Week beginning November 29th - Waiting times for your coffee

For 4 years I worked at Marylebone Cricket Club as one of the senior managers in the Catering department, and in the functions in the Long Room, we were always looking at ways to get hot plates out to the tables, in as little time as possible, with speed, efficiency, presentation and of course quality on the plate and to the palette. Absolute importance.

At Kaffeine, we take everything we do very seriously as well, just like at the greatest cricket club in the world. As Kaffeine has became busier over the past year, our waiting times for coffee have increased. Of course this is unacceptable, both to us and also to the customers, so we have now invested in a three group espresso machine and now have three baristas working each day. (previously we only had a two group machine and two baristas, and wait times were up to 7 or 8 minutes).

Now, in our very busy periods, we are down to under 3 minutes from the time of ordering to hand off to the customer, and I do not believe we can get much faster than that, and we have still maintained excellent quality, with friendly, fast, efficient service.

People talk about introducing other brew methods such as siphon or pour overs, this is all well and good, but will it create a fast and efficient service process? It will take very good, skilled baristas and allocated counter space to do so. It is possible, but wil it be cost (labour especially), effective?

If Kaffeine 2 ever arrives, perhaps we will then look at counter space and brew methods, but until then, at Kaffeine, we are staying with what we know, espresso.

We hope you enjoy it.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Wheat free muesli with popped corn and compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 2.90
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.00
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.00
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cranberry and Walnut 1.70
Banana Bread 2.00

Porridge with condiments of muscovado sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, honey or rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.50

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.00
Almond croissants 2.60

Baked Treats
Rhubarb Muffins 1.80
Corn bread and chili muffins 1.80
Carrot Cake friands (wheat free) 1.80
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Soup 3.00/3.50
Tuscan Bean Soup

French retro baguettes 4.30
Ham, apple butter, gruyere and spinach OR
Tuna, rouille (red pepper mayonnaise), capers and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Bufal mozzerella with puttanesca, plum tomoatoes and rocket OR
Roast breast of turkey with brie, crnaberry, spinach, red onion and parsley

Salads £4.00/£5.00/£8.00
Crown prince Squash with cumin crust, onion bhaji and raita OR
Ratatouille on salad greens OR
Brussel sprouts with savoury apple and hazelnuts

Tart 4.00 or 6.00 with salad
Raclette cheese with potato, ham, pickled onion and cherry tomato

Peter, Catherine, Emma, Krysty, Justin, Amy, Melissa, Jessica, Jared, Khan

Week beginning November 22nd - Thanksgiving and Office Catering

Breakfast meetings, fruit platters, morning tea, lunch baguette and foccacia platters and afternoon tea. If you require catering for the office, then all of the food and drink items that are on the menu is able to be delivered, or picked up, so that you can enjoy all of Kaffeine's menu without having to leave the office.

The link to the office catering tab on the website has more information, or feel free to call in or email us directly and we can discuss your requirements.

This week we also celebrate Thanksgiving with a few inspired dishes involoving turkey, cranberries and marsala glazed carrots not forgetting that special Thanksgiving treat...sweet pumpkin pie!!

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Wheat free muesli with popped corn and compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 2.90
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.00
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.00
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cranberry and Walnut 1.70
Banana Bread 2.00

Porridge with condiments of muscovado sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, honey or rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.50

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.00
Almond croissants 2.60

Baked Treats
Raspberry and Coconut Muffins 1.80
Tomato and Mozzerella muffins 1.80
Carrot Cake friands (wheat free) 1.80
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60
Pumpkin Pie £2.50

Lunch
Soup 3.00/3.50
Tomato, basil and bacon

French retro baguettes 4.30
Ham, apple butter, gruyere and rocket OR
Bufal mozzerella, plum tomatoes, aioli, spinach and basil

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon with aioli, capers, dill, red onion and spinach OR
Crown Prince Squash with brie and red currant jelly and spinach

Salads £4.00/£5.00/£8.00
Crown prince Squash with parsnips, orange segments, almonds, dill and spinach OR
Turkey with water cress, cranberry, red onion, parsley and chestnuts OR
Marsala roasted chantenay carrots with hazelnuts

Tart 4.00 or 6.00 with salad
Spinach, ricotta cheese and tomato

Peter, Catherine, Emma, Krysty, Justin, Amy, Melissa, Jessica, Jared, Khan

Week beginning November 18th - A Dinner Speech

This week I have been asked to speak at a business dinner for over 110 guests at the HSBC headquarters at Canary Wharf. HSBC were the bank that were kind enough to back Kaffeine when I approached them, in the middle of the recession, with a visual presentation, a business plan and a lot of determination.

