Coffee enthusiast Steve Leighton has pledged to make the nation's chefs world leaders in the field with his new coffee menu.

The owner of specialty coffee company Hasbean thinks restaurants should offer customers a selection of the World's best tasting beans as an alternative to the traditional wine list.

Steve feels the importance of a good coffee should not be underestimated, and sees his menu as a way to increase the choice on offer to the restaurant's patrons. It would also give the establishment the edge over its competitors.

He said: “Many restaurants typically offer coffee as an add-on to their meals, without really giving it too much thought. It's just an extra sale to them – but they wouldn't be so dismissive of their starters or desserts.

“When customers leave a restaurant at the end of their meal, they still have the taste of coffee in their mouths. It definitely leaves a lasting impression and could be the difference between them coming back or not, or recommending it to their friends.”

Steve hopes to educate chefs from the UK 's top restaurants on which coffee would be the ideal partner for each meal, or even season, by inviting them to a tasting event at his Stafford premises.

He said: “There is much more variety in coffee than people realise, which lends itself to pairing them with specific foods.

“They can also be tailored to the different seasons – some coffees are more suited to drinking in winter, while others are better for the summertime.

“The menu, which would be rotated every three months, would be same to a wine list – but instead of pairing a red wine with a red meat, the restaurant would know which coffee would be the best partner.

“All they would need to do is come to my premises to taste some of the coffees on offer and get some hands-on training. We would also supply equipment like coffee grinders and French pots to get the most out of their beans.

“I'm planning to hold my first workshop in the spring.”

Hasbean roasts coffee only when the customer orders it through their website. This means it is as fresh as possible when it arrives on the customer's doorstep.

The beans are imported direct from as far afield as Bolivia , Kenya and Indonesia , giving the farmer the best possible price for his product and the customer complete traceability for their purchase.

Steve said: “This would be great for any restaurant which aspires to offer something different to the customer, particularly if they have a real passion for food and where it comes from.

“By dealing with the farmers themselves I can trace all of my coffees back to the exact point of origin.”

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Issued By Market Care Public Relations
Your Contact: Richard Swancott on 01782 416371
or richardswancott@marketcare.net

Your contact for
further info: Steve Leighton on 0845 202 2326