Do you want to meet up for a coffee?

How often do we offer to meet up with friends, work colleagues, family or potential dates with this question? Given the increasing popularity of coffee shops as the place of choice to meet up, it is little wonder that the website letsmeetandwork.com has been such a hit. Of course coffee shops need coffee machines.
It is reported that thousands of Londoners have clocked this website and use it to find recommended places to stop for a cup of coffee and meet up. Published reports suggest over 40,000 users have visited the site since it was launched fourteen days ago.
The person behind the concept is Alasdair Monk. The idea for the website struck him when he found a piece of paper, listing suitable places with wi-fi when he was on campus at his university in Reading. He wanted to replicate the idea online – to give a list of places to drop in if you want a coffee and so on. As such, he created a list of coffee shops and cafes who use coffee machines and also book shops. It is said that he checks out every recommendation personally.
The lists online proved popular and were recommended by word of mouth on the net.
The idea is growing too – not only is Monk covering the London area – he is also looking into creating a similar website for coffee shops and places to meet in New York. The aim though, according to reports, is to keep things simple. Despite requests for more websites for other cities, he's limiting the idea to London and New York for now.

Concerns About E.coli in South East Wales

Of course, food hygiene and preparation together with strict compliance with health and safety obligations is something that all catering establishments need to be mindful of. It has transpired that there are problems in South East Wales however – there have been eight cases of outbreaks of food poisoning by E.coli. This brings into sharp relief the reasons why care needs to be taken when preparing food.

What has happened? The latest in the unfolding drama is that The Adonis Kebab House in Cardiff has been subjected to an order to request them to stop trading. A consultant in Communicable Disease for Public Health in Wales has been quoted as saying that there has been serious bacterial infection, which has resulted in pain in the abdomen and diarrhoea. One victim is still in hospital, according to reports at the time of writing. Apparently around 53 people have contacted Public Health Wales since Monday. Maybe they need some better catering equipment.

As a result of this health issue, investigations are underway. The Conservative party is so concerned that they have asked for restaurants and takeaways to be obliged to make their food hygiene ratings public. It has been made clear, for example, that the Adonis Kebab House was inspected in July and was only given a one out of five rating under the food hygiene ratings system. The proposal would mean that customers could evaluate the standards of the eating establishment and be in a position to make an informed decision before they choose to eat and buy food prepared there.

The investigation and monitoring continues.

Age UK benefits from coffee morning in Harrow

If you happen to be passing the St Georges Shopping Centre on Friday 26 August, why not drop in at Wilkinson for their charity-supporting coffee morning?

Just think about it – there are many benefits to stopping by. You can get a decent cup of coffee, a little shot of caffeine to help you in your shopping endeavours and you can meet some interesting people to chat to.

More importantly, however, you would also be supporting the charity Age UK, which focuses on the many elderly people living in the UK at the moment. Wilkinson is a shop with a heart – they had a coffee morning using coffee machines in June too.

The locals who attend the event will also have the opportunity of learning about how to deal with issues that trouble them and get general advice about their daily challenges.

Age UK recognises that the older population needs information and advice on the issues that face them as they age. This advice covers all sorts of topics, from financial worries, health issues, housing problems or concerns and equipment to help the aged within the home. They also operate a free national information line, which is available every day, from 8am to 7pm and they also offer guidance leaflets, factsheets and other publications on relevant topics.

The charity does much other good work too – for example, campaigning for changes to help the aged, such as reforming the care system or improving local transport. It has also achieved breakthroughs in its research programme into how to improve the lives of older people.

Recession? What recession?

Here's some good news from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG Report on Jobs. Want to hear it? There is a greater demand for people working in the hotel and catering equipment industry in the United Kingdom over June. While there are riots, government cut backs, staffing reductions, worries about a double dip and fears about the monetary stability because of the financial situation in America and the Eurozone, the catering equipment industry is doing all right for itself.

What did the results show? There was a slightly higher demand for temporary workers than permanent staff. In addition, the report commented that the position which is lacking skilled workers are chefs jobs. The Chief Executive of the REC commented that there were more placings of permanent workers in June which might account for the difference in demand for temporary and permanent staff. However, the official figures show a staggering 23 months of continued increase in permanent staff placings.

