There I was, standing in the sun outside a café in Naples - it might have been Scaturchio, but I can’t be sure - when a young, white-jacketed waiter came and joined me and began vigorously beating a jug of cream with a spoon.
Ah, the intoxication of coffee first thing in the morning - the glossy beans, some dark as night, some the colour of milk chocolate; the rumble of the grinder; the perfume rising up to fill the kitchen, earthy, primal, infinitely seductive; the hiss of the superheated water; the sharp, intense, tantalising aroma; the cascade of black magic into the cup; and then - it’s worth getting up and facing the world for just that moment.
PianoCoffee.com is delighted to announce that Matthew Fort has agreed to act as ‘conduttore’ as we embark on an exploration of the nature of Italian Coffee and its place in society. Matthew, a prize-winning writer, was Food & Drink editor of The Guardian for more than ten years. He is now reaching an even wider audience on the BBC's ‘Great British Menu’, appearing as a judge since the show began in 2006. His broad knowledge and ardent love of Italian food and culture, (on which he has written several successful books), make him the perfect guide as we lift the lid on the Italian Coffee Experience. This year, Matthew will indulge us in many gastronomic memories from his travels around Italy and gives his take on various coffee traditions. ...
Great Coffee that Doesn’t Cost The Earth. Piano Coffee is the UK's leading supplier of Lavazza coffee. In addition to the Lavazza range, we now offer two UK-produced Italian-style blends, called Francesco and Luisa. Why have we done this? A number of our customers have been expressing concern to us about the environmental impact of coffee production. In response to this, we resolved to reduce our carbon footprint by producing two Italian-style blends at a modern eco-friendly roastery in the UK. Not only can we now drastically cut emissions from the roasting process, but we can reduce the Food Miles of each kilo of coffee. Coffee roasted in Italy travels 1,500 miles to reach our warehouse in the UK. Our...
When you order a coffee, it isn’t as straightforward as merely asking for a cappuccino or a flat white. The barista will typically ask “which milk would you like”, which used to be as simple as requesting semi-skimmed over full fat. The rise in veganism in recent years has encouraged a range of alternatives to dairy in coffee shops. Vegan options go beyond that of soya; now there is a never-ending list of new milks such as oat, rice, coconut and almond influencing the market. There is increasing transparency in the dairy industry. Cow’s milk is now less desirable to a lot of coffee drinkers who have become more aware of the supply process. Rice, oat and soy milk reportedly...
