FOCUS DRINKS
by coworking developer Areaworks, the quality of
the co ee being served was the most important
feature for o ice occupants, with two-thirds of
workers saying a decent flat white or cappuccino
was essential for a productive and engaged
workforce (5).
“Quality of co ee is crucial for sta morale, and
a third of all o ice workers say that great co ee
improves overall motivation,” says Charlea Samuel,
Category Marketing Manager Premium Co ee,
Jacobs Douwe Egberts. “Not only can serving a
good brew truly drive business success,
it can also save workers time and
money if they don’t need to
leave the o ice in search of
great co ee. It’s also not
just your sta ; a survey of
1,000 consumers revealed
that 50 per cent are likely
to view a business more
favourably if it serves highquality
co ee in reception
on arrival (6).”
The competition to provide
high-quality barista-style co ee
in the workplace is increasing for
contract caterers, who now have to
compete with high street brands on a daily basis.
In response caterers are beginning to adopt their
own unique blends. The other imperative within
many organisations is a demand for sustainablysourced
co ee, from environmentally-aware sta
and as part of the FM sustainable agenda remit.
Earlier this year caterer Blue Apple, working
in partnership with Bewley’s, launched a new
brand named Pip & Bean for its contract catering
customers. Explains Sarah Prentice, Marketing
Director at Blue Apple catering: “We know where the
beans come from, including the farmer’s name, and
it also tastes amazing. As part of the partnership with
42 NOVEMBER 2019
Bewley’s they will come in and
do a tasting to ensure the machine
is calibrated right for the perfect blend
and to train the sta .”
The result, she explains, is “the creation of an
all-day environment. A lot of clients when we first
speak to them say ‘we’ve got a lovely co ee bar
so why do we see so many people coming in with
their takeaway co ee cups from the high street?’ It’s
because the co ee being served wasn’t right and
didn’t help create the right atmosphere.”
She adds: “Even if our co ee is
slightly more expensive than
standard co ee, people are
definitely willing to pay for
decent co ee, and once
you’ve enticed people in
with a good co ee you
can o er them goodquality
food as well.”
AUTOMATIC CHOICE
Aside from café areas,
FMs need to provide hot
and cold drinks within
teapoints and breakout
areas, and this is where
automatic co ee dispensers
which sit alongside hot and cold
drinking water fountains are growing in
popularity. Automatic co ee dispensers are also a
sensible choice for smaller businesses which want a
step up from a vending machine or the basic kettle
and instant co ee approach.
Head of Sales for FreshGround, Scott Barnes,
says when it comes to choosing a machine virtually
none of their orders are based on cost. “We’ve done
surveys and found that the two primary drivers are
consistency followed by taste.
“There are three critical questions an FM should
consider. First, what kind of culture are you trying to
create – a functional culture? Expressive culture? That
will lead us to suggest the most appropriate style. The competition to
provide high-quality
barista-style coff ee in the
workplace is increasing for
contract caterers,”