Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Friday, 22 February 2013
The Relentless March of the Coffee Giants
So Costa Coffee has, following much controversy, finally opened its doors in Southwold.
Townsfolk were up in arms when the Whitbread-owned giant announced its plans for a High Street presence in the iconic seaside resort last year. Indeed over 600 people formally objected to the plans, along with the town council.
But to no avail. Costa is open and the mayor, along with others, is encouraging locals to boycott the outlet.
The chairman of the chamber of trade has urged people to “value the fact that Southwold offers something a little different” rather than “settling for the bland cloned option served up throughout the country.”
With a staff of 11 full and part-time Costa is clearly expecting the shop to be busy (especially when there’s no food preparation done on site). That’s a lot of coffee making.
Only time will tell whether the arrival of Costa will impact on Southwold’s independents.
But as an independent it’s worrying – we all live in the shadow of the corporate giants and ultimately our future lies in the hands of our customers. There’s no point lamenting the lack of independent shops and pubs when you’re always too busy hurrying to Tesco to drop in.
And while there are at least two independent coffee shops in Norwich currently up for sale - Costa (the fastest growing coffee shop chain in the UK
Vote with your feet folks.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Don't be stingy on your wedding day!
100 seems to one of those magic numbers when it comes to wedding guest lists – after all who doesn’t want a good turn out for their big day?
But if you’re on a budget then it’s worth contemplating quality rather than quantity – particularly when it comes to catering. After all, when you consider the amount of trouble and expense you expect your guests to go to (hotels, taxis, new outfits, gifts etc) then surely you want to treat them accordingly?
The wedding industry does a fine job of bombarding couples with ‘must haves’ – and before you know it a budget that seemed entirely reasonable is suddenly being stretched to the limit.
And that often leaves venues and caterers being expected to double up as magicians!
If you really aren’t willing to compromise on a swanky venue then it’s worth considering pruning your guest list in order to be able to afford to provide the wedding feast of your dreams.
Then, bump up the numbers in the evening – when a light supper or snack will do the trick nicely.
Just because your wedding venue has the capacity to seat 120 doesn’t mean you have to invite 120 people to the ceremony!
Alternatively, opt for a less expensive venue and put the cash you’ve saved into your food and drink budget.
Be remembered as a generous host – no-one wants to see your guests queuing up for a takeaway on the way home!
A highly recommended event caterer, Expresso Café & Catering caters for weddings and other prestigious events at venues across Norfolk and North Suffolk .
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Tesco Stirs Things Up
All is not what it seems in the wonderful world of independent coffee shops.
There is an impostor in our midst it seems. Yes, Tesco has been outed as a major (up to 49%) shareholder in a chain of coffee shops that's had everyone duped.
Who knew that behind the stylish, artisan façade of Harris + Hoole stands the corporate giant that is Tesco – apparently the recipient of £1 in every £8 spent on the High Street.
Not surprisingly, Tesco doesn’t advertise its association with the super cool cafes (London
As one corporate reputation expert puts it ‘large global brands realise there is a generic dislike of superbrands, so they often like to appear smaller than they are to avoid negative publicity.’
Indeed – don’t forget the likes of Ben and Jerry’s, Innocent, Green and Blacks and Teapigs are all owned by large corporations.
For some it’s the lesser of two evils – they’d rather give their money to Tesco than Starbucks, while for others the big chains provide somewhere to go when they can’t get a seat in their real local independent.
In Whitstable, for example, there are huge fears that the arrival of chains such as Harris + Hoole will damage the character of the town, forcing genuine independents out by driving up rents.
And they have a point – take Norwich Norwich
After all, remember what’s happening to village pubs, phone boxes and schools….
And just in case you were wondering, Expresso is truly independent. And pleased to be at your service.
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Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Kitchen Nightmares - The Great Eggscape!
With National Baking Week approaching (15 – 21 October) – and the BBC’s Great British Bake Off final just days away, one could be forgiven for thinking that all was cosy in the kitchen.
Not so – one of the leading food trade magazines is reporting how British bakery companies may soon crack in the face of rising global egg prices.
It seems that new hen-friendly legislation will force up European egg prices, while further afield there’s a bird flu epidemic in Mexico US and Russia
Arla is predicting a massive shift from ‘real’ eggs to ‘egg replacers’ – a move it says could save the industry millions. Not only that, but compared to the real thing, these egg replacers (manufactured from fractionated whey proteins, whatever they are), are lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol.
So be warned – bought packaged pastries and cakes could soon contain even more mystery ingredients!
It’s fair to say that here at Expresso we get through a fair few eggs every week – but rest assured we’ve no plans to make our feathered friends redundant.
We love to bake and it just wouldn’t be the same without real eggs would it? Imagine: Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the fractionated whey proteins….
No, we’re sticking with real thing – free range eggs from well-cared for Norfolk
Well, better crack on!
Monday, 10 September 2012
Party Catering
When it comes to party catering – and weddings in particular – one of the biggest decisions is whether to have a buffet or served ‘sit down’ meal.
Budget is just one consideration that may well influence your choice – but don’t assume that a buffet will necessarily be the cheaper option!
A good starting point is atmosphere – what’s the overall feel you’re aiming for at your event?
Once you’ve given that some careful thought we recommend sitting down with your caterers to talk things over. They will have extensive experience of running events and an understanding of what’s achievable in your venue/budget.
Here at Expresso in Norwich
Wedding parties we’ve catered for recently range from rural marquee weddings to informal ‘at home’ wedding buffets through to posh parties in Norwich
In the meantime, we’ve put together an overview of the pros and cons you’ll need to weigh up in the buffet v sit down meal decision. Why not download our pdf to help get you started?
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Moveable Feast
With the Norfolk
Launched in 1999 by former city restaurateur Lloyd, Moveable Feast brings together scores of people and restaurants for an evening of good food - each year raising money for Parkinson’s UK
Participants pay just £34 for three courses in three different restaurants across the city - with diners’ destinations kept a secret until the night.
Restaurants taking part this year include Brasted’s at Dragon Hall, St Giles House, Lam Thai and The Library.
A great way to eat your way around Norwich
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