Week beginning - December 19th - Thank for 2011 and goodbye Jess

We are all very much looking forward to a bit a of a break over Christmas, yes we close from December 23rd at 4 pm until January 3rd when we re open at 7:30 am.

We are taking the chance to do some refreshing of our paintwork, as well as some work to the vaults we have downstairs, the old bomb shelters, so there will be people around, just no-one to make coffee or food I am sorry.

It really has been an amazing year though, and I sincerely am grateful to all of you who have graced our doors in 2011. We have grown to be regarded as one of the leading cafes in the UK, as well as one of the busiest, and the people I need to really thank for that are all of the Kaffeine staff who put in so much effort and commitment, passion and enthusiasm.

One of those staff is leaving us this week as well. Young Jess, who has been with us for over a year, is returning to Australia. What Jess has achieved, and the standards she has set for Kaffeine and also for all those who have worked with her or she has trained, is beyond amazing.

When I interviewed Jess she was replacing the legend that is Rhea, and she has well and truly shown herself to be another true Kaffeine legend.

We are having a party tonight to say goodbye, it might get a bit emotional and we will all miss her, but we know that whatever she does in her life, she will be an amazing success.

Jess Evans
May 2010 to December 2011

Have a fabulous Christmas everyone and an amazing New Year from all at Kaffeine.

Peter, Amy, Claire, Jess, Julia, James, Ian, Ashlea, Nick, Tim, Niall, Shannon, Matthew, Karolina, Jared, Khan, Sam, Silvio


Breakfast
Porridge - served w choices chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Ciabatta Roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Mulled cider 1.80
Parsnip, russet and herb savoury muffins 1.80
Carrot cake friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Pimped up ANZACS (oat, dried fruit and nut) biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.50 or 4.00
Chicken and ginger soup

French retro baguettes 4.50
Pancetta with pear, gruyere, dijon, rocket and sage butter
Bufala mozzarella with plum tomatoes, aioli basil and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon with aioli, red onion, dill, capers and spinach
Mushrooms with Welsh rarebit and spinach

Salads 4.50/5.50
Watercress, pancetta, ruby grapefruit, roast baby carrots and basil dressing
Crown prince squash with goats cheese, jalapeño dressing and chestnuts
Mange tout in tabasco sauce

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Baked leek and blue cheese tart

Week beginning December 12th - Mince Pies and Home Brewing Christmas gifts

Every Christmas Chef Jared makes his own recipe Christmas mince pies. They are amazing. We sell them individually or as a six pack, perfect for taking home for the family.

If you wish to pre-order some, please let us know.

We think making coffee at home and enjoying a quality filter style brew over a cooked breakfast with the papers is one of the best starts to the day possible, and it is so easy. All you have to do is follow a recipe and or course, have the right equipment.

Home espresso machines can be great, especially to play around with, but if you really want to have a consistent, quality brew, then one of the methods such as aeropress, cafetiere or V60 pour overs is totally the best way to do it.

We of course have these items for sale in the shop and you also have the opportunity to talk to one of us about how to use them.

For Christmas we are doing special packages where you can but a gift set for yourself or for someone you love (or just like)with the set of beans, grinder and your preferred brew method.

Then, they can make you wonderful coffee at home, while you sit and read the papers or lie in bed. Now that's Christmas.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w choices chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Ciabatta Roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Sticky Pecan muffins 1.80
Herb and onion savoury muffins 1.80
Carrot cake friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Pimped up ANZACS (oat, dried fruit and nut) biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.50 or 4.00
Champagne and camembert

French retro baguettes 4.50
Roast ham with sage butter, parmesan, red onion and rocket
Williams pears with blue cheese, spinach and basil

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Roast turkey with brie, cranberry, parsley, red onion and spinach
Bufala mozzarella with plum tomatoes, basil and rocket

Salads 4.50/5.50
Ham roasted with chestnuts, cooked onion, russet apples, watercress and spicy orange
Brussel sprouts with savoury apple, cider and hazelnuts
Chantenay carrots with honey mustard, thyme

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Pumperknickel with smoked salmon, cucumber ribbons, lime soft cheese, watercress and red basil

Week beginning December 4th - How many coffees do you make in a day?

If you want to own a coffee shop you will be thinking about this all the time, or perhaps you frequent one often and find yourself asking this question because you see how 'busy' it is, or maybe you already own a cafe and you know this answer about yourself, but not about others.

When I was planning Kaffeine, it was something I always wanted to know but only had the courage to ask one person. Since opening Kaffeine, I have been asked a few times, sometimes by randoms who I have never met, who quite bluntly ask..'how many coffees do you make a day?'.

The answer I give is that I'm sorry, but it is really none of your business, but I suggest they sit down for a good hour or so and count all the people, then times that by 10 hours. That's what I did at Monmouth Borough market back in the early days. Or think about how many minutes there are in a day, and how many coffees you could potentially make each minute. e.g. 1 coffee a minute times 10 hours equals 600 coffees.

I am sorry if I disappoint anyone, but I am still not going to tell you how many we make a day, that is still a secret, but I will tell you percentages. Over the past month this is the results taken from our coffee and tea menu.


Tea Pot 3.35%
Tea Take Away 2.24%
Americano 8.34%
Cafe Latte 21.90%
Cappucino 20.35%
Cascara 0.09%
Double Espresso 3.56%
Double Macchiato 1.24%
Double Piccolo 0.97%
Double Ristretto 0.54%
Espresso 1.85%
Flat White 27.99%
Long Black 3.42%
Macchiato 1.13%
Mocha 1.62%
Piccolo 1.20%
Ristretto 0.21%

The interesting thing of course is that Flat White leads the way and the question we ask is this because it is a trendy drink, or is it because we make it in a 5 oz cup to drink in or a six oz volume to take away and the flavour/size is what makes people buy it? We thinks it's the flavour.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w choices chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Ciabatta Roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Cranberry and almonds muffins 1.80
Four cheese and black pepper savoury muffins 1.80
Carrot cake friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Pimped up ANZACS (oat, dried fruit and nut) biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.50 or 4.00
Crown prince and chorizo

French retro baguettes 4.50
Roast chicken with salsa verde, brie and rocket
Aged cheddar with onion jam and spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Coppa cotta ham with gruyere, dijon, red onion, spinach and gherkin
Smoked salmon with aioli, red onion, capers and rocket

Salads 4.50/5.50
Chicken adobu with rocket, coriander and camargue red rice
Roast beetroots with goats cheese, basil and lemon dressing
Broccoli with oyster dressing

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Fennel gratin

Week beginning November 28th - European Coffee Symposium

Well, we did not quite win best independent cafe this year, but came a very credible third place, which as I stated last week, is a great credit to all the staff who put in so much effort into their work here, long may it continue.

What was interesting about the awards and the conference the next day was meeting people from all over the industry and really seeing how big this industry is. There were speakers from Starbucks, Costa, Nespresso, McCafe, James Hoffman from Square Mile coffee and also other speakers from cafes in Berlin and also Moscow. Some of it was fascinating, some of was really not that great.