One recent such success story is the merger between BaxterStory and Holroyd Howe. The former company was one of the largest British independent catering companies as at 2006 and the latter company listed as one of the Sunday Times best UK company employers.

The result of this partnership will, it is said, form a 'platform for growth' which can only be welcome news to those in the industry. A coffee shop chain, Benungo, has also recently been acquired by BaxterStory to 'expand… reach into the venue market.'

Things are looking up, it would appear.

Want to vote for HR in Hospitality Awards?

If the answer to this question is 'yes,' then you are in luck: the closing date for the awards has not yet passed. You have until 22nd July to make a difference.

Given the gloom of the current economic climate, it is worth making a splash and raising the profile of those who have performed well in their field over the last year. Why not take the opportunity to celebrate?

The industry awards are run in association with caterer.com and, according to the winner of one category (Excellence in Training and Talent Development) in 2010, the prize has been an 'amazing achievement'.

The shortlist has been drawn up and there are six categories which focus on various areas of Human Resource work, including recruitment and retention of employees, an award focusing on establishing links with schools and colleges to inspire youngsters to create a career in hospitality, learning and development too. There are also classes relating to employee engagement, operations and line managers' excellent work and for those with under five years in the industry, there is also a rising star award.

The catering equipment news has recently reported various job vacancies which is heartening and it is important to praise and incentivise those in the business. Especially in these times of doom and gloom, it is important to celebrate a job well done and focus on achievements, high standards and inspiring excellence in service and promotion of the industry. It is also key to ensure the flow of good quality candidates from schools and colleges into the world of hospitality.

Australian Rocks Aroma Festival for coffee-lovers

At the end of July, one of the biggest coffee events in the world is taking place Down Under at the Rocks Aroma Festival.

The Australians love a good party and they have put on lots of events to tantalise the tastebuds of visitors to the Festival. There will be many different blends and brews to sample, stalls to meander around and some completely free entertainment to attract the attention of visitors. There will also be goodies for children to take home.

If you want to learn a little more about coffee beans and its increasingly sophisticated complexities, why not go along to the Specialty Coffee Masterclasses which are to be run by Tobys Estate – the plan is to try delicious coffees from all over the globe and learn (using similar skills to wine-tasters) about the taste, acidity and after taste of different blends.

The Festival will also have four different regions to correspond to different areas of the globe and their specific culinary sensations. For example, the Middle Eastern Oasis will have Turkish coffee, spices from the Middle East and other treats plus typical entertainment from the regions such as belly-dancing, comedians and music. The other areas are the Orient, The Continent (meaning European treats) and the Latin Quarter, each with tastes, smells and sounds from their region.

For those interested in a little light-hearted fortune-telling, there are even tea-leaf readings in Nurses Lane to give you a playful glimpse into your possible future.

Glaswegian coffee factory has impressive output

Recently the owner of Matthew Algie, in Glasgow, opened his doors to show a reporter around his coffee factory - and the reports are that the findings were pretty impressive.

The exterior of the factory is an everyday site in an industrial park, but the interior holds many secrets. The coffee machines company has a heavyweight history – it was set up in the nineteenth century (1864) by the Glaswegian grocer and tea merchant, Matthew Algie. Eventually, however, following the market trends and tastes, the company transferred its business towards the coffee beverage instead. Matthew Algie stayed in the family for an impressive six generations until around 4 years ago, when a family death left a vacancy and Gary Nichol took the reins at the helm. It now has a workforce of some 215 employees.

This company is now a multi-million pound business and roasts coffee on a massive scale, enough, in fact, to brew a cool 500 million cups per annum. Customers who place orders with the company are also rather heavyweight and include Marks & Spencers, that British institution and also Sainsbury's and sandwich shop giant, Pret-a-Manger.

The factory impresses visitors – with its high-tech equipment, tasting rooms and whizzy control rooms to monitor quality.

The company is doing so well that it is currently in the process of extending its premises. There is a new vision here too: it is intended that baristas will be trained and café training courses made available. It is this pioneering spirit of innovation that has helped the company to develop and withstand the test of time.