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 (reportedly the world’s biggest consumer of eggs).  Not only that, poor grain harvests in the US and Russia are predicted to continue to force up feed prices – as well as impacting on flour costs.  A double whammy for bakers which plays nicely into the hands of the likes of food ingredients manufacturers, such as Arla.

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 hens.

Well, better crack on!

www.expresso-online.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk/bakeoff

www.nationalbakingweek.co.uk

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 we’ve been involved in event catering for decades so you can rely on some sound advice when it comes to party planning!    

Wedding parties we’ve catered for recently range from rural marquee weddings to informal ‘at home’ wedding buffets through to posh parties in Norwich’s Dragon Hall. 

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?

http://expresso-online.co.uk/uploaded_files/Buffet%20v%20sit%20down%20meal.pdf

Moveable Feast

With the Norfolk Food Festival now in full swing it’s countdown to one of the event highlights – Lloyd Addison’s Moveable Feast

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 – a disease Lloyd lived with for 20 years, up until his death in 2008.

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 – and meet new people – it’s an event not to be missed!

http://moveablefeastnorwich.org/

http://www.norfolkfoodfestival.co.uk/

Buy Local

Have you heard about the 2012 Buy Local Challenge?

This summer Norfolk is calling on its people to commit – for just a week – to use only local shops, services and products.

Not surprisingly the great and the good think it’s a great idea and we’re all being urged think before we buy, bearing in mind that if a business has its head office out of the county then it’s not local!

Of course it’s all about consumer choice – and there’s plenty of that within the coffee and sandwich sector.  And while Norwich is fortunate to have a healthy spread of independent cafes and bars, it’s the chains that dominate in the prime footfall (high rent) areas.

That’s the problem with our high streets today – it’s only the deep pocketed giants that can afford to be in the most central areas, which means that customers have to make an extra effort to seek out us independents.

But thank goodness that they do – or cities such as Norwich would lose that eclectic vibrancy that’s so cherished.  Not only that, customers would surely be forced to lower their expectations too.  And that would be a sad day indeed.      

Three cheers for Buy Local.

 http://www.expresso-online.co.uk/

How To Choose an Outside Caterer

So you’re having ‘a do’ and would like to offer your guests a little more than crisps and nuts….

On the one hand it may be tempting to have a go at doing the catering yourself.  But on the other hand do you really want the stress of catering for a large number of people (especially bearing in mind the size of your oven/kitchen)?  You’ll probably need to borrow glasses, serving platters and cutlery etc, so why not make your life a little easier and book an outside caterer?

We understand that booking caterers is something many people don’t do very often, but most would surely agree that sometimes you simply can’t do it all yourself!

But regardless of whether you want food simply dropped off at your door or would like a fully-staffed event you still have to find your caterer.

So where do you start?  Read on for Expresso’s Ten Top Tips on How To Choose and Outside Caterer.

 http://www.expresso-online.co.uk/How_to_Choose_an_Outside_Caterer_.html

Food Miles

It’s our belief that if you’re not prepared to go the extra mile for your customers, then you’re in the wrong business.

But when it comes to food, the fewer miles the better!

These days everyone is falling over themselves to demonstrate how caring they are.  Restaurant menus boast about their rare breeds, supermarkets make a song and dance about local produce and pubs promote their home-brewed beers.

Of course it makes sense for us small businesses to support one another whenever we can – and we’re proud to work with some great local businesses.

Take our eggs for instance – free range Norfolk eggs from happy hens.  Ronaldo’s ice cream is made right here in Norwich and our artisan ciabattas travel around half a mile to reach us each morning.

Our ham is from Norfolk, we buy our sausages from Pickerings of Norwich and our coffee is roasted just over the border in Suffolk. 

And of course since we make virtually everything from scratch ourselves, generally speaking we don’t make a meal out of food miles (or additives and preservatives come to that) – after all it’s just the one flight of stairs from the kitchen to the café.

What’s your view - where do you draw the line?

www.expresso-online.co.uk

www.ronaldo-ices.co.uk

Southwold Says No To Costa!

Traders in Suffolk hit the headlines this week when they announced they were campaigning to keep the town free of Costa – along with any other coffee chains.

Southwold is rightly proud of its independent traders and it’s admirable that they’re determined to keep the big boys out. 

