Sugar

Sugars with a difference at The Hungry Guest, Petworth

Multi Deck Salad

Neat use of a multi-deck chiller to display a salad bar at Barton Grange Garden Centre

Simple Sandwich

EAT's new Simple Range and large price stickers

Coffee Shops just keep on Buzzing

'Even hard times can't curb our thirst for daily cappucino' proclaimed last night's London's Evening Standard.  Sales up 10% overall and 35 new independent artisan espresso bars opened last year reports Allegra Strategies who have produced The London Coffee Guide 2011.  The Independent Coffee Book 2012 edition is hot off the press and published by the same team who produce the excellent Brighton & Hove Independent Cafe Guide.
If you want details of the coffee machine, grinder and coffee roaster at all the trendiest places in town these two guides will see you right.  Our London Cafe Tour visits most of the central ones listed and we were out, rain and all, yesterday filming a clip for YouTube - coming soon.

Our Changing Values

I have now finished 'Spend Shift' - great book about how we haven't been forced to sort out our values.  Until now.


So many of the examples in the book talk about cafes and food being the engine of regeneration in some tough places.
Two points that I found of especial interest:

• 73% of folk are "willing to pay a premium for companies that contribute to my local community"
• "The key to moving a customer is a good story"

The ten point summary (page 208) is somewhat American but applies just as much to us Limeys.
Read the book, assess your values and consider changing your business.

Bubble Tea

Bubble Tea at Harvey Nicholls tested by my colleague Charles who reports "a remarkably refreshing cold drink.  Assam tea with Tapioca which tastes and feels like jelly pieces (at £3.35)!"  The main store Bubbleology is in Soho.  Not sure this is a trend for 2012.

You Need To Cheer People Up

I don't often get around to reading a book but 'Spend Shift' by Gerzema & D'Antonio really gets you thinking about how the world is changing and what businesses are doing to adapt.

Detroit gets a bad press but the book details how low rents and local passion are creating some success stories - Le Petit Zinc cafe was set up by Charles Sorel and "the secret of his success is even more basic than good food and service.  To succeed, he says, "You need to cheer people up"".

A pretty good motto for us all in 2012.

Happy New Year