Wonky fruit powders, compact cookers and automatic chai: the best new products for cafés

Café culture is in full force across the UK, with chains and independents serving as local community hubs and co-working spaces.

 

So to extend dwell times and the associated spend, coffee shops everywhere need to ensure their food and drink offerings are irresistible and cater to the widest possible audience.

 

Therefore, we have rounded up the latest innovative food, beverage and equipment offerings to ensure each café is serving the best menu in the most efficient and appealing way.

 

Find new café menu options below.

 

Wonky fruit powders

Australian food innovation company Zest Element is launching its range of dried fruit powders into the UK. The firm uses surplus ‘wonky’ fruit reclaimed from local farms and turns it into nutrient-rich powders that can enhance the flavour of any dish or drink. Zest Element’s 100% fruit powders are available in lemon, lime, orange, strawberry, Davidson plum and anise myrtle flavours, in 150g pouches or 6kg pails – equivalent to 60kg of fresh fruit – and have a shelf life of 18 months. 

 

Price 5kg pail, from £144.55

 

Accelerated cooker for small spaces

Unox has unveiled its Speed.Compact Eco accelerated cooker, designed for establishments where space and cost is at a premium. The high-speed cooker has a slim depth of 60cm and is easy to install with a plug-and-play configuration. The Click & Cook technology means chefs can use pre-programmed settings and have the finished product in a customer’s hands in one or two minutes. The cooker uses Adaptive.Cooking and Smart.Preheating technologies for consistent results. 

 

Price £4,600

 

Bean-to-cup machine matcha

Blendsmiths has introduced Flow hot beverage blends, to be used in many bean-to-cup machines. The range includes Energising Matcha, with a subtly sweet, umami flavour; Vegan Chocolate, made from plant-based cocoa; Irresistible Chocolate, made with Ivory Coast cocoa; and Vibrant Chai, spice blend for a sweet and enlivening drink.

 

Price Flow Chocolate 2kg, £21.90

 

Brazilian single-origin coffee

Voyager Coffee has introduced a single origin coffee: Fazenda Pantano. The rich, full-bodied coffee has notes of bourbon biscuit and a creamy body, and is suitable for all brewing methods, as an espresso or paired with milk. The naturally processed coffee is from the Cerrado Mineiro region of Brazil, and is produced by Wagner Ferrero, a third-generation coffee farmer. Voyager sources the beans through Bossa Coffee Company, a women-led importer who connects roasters with Brazilian producers, and then hand roasts them in Buckfastleigh, on the edge of Dartmoor.

 

Price 1kg, £28

 

Environmentally friendly fly killers

Mechline Developments is offering two new flying insect products: CaterTTract+ and CaterZap+. CaterZap+ is designed to manage flying insects in an effective and environmentally friendly way, thanks to a combination of Mechline’s electric grid and LED lamps, which mimic UVA light (315-400nm) for optimal insect attraction and instant extermination. The lamps are estimated to use 50% less energy and last twice as long as a typical UV lamp. CaterTTract+ also uses these lamps alongside a glue board to remove flying insects discreetly and hygienically, making it HACCP-compliant.

 

Price From £80.30