We were delighted to be filming in London last week, for a major movie that will be coming out in a little while. We were on location on the Embankment, very close to the National Theatre.

This is our second experience of filming with Van Henri for a major production and it’s always fascinating to see how it all comes together … and the sheer effort and number of people involved for what is likely to be just a few minutes of screen time.

We can’t say more about the project at the moment, except that the cast and director should make for a guaranteed hit. And we hope Henri makes the final cut!

We love opportunities like this and Henri is the ideal vintage coffee van for film work, as we can turn him into quite a ‘blank canvas’ at a moment’s notice to suit the production. And of course, the iconic Citroen HY van is always a guaranteed scene-stealer…

We’ve just had the Square UK Coffee report land on our laps for 2018.

Having analysed sales from independent coffee shops and cafes across the UK, it reports that the UK’s number 1 most popular drink is … the Caffe Latte!

In at #2 is a cup of tea, #3 is the Americano, #4 is the Flat White, #5 the cappuccino and #6 a filter coffee.

The Flat White, (essentially a latte with less milk for a stronger coffee taste), has really caught on: it originated in Australia and New Zealand and us Brits are adopting it way quicker than our American cousins.

Alternatives to dairy milk (almond and oat in particular) are also soaring in popularity with 4x year on year growth reported!

So does this report chime with Cafe Allez!’s experiences?  Keeping in mind we cater for a vast range of events, in various parts of the country, we’re well placed to give some observations. Here goes:Continue reading

Our resident high priest of cycling, Ollie Nuthall, sets you a challenge here, packing plenty of climbing into a route of just 19 miles. There are rewards to be won: some of the best scenery the Vale of Belvoir has to offer is yours and in the process, you’ll end up with one of the UK’s ‘top 100 cycling climbs’ on your cycling CV.

To download, for free below: our detailed and illustrated route summary with commentary, plus a GPX file to download to your Garmin or other cycling computer.

Mark from Cafe Allez! tried out and photographed the route this week on a beautiful late afternoon so the shots are somewhat Autumnal!

Do send us your photographs and feedback once you’ve given this one a go…

Cafe Allez Rides Vale Hills and Thrills

Vale Hills and Thrills

We were proud to be finalists last week in the Melton Times Achievement Awards, in the Best New Business / Start Up of the Year category.

The competition was stiff, too stiff for us in fact as we didn’t win! – but congratulations to eventual winners, Apteekki, who have brought a new dining concept to Melton Mowbray, by opening a medicinal eatery, juice bar and Nordic lifestyle space.

Nonetheless! – we had a great night at the awards ceremony, sharing a table with two local businesses we visit often who also had success on the night: The Regal Cinema, and Caffe Italia.

Next year … who knows …!

Our resident high priest of cycling, Ollie Nuthall, has once again teamed up with Cafe Allez! to bring you our 2nd Vale of Belvoir cycling route: The Velo Verde Thirty. You can find the first on our Blog, too.

This ride offers spectacular and varied scenery, nothing too stretching in terms of climbing, and a chance to explore some of the less well known cycling highlights of the Vale.  Not to mention the opportunity for a coffee and cake at the decidedly cycling-friendly Caffe Velo Verde at Screveton.

It clocks in at almost exactly 30 miles but you could easily make this closer to 25 miles by heading directly from Car Colston to Screveton and missing out the loop across the A46.

Ride responsibly, enjoy the route, and share your pictures and feedback with us! Files for you to download below: the GPX file for your Garmin (other cycling computers are available) and the illustrated route with our commentary…

The Velo Verde Thirty

Cafe Allez Rides The Velo Verde Thirty

 

Cafe Allez! is very proud to bring you this, the first in our series of cycling routes, highlighting the very best riding that the stunning Vale of Belvoir (in the East Midlands) has to offer.

These routes are curated by Cafe Allez!’s resident cycling guru, Ollie Nuthall: find out more about Ollie in our previous Blog article. All of them will start and end at the Belvoir Castle visitor car park where, if you wish, you can leave your car for the day and grab some pre- and post-ride refreshment from Cafe Allez! if we’re on site.

We kick off with a 40 mile route which includes some climbs but is not too daunting. It takes in some of Ollie’s favourite roads in the area and really highlights some of the varying landscapes and sights of the Vale. Why ‘The Whale’? – well, a key feature of the ride is the climb on the fabulously named Whalebone Lane. And knowing the importance of coffee and cake in any good ride, we include a suggested mid-point cafe stop…

Below, you can download our route guide including Ollie’s commentary and some pictures Mark took when he tested the route. We also include a GPX file for you to download for your Garmin (other cycle computers are available!).

We wish you safe and happy riding – do send us your feedback / photos!

Route Details: Cafe Allez Rides The Vale and the Whale
Download GPX

Cafe Allez! loves cyclists and we’re proud of the Vale of Belvoir where we’re based. So to bring these together …

We’re going to publish a series of cycling routes, all of which start / end at the Belvoir Castle visitor car park so we can refresh you pre- and post-ride if we’re on site.

The routes will be of varying lengths to suit all ability levels, be sure that we’ll be bringing you the greatest roads and sights that the Vale has to offer. And maybe some roads that will surprise even seasoned riders!

We’ll include pictures, commentary and free GPX files to download to your Garmin, (other cycling computers are available).