I can tell you just from their presentation alone, that Nespresso will be a very very big force in home coffee sales over the next few years and will be a very big brand. Amazing.

However, I think it is really important that if you are going to do something , you do it really well, and the Allegra team who put on the event do an amazing job and some of the speakers on the day were also fantastic, with great presentations and visuals and interesting points, but if you are going to stand up and speak in front of 400 industry peers, please make sure you know what you are doing that that you can entertain and educate people, it is not easy, but it is very very important.

Overall, an amazing experience and I am very lucky to have been able to go and we are fortunate to have been nominated in the first place.

Now, I feel like a carrot cake friand and a coffee....



Breakfast
Porridge - served w choices chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Ciabatta Roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Russet apple and pecan muffins 1.80
Red Onion and cheddar savoury muffins 1.80
Carrot cake friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.50 or 4.00
Fabada - spicy spanish stew with chorizo, white beans and homemade buttermilk bread

French retro baguettes 4.50
Coppa cotta ham with cranberry jelly, brie, red onion, spinach
Tuna with rouille, capers and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Gjetost, horseradish cream, roast beef, rocket and red onion
Roast squash with blue cheese, mushrooms and spinach

Salads 4.50/5.50
Roast chicken with pomegranates, salsa verde and baby spinach
Brussel sprouts with hazelnuts, rosemary and apple cider
French jerusalem artichokes roasted with sesame oil

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Cornbread with salsa jam, carrot and parsnip crisp, sour cream and coriander

Week beginning November 21st - European Coffee Symposium

This week is the European Coffee Symposium held by Allegra Strategies and this year it is in Berlin. We are a bit excited because we have again been nominated in the category of Best Independent cafe in Europe, an award we won last year.

This really is flattering, because it is an industry award where over 400 questionnaires were sent out and feedback gained on whole aspects of the industry including future predictions, current climate and who/what the industry thinks are the best in certain categories.

Just to be recognised in the top 3 independent cafes alongside St Ali in Clerkenwell and Monmouth is a great achievement in itself and is a real credit to all the hard work and passion that the staff of Kaffeine put into it.

I have the highest respect for them and the work that they do....



Breakfast
Porridge - served w choices chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Ciabatta Roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Tomato, parsley, lemon and sesame savoury muffins 1.80
Black fig friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.50 or 4.00
Lamb and new potato

French retro baguettes 4.50
Coppa cotta ham with gherkin, gruyere, red onion, rocket, dijon, tomato
Tuna with rouille, capers and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Roast chicken with salsa verde, brie and rocket
Mushrooms with welsh rarebit and spinach

Salads 4.50/5.50
Roast parsnips with walnuts and lemon dressing
Comice pears with pancetta, pecorino, baby spinach and honey blossom
Celeriac roasted in peanut oil

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Polenta with grilled vegetables and mustard cheese

Week beginning November 14th - Land of the giants

So I am 6 feet 4 inches, or about 190 cm, and for the first two years or so, that pretty much set me apart from every other person who worked here. Some of you may also know Kaffeine has a silent business partner, Hayden, and he is 6 feet 6. We were the only tall people at Kaffeine.

Now the tables have turned. Last week we employed an Australian boy, Nick, and he is, wait for it, 6 feet 8 inches tall. We also have James and Tim who are both around 6 feet and Niall is around 6 feet tall too, but he has moved up to One Tree Coffee at Lend Lease for most of the week, but will be back for the occasional guest shift every now and then.

Finally we have Ashlea, she must be about six feet tall as well, but she tells us doesn't know how tall she is and she is also working on the espresso machine as well as on service.

A while ago I wrote how girls have been an amazing influence in the life of Kaffeine, (Catherine, Rhea, Emma, Krysty, Jess, Julia to name a few) but now, when you come in, expect to look up, because the tall people are taking over.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Ciabatta Roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Cranberry and Almond muffins 1.80
Four cheese and pepper savoury muffins 1.80
Black fig friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.30 or 3.70
Borscht

French retro baguettes 4.50
Coppa cotta ham with gruyere, red onion, rocket, dijon, tomato
Tuna with rouille, capers and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Roast chicken with cranberry jelly, brie, red onion and rocket
Aged cheddar with onion jam, spinach and tomato

Salads 4.50/5.50
Cumin crusted crown prince squash with onion bhajis and raita
Comice pears with pancetta, pecorino, baby spinach and honey blossom
Courgettes with chilli butter

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Parsnip and pesto

Week beginning November 7th - Cathosaurus

When she applied for the position of barista in July 2009, I was struck by how professional her CV was, and I had seen a lot of CV's in my time at Marylebone Cricket Club. When she interviewed she came across as someone who had immense pride in herself and in whatever she applied herself to.

When she started work here, in August 2009, and we went to Square Mile for training, she took notes, listened, asked questions and then went back to Kaffeine and put it all into practice.

Over the first month or so, she worked six days a week, making coffee, learning and growing, and providing service and hospitality to our few customers. When we invited certain customers to get behind the machine, she was patient and explained all about the coffee process to them so that they went away amazed at the passion and detail that goes into making great coffee.

When baby Layla was born six months after we opened, and I took 8 days off, she managed the shop and we had what was at that time, a record week. When new staff stated with us, she taught them all she knew and set the highest standards possible for every coffee to be perfect.

She took care of our Synesso machine, polishing and shining her, even calling her Nessie, and she took care and pride in everything else about the shop. When we were nominated for best cafe in Europe, she went to the conference and awards dinner in Rome, and went up on stage and collected the award.

And by the end, after we had grown from one barista working per day to three, she was teaching her own classes after work on espresso as well as home brewing methods and we had gone from 2 kilo of coffee of coffee per day to over 12.

It is with sadness that Catherine leaves Kaffeine, but we are happy as well, because we want her to progress and expand her career, whether it be in coffee or in any other profession. I am sure that whatever she does, she will be extremely successful.

Catherine (Cathosaurus) Seay.
August 2009 to November 2011





Breakfast
Porridge - served w chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Carrot and pineapple muffins 1.80
Courgette and cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Pear friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.30 or 3.70
Celeriac and Fennel

French retro baguettes 4.50
Coppa cotta ham with gruyere, red onion, rocket, dijon, tomato
Bufala mozzarella with tomato, aioli, basil and spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon with lemon butter, spinach, dill, capers
Roast chicken with salsa verde, brie, tomato and rocket

Salads 4.50/5.50
Crown Prince Squash with goats cheese, wet walnuts
Vietnamese chicken noodle salad with sweet chili, mint, coriander, peanuts, cucumber and carrot
Broccoli with oyster and chili sauce

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Cauliflower Polonnaise

Week Beginning October 31st - Expanding

Some of you may have picked up that we are recruiting for new staff as we are expanding the business. This is true.

Lend Lease is an Australian based construction company that employs over 17,000 people worldwide and who are involved in some of the world leading construction and community building projects.

