Stencils, The Death of Latte Art? Whatever...

Review by David Honan


Technology innovations often spell the end of the Artisan.
Automated looms ended the jobs of the textile worker.
Horse and Plough ended with the innovation of the tractor.
The toaster ended the guild of elite toasters and the skill accumulated through generations of toasting excellence.

Now latte art is under threat with the advent of stencils. The pitch is persuasive.
No longer do you need to learn the art of conjuring micro foam and the Sleight of
hand of free pour. Forget all that don’t waste your time and the tonnes of milk it takes to get it right. Slap a stencil on the top of the cappuccino sprinkle choc on the top and voila get a pattern on top faster that it takes Bansky to tag your front porch.

Latte Artists may well feel threatened like a Luddite at a Stephenson's Rocket convention. Amazon sell La Cafetiere stencil sets for under a tenner. Temptation high and cost low I couldn’t resist buying a set and giving them a road test.

When they arrived presentation is good. A nice oval shaped tin box holds the 5
shapes and at the back of the box a short preamble explains the designs are from the work of Alison Appleton, a British designer apparently.

Enough hyperbole on with the review...

The stencils feel strong and look easy to clean. They fit easily on top of a standard mug too which has the advantage you can use the stencils solo no need for a double act.

Having served up a cappuccino it was time to put the stencils to the test. I chose the star pattern and it sat perfectly on top of the cup. I then reached for the Cadburys Sprinke chocolate and let the good stuff flow.

Ok sprinkling over, time to see the finished article. With drawing the stencil
I felt like a kid at Christmas ripping through a parcel fuelled by the anticipation that this year he would get a genuine eagle eyed action man and not a box of matches and a can of lager like last year.

But as the finished result dawned my delight was muted. Irt was OK, not bad not brill just OK. So latte artists its safe to conclude you aint got nothing to worry about, stencils just cant match the finesse of Rosetta poured by a pro. No need to write letters of protest to La Cafetiere no need to take to the streets with burning effigies of Alison Appleton.

All in all i give the La cafetiere stencil set 3 stars out of five. Easy to clean, cool packaging but just not a great finished result.


Rent espresso coffee machines serve elite standard coffee :-)

Harlequin café V Starbucks Latte Art Challenge

Harlequin café V Starbucks Latte Art Challenge
"Starbucks nil Harlequin café ten"

Following a ring around York cafés only three claimed
they were skilled in free pour latte art two of which included the high street heavy weight Starbucks on Coney street and café Harlequin , 2 Kings Square York, pictured left.

But claims are just that, I wanted proof and in the style of the cook report or MacIntyre Undercover if your younger I turned up to both cafés threw down the gauntlet and asked them to unleash their finest coffee topping artistry and this is what happened.

Café Harlequin rolled out a seriously astonishing portfolio of shapes (all latte art pics produced by Gordon off the cuff at café Harlequin) from tulips to hanging hearts it soon became apparent Gordon the head Barista was indead a seasoned Don in the game of latte art.

Drinking them seamed wrong a bit like biting into a blumenthal blueberry muffin baked in liquid nitrogen and topped with icing imported from a parisian patisserie.
(It took me ages to come up with this analogy and I'm still not happy with it)





But drink them I did and it was akin to having a culinary orgasm. This stuff tasted good but what coffee blend was behind the magic i hear you cry. Answer: "Has Been Coffee" (pictured left) plus Gordon tel 0845 202 2326. The specific blend used was the "Brazil Sao Judas 2010" describing its self as a chocolate and cocoa sweetness with honeycomb.

Cant say I tasted the honeycomb but my palette was clearly telling me this was no Happy Shopper Instant.


Ok so over to Starbucks. I went knowing Harlequin café
had delivered top draw latte art what would Starbucks answer be? A 3D rosetta or perhaps Bansky reproductions I could hardly wait.

