Have you ever wondered how to make your Zabu coffee taste Christmassy? Well this Christmas, were here to help you and your coffee get into the festive spirit with some great Christmas coffee recipes.

Christmas Delight

Ingredients: (Makes 10 cups)

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups of double cream
• 10 cups of freshly brewed Zabu House blend
• 10 strips orange peel
• 1 apple, cored and sliced into 10 pieces
• optional – 1/2 to 1 shot of rum per cup of coffee

1. Melt the butter in a small pan on a low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
2. Allow the mixture to cool and then store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
3. Brew your fresh Zabu House Blend (cafetiere or filter)
4. To serve, add 1 x teaspoon of the butter spice, 2 x tablespoons cream, 1 strip orange peel and 1 apple slice into 6 ounces of your freshly brewed coffee.

Elves’ Coffee Break

Ingredients: (Make 4 cups)

• 2 cups of freshly brewed Zabu Kenya AA
• 2 cups of apple cider
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 4 thin slice of orange with rind
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 teaspoon brown sugar

1. Stir your freshly brewed Zabu Kenya AA, apple cider, cloves, allspice, brown sugar, in a saucepan and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Pour into 4 cups and add a cinnamon stick and orange slice to each cup.
3. Add additional brown sugar if desired.

Santa’s Java

Ingredients: (Makes 4 cups)

• 3 cups of freshly brewed Zabu House Blend.
• 1 cup of double cream
• 1 vanilla bean – sliced
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoon of brown sugar (use more if desired)
• 2 teaspoon of crushed chocolate (sprinkles may be used)

1. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and place it in the bottom of the coffee maker carafe.
2. Freshly brew 3 cups of Zabu House blend coffee.
3. While the coffee is brewing, whip the cream and brown sugar together.
4. Pour the coffee into four cups and top with the whipped cream mixture.
5. Add one cinnamon stick to each cup.
6. Sprinkle the crushed chocolate on top and add extra sugar if desired.

Let us know what you think.

If you have any great Christmas recipes you would like to share, please comment or post on facebook – if we think they are great too we will share them on our blog.

Merry Christmas!

Jamaican Blue Mountain is unique to any other coffee – similar to Champagne and Bordeaux; it is legally defined by its geographical area. Its origins go back to a decision made by King Louis XV of France. In 1723 he sent three coffee plants to the French colony of Martinique (a fertile island 1,900 KM south west of Jamaica) Five years later, the Governor of Martinique sent a coffee plant to the Governor of Jamaica as a gift. And so begun, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee!

The Blue Mountains are mainly located between Kingston to the south and Port Antonio to the North. Rising to 7,500 feet, they are some of the highest mountains in the Caribbean.  Traditionally, only coffee grown at elevations between 3,000 and 5,500 feet could be called Jamaica Blue Mountain. Coffee grown between 1,500 and 3,000 feet is called Jamaica High Mountain.

The climate is cool and misty with high rainfall, while the soil is volcanic and rich, with good drainage. This combination of both climate and soil helps to grow such exquisite coffee.  The coffee is noted for its mild flavour and lack of bitterness.

Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the most expensive and sought–after coffees in the world and uniquely the green beans are transported in these barrels rather than the traditional burlap sack. While 80% is exported to Japan, we at Zabu have managed to purchase a micro lot for you to try. Bags are limited. We are offering 2 x 125g bags for £25 including delivery.

Order online or call us on 0800 298 2211.

We are roasting our Jamaican Blue Mountain beans in a Probat roaster – a special roaster that handles only small quantities and is regarded as one of the best in the world! It is a beautiful, old fashioned roaster that links state-of-the-art technology with a classic design. The Probat uses a drum roasting procedure with a special shovel mechanism ensuring the best possible mixing of the beans.

Delivery will be in December, arriving just in time for Christmas. We are very happy to send it as a gift if required – it could be the perfect present for a friend or relative!

Lastly – did you know the beans are the flavour base of Tia Maria coffee liqueur!?

                            Enjoy!

First, grab an ice cube making tray.   Then brew a cafetiere or filter full of fresh Zabu Coffee – we recommend using our House Blend – and leave to cool. Once cooled, pour your coffee into the ice tray and place in the freezer until frozen.

When your ice cubes are ready, brew a fresh cup of Zabu Coffee and place 3 or 4 of your pre-prepared ice cubes into your coffee cup and pour the freshly brewed coffee over the cubes.

A perfect cup of iced coffee – delicious!

The atmosphere is always buzzy and lively, however if you prefer to go alone, it is a great place to sit outside, read a book and people watch.

Coffee is of course served throughout the day with breakfast, lunch, and dinner or on its own. On this occasion, I went for breakfast, before work and ordered a cafetiere of coffee to myself plus a croissant.

For once the sun was shinning, so sat outside and read the papers. The coffee was served with hot or cold milk on the side; I requested cold. There was enough for two cups in my cafetiere, which was a nice surprise. The coffee was strong, rich and creamy with no bitter aftertaste and worked well with and without milk.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would recommend it to anyone wanting a coffee in South Kensington.

272 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2AW

www.labrasserie.co.uk

0207 581 3089

I asked a guide in Westfield where to go for coffee and he sent us to ‘Grind’ in the Great Eastern Market, just by Waitrose.

It is my 2nd visit. Great coffee – wide range of styles and beans. Quirky cafe with a mix of tables and chairs – from long, heavy wooden tables to leather couches – but kind of works. And it feels very different to most of the stuff in Westfield.