Their head office is on Euston road, just a ten minute walk from Great Titchfield Street, and they are renovating these offices to be able to accommodate their 500 UK employees and Kaffeine, which in this case will trade as One Tree Coffee, will be the internal 'staff' canteen.

They occupy the ground, first, second and third floors of a ten story building and we will be on the second floor, with capacity of about 100 including a specially designed eco-friendly roof terrace.

All the food will be produced at our main store and transported up on our new and exciting trolley twice a day and the bench layout will be very similar to what we currently have as well with a synesso cyncra, the grills and the display case.

The only difference is that it is not on the 'high street' and accessible for everyone, but the benefit for Lend lease of course though is they get their own cafe and never have to leave the building.... Now that sounds like a good idea.

Opening day. November 7th.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Weekend Brunch
Lemonade bread with gin butter 2.50
Porridge w poached strawberries, apple and pear 4.00
Homemade baked bean casserole with toasted kumara bread 6.50
Smoked salmon lox with toasted bagel, capers, red onion 9.50


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Apple and walnut muffins 1.80
Spinach and feta savoury muffins 1.80
Pear friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.30 or 3.70
Kumara, orange and basil

French retro baguettes 4.50
Aged cheddar with onion jam, rocket, tomato
Coppa cotta ham with gruyere, gherkin, dijon, red onion and spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon with lemon butter, spinach, dill, capers
Bufala mozzarella with basil, tomato, aioli, rocket


Salads 4.50/5.50
Crown Prince Squash with parsnip, dill, orange segments, almonds and baby spinach
Chicken adobu with red rice, coriander, rocket
Brussell Sprouts with apple, hazelnuts and cider

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Fennel gratin

Week beginning October 24th - making someones day

I recently received an email from a young man who resides in Malaysia, looking for employment here in London. He works in the coffee industry and is very, very passionate about it all, his dream is one day to be a world class barista. Unfortunately, in order to get a visa to work in the UK he needed a letter of employment, something I am cannot offer. I replied and told him I am sorry I am unable to help.

Anyway, he has just been over on holiday to check out London and he came in to see us, not just once, but a couple of times. One of those was a Saturday, and we soon had him up behind the machine, making coffee and spending time learning with our baristas James and Amy. He loved it! He was nervous, but he loved it...and he did a great job.

I asked him how many emails he had sent to other cafes and he said over 20, but that we were the only ones that replied.

On the day he left to go back to Malaysia, he brought in a thank you card and a massive box of chocolates for us all to share. It was such a nice gesture on his behalf, we were very touched.

We like to get people who show interest in coffee in behind our machine and we also like to encourage people who are passionate about it to follow their dreams.

I guess we also like to think of everyone as a customer and if we can make their customer experience all that more memorable by a little bit of effort, then we are a doing a good job. I hope that Mavin will remember his experience for a long time to come and that he will also remember to always afford a little bit of time to those who show a lot of passion.

Just a little bit of extra effort and we have made someones day, it's what I like to think hospitality is all about.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Weekend Brunch
Lemonade bread with gin butter 2.50
Porage w poached strawberries, apple and pear 4.00
Homemade baked bean casserole with toasted kumara bread 6.50
Smoked salmon lox with toasted bagel, capers, red onion 9.50


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Raspberry and white chocolate muffins 1.80
Tomato, spinach and cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Passionfruit friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.00 or 3.50
Creamy mushroom soup

French retro baguettes 4.50
Italian roast ham with apple butter, gruyere, gherkin, spinach
Roast aubergine with sweet chili, goats cheese, rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Roast chicken with salsa verde, brie, tomato and rocket
Bufala mozzerella with peri peri sauce, tomato and spinach


Salads 4.50/5.50
Crown Prince Squash with parsnip, dill, orange segments, almonds and baby spinach
Vietnamese noodles with chicken, carrots, coriander, lemon and chili
Brussell Sprouts with apple, hazelnuts and cider

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Leeks with goats cheese and thyme

Week beginning October 17th - Her Majesty The Queen

So it was that on Thursday of last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited to an 'all Aussie bash' at Buckingham Palace, held by the Queen, before she goes off to Australia on business later this month.

I came to work in the morning, then went for a thermal Spa and massage at Spa London in Bethnal Green, then home to get ready. I don;t know how many times I checked my invite, made sure I had my passport and re tied my tie, but it was a lot.

I walked up to the front gates at 5:15, walked past all the tourists taking photos, went up to the police and said 'i'm here for the party'. We waited in a queue for a few more minutes, then were allowed to walk in through the main courtyard up the steps leading into the palace.

It was like the red carpet entrance, with Australian news cameras interviewing the celebrities such as Elle MacPherson, Bill Granger or Jason Donovan. We them went upstairs (I got a bit emotional here, bit overwhelming), into the picture gallery where we had champagne and canapes and met some of the ladies in waiting to the Queen, who were circulating and talking to the guests.

Soon, we were told to have our passes ready and then we walked into another amazing room full of chandeliers and were introduced to the Queen and Prince Philip and shook their hands as we passed into the next room for the main part of the party.

I was talking to a man Called Dick Porter, who set up STA travel and lives around the corner from Kaffeine. At this stage I think I was just in the right space at the right time, as a man came past and said, 'right, you six people, form a horseshoe shape as the Queen will soon enter and she will say hello and may ask you a question'. We were told to call her 'Your Majesty' and then after that to call her 'maam as in ham'.

So then she came in, she spoke to some people in the line including Dick Porter, I was next to the director of the English ballet and she spoke to him first, then she asked me what I do. I explained as best I could what Kaffeine is and she asked where we sourced our beans from. Big plug here for Square Mile coffee and James Hoffman and she thanked me and off she went to the next person.

Amazing.....

The party continued and I then met Bill Granger who has tells me he has been into Kaffeine and thinks it's fabulous, then I chatted to my old boss from MCC, Keith Bradshaw and also Jason Donovan who is good friends with a good friend of ours and then I just wandered for a bit around the rooms, looking at all the incredible art drinking champagne and eating mini lamingtons and pavlovas.

Finally I ran into Shelagh from Lantana who I was really glad to see had been invited as well and we talked for a bit about the party and the people and then it was time to go.

I walked out of the Palace under a full moon and walked slowly up through Green Park, hardly able to believe what had just happened. I feel very very lucky indeed.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Weekend Brunch
Lemonade bread with gin butter 2.50
Porage w poached strawberries, apple and pear 4.00
Homemade baked bean casserole with toasted kumara bread 6.50
Smoked salmon lox with toasted bagel, capers, red onion 9.50


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Elderberry and Apple muffins 1.80
Tomato herb and cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Pear friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.00 or 3.50
Hungarian Goulash

French retro baguettes 4.50
Italian roast ham with onion jam, strong cheddar, spinach
Bufala mozzarella with puttanesca sauce and rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Coppa Cotta ham with crab apple jelly, brie and spinach
Smoked salmon with aioli, red onion, capers and spinach


Salads 4.50/5.50
Chicken adobu with red rice, coriander and rocket
Purple sprouting broccoli with tobasco butter
Roast Jerusalem artichokes with peanut oil

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Crown price squash with feta and chilli

Week Beginning October 10th - Buckingham Palace

About a month ago, I received in the post a very nice envelope with my name and address written in fountain pen on the front with a big red stamp ER at the top. I opened it very carefully, to find inside an invitation to Buckingham palace for a cocktail party!

