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