Well the answer was nothing, yes diddly squat, nada. Despite Starbucks letting me know on the phone they do latte art when it came to the crunch I got a blank canvas :-(

When I asked the staff member to pour me some latte art they looked at me as if three willies had sprouted out of my forehead. For this they score zero out of ten. I would have given 1 point if they gave it ago but latte art is just too off their skill radar and at the mo it remains in the hands of the pro namely Gordon senior Don Barisata of café Harlequin.

I'll finish this post with my fave pattern courtesy of Gordon aka Don Barista café
Harlequin York.
Want to raise your game then serve gourmet standard coffee and rent espresso coffee machines

Who’s the latte art king of York?

Who’s the latte art King of York?
“Starbucks verses independent café Harlequin, let the games begin!”

If you've ever visited the medieval town of York UK you've probably done at least one if not all of the following three things :

• Visited the Minster
• The Viking Museum
• Sat in a café

I live in York and whilst I’ve done all three of the above I've definitely had more coffees than visited the Minster or Viking museum. But I’ve noticed something rather disappointing and its this. Very few Cafés offer latte art. For the un initiated latte art is the skill of drawing pretty shapes into the froth of milk, a Rosetta or Love heart are amongst the classics.

So the question is just how many Cafés in York UK offer latte art? Well I can tell you after a 20 minute ring around it's not a lot. Here's who does not:

• Café Concerto
• Betty's
• Cafe Rouge
• Orgasmic Cafe Bar
• The Living room
• Victor J's "The Art Bar"
• Goji Cafe & Deli

And here’s who does:

• Costa coffee
• Starbucks
• Independent Café Harlequin

Interestingly when i called Starbucks, York and asked, "Do you offer latte Art?" They replied "yes, we can do the Rosetta and heart on flat whites". Impressive not only did the staff member know exactly what i was talking about they also volunteered they offer two patterns.

Privately i was a little disappointed, i cynically hoped only the independent Cafés would be au fait with latte art and this would be another corporate bashing coffee chain post applauded by Michael Moore but not so.

I only came across one independent York Café that was regularly sketching latte art and wowing the beret wearing espresso aficionados. That Café is the Harlequin Café overlooking Kings square the famous hunting ground for street entertainers.

I was hoping to visit the Café today but lack of sleep from my neighbour banging out house tunes last night till 3pm sucked out all my energy so I called Café Harlequin instead and spoke with Gordon Howell, head Barista.

Interview begins.

Q. Hi Gordon. Latte art, do you do it
A. Yes we regularly pour Rosetta's, hearts and the tulip.

Q. The Tulip?
A. Yes it's one of the toughest to crack, a lot of pouring on then off makes this one a particularly difficult one to master.

Q. Why do you think latte art is the new buzz word
A. Its a point of difference, a cafe that can crack latte art and offer it regularly will naturally create a consumer buzz and a consumer buzz leads to commercial success.

Q. Why do you think latte art is not more commonplace in York
A. Its all down individual Barista's passion, the equipment and the workplace culture.

Q. Workplace culture?
A. If a cafe doesn’t invest in a top end espresso equipment they cant produce quality textured milk a critical component of free pour latte art. If a cafe has a high staff turnover they wont risk investing in costly latte art training.

Q. I've heard Cravendale milk is a top choice for a Barista aficionado how true.
A. The advantage of Cravendale is that its double filtered so it just lasts longer which can reduce waist. But I use local fresh, full fat milk and semi which works better for frothing.

Q. What’s your view on etched latte art.
A. I’m a free pour latte art man myself so don’t have a strong opinion about it except to say it’s very exciting to watch at competition level. But let me say this about latte art (Gordon’s tone turns more serious)… its all smoke and mirrors, you have to get the espresso perfected first, the espresso is the heart of the coffee, get that right first, don’t don't cut corners.

Q. Can i come in one day and take photographs of your latte art and compare it to Starbucks efforts.
A. Yes bring it on...

Interview ends.

