Roma Machine SanRemo Coffee Machine

SanRemo, official machine sponsor for the UK Barista Championships, has announced that the 2011 competition will be played out on the SanRemo TCS Roma machine.

Managing Director Andrew Tucker says: “This year we’re giving barista’s something new to play with. The Roma TCS machine will bring the ultimate in style and performance to the event – this is a machine that Italian baristas go mad for! It is the ultimate in sleek, minimal design and looks good in any environment. What’s more, the Roma delivers a user experience and coffee output in line with its stunning appearance. As one barista said, it’s like driving a big expensive car! Baristas are going to love using these machines during the 2011 Championships.”

The SanRemo ROMA is the flagship of the renowned SanRemo range of professional espresso machines and is heavily constructed with a strong technical specification. Although it has a pretty face, the ROMA has a highly durable exterior finish. The unique SanRemo TCS (temperature stability system on each group) makes ‘astounding difference to coffee quality and consistency’.

The Roma features an espresso timer on display for every shot, a superb auto cleaning function, easy to use auto on/off and soft positive touch buttons that go easy on the barista.
The machine features subtle eye catching machine lighting and the distinctive lines of the Roma intended to add elegance to any design oriented space.

Verona machine

The economic downturn has produced some surprising results according to Andrew Tucker, Managing Director of SanRemo.  A detailed analysis of recent sales trends indicates that the market for traditional espresso machines has polarised into two distinct buoyant segments of the market – the top end, most sophisticated espresso machines and the everyday entry-level workhorse machines.

Comments Andrew: “Over recent years market for espresso machines in  the UK was centered on  the middle ground.  We are typically a cautious nation and tend to plump for something in the middle.  But over the last 18  months – since the credit crunch really hit – we’ve seen sales polarise distinctly between the top and bottom of the market – with the middle unusually quiet.

Whilst its not surprising that the entry level machine segment is thriving as costs are squeezed, what has surprised us is how buoyant the top end of the market is.  We believe that buyers have migrated either way for a number of reasons.   Those who are new to the retail coffee business and are opening new businesses have migrated towards the lower end of the spectrum as they are chasing value for money – our Capri machine is selling very well because you get a lot of machine for your money.

Those who are replacing a machine are in established businesses and are more likely to be reaping the benefits of the strength of the retail coffee sector with more people treating themselves to a coffee than a ‘proper’ lunch out.  These segment has migrated up the scale, making longer term investments with a eye for growth.  We’ve seen this through strong sales of our highly spec’d Verona TCS machines.   Although these machines are relatively expensive, they are the heart and sole of a great coffee business and worth every penny spent on them. Sales are strong as more baristas and operators recognise their benefits.

Jose Melim, from Lazy Jose’s Café in Bath says: “The Verona TCS was the obvious choice when I came to buy my latest machine,  It’s my magic box; it’s simply lovely to look at, lovely to use and can be relied upon to do a great job, it all just comes together with the TSC system.”

SanRemo is one of Italy’s leading coffee machine producers with an outstanding track record of manufacturing beautifully designed, high quality, reliable and easy to use machines.

For more information on the full range of SanRemo machines and grinders go to www.sanremouk.com or call 01364 644445.

SanRemo has launched the new FSR75-OD fast, on-demand grinder.   Without pressing any buttons, the grinder detects whether a single or double shot is required and instantly grinds a dose in 1.7 seconds!

SanRemo’s Managing Director Andrew Tucker believes grinders are often over-looked as critical pieces of equipment for coffee shop success: “The grinder is an integral part of the quality chain.  It is the single last critical link between the coffee producing process – from the bush to the bean processing, to transport, careful roasting, packaging and ultimate arrival at the coffee house – and the conversion of the raw product to a delicious drink. So it’s critical to get the grinder decision right.”

This new on-demand grinder sets a new standard for busy coffee houses, making fast precision dosing easier for the busy specialist Barista.

SanRemo New Grinder FSR75-OD

SanRemo is one of Italy’s leading coffee machine producers with an outstanding track record of manufacturing beautifully designed, high quality, reliable and easy to use
machines.

Originally an artisan firm, renowned for fine quality and workmanship, the business has, over the last ten years, been the subject of considerable investment, including the development of SanRemo UK and recently the UK Barista Championship’s Verona TCS.

