Doubtless you remember the heart-rending images of the awful earthquake which took place in Haiti around two and a half years ago. Our television screens were filled with images of the devastated country after it was hit by the biggest earthquake it had suffered for 200 years. Even now, it is reported that some 500,000 people are still struggling and live in tented dwellings. Many of the buildings which were destroyed in the earthquake have not yet been cleared. Although charities and religious organisations have contributed towards the reconstruction works to hospitals and schools, the collapsed government buildings have not yet been dealt with, which in turn, has a damaging effect on the recovery of Haitian infrastructure.
In recognition of the needs of this country, the Central Methodist Church in Brighouse has pulled together a coffee morning to raise funds for the much needed cause. How did this coffee morning fare? Together with the annual sale of the retired Methodist Minister, Reverend Edward Holmes, the coffee morning was certainly something of a success in fact! Over £1,000 was raised.
The funds are intended to be used by Haitian families towards essentials such as school fees or even food or medical needs. Apparently, compared to other fund-raising in the same area, this event was more successful than most. It seems that, even in these difficult financial times, the needs of others in trouble is still prioritised by some. And, the good old fashioned coffee morning is contributing towards the fund-raising efforts.
Posted by Matt on the 1st February 2012
The Weldmar Hospicecare Trust is an independent charity, based in Dorset, which helps those who are suffering from cancer or other illnesses which limit the quality of patient’s lives. It is also a charity which prides itself on providing care free of charge, which must be of extreme importance to those who receive care in their moment of need. However, of course, the charity needs some form of funding and apparently some 70% of their funds are raised in the local area, with the balance being provided by the National Health Service.
And what is a good way to raise funds? Of course, coffee mornings are one of the staple fund-raising activities in the country. In Weymouth, there was recently such an event which took place at the Crown Hotel. The hotel was especially generous: appreciating the good work done by the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust, they made the venue, coffee and biscuits available at no cost.
What sort of activities were included in the coffee morning, sipping on coffee aside? There were various stalls which made a selection of goods available to visitors, such as crafts, cakes, books and cushions. Also there was the coffee morning staple, the tombola.
The organiser of the event was quoted in the local press as being pleased with the turn out. It seems that the people of Weymouth also understood the great cause and worthwhile work done by the charity, as they gave it their support.
Posted by Phil on the 27th January 2012
Given that the world is so enthusiastic about coffee-drinking, it is no wonder that there have been many research projects into the effects of drinking the caffeine elixir. One such study has been in the news a lot recently because of the relationship that has apparently been discovered between coffee and type 2 diabetes.
The study was revealed in the American Chemistry Society’s Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry. In this study it has been suggested that those who drink a lot of coffee are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. There have been some studies too, into why this might be the case.
So what are the figures for this announcement? The results of study projects so far suggest that if you drink over four cups of coffee on a daily basis, you are half as likely to develop this strain of diabetes. In China, some scientists including Ling Zhuen and Kun Huang, think that it is perhaps because of a particular compound which is found in coffee and which inhibits the human ‘islet amyloid polypeptide.’
Of course more medical research needs to be carried out to see if this analysis is correct and how it can be used. It is rather a potentially happy outcome, isn’t it, if the drinking of coffee, which is one of life’s great pleasures, could be good for us and help to prevent the onset of certain diseases. It is normally the case that things that are good for us, do not taste quite so nice.
Posted by Dennis on the 24th January 2012
The new Brasilia coffee machine brochure for 2012 is now available to download showing the full range of Brasilia traditional coffee machines and grinders.
Established in 1977, Brasilia are renowned market leaders and innovators, who strive to keep their position as the world’s most desired and successful premium coffee machine manufacturer.
Brasilia espresso machines provide the best commercial solutions in terms of styling, reliability
and functionality, with models to suit businesses of all sizes and types.
Brasilia have revolutionised the outlook towards traditional style equipment by developing
easy to follow training programmes and dispelling the myth that traditional coffee machines
are too complicated for a mainstream operation.
You can download the brochure now by clicking HERE, clicking the cover above or copy and paste the address below into your browser.
http://www.caffesociety.co.uk/assets/brasilia-brochure.pdf
Posted by Matt on the 20th January 2012
Are you bored or terrified by the endless horrid economic forecasts and headlines? Rising unemployment, increased spending cuts, reduced job opportunities. And so on and so on. However, if you look to the coffee industry, things are not, it would appear, quite so gloomy.
As reported in the online business news recently, it seems that coffee is still popular and has a faithful consumer base, notwithstanding the economic storms which are raging in other sectors of the marketplace. For example, it is said that globally, coffee consumption has increased over the past calendar year in 2011. The International Coffee Organisation has been quoted as noting that the industry remains resilient.
And the coffee market, let’s face it, is not to be sneezed at. The figures speak for themselves: total consumption in 2010 amounted to some 135 million 60 kilo bags of the product, compared to 131.8 million bags the year before. The International Coffee Organisation says that it expects the trend to continue and coffee consumption to keep rising, on the basis that those countries which export coffee are developing a stronger consumer base.
In addition, coffee is becoming popular in other emerging markets too, which is helping the increasing levels of consumption of the beverage. Morever, it has been observed that in traditional coffee-drinking countries, there is a growing sophistication in the market, with niche shops, connoisseur tastes and a greater variety of coffee forms and blends. It seems that coffee is with us to stay.
Posted by Dennis on the 19th January 2012
What is the first event that springs to mind if you think of fund-raising for a good cause? The odds are that the good old fashioned coffee morning pops into your thoughts. Certainly, there is a time-honoured connection between caffeine drinking and working for worthwhile causes.
