up with trends and innovation within the industry,” says Andrew Rose, head of purchasing at Caffѐ Nero.

To register for a free trade pass, please visit http://www.eventdata.co.uk/Visitor/Lunch.aspx?TrackingCode=PR.

The café at Ashtead Park Garden Centre in Surrey has won the Secret Tea Society’s Golden Scone Award 2014.

Front of house manager Caroline Coutts-Prashad said: "The scones at the Olive Tree Café are fast becoming a ‘must have’, with customers travelling distances especially to sample them."

Claire Worrell, founder of the Secret Tea Society, agreed and said: “Your scones are amazing.”

The society, which has 400 members, visits tea rooms and coffee houses in the London and Surrey during the year.

GreanBase Ltd has launched a new range of cleaning agents called Mrs Gleam and it claims that some of the products would be ideal for garden centre kitchens and ovens.

"The Mrs Gleam range is a fresh, fantastic and fabulously unique British cleaning brand created by a fanatical housewife from Norfolk," says Joe Smith of GreanBase.

"Mrs Gleam is your answer to all of those daily cleaning issues as our wonderfully effective products are safe on skin, eco-friendly and safe around your children."

The flagship product is Mrs Gleam's Oven Rack Cleaner, which is the first non-caustic/eco-friendly soaking agent in the marketplace while the Kitchen Cleaner is the first of its kind to kill 99.99% of all germs on surfaces within 30 seconds. 

Mrs Gleam products have a low minimum carriage paid order value of £150 and can be purchased from the contact details below or through your local GreanBase representative.

For more information visit www.greanbase.co.uk

Belvoir Fruit Farms continue to expand their natural and British-produced drinks offering for the café sector.

Made on a family-run farm in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Belvoir Fruit Farms’ products provide cafés with a range of premium soft drinks in both can and glass that acknowledges the growing consumer trend for British heritage.

Pev Manners, MD of Belvoir, said: “We have been delighted by the performance of the business over the last 12 months. Our overall sales in the UK were up 32% while sales in the on-trade have increased by 16% last year. There’s no denying it’s tough out there but I believe people are ‘treating’ themselves more and so our products, premium and made using only natural ingredients, appeal to that need. It is also important to keep innovating to maintain interest and excitement in the sector. A beautiful warm summer definitely helped too”.

Belvoir regularly introduces new varieties tapping into consumer trends, such as nostalgia and ‘premiumisation’, which play to the brand’s strengths. 

The three best sellers for Belvoir in the café sector are currently the 250ml glass bottles of elderflower pressé, raspberry lemonade and ginger beer. The success of the Belvoir ginger beer has been positively impacted by the increased popularity of alcoholic ginger beer that has had a ‘halo’ effect on regular ginger beer sales in general.  Another ‘retro’ variety taking off for Belvoir is their new Cherry pressé, which launched in 2013 and is made using real pressed Morello juice and lightly sparkling Belvoir spring water. It taps into the growing trend for nostalgia and ‘favourites from your childhood’.

Belvoir has recently launched its Elderflower pressé and Raspberry Lemonade in a 250ml can format to cater for outlets that hanker after the Lincolnshire based company’s products but cannot stock them in glass bottles.

Pev continued: “For some time now we have been approached by potential customers keen to stock our brand but who are limited by not being able to accept glass bottles.  Our 250ml bottles have a quirky elegant shape that make them firm favourites of cafes and delis, however food-on-the-go operations don’t find glass the best format.  We have therefore developed our lovely little can that offers convenience but with a premium feel.”

As producers of the ‘original’ elderflower cordial, elderflower pressé is the biggest selling pressé in the Belvoir range so it was the obvious choice to go into can.  Raspberry Lemonade was launched in 2010 and has also been extremely successful. The production process for the canned product remains identical to that of the bottled version, being hand made on the Belvoir farm, using only natural ingredients with no artificial preservatives or additives.

The design of the bespoke can reflects the premium image of the Belvoir brand and marries well with its elegant range of glass bottles that come in 250ml, 500ml and 750ml.

The complete Belvoir Fruit Farms range comprises 15 different cordial varieties; 14 different pressés; 2 punches and two different cans, including organic and non organic. All are still hand produced on the family farm in Lincolnshire and are available from wholesalers such as Peros, Café Deli, Miko Coffee, Lee & Fletcher, R & S Distributors and many more.