The devotion to quality and performance has been further enhanced by on-going product innovation, using the latest technology without compromising SanRemo’s awesome reliability.

As the official UKBC machine sponsor, these machines have been put through their paces by the best in the country and as one Barista said during the competition “these machines rock”!!

To see the full range of SanRemo machines and grinders, suitable for operations from the smallest specialist shop to fast paced coffee chains go to www.sanremouk.com or call 01364 644445.

SanRemo has launched the new

SanRemo SR 1000 Bean to Cup machine

This strikingly stylish new machine is cool white and is the new ‘must-have’ look for any coffee shop, café, bistro or bar that is fitting out to a design led, premium quality theme.

It has the capacity for 120 cappuccinos per hour and provides outstanding drink quality with excellent features making it simple and easy to produce great tasting drinks. It’s even easy to make two drinks at once (just press the button twice!) and its simple, yet extensive, menu selection system makes the SanRemo SR1000 the machine of the future.

SanRemo is one of Italy’s leading coffee machine producers with an outstanding track record of manufacturing beautifully designed, high quality, reliable and easy to use machines. Originally an artisan firm, renowned for fine quality and workmanship, the business has, over the last ten years, been the subject of considerable investment, including the development of SanRemo UK and recently the UK Barista Championship’s Verona TCS.

The devotion to quality and performance has been further enhanced by on-going product innovation, using the latest technology without compromising SanRemo’s awesome reliability.

As the official UKBC machine sponsor, these machines have been put through their paces by the best in the country and as one Barista said during the competition “these machines rock”!!

To see the full range of SanRemo machines and grinders, suitable for operations from the smallest specialist shop to fast paced coffee chains go to SanRemo UK or call 01364 644445.

SanRemo Logo

It’s been a gruelling few weeks as the team of 20+ organisers and helpers travelled the country, setting up the regional heats, semis and final.  With a new format and stage set, we’ve loaded up two big vans full of kit for each heat and driven more than two thousand miles round the country with the set, equipment and SanRemo machines.   The first heat took nine hours or so to set up and get right – and that’s all before there’s a competitor in sight!

This year’s heats in Glasgow, Exeter, Sheffield and London have attracted more competitors than ever, including some new faces, which has made the competition all the more exciting.   By the time we got to the final at Hotelympia on March 1, the atmosphere was electric and the intensity high as the finalists battled it out for the UK title.

The Glasgow heat was a close-run competition not least because five competitors joined Glasgow from the cancelled Belfast event.  There was a great atmosphere and the day showed  how the standard of baristas keeps rising in Scotland.  Some of the cappuccinos and signature drinks produced were of a fantastic standard and it was exciting to see some new faces to the Scottish competition showing serious promise for the future.   Winner Jonathan Sharp, owner of the Kilimanjaro Coffee House in Edinburgh, made a strong impression with his single origin coffee from Gerbicho Rogicha in Sidamo Ethiopia.  The Gerbicho was a favourite with a number of competitors this year, with its strong citrus overtones making for some interesting signature drinks.

Next we were off to Exeter where the competition this year also included the UK Latte art championship.  Coming through a very tough heat, newcomer Jose Melium won the South West title, impressing the judges with his espresso made from a single origin coffee from Finca Los Altos, Nicaragua.   He’s great character and really expressed the spirit of the competition   Newcomers have to experience pressure of the day for the first time, which can be daunting.

Everyone gets half an hour practice time, familiarising themselves with the SanRemo machines, then 15 minutes to get their competition kit on to the stage  and  15 minutes to set up before the competition itself. Although it might sound easy to prepare 12 drinks in 15 minutes, the pressure is intense as each barista is performing to exact standards and is making every effort to get each component perfect and the presentation faultless.  This makes those 15 minutes fly past on stage.  Like all great technicians, baristas make it look easy when it’s not at all.

The North and Midlands heat took place at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield and this too proved an excellent heat, with Will Corby from Black Mountains Coffee in Cardiff taking the top spot.   It was an agonising competition as Andy Carter, who gave a fantastic set to very high standards, made a technical error at the last minute which cost him his place.   When this happens it’s heart-breaking for the competitor as they spend months preparing and rehearsing to get the set absolutely spot on and we all felt for Andy.