We are honoured to have Ollie Nuthall curate these routes for us so let’s kick off by introducing Ollie and telling you why when he talks cycling, we listen:

Introducing Ollie!
Ollie Nuthall is a long time friend of Cafe Allez! and something of a local cycling nut.

Thirty-year-old Ollie has a passion for classic cars (and vintage bicycles) and is currently residing in Belgium. His entry to the cycling world came after first trying his hand at cross-country running. Ollie has road raced successfully in the Midlands and having (almost) hung up his racing shoes, is now tackling the Belgian sportive scene.

Ollie grew up in the Vale of Belvoir and has an encyclopeadical knowledge of the Vale’s best roads and scenery. Whilst other competitors switch to their indoor turbo trainers in the Winter, Ollie is well known for hitting the roads whatever the weather. He has been leading group rides for many years and loves to share his enthusiasm and knowledge of cycling with new and improving riders. Even today, one of the first things he does on returning to the UK is to unpack or scrounge a bike and head out into the Vale.

Ollie, like many serious cyclists, is equally serious about his coffee, so you will find that his routes start and end at Cafe Allez! at Belvoir Castle, where his favoured double espresso and sparkling waters are on tap. He also believes that a ride without a mid-way café stop is akin to a broken pencil (pointless), so don’t be surprised to find other café recommendations too.

This first route from Ollie is a 40 miler, we’ll publish here shortly … with more to come, of varying levels of distance and challenge!

 

We’ve just completed a fabulous week working with Dolce & Gabbana, to launch their new fragrance, The Only One, to 300 delegates at a conference in Hinckley, Leics.

Dolce & Gabbana were a pleasure to work with. They wanted quality coffee and an eye-catching centre piece, which Cafe Allez! are well placed to deliver. The twist was that we had to serve 50 delegates at a time, instantly.

Together, we found the solution: iced coffee! – including our new Violet Iced Coffee, (made with a double espresso, ice, cold milk, an infusion of violet syrup and with optional cream and violet sugar to garnish). This was unexpectedly delicious! – we’ve got the ingredients on board now so ask us if you’d like to try it!

This is another example of how easy it is for us to have Van Henri, our iconic Citroen HY van, branded to look amazing for corporate clients or similar.  Once again we thank Digital Deadline in Melton Mowbray for their expertise here.

Henri loved his excursion into the world of high fashion and we hope to partner with Dolce & Gabbana again in the future …

Find out more about The Only One here … we didn’t have a guest appearance from Emilia Clarke last week, but we did have fabulous live music courtesy of Francesco (from Colomboloco) and Berdin…

http://www.dolcegabbana.com/beauty/perfumes/women/the-only-one-eau-de-parfum/

We noticed McDonald’s are re-running their TV ad that gently pokes fun at our growing UK coffee culture, arguing that you should just keep it simple by ordering your coffee at McDonald’s. One exasperated customer exclaims that he “just wants a coffee”.

Whilst coffee culture may sometimes cross the thin line from geekiness to pretentiousness, once you’ve tasted a coffee that has been made with the best of everything (beans, care, skill, from a high quality espresso machine), most of us will be seeking that experience out time and again.

And when did “choice” become a dirty word?  We know that some of our regulars seek out the intense flavour and punch of a double espresso; others love the velvety smoothness of a caffe latte.  Some will ask for a shot of hazelnut syrup to sweeten their coffee; others prefer theirs iced for the ultimate Summer refreshment.  To us, there’s absolutely no right or wrong: choice rules, and we offer it!

Cafe Allez! recommends you walk into your local McDonald’s and tell the staff you “just want a burger”.  Then strike a look that suggests you’re both appalled and confused when they show you their menu (containing 23 of them – we checked)…

Meantime – when you come to Cafe Allez!, we won’t judge you if you don’t know the difference between a flat white, caffe latte, cappuccino or Americano.  We’re more than happy to explain, (we’re also still learning about the world of coffee)… or you can just tell us how you like your coffee and we’ll do our very best to make it just for you, your way…

Cafe Allez! needs YOUR help!

Friends and customers: yesterday was a big day for us, it marked 1 year since our first event with Van Henri: a wedding celebration for a lovely couple, Paul and Jo.

Since then we’ve had a lot of adventures…
– We’ve partnered with some brilliant corporate clients like the Marriott Hotels group, Delta Global Source, Brown and Co. and others …
– We’ve had Henri re-branded for companies such as Butcher’s Pet Care
– We’ve helped other couples with their wedding celebrations
– We’ve battled through sub-zero temperatures to attend Christmas markets and fairs
– We’ve supported cyclists and runners at various sporting events
– We’ve served drinks to Timmy Mallett!
– We’ve fuelled various car & bike meets, from Hillman Imps to the Notts Custom Car & Bike show
– We’ve attended numerous meets at Leicester Racecourse
– We’ve made Henri a film star for a forthcoming Channel 4 film (and served a bona-fide A-lister in the process)…
– We’ve made over 106 cups of coffee
– We’ve been proud to use local produce from the likes of 200 Degrees Coffee Roasters, Hambleton Bakery, Digital Deadline, B&H Midland Services, Miss B’s Traditional Tearooms, Cherizena and many others
– We’ve offered a discount for anyone who brings us a re-usable cup – and offered our stylish re-usable bamboo cup for sale. (And all our disposables are compostable).
– We’ve had a frequent presence at the stunning Belvoir Castle, servicing locals, cyclists, tourists alike