Her Majesty the Queen has instructed the Master of the Household to invite Mr Peter Dore-Smith to a party in the palace before she travels to Australia on a business trip. This is not one of the garden parties, this is inside the Palace!

So this Thursday the 13th, I will be off to the Palace for an party with the Queen and apparently about 300 other guests. She does these sorts of parties when she goes off to other countries and invites members of that country to the palace for a leaving do.

To think that the Queen has somehow heard about Kaffeine is a truly wonderful and humbling thought. To know that the extremely hard work of all the staff who currently work and who have worked here, and that the support of all our fabulous customers is being recognised is even better.

Obviously, I cant wait, its going to be an exciting week...I wish I could take you all with me.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Weekend Brunch
Lemonade bread with gin butter 2.50
Homemade baked bean casserole with toasted kumara bread 6.50
Smoked salmon lox with toasted bagel, capers, red onion 9.50


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Victoria Plum muffins 1.80
Four Cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Pear friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Soup 3.00 or 3.50
Fabada - Spanish bean soup with chorizo

French retro baguettes 4.50
Italian roast ham with red onion, gruyere, gherkin, dijon, spinach
Bufala mozzarella with plum tomatoes, aioli, basil and spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Roast beef with Gjetost cheese, horseradish cream, rocket and red onion
Smoked salmon with aioli, red onion, capers and spinach


Salads 4.50/5.50
Crown prince squash with goats cheese and wet walnuts
Lancashire cheese with pancetta, pickled onion, herb balls and spinach
Broccoli with oyster sauce

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Cauliflower and gruyere tart

Week beginning October 3rd - Porridge and Clerkenwell Chocolates

Amazingly, just as we plan to relaunch porridge into the hearts and bellies of Fitzrovia, and premier the incredible Clerkenwell Chocolates, the weather goes mental and we are back into summer. But what a great few days it has been.

But still, have porridge back on as as today, Monday, and as it's going to be freezing later this week, we delayed Clerkenwell Chocolates until Thursday when it will be a bit cooler.

It is wonderful how popular our porridge is, we make it with Bonsoy soy milk and chef Jared has his own secret method to making it that creates a great consistency. Topped with either honey, chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar or golden syrup it is a perfect start to the day.

Clerkenwell Chocolates are made by a wonderful lady called Belinda who has this incredible passion for making simple, beautiful, quality chocolates. They are seriously some of the best chocolate we have ever eaten.

Available from Thursday, we strongly recommend you try some. We only have limited supplies each week, so you may have to be quick. Our first delivery is on Wednesday night ready for Thursday morning.

Oh, and the new espresso blend by Square Mile with be dialled in this week too, they are saying it is one of their best blends ever, we are really looking forward to it.


Breakfast
Porridge - served w chopped dried fruit, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 2.50
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Weekend Brunch
Lemonade bread with gin butter 2.50
Homemade baked bean casserole with toasted kumara bread 6.50
Smoked salmon lox with toasted bagel, capers, red onion 9.50


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Courgette, cheese and herb savoury muffins 1.80
Pear friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

French retro baguettes 4.50
Italian roast ham with apple butter, gruyere, gherkin, spinach
Tuna with olives, capers, red onion, aioli, rocket and lemon

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Coppa cotta ham with strong cheese, onion jam, rocket
Mushroom and Welsh rarebit and spinach


Salads 4.50/5.50
Vermicelli noodles with chicken, carrots, coriander, chilli and sesame oil
Wet walnuts with strong cheese, red water cress and blackberries
Broccoli with oyster sauce

Tart 4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Leek, goats cheese and thyme

Week beginning September 26th - Spain

We have been away from the shop for a week on holiday, so I have been a bit slack in not getting the menu up and online. We went to Spain for a week, Granada, Madrid and Seville. Awful coffee, some great (and not so great) food and some real quality time with my family.

It was wonderful....


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Weekend Brunch
Lemonade bread with gin butter 2.50
Homemade baked bean casserole with toasted kumara bread 6.50
Smoked salmon lox with toasted bagel, capers, red onion 9.50


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Victoria Plum muffins 1.80
Spinach and feta savoury muffins 1.80
Pear friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch

French retro baguettes 4.50
Asparagus with brie, pesto and spinach
Pancetta with tomato, parmesan, basil, rocket and aioli

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Italian roast ham with gjetost cheese, pears, rocket and red onion
Mushroom and Welsh rarebit and spinach


Salads £4.50/£5.50
Chicken adobu with wild red rice, coriander and rocket
Cobnuts with blue cheese, red water cress and blackberries
Roast parsnip with peppercorn dressing

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Spanish pepper and goats cheese

Week beginning September 19th - London Design Festival

This week sees the London Design Festival roll into town and Kaffeine is playing a small part, in that we are one of the pit stops on the Fitzrovia Design Trail.

Next Wednesday is the biggest day with many of the leading furniture design showrooms in the area opening for events throughout the day and the evening.

One of the most exciting parts of this process has been the planning stage, where a number of local businesses led by Minotti Furniture and Together Brand Design have held meetings to organise everyone to get together with a map, postcards and a prize draw based on the concept of Fitzrovia Now.

Maps are available in store now, and the concept is really about discovering Fitzrovia for the hidden gem of fashion, galleries, dining and showrooms that it is.

On Wednesday, specially designed keys will be available in selected stores including Kaffeine and you can go into those stores, collect a stamp and once you have filled in your key with stamps, you can go into a prize draw for some really cool prizes donated by some of our local companies.

And so here's to the power of a group of independent stores, getting together to promote their special part of London. And to great design.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Weekend Brunch
Homemade baked bean casserole with toasted kumara bread 6.50
Strawberry marscapone served with pear and ale bread 7.50
Smoked salmon lox with toasted bagel, capers, red onion 9.50


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Coffee, chocolate and cobnuts muffins 1.80
Tomato, lemon parsley and sesame savoury muffins 1.80
Peche de vigne friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Italian roast ham with strong cheddar, onion jam and spinach
Smoked salmon with capers, red onion, lemon verveine butter and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Coppa cotta ham with gruyere, gherkin, red onion, dijon and spinach
Bufala mozzerella with peri peri sauce, tomato and spinach


Salads £4.50/£5.50
Roast chicken with salsa verde, pears and gem lettuce
Wet walnuts with blue cheese, red water cress and blackberries
Roast black carrots with fennel, peas and chervil

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Cavolo Nero with chilli, garlic and ricotta

Week beginning September 12th - Home brewing classes

Our lead barista Catherine has now started teaching home brewing classes at Kaffeine, which is a great opportunity for you to be able to see a variety of different ways to make your coffee at home, but not by using an espresso machine.