However, it’s a common misconception that running a successful coffee shop is a walk in the park – a cosy little job that mainly involves chatting to customers (as portrayed in the TV sitcom The Café).

Of course it’s possible to operate a coffee shop as a ‘lifestyle’ business – but you’d have to be prepared to compromise on location, or be prepared to shore the business up with other income.

The fact is that current high street rents and rates make it nigh on impossible for an independent to survive and thrive in a prime location.  Think about it – how many independent retailers are there on Gentleman’s Walk in Norwich? 

So while Southwold may want to keep its high street free of coffee chains it will need to find other independent traders willing and able to fill those empty shops.

What’s your view – do national coffee shop chains have an unfair advantage – or do they lend a certain street cred to a city, along with other big name brands?  Necessary evil or high street blight?   

Vote with your feet folks!

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/southwold_groups_unite_to_fight_costa_coffee_1_1378175

British Sandwich Week (12-19 May)

It’s countdown time to British Sandwich Week 2012 – and a celebration of 250 years of glorious sandwiches!

It all began in 1762 when the fourth Earl of Sandwich – a gambler – called for his manservant to bring him some cuts of beef between two slices of bread, so that he could continue to eat while playing cards.  Soon his friends were asking to have ‘the same as sandwich’…and the rest is history.

Whether you’re a traditionalist or the more adventurous type, these days you’re spoiled for choice - and in the average year it’s estimated that the British eat over 11.5 billion sandwiches!

One of our regulars described Expresso sandwiches as ‘the sort of sandwich you’d make at home’ and we take that as a great compliment! 

Our aim is to create something that looks scrumptious, tastes great and leaves you well and truly satisfied.  So when it comes to sandwiches we never stop thinking about new ways to tickle our customers’ tastebuds!  You’re probably familiar with our artisan locally-baked ciabattas, but have you tried our new flatbread yet?

And while trusty favourites such as prawn, chicken and tuna have their place in the nation’s top ten, we’re busy experimenting with some new summer variations.  So, if we don’t already make your favourite sandwich please get in touch – we’re always open to suggestions!

PS Don't forget we also offer a buffet delivery service - see our website for more details.

http://www.expresso-online.co.uk/

Event Planning Top Tips from Expresso

1.         Start in plenty of time – venues, marquee suppliers and caterers often get booked up many months in advance.  Here at Expresso we’re already taking bookings for 2013!

2.         Menu – consider the time of day, whether or not alcohol is being served, the availability of seating/tables, and how long you expect guests to stay. 

3.         Don’t be afraid to ask!  – make the most of your suppliers’ experience, they will probably be able to come up with options you’d never thought of.

4.         Special diets – don’t forget to ask your guests about any special dietary requirements (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free etc). 

5.         Children – consider their requirements (think high chairs, entertainment, play areas, activity packs, special meals etc).

6.         Budget – when it comes to food, focus on quality rather than quantity.  If you’re on a limited budget be upfront with your caterer so they can work with you to create a menu that will impress your guests, within your budget.

7.         The weather – have a wet weather contingency plan.  You can’t control the weather but you can ensure it doesn’t spoil your event.

8.         Be visible – make sure people can easily find the event and they know where they can park.

9.         Timings – agree the timings in advance with your suppliers.  As well as the running order for the event itself, remember your suppliers may need access ahead of time for set up/collection.  

10.        Make it personal – don’t be afraid to be creative and put your own personal stamp onto the event.  It’s your party so make it an event to remember!

Expresso is a highly recommended outside caterer - catering for events of all shapes and sizes from weddings and vintage afternoon tea parties through to corporate banquets and canape receptions.

Catering to all your needs!

Slim and sexy

The British asparagus season officially starts on 1 May, running for seven to eight short weeks.

And here at Expresso we haven’t been able to resist starting the season a little early.

We’ve found that griddled asparagus makes a delicious addition to our hugely popular Mediterranean vegetable medley, as well as being a great ingredient for all sorts of scrumptious café lunchtime ‘specials’.  Look out for our tasty new asparagus and taleggio sandwich!

As caterers, championing locally sourced, seasonal produce is something we’re passionate about and it’s great that asparagus always gets a massive thumbs up from Norfolk party organisers.  Asparagus on a buffet?  Gone in seconds!   

Low in calories, asparagus is packed with nutrients – and, according to herbalist Nicholas Culpepper - may even boost your sex drive!