Ace Display

Ottolenghi's flagship cafe in Islington - still No 1.

Certificate of Excellence

We noticed several cafes in Dublin proudly showing their Tripadvisor rating alongside their menus.  KC Peaches is a wholefoods shop and cafe and is worth visiting.

Recharge

Guest Spot

Mobiles running out of charge are a problem for most of us.  Clever Westfield shopping centre who provide 30 minutes free charging so we stay and shop.  An idea for cafe operators who want to look after every special interest group?  Thank-you to Tony of Esquires Coffee Houses, Ireland for the contribution.

Hanging Herbs

Boskke Upside-down herb growing pots look like a great way of enhancing cafe ambiance and your local sourcing.

If you attended the HTA's Garden Centre Catering Conference yesterday, welcome to the Great Cafes Blog especially written for professional cafe operators.  Sign up to receive the blog by e-mail - we put up a photo of something new and interesting every working day.

To get the most from the blog, check out the Pinterest Photoboards on the right hand side and look at our archive.

If it makes you think you need some specialist consultancy advice to start up for the first time, make more money, improve standards, bust queues or get from good to great; do get in touch.

Nuts & Coffee

 Athens-based Carpo has opened on Piccadilly with a huge variety of nuts amongst the coffee and chocolate

 Romanian Hippophaes caught our eye.  Apparently it is a superfood.

Plus the Chinese dried Goji berries

 They roast and salt (in the cement mixer looking kit) on the premises

Decidedly Dodgy

Definitely not for the kids. Shortbread Jammy Dodgers at Konditor & Cook.

YOLO = You Only Live Once.  DILF you will have to look up for yourself.

The New Pubs

London Evening Standard yesterday "Cafes are the new pubs" talking about places where you can actually meet a friend without being intimidated and where you can hear yourself speak.  You can't argue that pubs are closing and cafes are growing.  The Standard list their top 50 cafes at: http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/bars/londons-50-best-cafes-8509145.html