How exciting I suddenly feel like the famous food critic AA Gill but hopefully I won’t be served the same fate he encountered when he sat in the ill fated Michelin starred London eatery. Before Gill got his first mouthful enfant terrible Gordon Ramsey stormed over and delivered a firm verbal kick in his rear. If this happens to me mind I promise I’ll still write the post even if it is from a hospital bed ;-)

“Raise your game, deliver latte art rent espresso coffee machines”
"Hey Barista! any chance you could stop banging on...."

La Spaziale espresso coffee machine goes bling

Bling fashion used to be the preserve of hip hop jewellery but no more. La Spaziale espresso coffee machine makers have launched a gold version of there S5 range. No doubt fifty cent may be tempted to wear one around his neck to accompany his fully iced Louis Moinet time piece but weighing in at 80kg even his 50inch neck may struggle.

It seams bling fashion seams to be making the headlines of late which is curious considering the backdrop of Tory cuts announced by George Osborne.

A solid gold Buggatti Veyron sports car figurine was announced recently weighing in at a till shattering 2.9 million, bizarrely more expensive than its four wheeled life size counterpart. Even the tv sitcom The Royale Family featured a golden egg cup in the repeat on tv last night.

So next time you watch a hip hop video don’t be too surprised if you see a La Spaziale coffee machine taking centre stage.

La Spaziale gold espresso coffee machine

La Cimbali cleaning instructions enlightens worker

I would like to share two behavioural truths about office workers. Firstly they like to gossip and secondly they don’t like cleaning coffee machines. Our office is lucky to have a La Cimbali bean to cup coffee machine and I’m the only who cleans it well I thought I was cleaning it until I read the official cleaning guide from La Cimbali, whoops, forgive me Kim & Aggie. Thankfully my errant cleaning ways hasn’t knowingly caused any upset stomachs but from hence forth I’ll be cleaning a few more nooks and crannies courtesy of the official La Cimabali M1 coffee machine.

Get a copy right here –
http://www.pauserefreshment.co.uk/la-cimbali-m1-cleaning-guide-instructions.html

La Spaziale s5 manual

The biggest thing that winds me up when buying something is when you discover there’s no instruction manual in the box. Just the other day I bought some studio lighting costing well over a grand and they didn’t have any instruction manual but alas google came to the rescue. A few tinternet searches later pointed me to a YouTube tutorial and my plans to go back to the shop and taser the salesman was binned.

Coffee machines can also come without instruction manuals or the person who likes to hog all the info in the office has scurried off with the only copy. But call me a La Spaziale s5 coffee machine hero I’ve just posted the manual here -
http://www.pauserefreshment.co.uk/la-spaziale-s5-manual.html

So if you're looking for a La Spaziale s5 manual your search is over and if the Italian company who makes them would like to invite me over to Italy for an all expenses paid visit I’m available next week ;-)

Are UK offices more unhealthy than a greasy kebab?

Does UK office culture promote bad eating?
"5 steps you can take to reverse the tide of unhealthy office habits"

Having worked in offices since graduating I'm under the firm impression offices rate as one of the most unhealthy work environments you can find your self in.

In January this year along with millions of others I made the annual pilgrimage towards the gym. I was determined to lose a stone before a friends wedding in Easter but I’m getting really wound up at just how easy it is in the office to get fed cake and chocolate at intervals on par with a Duck getting prepped for Foie gras.

The average modern UK office looks benign. Nice furniture, chrome fixtures, well lit and if your lucky enough air conditioned, no obvious dangers. But look a little closer. There's the chocolate vending machine, always there to add some comfort for today then self loathing for tomorrow. A pile of cakes lays across the staff table, a way of thanks from the office manager for handling a difficult week.

A tin of Quality Street sits in the reception with only toffee pennies and coffee creams left over, a previous donation from a colleague claiming they're on the bridal diet.

Yes there's no doubt offices can be tough places especially in today’s times of economic uncertainty. Perhaps we've sweetened the blows of the everyday grind with
chocolate distractions but surely the office chocolate vending machine should not be seen as such an innocent furniture piece of today’s health conscious society.

Not so long back the Department of Health and National Health Service campaigned against smoking in public places successfully when on 1st July it became illegal to do so. Non smoking office workers no longer finished the day smelling like an ash tray bad news for Febreze sales.