The London  heat once again demonstrated how much it is down to the efforts of the local sponsor to make this a vibrant and exciting competition.  This heat was the best ever and it was all down to Square Mile Coffee.   The heat was held on a Saturday in a public venue – and it was packed out with an electric atmosphere.    Neil Le Bihan from Exchange Coffee at Lewisham Market was the winner.
The semis and final at Hotelympia were always going to be electrifying events and the set, stage and support really elevated the competition to a new level.  Again the pressure was on to get everything ready, set up and working.  The road crew all deserve huge credit for the efforts they went to at every venue.

The final was in a new format this year, with 20 people performing on one day. This made for great pace and terrific crowd interest. The front of house impression was slick, organised and professional – very impressive. Behind the scenes it was frantic as the backstage teams had to keep pace with the ever changing sets out front and get each competitor ready.  .  As the event honed down on the final six, the atmosphere was incredibly tense – at this level the competition is executed to such exacting standards.  At one point James Hoffman had to investigate a claimed technical problem – this was proved wrong- but even the slightest change in pressure at this level can affect quality and speed of performance and competitors have a right to expect the very best – that’s why SanRemo machines perform so well in this competition.

At last on Monday March 1, we had a new UKBC Champion – John Gordon from Gorilla Tampers and London-based Square Mile Coffee.  Deserving  runner up was Dale Harris with Neil Le Bihan in third place.

This year’s competitors were undoubtedly the most competitive  to date and this bodes well for the future of the competition in the UK.  With a good showing from newcomers we can be sure that the regional and national titles will continue to attract a lot of interest which is good for the competition and the coffee drinking public.  Roll on 2011!

Local barista John Gordon of Gorilla Tampers has been crowned the country’s top coffee maker after beating off stiff competition during the San Remo sponsored UK Barista Championship final which took place at the Hotelympia Exhibition at the Docklands, ExCel conference centre on Monday, 1^st March 2010.

John Gordon UK Barista Champion winner 2010

After successfully progressing through his regional heat and the semi-finals, John was pitted against fellow Londoners Dale Harris and Neil le Bihan in a final group of six, who were given just fifteen minutes to make four superb espressos, four cappuccinos and four of their own coffee creations. Following close scrutiny by an expert panel of seven judges who reviewed both their presentations and tasted their creations, John was crowned UK Champion and offered the opportunity to compete against 55 other nations at the World Championship held this June.

The UK Barista Championship final proved to be particularly successful for the London region. Besides the winner, Dale Harris of First Choice, London and Neil le Bihan of Exchange Coffee, London, both finished second and third respectively rounding off a fitting end to many weeks of regional heats leading up the grand finale.

Commenting on the events Andrew Tucker, managing director of espresso machine sponsors SanRemo said: “The atmosphere of these events was great and showed just how well the standard of Baristas is seriously rising particularly in London, as well as across the UK.  Some of the cappuccinos and signature drinks produced in the final in particular were of a fantastic standard and it was really exciting to see some new faces to the competition showing serious promise for the future. The Barista feedback on the machines was, as last year, very encouraging for us at San Remo, with a unanimous endorsement of the stability of our TCS system and the user friendliness of the machines as a whole.  All in all a great start to this year’s circuit and run up to the World Barista Championship in June.”

For more information on San Remo and the UK Barista Championships go to SanRemo UK

Jose Melium who works at Jika Jika Ltd in Bath, has won the South West Heat of the SCAE UK Barista Championship. The heat was held on Wednesday 3rd February, at the Westpoint Exhibition Centre in Exeter.

Coming through a very tough heat, Jose impressed the judges with his expresso made from a single origin coffee from Finca Los Altos, Nicaragua (washed). This was then turned into his novel signature drink with the addition of an infusion of dried coffee cherries, molasses, a little spice and Venezuelan cocoa.

Jose pouring the winning cappuccino

Coffee remained firmly on the agenda in Exeter during the first week of February with the Westpoint Centre playing host to further SCAE events including the UK Latte Art Championship, UK Coffee in Good Spirits Championship and UK Cup Tasting Championship.