Over a one hour session, she covers syphon, V60 pour over, French press and stove top, showcasing each different brew method, preceded by some theory about coffee and the processes involved.

Sessions are just £20, and you have the opportunity to buy equipment here at Kaffeine as well to be able to take home.

If you are at all interested in learning how to make better coffee at home, then these classes are for you.

Because then you can truly ask the question. If I promise to make you good coffee, will you love me forever?

Bookings are made through the Kaffeine website - Coffee Courses, or ask in store.

Let's get making coffee!


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Damson Plum muffins 1.80
Goats Cheese and honey blossom savoury muffins 1.80
Peche de vigne friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Aubergine with goats cheese, sweet chilli, thai basil and rocket
Italian roast ham with spicy relish, mozzarella, tomato and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Strong Cheddar with sweet corn pickle, tomato and spinach
Asparagus with brie, pesto and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Roast chicken with salsa verde, pears and gem lettuce
Torn mozzarella with plum tomatoes, basil and baby spinach
Courgettes with balsamic syrup, parmesan and basil

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Tomato, discovery aples, thyme and aged cheddar

Week beginning - September 5th

Goodness, it's been all happening this week, here is a quick run down.

We are looking for a new barista to replace the amazing Krysty who has been with us for over a year and definitely achieved Kaffeine legend status, she will be forever remembered as a superstar. Luckily for us she has moved on to another cafe called Department of Coffee and Social Affairs in Leather lane, so we now we can still go to see her.

We are also looking at a new POS system that works on an iPad called Isisipos. Bea from Beas of Bloomsbury put us onto it via Twitter and we hope to have it up and running by end of next week. Goodbye PC based cash registers!!! Hellloooo Apple.

We are also in talks with Belinda from Clerkenwell Chocolate, who will be supplying us with her home made truffles later this year, they are truly amazing and we are very fortunate to be able to sell her chocolates here at Kaffeine.

We are soon to be trialling a new QR code based feedback system, where customers will be able to provide feedback to us, leave comments and join our facebook and twitter groups, all pretty much instantly. Brilliant. Goodbye stupid feedback forms.

Then we also have our brunch menu. After a few weeks trial we have settled on some great options for brunch including home made baked bean casserole on kumara toast, or a breakfast foccacia with sliced cotechino sausage, gruyere and a fried egg, or pear and ale bread with marscapone and peche de vigne syrup. Amazing.

Finally we have our guest espresso weekends. This weekend it is the famous Melbourne based cafe, now here in London, St Ali, and their Cult of Done espresso.

Can anything else happen in just one week? Well yes, we were interviewed to be a part of a feature in the incredible Fire and Knives publication, and we were photographed for inclusion in a book on London cafes coming out in December called Cafe Life.

Phew.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Apple and Blackberry muffins 1.80
Courgette and cheese muffins 1.80
Peche de vigne friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon, lemon verveine butter
Italian roast ham with tomato, aioli, bufala mozzerella and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Strong Cheddar with sweet corn pickle, tomato and spinach
Asparagus with brie, pesto and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Figs, goats cheese, baby spinach, orange honey blossom
Harissa chicken, cous cous, coriander, iceberg lettuce
Roast aubergine with lime, chilli, coriander and peanuts

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Okra, garlic, chilli and peanut pastry

Week beginning - August 30th (Tuesday) - Girls at work

Recently, the world barista champion of 2009 Gwilym Davies made a point at a conference about girls working in the cafe industry, especially as baristas, and how he felt that in some cases, they are discriminated against and not given the opportunities or progression they deserve.

It was a very interesting and topical point to make, especially as he dressed up in drag to make it.

Those who know Kaffeine will know that we are staffed mainly by girls/women/ladies, and I am very very appreciative of that. Not saying the boys who work here do not work hard or are not good at their job, not at all.

But what I do want to say here is that if it was not for the girls who work here now, have worked with us from the start, or have worked for us in the past, we would not be the cafe we are today.

Girl power.

(and they are such perfectionists!)





Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Tomato, cheese and herb muffins 1.80
Damson Plum friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon, lemon verveine butter
Italian roast ham with brie, sweet chilli sauce, thai basil and rocket

French retro baguettes 4.50
Bufala mozzerella with tomato, salsa verde and spinach
Roast courgettes with crushed peas, feta, rocket and mint dressing

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Prawns with samphire, picked ginger, runner beans and rocket
Girolles, sage butter and spinach
Roast aubergine with lime, chilli, coriander and peanuts

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Tomatoes, rocket, olives, mozzarella, olives and balsamic

Week beginning August 22nd - Please sir, I want some more

I am a bit behind this week in updating this, too many celebratory drinks perhaps?

But the good news is, that with this type of weather, we will be bringing back porridge before you know it.

Please enjoy.

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Tomato, cheese and herb muffins 1.80
Damson Plum friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Passionfruit melting moments biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Chorizo with roast red peppers, red onion, goats cheese and rocket
Mushrooms with welsh rarebit and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Bufala mozzerella with tomato, basil, aioli and spinach
Italian roast ham with red onion jam, gruyere, gherkin and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Tandoori chicken with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, avocado and mint dressing
Chicory with pear, blue cheese and toasted walnuts
Broccoli with oyster sauce

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Tuna with brown rice bake

Week Beginning August 15th - 2nd Birthday

Yes that is right, it is now 2 years since we opened the doors of Kaffeine. I am not going to say much, except what is most important, and that is a big thank you to all our staff, our suppliers, our families and friends and most of all to our much valued customers for all your hard work, support and encouragement.

It has been an amazing journey, one that I hope will continue for many years to come.

Two years.

We will be celebrating this week with a few little treats here and there. We hope you can join us.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Peche de vigne (Red French Peaches) muffins 1.80
Four cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Damson friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Italian roast ham with apricots, brie, rocket
Tuna with lemon myrtle mayo, basil and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Roast courgettes marinated in mint with feta, crushed peas and spinach
Italian roast ham with dijon, gruyere, gherkin, red onion and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Tandoori chicken with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, avocado and mint dressing
Chantenay carrots with roasted cardamom pods and fig dressing
Green beans with peanuts, chilli, lemon and soy

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Sweet corn and roast kumara

Week beginning August 8th - Loyalty cards

In planning for Kaffeine, we talked for a long while amongst ourselves and also with very respected and knowledgeable people from the industry about loyalty cards and whether we would introduce them. Ultimately, as some people may be aware, we decided not to.

A number of people we spoke to felt they were a nuisance to carry around, others felt a bit cheap when asking for it, others really liked them. Others told me of rip off schemes in cafes that they had worked in involving loyalty cards. It was not an easy decision to make.

We still occasionally get asked if we have them, or are told that we should have them, but our answer is exactly what we have said from the start and that is that we like to look after our customers in other ways other than a loyalty card.