For more information contact the Belvoir Fruit Farms Office on 01476 870286 or visit  www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk.

Two of the hottest properties in hot beverages in the out-of-home market are white hot chocolate and spice chai latte. In a market first, these are now both available through branded dispensers to ensure quality and consistency in the cup while removing the need for messy tubs, spoons and a kettle.

Hot chocolate from world-renowned cocoa producer, Barry Callebaut and their premium brand – Van Houten, and spice Chai Latte from award-winning chai drinks company, Drink Me Chai are now available from a range of branded table-top beverage dispense systems available exclusively from Fairtrade Beverage Systems.

At the touch of a single button these new machines will deliver consistent quality, drink after drink, allowing sites from schools and colleges to cafes and restaurants to benefit from introducing something new and exciting to their menus.

The new dispense range includes the UK’s first machine to offer three different chocolate drinks and the first machine to combine chocolate and chai.

The Triple Chocolate hot beverage system dispenses three branded Van Houten chocolates – White Chocolate, Fairtrade Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate – whilst the new Dual hot beverage system dispenses White Chocolate and Chai Latte.

The addition of such choice in hot chocolate alone will substantially extend the menu for many out-of-home sites, but with the addition of flavouring syrups the opportunity to personalise menus, creating signature drinks to stand out on a crowded high street is within the reach of every site.

Mike Steel, sales & marketing manager of Fairtrade Beverage Systems said: “We are delighted to have partnered with two such prestigious brands as Van Houten and Drink Me Chai to bring these unique new machines to the UK market.

Some high street venues are already serving white hot chocolate and chai drinks, but sadly the quality and consistency is often lacking as the drinks are made by hand and the correct gram throw of ingredients for the cup serving size is not used. With these new dispensers the quality and consistency is guaranteed and a speedy service too makes them perfect for our ‘grab and go’ culture.”

For more information call 01634 726163 or email mike@fairtradebeveragesystems.co.uk

Franke Coffee Systems has made a name for itself as the manufacturer of high-performance, fully automatic coffee machines at the highest technical level. 

The new Franke selection of traditional espresso machines includes both small introductory models as well as fully equipped versions with multiple groups. Together with its own fully automatic coffee machines give Franke a high-class portfolio that can meet any customer need. 

The wide spectrum of traditional machines and fully automatic coffee solutions allows for a complete approach towards the food service and hotel industries all out of one hand. 

Franke Coffee Systems showcased two of the models – T400 and T600 – at Caffe Culture Show.

The powerful Espresso queen, The T400 unites soft lines, elegance and typical Italian design. The classical and yet modern appearance of the retro style Espresso machine is a real eye catcher that still goes with any room decor. The effectively lit displays beautifully complete the stylish appearance of the T400. 

The powerful Espresso machine, The T 600 stands for the most modern technology with typical Italian design. The classical and yet modern appearance of the retro style Espresso machine is a real eye catcher that still goes with any room decor. The T600 is not only a highlight in terms of design, but also offers the highest level of ease of use – a perfect marriage of aesthetics and technology. 

For more information visit www.franke.com 

Rising awareness of gluten intolerance has lead more people to look for natural gluten-free alternatives. 

A study conducted by the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center found that five to ten percent of all people suffer from some degree of gluten intolerance. With awareness of gluten intolerance on the rise, many people are looking for natural alternatives to gluten, which allow them to have a varied diet without giving up many of the foods that they enjoy. 

French Macarons are a prime example of a gluten free alternative. While many cakes and biscuits contain flour derived from gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, rye, and barley, French Macarons are naturally gluten free. The traditional French Macaron recipe, as used by Ganache Macaron, uses finely group almonds. 

According to Audrey Cadostin, the founding director of Ganache Macaron: “Naturally gluten free products are becoming increasingly popular, as people discover that they have trouble digesting gluten. While many gluten free products taste strange or different compared to the real thing, naturally gluten free products, like our French Macarons, allow people with gluten intolerances to indulge in something that tastes great without having the worry about their body’s reaction.” 

For those with gluten sensitivity, eating products containing gluten triggers their immune system, causing internal and external inflammation and digestive problems which can lead to intestinal damage, according to a 2011 study by celiac researcher, Dr. Alessio Fasano. However, gluten sensitivity often goes undiagnosed, because there are over 300 associated symptoms which are not always easy to diagnose, according to the Gluten Intolerance Group. 