But perhaps the Health authorities need to re focus on workplace health and challenge unhealthy eating in the office. Perhaps they should lobby for making it compulsory for office workers to have access to fresh fruit or ban chocolate vending machines?

But of course this level of legal intervention is a fiction. But if your passionate enough about making offices healthier places then perhaps office managers can take the proverbial bull by its horns before it becomes obese. Here are five steps to get you going in the right direction:

Step 1 - Introduce a weekly drop of fresh fruit eg fruitfuloffice.com
Step 2 - When it’s your birthday bring in Carrot & Humous - be prepared for heckling but someone’s got to stand up for healthy Eating.
Step 3 - Lobby your office manager to get a running or rowing
machine in one of your spare office rooms
Step 4 - Get the office behind a charity run eg raceforlife.org
Step 5 - Make sure the office coffee machine is not adding high Calorie whiteners. Get an office coffee machine supplier who sells milfresh virtually fat free whitener?

Perhaps in the future the health and safety inspectors will give out gold stars for replacing the chocolate vending machine with fresh fruit.

But until my low fat workplace dream future turns up any office worker can start the change. Go buy some celery sticks and share them out amongst your colleagues. They may look at you like you've just offered them a bag of pickled kitten heads but the revolution has to start sometime.

More articles >>> "Office workers deaf to anti obesity messages"

Office Coffee Machine Rage

How to avoid office coffee machine rage
“The survival guide to coping with a broken coffee machine”

It’s Monday Morning 8AM. You’ve got a meeting with the office manager to discuss this month’s corporate newsletter. For you its priority number 549 for your boss its priority number one and she wants to know what headline grabbing articles you’ve chosen to write about from the world of photocopiers.

You’ve had a long weekend, didn’t sleep too good and you wonder whatever happened to the duvet day but help is at hand to get you bright eyed and bushy tailed. The office coffee machine beckons, a double espresso should offer DIY resuscitation. You position your mug and press the button. An impressive whirring noise ensues and you wait impatiently. The machine coughs and splutters managing a couple of tablespoons of coffee. AARRRGGG!!! You call the office coffee machine repair line and after negotiating an agonising automated call centre maze you finally make it through to a human and the first question they ask is “Does the machine have ingredients in it?”

You don’t know! there’s no way of telling and anyway you’ve ran out of time your meeting is on in five minutes, you resort to sipping down the splutter of cold coffee it managed in its last dying breath. You slam the phone down impatiently and hope the call centre didn’t clock your number.

OK, dramatic preamble out of the way ;-) As an industry insider here’s what the technician is likely to ask when you call in a coffee machine fault:

What’s the model of the machine? Yes this deceptively simple question can infuriate. A lot of office coffee machines go so heavy on branding they don’t write the name and model in a place you can find. Your best bet is to talk to that bloke or woman that fixes everything in the office and knows the difference between 3 phase power supply and 13 amp.

Is it a Vending Machine or regular machine? Again this can confuse. But here is an approximate way of telling. If it’s a small table top office coffee machine with no need to stick money in it then it’s most likely not to be a vending machine.

Is there product in it? Again this can be a tough one as there are stacks of office coffee machines that make its inner workings totally invisible. If your lucky your machine might tell you in its LCD display or if you’ve got a fresh bean to cup machine there may be a transparent bean hopper where you can see if it needs refilling.

Is it switched on? Yep it’s at this point you feel the help desk really wants to make you feel dumb but you really do need to know if it’s got power or not.

And lastly take your ego out of the situation. You probably think dealing with the broken coffee machine is beneath you but you know just how much you rely on it to get through the day.

I hope my answers will avoid office coffee machine rage but they have there limits, they definitely wont help you write your corporate newsletter, your on your own with that one ;-)

www.pauserefreshment.co.uk – preventing office coffee machine rage since 2006.

Got a thirst for more coffee machine shenanigans? Check out what happens when office coffee machine site surveys get it wrong ;-)