The SCAE UK Latte Art Championship challenges top baristas to create wonderfully patterned cappucionos and lattes by the way the milk is poured into the rich crema of the coffee. The competition was won by Neil Le Bihan of Exchange Coffee, Lewisham Market, London due to the popularity of his signature pattern featuring a triple rosetta.

The next event to feature was the SCAE UK Coffee in Good Spirits Championship where competitors were tasked with having to produce two perfect Irish Coffees, as well as a coffee cocktail of their own creation. This was won by Edmund Buston of Clifton Coffee, Bristol who impressed judges with his cocktail creation a Martini Potento, a heady mixture of espresso mixed with nutty Italian liquors, floated on a top of triple sec and topped with cream and freshly grated chocolate.

The coffee themed championships came to their conclusion with the SCAE UK Cup Tasting Championship, where the UK’s top coffee tasters were challenged with having to distinguish the subtle flavour of top quality coffees and identify the odd one out. First prize went to Paul Stephens an expert gourmet roaster who works at Redroaster Coffee in Brighton.

Commenting on the events Andrew Tucker, managing director of espresso machine sponsors SanRemo said: “The atmosphere of these events was great and showed just how well the standard of Baristas is seriously rising in the South West of England, as well as across the UK.  Some of the cappuccinos and signature drinks produced in the South West’s Heat of the UK Barista Championship in particular were of a fantastic standard and it was really exciting to see some new faces to the competition showing serious promise for the future. The Barista feedback on the machines was, as last year, very encouraging for us at SanRemo, with a unanimous endorsement of the stability of our TCS system and the user friendliness of the machines as a whole.  All in all a great start to this year’s circuit and run up to the World Barista Championship in June.”

For more information on San Remo and the UK Barista Championships go to www.sanremouk.com

Jonathan Sharp, owner of the Kilimanjaro Coffee House in Edinburgh, has won the Scottish Heat of the SCAE UK Barista Championship.  The Heat was held on Tuesday 26th January, at the Centre of Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow.

Jonathan, a finalist in last year’s competition, impressed the judges with his cappuccinos made with his single origin coffee from Gerbicho Rogicha in Sidamo Ethiopia. The espresso melted into the rich milk of the cappuccino giving it a slight marmalade flavour.

He emphasised this flavour when constructing his Signature Drink which also drew the highest marks of the day from the judges. The drink was made with orange peel, cream and chocolate along with his espresso.

Andrew Tucker, managing director of espresso machine sponsors SanRemo said: “The Glasgow event had a great atmosphere and showed just how well the standard of Baristas is rising seriously in Scotland, as across the UK.  Some of the cappuccinos and signature drinks produced were of a fantastic standard and it was really exciting to see some new faces to the competition showing serious promise for the future.  The Barista feedback on the machines was, as last year, very encouraging for us at SanRemo, with a unanimous endorsement of the stability of our TCS system and the user friendliness of the machines as a whole.  All in all a great start to this year’s circuit and run up to the World Barista Championship in June.”

Runner up was Megan Barker from Artisan Roast, also in Edinburgh. Megan took the top score for her espresso which she roast herself in the café.  The blend was a mixture of a Brazilian Yellow Bourbon with Sumatra Mandheling. Her Signature drink was a macchiato style drink adding lime zest to her espresso, picking out the citrus notes of the Brazilian coffee, with white chocolate to emphasize the rich body of the Sumatran beans.

Third place went to Ryan McHugh of the Grind House in Edinburgh.

Jonathan Sharp, owner of the Kilimanjaro Coffee House in Edinburgh

For more information on San Remo and the UK Barista Championships go to www.sanremouk.com

Solo Cup Europe has re-launched its samples service in the UK and now carries the largest library of foodservice disposable products outside the USA.

Solo Cup Europe

From seeing how a signature dish is presented in a clear container, to deciding what type of cup and lid best suits a house speciality coffee or chilled smoothie, operators like to have an opportunity to test the packaging themselves.

The rejuvenated samples department, with dedicated members of staff and samples of every stocked product in the extensive Solo Cup Europe range, means that sample requests can be processed quicker and more efficiently.

Ann Hay, Sample Services Coordinator, Solo Cup Europe, said “We know that our customers like to try before they buy and so we’ve made the process simpler. By having a dedicated sample room we can offer customers better service with a faster turn-around. “

For further information please call 01480 459413 or email [email protected]