Food is good – freshly made – and great tea too.

If you have time, drop in to Grind.

One word of warning – it takes a while for them to make their great coffee. So be relaxed!

Drinking caffeine in pregnancy brings the risk of miscarriage or low birth weight so I understand the concern. The good news is that you don’t have to give up caffeine altogether as medical reports suggest you can safely drink up to 200mg of caffeine per day. The table* below average caffeine content from a variety of sources.

*source: www.babycentre.co.uk

What the table does not show is an alternative option that I have taken and thought I’d share with you.

I still have one cup of filter coffee per day – using up 140mg of my ‘caffeine allowance’ and then switch to our delightful Swiss Water Decaffeinated coffee (which is 99.9% free) for the rest of the day. Zabu’s decaf is stripped of the caffeine through a simple water process rather than the harsh chemical process so often used by others. The gentle Canadian water maintains the distinctive origin and flavour characteristics. We then roast the beans as usual so they retain that lovely aroma that you only get from freshly roasted coffee.

If you are usually an instant coffee drinker you may find, as I did, with fresh coffee you drink less cups as the taste and flavour is so satisfying from one cup that you are not left wanting another. So when I said above I drink decaf for the rest of the day, I have one cup mid morning and another in the afternoon.

I have never felt deprived or craved coffee because I am still drinking delicious flavoursome coffee and my midwife is happy because I’m well within my 200mg daily limit. So if you are pregnant and craving a coffee – don’t lose hope!

If you’d like to give our decaf a try – you can order online at http://www.zabucoffee.co.uk/products-page/starters/starter-pack-decaffeinated/ or give us a call on 0800 298 2211.

I usually avoid vending machines like the plague as they invariably dispense a strange lukewarm grey liquid of indeterminate origin. However, it was early in the morning and I was desperate for something wet and warm so I pressed the button for a cappuccino and waited expectantly.

Much to my surprise the coffee that came out was fresh, actually tasted rather good and certainly wasn’t the muck I was expecting from (with all due respect) a builder’s merchant. The guy behind the counter couldn’t tell me what beans he was using but at least they were real.

So if you are passing Wimbledon Builders Merchants in Gap Road do pop in and buy a few paving slabs and treat yourself to a complimentary cup of above average builder’s coffee.

http://wimbledonbuildersmerchants.co.uk/

We ordered a cappuccino and a hot chocolate (sadly there are some non-coffee lovers among us!) and both were delicious. The cappuccino was rich and creamy, if not particularly strong. The hot chocolate was wonderful, extremely thick and more like a meal than a drink of its own!

Although there is currently no food apart from cakes or pastries, the ones tasted were delicious. There is also the luxury that being in a cafe/bar provides, of slowly moving from a late afternoon coffee to an early evening cocktail without having to change seats. There’s a beautiful bar with lots of choice, with many unusual or alternative recommendations available. Although service can be a little slow, the staff were all lovely and helpful. There’s live music every week and a piano fills one of the back walls. As well as this the back room can be hired free of charge and makes a lovely, intimate venue.

Cable Cafe & Bar is a great place to get a coffee because it is different and relaxed. A brilliant place to spend a Sunday afternoon or head for an after work drink.

Stepping into the café, everything was themed and decorated around the book and film Alice in Wonderland. The walls we painted with a variety of the characters, teacups and pots were brightly coloured, and even the children in the café were given butterfly wings to wear and sprinkled with fairy dust on arrival.

Once seated we were presented with an extensive brunch and tea menu; we ordered waffles with maple syrup and fresh berries, a mushroom, spinach and goats cheese omelet, a slice of their famous banana and nutella cake and a red velvet cup cake to go. We also ordered a pot of tea and of course, two strong Americano’s.

The food was amazing – the only word to describe it was delicious. The coffee was strong with a creamy hazelnut taste and a rich texture. Having tried it both black and white, it was enjoyable with or without milk.

The atmosphere was lively and the staff were very friendly, just a little slow.  This however did not affect our visit in any way and overall it was a very pleasurable experience. Now I need to visit Chapter I and II.

If you have ever been to any of the Alice’s Tea Cup’s in NYC, let us know about your visit.

www.alicesteacup.com

156 East 64^th Street, NYC, 10021

212 486 9200

The event is a hub for both coffee fanatics and those involved in the trade. It is essentially a trade show with the world’s coffee finest competing throughout.  Whether you were interested in cupping, learning to brew your own coffee, or discussing the latest coffee gadgets, the event was the perfect opportunity to meet the right people.

Perhaps the best moment of the entire event was having the opportunity to be a volunteer and help out during the courses and to watch a host of competitors in the WBC) Not only do you appreciate the work of preparing their 15 minute routine, but this year you really got a feel for those who worked with their own coffees in origin or visited the farmers producing their coffee. Alongside this theme was the use of the coffee by-products usually retained at/within the producing countries. For example the respective coffees cherry pulp seemed to be a popular ingredient in the competitors own recipe. Either way they were all experimental and enjoyable to watch.

If you have an opportunity to visit one of these events or to volunteer, I would strongly recommend that you give it a go. If you happen to be in Melbourne next year, the WBC is being hosted there!

Winners 2012

World Barista Championship- Raul Rodas (Guatemala)

World Cup Taster- Cory Andreen (Germany)

World Brewers Cup – Matt Perger (Australia)

World Cezve/Ibrik – Zoltan Kis (Hungary)

By Marie-Anne Rogers