The BSA 2012 Awards - assessors find chasm between the good and the poor - 12/07/2012

Judging has started in the annual Beverage Standards Awards, but the judges are finding a chasm between the good and bad in their quest to find the best coffee shops and cafes in the UK Ranald Paterson Chairman of the Judges

As with the famous Michelin guide, only anonymous trained assessors provide accurate and impartial assessments of an outlet’s beverages and service. Instead of ‘stars’ the BSA’s ‘cup’ rankings will be awarded to the different outlets. These BSA cup logos will be displayed on the doors or windows to show the general public the standard of the outlet.

Ranald Paterson, chairman of the judges, says, “The judges have started visiting outlets incognito. The standard of entries is very high this year and we will have a difficult job.  Don’t be fooled though amongst the very good there is still a lot to be desired in the standard of hot beverages. During the initial rounds we have been surprised at the chasm between the good and bad. Here are just a few of our favourites:

• No dedicated menus in fear that hot drink sales may surpass other products on sale
• Beverages being miss-sold. We have seen many Americanos sold as filter coffee. We will notice!
• We’ve heard much about training but we are still seeing stale coffee, with far too fast extraction rates, no crema, by staff who do not understand the difference between good and bad.

Ranald adds, “On the positive side, we have found potential 5 Cup and Best Drink Award sites. They are offering customers a good choice of different coffees, teas and hot chocolates just as they would have a choice of wines or food. We are seeing exciting menus explaining products clearly with knowledgeable staff who aren’t just selling a drink, but encouraging the sale of more drinks and ancillary products.“

“We have also noticed the best distributors are helping their customers become good retailers by training staff, maintaining equipment and helping design menus which promote drinks properly. We are, of course, hoping to emulate the number of 4 and 5 cups winners this year, but there will still be some ‘ugly’ before we get there!”

The judges are assessing outlets not only by the quality of the beverages, but also the service, facilities and atmosphere – the whole experience. For the first time, entrants will be judged on environmental sustainability – for example, whether they use recycled materials and follow a strict environmental policy.

Judging will be completed by the end of August and the Awards will be presented at a glittering Awards ceremony in London in September.

In addition to the cup ranking competition where outlets will be able to score between 1 and 5 BSA cups, five being the maximum grading, there will be the seven National Best Drinks Awards for Best Small Espresso, Best Cappuccino, Best Latte, Best Flat White, Best Filter or Cafetiere Coffee, Best Tea and Best Hot Chocolate.

Sponsors of the Awards include Jaguar Espresso Supplies, Kimbo UK, 3M Water Filtration, Barry Callebaut and Taylors of Harrogate.

There are two principal Award Categories:-
This is made up of the BSA's unique 5 cup grading™ scheme.
Sponsored by

Added: Thursday, 12th July 2012