For more information contact Monica Hartnell on 07415 329 467 or email monica@ganache-macaron.co.uk. 

New for 2014, the Acacia wood display tray denotes pastoral simplicity with characteristics of rural life and good food.

Now available from Stephenson’s catering equipment suppliers, Acacia wood trays are suited for serving lunch time sandwiches, afternoon sweets and hearty tea-time meals.

The chunky Acacia wood is as practical as it is beautiful, the thin grain and deep varied colours offer warmth and richness with rustic charm.

Managing Director at Stephenson’s, Henry Stephenson said: “Craft that rustic concept for your guests by lining the tray with greaseproof paper, we have a range of fantastic designs varying from basic white paper to gingham, all of which will effectively coordinate with the deep colouration of the Acacia tray.

“Sandwiches and grilled paninis, complete with a side of skin-on wedges, are perfect for a rustic lunch time menu. Come the afternoon, these trays are ideal for serving a beverage pot of tea or coffee alongside a selection of cakes and muffins – an organic take on the current trend of afternoon tea. For the evening menu, these trays ideally lend themselves to a quality burger with all of the trimmings.”

The Acacia wood display tray is available in large and small. For more information visit www.stephensons.com 

Novus Tea is helping businesses to maximise their profits from the fast-growing premium teas and herbal infusions market. 

This market is providing an increasingly important revenue-generating opportunity for cafés, coffee shops and other foodservice operators.

As well as supplying Great Taste Award-winning premium leaf teas, Novus Tea is offering a comprehensive range of support services to ensure that the tea is served profitably and to the highest standards.

These services include: training on service and the origins of teas; menu ideas; business development guidance; personalised branding; and point of sale displays.

This unrivalled customer support package has already helped a number of Novus's clients to achieve The Tea Guild's coveted 'Award of Excellence'.

The service is based around Novus Tea's range of premium teas and infusions which have won 12 Great Taste awards, including a three gold star award for Citrus Chamomile in 2011.

Black teas include: English Breakfast; Organic Darjeeling; decaffeinated Ceylon; Sapphire Earl Grey; and Spiced Chai.

Green/white teas include: Dragon Well Green; Organic Jasmine; Pai Mu Tan; and White Pear & Ginger.

Herbal teas include: Egyptian Mint; Citrus Chamomile; Wild Encounter; Persian Pomegranate; and Spicy Rooibos.

Novus Tea is one of the very few companies in the UK capable of delivering a truly premium leaf tea to all areas of an operation, from retail to foodservice, through a multi-format range.

Tea is offered in three formats: whole leaf pyramid bags in individual envelopes; whole leaf pyramid bags in resealable pouches in two sizes; and loose leaf tea.

For more information visit: www.novustea.co.uk

Tami Louisson, founder and MD of SHOTT Beverages, flew from her base in Wellington, New Zealand, to attend Caffè Culture and show her products to a UK audience.

Says Tami: “We have great products and a great story to tell so I wanted to be at Caffè Culture.

"UK coffee stores are expanding and developing fast and SHOTT should be part of that. With our distinctive packaging and intense flavours adding SHOTT to the menu will make your coffee shop stand out and bring in more custom”.

In just seven short years since the company was founded, SHOTT has come to dominate its home market with a range of syrups and complementary beverages.

With success following in Australia and certain Asian markets it's natural that SHOTT now has its eyes on the UK market.

One of SHOTT's leading flavours is their zesty Lemon Ginger and Honey (based on a homemade recipe belonging to Tami's grandmother).

Cafes that try to make this classic combination from scratch often encounter problems with consistency. “So having a product that is consistent is a great help," explains Tami.

Following the prominent success of Lemon Ginger and Honey, the range was soon extended to include Chai Latte and coffee syrups and, more recently, hot chocolate complements and smoothie bases.

Recent research carried out by the company reveals how coffee shops can grow their business by properly catering for customers who want a change from coffee or who have reached their self-imposed daily limit of caffeine.

The SHOTT range meets this need perfectly and, as a result, offers a real opportunity for coffee shop owners to develop their business.

For more information contact William Haseldine by email whaseldine@shottbeverages.co.uk or call 07796 688963.