For example, in our first Christmas we gave away Keep Cups to over 150 of our regular customers with a personal Kaffeine Christmas card. Our second Christmas we gave away 150 of our own home made jams.

The managers here also know to look after our regular customers with an occasional free cake or coffee or we test new cakes or biscuits with other regulars. I personally try very hard to give a free Portuguese tart, a friand or a biscuit to regulars when I am able to. More often than not, that customer says no, please allow me to pay.

We also try very very hard to provide great service, excellent food and amazing coffee, which I hope is a reason for people to keep coming back as well.

What I do wonder is, if you go to your local pub once, twice or three times a week, perhaps buying up to ten drinks in that period, what do they do to keep you loyal?
I am yet to hear of a pub loyalty card system.

What other food/beverage industries have loyalty cards and does it work for them I wonder?

If anyone has any feedback or points to raise, I am more than happy to listen.

In the meantime, our menu is up for this week and Damson Plums are in season and in our muffins. Yum.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Damson Plum muffins 1.80
Tomato, parsley, lemon and cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Cherry friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Italian roast ham with red currants, brie, basil and spinach
Smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers, dill, lemon, red onion and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Roast courgettes marinated in mint with feta, crushed peas and spinach
Italian roast ham with dijon, gruyere, gherkin, red onion and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Mixed tomatoes with pancetta, toasted fennel seeds, parmesan
Quinoa with roasted olives and tomatoes, cucumber, cashew and orange
Green beans with peanuts, chilli, lemon and soy

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Fennel gratin

Week beginning August 1st - The five senses

In the planning for Kaffeine, I came across a book called 'Wake up and smell the Profit, 52 ways to maximise profit in your cafe business', by Hugh Gilmartin and Johnnie Richardson.

In that book, one of the things they listed was the importance of the five human senses. Taste, feel, sight, sound and hearing and how important it was that all of these five senses or addressed equally in a cafe. It struck me as a very valid and important point, and it is certainly something that we try very hard to achieve at Kaffeine.

For example, music in cafe has been a topic on twitter this week. Our music policy is to have a good background beat of music that also has a happy vibe to it, that is not obtrusive, too loud or offensive, that just blends in with the natural conversation, though does not make people talk louder to make themselves heard.

We are very passionate about our music here, and we create 'daylists' that start off slow and easy (7:30 am) and build though the day finally slowing again around 5 pm. Proper DJ sets really, but we have to create them for a 12 hour day, for 7 days of the week. It is not easy to do.

We also keep everything spotlessy clean and visually appealing(sight), bake lovely treats like ANZACS and chocolate brownies (smell and taste) and have decor that has a good (feel) to it.

Perhaps we would have achieved it anyway, without knowing that we were. But also now, when I go into any other hospitality business, from cafe to five star hotel, I reflect and think, are all my senses being evenly matched? Because if they are not, then I guess that business is really not up to standard.

Oh yum, I just read the menu. Blueberry muffins. Be quick, they will not last long.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Courgette and cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Raspberry friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Italian roast ham with red currants, brie, basil and spinach
Smoked salmon with dill, aioli, red onion, capers and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Plum tomatoes with puttanesca, bufala mozzarella and spinach
Red onion jam with cheese fondue and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Organic free range chicken with chilli, coconut, fish and lime dressing, coriander and rocket
Red camargue rice with kumara, chantenay carrots, basil and orange
Cucumber spaghetti with pesto

Tart £4.00 or £6.50 with salad
Polenta with grilled vegetables, avocado and goats cheese

Week beginning July 25th - Community and Independent shops

In the planning and research for this business, it never occurred to me exactly how much a part of the local community a cafe such as Kaffeine can be. I am really proud to be able to walk down the street and say hello to so many people who are our customers. I am also very proud of the fact that we are able to bring people together within the cafe, that we bring more people to the area and that we have been able to bring a higher standard of cafe to the area, something I hope is of value for our other local retail businesses and also our local residents.

Much research has been done, and proven, that a good cafe can be a very, very important part of the fabric of a local community, and in this day and age of chains and identikit high streets, a much valued one.

I am approached quite often by real estate agents who have been instructed by their landlords to find a good quality cafe for their area. They do not want S*bucks or C*sta, they want an independent, who is promoting quality and style and I guess, also of importance, to be able to contribute to the adhesive thread of the community.

They say, 'we want a good independent who will drive quality and service and improve the value of our estate'. Interesting. Is it finally now that perhaps we small independents have some sort of power over the big chains in negotiating a leasehold?

Now that is something to think about. Perhaps I should have a word to Mary Portas.

PS. its pay day this week, so that means lamingtons, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Bring it on.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Red currant and apple muffins 1.80
Feta and spinach savoury muffins 1.80
Apricot and Chocolate friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60
Lamingtons 2.50

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Pesto, tomato, bufala mozzerella and rocket
Chorizo, roast red peppers, red onion, spinach and goats cheese

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with gruyere, red onion, sage butter, tomato and spinach
Red onion jam with cheese fondue and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Baby Gem with cherries, pecorino, fennel and a lemon dressing
Red camargue rice with kumara, chantenay carrots, basil and orange
Courgettes with tabasco butter

Week Beginning July 18th - One Tree Coffee

As you may know already, before Kaffeine, I worked at Lord's Cricket Ground, spending 3 and a half years there looking after all the casual catering staff.

This year we are back again, and this week in particular is the big one, the second Test, against one of the great all time teams with the most passionate and religious of supporters, India.

We are very lucky to have been invited back to help with their coffee offer this year and we are located in the premium outdoor dining area of the Harris gardens, just up the main driveway from the Grace gate entrance. However, it is open to the public, so anyone is welcome to come in and our prices are the same as Kaffeine.

We are known as One Tree Coffee, in reference to the one coffee tree that survived the trip from France to Martinique back in the 1800's.

We will be using Square Mile espresso on a la Marzocco Linea 2 group, but most exciting is that we will also be doing filter coffee, again with SQM, grinding our coffee fresh before extracting a maximum of 10 litres at a time through the Bunn boilers.

This especially is where we are getting a difference in the quality of the coffee compared to the bars and function areas where the MCC use Kenco pre ground. It really shows that with a bit of effort and understanding, the coffee offer can be so much better.

And it is this small step that I hope will soon be pushed across the ground, and even more so, that coffee fresh ground and put through a filter, whether it be a one cup V60 or a 10 litre boiler, can be really, really tasty.

Part of the reason we are at the ground is because they have listened to their customers, the members and the public, who have been demanding better quality coffee and now they have done something about it.

I only hope that more and more places and people will start to discover not just quality espresso, but quality filter as well.