There is another example of this happy partnership afoot in Chicago too. The organisation Aspire is not for profit and has been established for over half a century. It seeks to look after those who have a disability, children and adults alike. Aspire has joined forces with the family-owned coffee company, Metropolis Coffee Company, to further this good work.
So what’s the deal? What’s the plan between these two organisations? The idea is that together, Aspire and Metropolis Coffee Company work to create both coffee and work opportunities for those with disabilities.
Those who benefit from the care of Aspire have been taken on to work in the coffee business. When the opportunity arises, as well as learning coffee-making skills, these individuals can carry out the same work as other employees and feel valued in the workplace. According to local reports, the Aspire Coffee Works is now ‘a significant part’ of the organisation. Two years or so after talks to address the potential partnership began, there are now several workers from the Aspire organisation working at the coffee company. In addition, according to reports, three coffee roasts have been made especially for the Aspire Coffee Works project.
Posted by Matt on the 18th January 2012
The world over, countries are falling in love with the caffeine elixir. India too, is celebrating the drink and in January in 2012, the fourth India International Coffee Festival is to take place. This might seem unusual, as the country is often associated with tea drinkers. However, reports suggest that India is seeking to introduce the north of the country to coffee at the event.
It is to be held in Delhi and will include all sorts of activities to engage the local population. For example, cookery with coffee is on the schedule and also a series of workshops, as well as various other occasions to showcase the different beans.
The south of India is more familiar with coffee and now, it would seem, it is time for the north to fall in love with caffeine too. The drink is especially popular with the middle classes and the cities of the country in particular are popular places for coffee consumption. There are a growing number of coffee shops and retail outlets which promote the drink – published estimates suggest that there are around 4,000 cafes. The majority of Indian coffee – over 80% – is said to be produced in the south of the country which may account for these figures.
The India Coffee Trust is organising the January festival and the Coffee Board is said to be involved in the promotion of the event. It is reported that the northern states of India are consuming more and more coffee and so hopefully it will also soon be as smitten with the drink as the south.
Posted by Dennis on the 17th January 2012
There has been a report in Medscape News recently to suggest that eating fish and consuming alcohol and coffee may be effective in slowing the progress of relapsing-onset multiple sclerosis (note that there is a difference here between the relapsing onset variety of the disease and the progressive-onset strain).
According to neurologist M B G’Hooghe, from the National MS Centre in Belgium, these food items may affect inflammation and are worth investigating further, to see if their properties can help to modulate the MS. Of course, the foodstuffs cannot be said to be a substitute for any other forms of treatment but it is will worth looking into their effects on the body, as every little could help.
A study was undertaken to assess information from 1,372 patients who were registered with the disease with the Flemish MS Society. As part of the study, these participants completed questionnaires about their particulars, including demographic issues, the characteristics of the disease which they showed, their smoking record and also details about their consumption of the food groups in question.
It was found by the researchers that those who drank coffee, alcohol and ate fish were associated with a reduced time for the participants to reach a specific Expanded Disability Status Scale score. That is to say that it took them longer to develop the disability characteristics.
It should be stressed that the study is not conclusive and further studies should be undertaken. However, it would be wonderful to discover that an enjoyable group of foods and beverages may help those who are suffering from certain strains of MS.
Posted by Phil on the 16th January 2012
Many of us are familiar with the endless strategies that office workers employ to entertain themselves in otherwise boring situations. Remember the endless gags in the TV show, The Office, when Gareth’s stapler is set into some jelly. Boredom can certainly rise to dizzying levels in some offices.
Recently, however, there has been a study into these sorts of issues, which was discussed at a conference of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology in Chester. The study was researched by the University of Central Lancashire and involved interviewing more than 100 office workers, to see what they thought to issues of boredom in the office environment and how they dealt with this.
Apparently, up to a quarter of those who work in an office say they have ‘chronic boredom’ in the workplace. This may well have an impact on their work – the research also apparently discovered that nearly 80% of those interviewed said that they lost concentration when they were bored and at least 50% said that this resulted in making errors on the job.
So what do these poor office workers do to relieve the boredom? It transpired that eating and drinking were obvious displacement activities. Among the more popular ways of alleviating boredom, are nibbling on chocolate or sipping on coffee.
Apparently, one of the top reasons for finding a job boring is to have a workload which is not demanding enough. Ways of solving these problems include rotating jobs and tasks, assigning groups of tasks which involved multiple skills and helping people to feel more empowered.
Posted by Phil on the 13th January 2012
It’s that time of year again – a great deal of over indulgence is taking place and will continue to take place during the festive season as we all tuck in to delights. Chocolates, yule logs, mince pies and calorie laden alcoholic beverages all contribute towards pounds being piled onto the nation’s hips and thighs. This in turn will lead to the huge Weight Loss campaign in January. However, have you heard that coffee drinking may help you with your get-fit-lose-weight campaign?
According to a recent report in Tempo, a cup of coffee pre-workout may help you to perform more effectively once you begin your exercise subsequently. A study is underway to look into this very issue.
It has been said that scientists and athletes have believed this to be the case for a while. Apparently, caffeine has been shown to boost the fatty acids in the blood which, in turn, give people the capacity to perform for longer. This is because the absorption and burning of fat is increased and the body can save carbohydrates for later in the workout. As caffeine is legal according to the International Olympic Committee rules, it is said to be the most popular drug in sports and many athletes test positive for caffeine intake in their urine samples.
Can caffeine also help with less-aerobic work outs such as weight training? Coventry University has just conducted a study which discovered that those who had drunk caffeine were able to put more into their work out sessions.
Posted by Matt on the 12th January 2012
