Espresso specialist Caffeine Limited helps staff understand the bean AND the machine
Drake & Morgan is synonymous with chic, urban, modern hospitality. The dynamic group of bars and restaurants in London has just opened its site at Pancras Square, Kings Cross – the first to have ‘Drake & Morgan’ over the door. “We’re all about great drinks and good casual food,” says Operations Director Dylan Murray. With nine busy London sites and more on the way, it’s a formula that works. Dylan says that one of the elements of that success is getting the coffee service right – and to help ensure they do just that, Drake & Morgan uses espresso specialist Caffeine Limited to supply coffee, machines, maintenance, and most importantly, staff training.
“Coffee is so important, all through the day,” he says. “All the sites are open for breakfast. Then it’s mid-morning, with people coming in for meetings or just to grab a hot drink. After lunch, most diners will take a cup. Mid-afternoon is tea time – or, more often, coffee time. Later it’s the post-dinner espresso. Meanwhile, espresso martini is one of our bestselling cocktails.”
“We pay a lot of attention to coffee service,” says Dylan. “We are very comfortable working with Caffeine Limited. They really know coffee. For example, we got together with them to talk about the best blend for Drake & Morgan. We wanted it to be rounded, not too robust, but still with an edge. It had to be equally good as an espresso, with good crema, and with milk. They’ve now sorted out a great product.”
As Dylan points out, getting the bean right is only part of the job. “Staff need to have a thorough understanding of the equipment,” he says. Caffeine Limited regularly audits each Drake & Morgan site, checking that the coffee service is up to scratch. They’ll try the drinks, monitor staff operating the machines and ensure the site has all the supplies and accessories it needs. “Caffeine also helps us with staff training, as well as looking after the servicing of all our coffee machines.”
In the next few months Dylan is putting the final touches to ‘A Passion for Coffee,’ a programme for staff that pulls all this specialist knowledge together. “It’ll cover what good coffee tastes like, smells like and looks like, how to make it and how to look after the machine you use to make it. It’s designed to ensure everyone understands just how important coffee is to Drake & Morgan.”
The machines Caffeine supplies to Drake & Morgan are Gaggia. The Kings Cross site has two Gaggia D90 models, one a two-group and the other a three-group unit. The coffee blend Drake & Morgan uses is called London Calling.
See the Drake & Morgan video on the Caffeine YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/Kme-CFKxALE
Caffeine Ltd is one of the UK’s leading coffee machines specialists, distributing brands including Schaerer and Gaggia. The company also offers a comprehensive choice of coffee service accessories. For more information visit caffeineonline.co.uk.