Better quality coffee, demand it and it will come.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Kumara and Sweet Corn savoury muffins 1.80
Apricot and Chocolate friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch
Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon with dill, spinach, red onion and aioli
Welsh rarebit, mushroom and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with gruyere, red onion, dijon, gherkin and rocket
Aubergine with sweet chilli, goats cheese and spinach

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Baby Gem with cherries, pecorino, fennel and a lemon dressing
Samphire with prawns, rocket, broad beans and pickle ginger
Broccoli with oyster sauce and chilli

Tart
4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Roasted red peppers with goats cheese and basil

Week beginning - July 11th - Sunday's

Sundays for me have always been special. Sundays have always been the more fun, casual outings, no pretensions, while Saturdays were all about swanning about looking your best and dressing up. Not for me thank you.

In the 80's, it was all about going to the pub and having large quantities of alcohol and usually, because of hospitality hours, being able to stay out all hours as well.

In the 90's it was all about daytime clubbing. Anyone reading this who has been clubbing all day Sunday will understand, if you ever went to Sunnyside Up from 95 to 98, please say hello. Oh, and working in hospitality hours helped too!.

These days, especially in Winter, it is about Sunday roasts and a few bottle of wine. Friends, Mrs K and now baby Layla, perfect.

The other good thing? Especially in Australia and new Zealand and now more than ever, in the UK. Brunch, the papers and great coffee in a wonderful cafe where service and hospitality is the key.

Good thing then that Kaffeine, along with a growing number of other great cafes, are open on Sundays. We have now been open for about six weeks on a Sunday and while it is the quietest day of our week, it is becoming more well known.

We hope to see you in soon.

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Mountain Peach muffins 1.80
Four Cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Apricot and Chocolate friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Apricots with brie, spinach and pancetta
Welsh rarebit, mushroom and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with gruyere, red onion, apple butter, gherkin and spinach
Bufala mozzarella with tomato, salsa verde and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Roast aubergine with honey mustard
Chicory, orange dates, manchego cheese, coriander
Chicken with chilli coconut, mango, coriander, baby spinach and lime and fish sauce dressing

Tart
4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Potato gratin with rosemary and garlic and mozzarella

Week beginning July 4th - 2 Years ago

So it was, that two years ago this week, the builders started on Kaffeine. It had taken six months just to get the keys to number 66, as the leaseholder was still paying rent even though it was unoccupied, and now finally work had begun.

I was still employed by Marylebone Cricket Club but had given notice to finish on July 24th. We had just finished off the World Twenty/20 Cup in June and were about to go into the Ashes around July 15th.

So I would go to work at Lord's, and cycle down for architects or builders meetings on my lunch break or after work, while trying to organise equipment, staff, insurance and suppliers for the shop as well as the staffing for biggest Test Match in four years at the most famous cricket ground in the world.

Finally, on July 24th it was my last day and we opened Kaffeine a few weeks later on August 15th. It is safe to say, that I did not sleep for a week after leaving the comfort of a full time job.

And now look, here we are....

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
(add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.50
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.50
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.50
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
Banana Bread 2.00


Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.60
Pain au chocolat 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Apricot muffins 1.80
Tomato, cheese and herb savoury muffins 1.80
Mango tea friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Apricots with brie, spinach and pancetta
Roast aubergine with goats cheese, sweet chilli and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with gruyere, red onion, dijon, gherkin and spinach
Avocado, mozzarella, tomato, aioli and rocket

Salads £4.50/£5.50
Chicken adobo with camargue red rice
Roast kumara with pesto dressing
Green beans with peanuts, chilli, garlic and lemon

Tart
4.00 or 6.50 with salad
Courgette with cherry tomato, mozzarella and pancetta

Week beginning June 27th - Catherine

We are very pleased to announce the wedding this week just gone of our own Catherine, @cathosaurus, Cat, Catho, Cathy to her partner Levent Ali. What a proud day it was for us all, and especially her parents, who flew all the way from Australia for the wedding.

Levent used to be one of our very regular customers back in the day (I now know why of course, it was not just the coffee), until he had to move away for his work to Old Street. But still he persisted and that paid off this week.

Catherine has been with Kaffeine since before the start, believing in me that we could achieve our vision, and in fact being a very major part of that vision coming true. Both her and Chef Jared came to Kaffeine when it was still a building site and believed me that it would work, and both have made a very real and appreciated impact on the business.

We have a lot of respect and gratitude to both of them for their work, but this week especially it was time to pay that respect to Catherine.

We celebrated with a small party here on Wednesday night, after the ceremony and a lovely lunch. Some wine, beer, champagne and canapes and a bit of a cheesy wedding dancing, it was a great night.

We truly wish both Catherine and Levent all the very best in their lives together, may it be long and happy. Respect.

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.20
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.20
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
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 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Flat Mountain Peach muffins 1.80
Vegemite and Cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Mango tea friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60
Lamingtons 2.50 (THURS, FRI, SAT ONLY)

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon with aioli red onion, dill, rocket and capers
Roast aubergine with goats cheese, sweet chilli and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with gruyere, red onion, dijon, gherkin and spinach
Cucumber ribbons with tomato, avocado, carrot ribbons, spinach and harissa mayo

Salads £4.40/£5.30
Tuna with mizuna, olives, potato, red onion, dill, green beans, pecorino and egg
Camargue red rice with kumara, chantenay carrots, spinach, basil and orange segments
Broccoli in oyster sauce

Tart
4.00 or 6.30 with salad
Chicken, mushroom and thyme

Week beginning June 20th - Justin

This week is a bit of a sad week as one of our baristas, Justin, is leaving to head to Brighton for the summer to see what he can achieve down there. Since arriving fresh off the boat back in September, Justin has been an amazing person to have in our employ. He is fantastic with coffee, exceptionally clean and tidy around the machine and overall is amazing with our customers and staff alike.

Justin will be very sorely missed at Kaffeine, and we wish him all the best in his future.

On the other hand, we welcome three new people, Candice, Claire and Ewelina. Candice will be a barista, Claire will be on the floor and Ewelina is in the kitchen.

I warmly welcome all 3 to the family that is Kaffeine, I hope you enjoy working here.

By the way. Blueberry muffins back on this week. Yum.

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.20
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.20
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
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 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Leek and onion savoury muffins 1.80
Mango tea friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Pancetta with mango, brie and spinach
Olive tapenade with rocket, plum tomatoes and bufala mozzarella

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with gruyere, red onion, dijon, gherkin and spinach
Tuna with lemon mayo, dill and rocket

Salads £4.40/£5.30
Vermicelli noodles with organic free range chicken, carrots, coriander and sesame oil
Cherries with goats cheese, rocket and basil
Green beans with chilli, garlic, peanuts and lemon

Tart
4.00 or 6.30 with salad
Red Cabbage and feta

Week Beginning June 13th - Cafe Life

Is the life of a cafe owner glamorous? Financially rewarding? Life affirming? Ha! Perhaps to some it may appear to be, and that is why some people decide to go into this business, even though they have no experience in this industry but wish to follow their dream of owning their own place.

The reason I say this is because I do get asked fairly often by people who want to set up their own place for advice. But is worries me that some people may be going into this with a false sense of what life is like.