I can see their problem when they are approached by people wanting to 'follow their dream' and they say no and decline the application for a loan. Is it because of the lack of experience the applicant has? Most probably. Is it because of the lack of detail and passion shown in the business plan? Again, most probably. I can only say that you must of course follow your dream, but be absolutely sure that it will not turn into your nightmare.

I try to say his as humbly as possible, but I have over 20 years experience in the Hospitality industry. I am not a chef, I am not a barista and I am not at all perfect, but, one of the reasons HSBC did back me in the end was because of my experience, and in a world/industry of such hard, and I stress hard, competition, it does count for a bit.

And because of this, they have now asked me to speak about it to over 100 business professionals at the head office of one of the biggest banks in the world.

It is a very nice compliment indeed. I hope I do well.



Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Wheat free muesli with popped corn and compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 2.90
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.00
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.00
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Honey, almond and milk toast 1.70
Banana Bread 2.00

Porridge with condiments of muscovado sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, honey or rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.50

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.00
Almond croissants 2.60

Baked Treats
Pear and Walnut Muffins 1.80
Four Cheese muffins 1.80
Pear and Passionfruit friands 1.80
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Soup 3.00/3.50
Hungarian Goulash

French retro baguettes 4.30
Ham, brie with plum tomatoes, basil, aioli and spinach
OR
Tuna with rouille, capers and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Roast chicken with salsa verde OR
Crown Prince Squash with ricotta and spinach

Salads £4.00/£5.00/£8.00
Crown prince Squash with Goats cheese and wet walnuts OR
Vietnamese noodle chicken salad with sweet chilli, thai basil, peanuts and cucumber OR
Brussel sprouts with savoury apples and hazel nuts

Tart 4.00 or 6.00 with salad
Mushroom and Leek and Pecorino

Peter, Catherine, Emma, Krysty, Justin, Amy, Melissa, Jessica, Jared, Khan

Week Beginning November 8th - European Coffee Awards - Best Independent Cafe

We are very happy little people at Kaffeine this week.... proud, humble and happy. This is because this week, after being open only 14 months, we were judged to be the Best Independent Cafe in Europe at the European Coffee Symposium and Awards, held in Rome.

Over 300 leading executives and coffee industry people voted in a survey held in August this year and we were shortlisted with the respected Monmouth coffee and Double Eye cafe in Berlin. Catherine our manager went to Rome (I could unfortunately not attend) for the black tie gala dinner and the conference the next day and has come home a winner with a beautiful trophy and a big smile.

I must say a very big thank you to the all the staff at Kaffeine for all their hard effort, passion and enthusiasm, as well as all of our valued customers who have supported us in some many ways and of course our family and friends for their belief in us from the start. This is truly a great honour to be recognised by industry peers in this way and we very much appreciate it. Thank you very much.



Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Wheat free muesli with popped corn and compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 2.90
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.00
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.00
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Honey, almond and milk toast 1.70
Banana Bread 2.00

Porridge with condiments of muscovado sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, honey or rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.50

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.00
Almond croissants 2.60

Baked Treats
Mulled Apple Cider Muffins 1.80
Welsh rarebit savoury muffins 1.80
Pear and Passionfruit friands 1.80
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Soup 3.00/3.50
Borscht

French retro baguettes 4.30
Ham, bufala mozzarella with plum tomatoes, basil, aioli and spinach
OR
Tuna with rouille, capers and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Roast chicken with salsa verde OR
Smoked salmon with aioli, capers, dill, spinach and red onion

Salads £4.00/£5.00/£8.00
Cumin crusted Crown Prince Squash, with onion bhajis and raita OR
Vietnamese noodle chicken salad with sweet chilli, thai basil, peanuts and cucumber OR
Brussel sprouts with savoury apples and hazel nuts

Tart 4.00 or 6.00 with salad
Celeriac tart with tobasco purple sprouting broccoli

Peter, Catherine, Emma, Krysty, Justin, Amy, Melissa, Jessica, Jared, Khan