While I fully support and encourage people to follow their dreams instead of laying awake at night wondering 'what if?', I also give a very strong word of caution. If you have no experience in this industry, then you are already well behind the ball, no matter how much time you spend eating and drinking in cafes in your leisure time or how well you make food or coffee at home or host a dinner party.

I recently asked an architect friend, that if I all of a sudden I had a career change and wanted to be an architect and came to them for advice, what would they say. The answer?.... Good luck. And it's true. If I wanted to be a mechanic, or an accountant or whatever at the age of 40, then already in a very competitive market, I am against all the others who have been doing it for 20 years already.

This industry is rewarding, it is life affirming and it can be glamorous, but it is also very very very hard work. This is why I have a lot more respect every day for those people who have created amazing businesses, because they are very talented people indeed, and it is usually those for who the hospitality industry is a lifelong career.

Opening Kaffeine was easily the most terrifying experience of my life, and was so for at least the first year and it still occasionally terrifies me today.

Be aware, if you think this looks easy, it most certainly is not. (But I still love it!!) And if you do still want to do it, well then...good luck.

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.20
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.20
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
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 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Frais de bois muffins 1.80
Sweet Corn savoury muffins 1.80
Mango tea friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Salmon, aioli, red onion, capers, dill, rocket
Plum tomato with salsa verde, bufala mozzerella and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with apple butter, gruyere, red onion, gherkin and spinach
Tuna with cheese fondue

Salads £4.40/£5.30
Mountain flat peaches with dandelion, lemon balm, ham and pecorino
Cous cous with roasted olives, feta and smoked garlic
Green beans with chilli, garlic, peanuts adn lemon

Tuna Bake
4.00 or 6.30 with salad
Polenta with grilled vegetables, goats cheese and avocado

Week beginning June 5th - World Barista Championships

Last night saw the finals of the WBC held in Bogota, Colombia and Square Mile Coffee who roast our beans for us again had a major representation there, with their own John Gordon trying out to be the World Champion for the second year in a row.

We have known John here at Kaffeine since we first opened and he came and did a weeks work with us, something I will be forever grateful for. At that stage he was the UK latte art champion and we were very much in awe of him and very humble that he chose to work with us.

John ended up coming 6th on Sunday night, yes that's sixth in the world. An amazing achievement and full repsect to him and the SQM crew who supported him.

We hope that he competes again and gets the coveted crown one day, but at least in the meantime we can only hope that he continues to be a great ambassador for coffee.

John, well done. A true champion.

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.20
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.20
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
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 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Blueberry muffins 1.80
Tomato herb and cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Mango tea friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Afgan biscuits 1.60

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Pancetta, avocado, tomato, rocket, aioli and gruyere
Puttanesca with tomato, bufala mozzerella and spinach

French retro baguettes 4.50
Ham with gruyere, red onion, gherkin and spinach
Roast aubergine with chimichurri sauce, feta and rocket

Salads £4.40/£5.30
Green beans with mizuna, goats cheese, toasted almonds and lemon dressing
Organic free range chicken with chilli coconut, mango, coriander, baby spinach
Coleslaw of kohlrabi, radish, mooli, red onion

Tuna Bake
4.00 or 6.30 with salad
Tuna and brown rice bake

Week Beginning May 30th - Lords Cricket Ground and One Tree Coffee

Prior to Kaffeine, I was fortunate enough to be employed as the Staffing and Recruitment manager within the catering department at the most famous cricket ground in the world, Lords Cricket Ground and the Marylebone Cricket Club.

Now, after almost two years at Kaffeine, we will be returning to the ground as a part of their espresso and filter coffee offer within the Harris Gardens, the premier outdoor dining area, just up from the Grace Gate.

Marylebone Cricket Club approached us earlier this year, as they wish to improve their coffee offer within the ground which I believe is a great step forward in any catering business. That is, focussing on ALL component parts of their business and food and beverage offer and demanding that the best possible product be served in all areas.

We have also decided to name and brand this concession offer as One Tree Coffee. In the early 18th century, a French naval office tried takling 3 coffee trees to Martinique, however, only one survived, and it is this one that went on to be the catalyst for coffee trees in the New World. We think it's appropriate and we are very excited by it.

We hope to be able to see you at the cricket this year at one of the major matches, please say hello if you do.


Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.20
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.20
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
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 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Cherry and banana sweet muffins 1.80
Leek and cheese savoury muffins 1.80
Mango tea friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Pinky Snaps 1.60

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Smoked salmon with dill capers, spinach and red onion
Coppa cotta ham with balsamic cherries, brie and rocket

French retro baguettes 4.30
Ham with gruyere, onion jam, gherkin and spinach
Bufala mozzarella with peri peri sauce, tomato and spinach

Salads £4.40/£5.30
Adobo chicken with camargue red rice
Slow roast tomato with nettle pesto, bufala mozzarella and spinach
Crispy parsnip noodles with beetroot syrup

Tart
4.00 or 6.30 with salad
Ricotta and herb

Week beginning May 23rd - The British Sandwich Awards

Last night (Thursday 19th), Kaffeine was awarded a gold award in the category of Best Independent Sandwich bar at the British Sandwich Awards. We received gold because of the five short listed, they could not decide an overall winner, so they gave all of us a gold award. I guess really we are therefore 'one' of the best sandwich bars in the UK, or at least one of the top five!!

All the same, it is a fantastic recognition of all the hard work, passion, innovation, dedication and expertise that goes into not just creating, making or serving these sandwiches, but also the cleanliness, atmosphere and service of Kaffeine itself.

Over 600 people from across the industry, mainly very, very big corporate companies, were at the awards and it was a black tie event at a leading London hotel, they even had the Bee Gees tribute band playing! I did not stay for the party, but went home to wife and daughter (who woke at 5 am today) for a rest.

I do wish to send a big thank you to all our staff, especially Chef Jared for his inspirational recipes and his kitchen team for producing such wonderful food and all our staff for serving it so well.

And thank you, as customers and supporters, for supporting us so generously, it is very much appreciated.

Well done, the cocktails are on me.

Breakfast
Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 2.90
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.30
Ciabatta Roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.20
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.20
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 3.20
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Cinnamon and raisin toast 2.00
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 2.20
Almond croissants 2.70

Baked Treats
Lemon marmalade muffins 1.80
Goats cheese souffle savoury muffins 1.80
Raspberry Friands 1.90
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.20
White chocolate blondies 2.20
Portuguese tarts 1.80
ANZAC cookies 1.60
Pinky Snaps 1.60

Lunch

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 4.70
Tuna with cheese fondue and spinach
Coppa cotta ham with rocket, tomato, aioli, gruyere and dijon

French retro baguettes 4.30
Aubergine with goats cheese, sweet chilli and rocket
Bufala mozzerella with peri peri sauce, tomato and spinach

Salads £4.40/£5.30
Braised pork belly with breakfast radish
Orzo pasta salad red peppers, courgettes, onion, garlic and a spicy buttermilk dressing
Asparagus with ginger

Tart
4.00 or 6.30 with salad
Broccoli, chilli and blue cheese