GEOLYTIX

After the amazing stories of my colleagues Luke Whittam in Japan, Jacek Biel in Poland and Samantha Colebatch Hodkinson in Australia, our “Coffee Around the World” series is now (finally - I’d proudly say -) in Italy! Coffee, Italy, and from an Italian perspective…𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘢, where should I start!? In Italy coffee is a lot more than just caffeine, it’s something deeply embedded in our culture, in our traditions and in our life. From the first one in the morning, coffee marks the rhythm of our routine, and we religiously love it. There is a scene in “You’ve got mail”, a movie that I used to watch every fall with my sister, that always made me reflect on how unique the coffee culture is in Italy. While Meg Ryan queues for a takeaway coffee, Tom Hanks’ voice-over explains that the purpose of big coffee places was ‘for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee: short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So, people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino’. For me, and especially in an Italy of almost 30 years ago, coffee was absolutely nothing like that and not because of any special decision-making ability.   First, unlike in other countries where global chains dominate, Italy’s coffee scene has always been ruled by independent small, family-run 𝘣𝘢𝘳 (yes, that’s what we call cafes!). While international brands have recently made inroads, at the moment they still remain a niche presence. Second, we do not have a huge takeaway culture. Even today, we are still quite loyal to the traditional standing bar experience, where we quickly drink a coffee (which costs little more than €1) while chatting with a friend, another customer, the barista or simply taking a quick look at the daily newspaper. Third, and most importantly: the traditions and the RULES! Back when that movie was released, I think I had only two options: espresso or cappuccino. The offer is surely richer now, but if you order 𝘶𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘧𝘧è you will receive an espresso, as simple as that, and if you try to order a latte, you’ll probably end up with a glass of milk (𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦 means milk and not everyone knows another latte exists!). Along with a richer offer, many Italian cities - such as Milan, where I live - are now seeing a rise in more modern, specialty coffee shops. These places focus on high-quality products, have a more global approach but  they still remain very connected to our traditions and culture. That said, even as the coffee scene evolves, some rules will never change: after 11 AM, no cappuccino! No discussions. What do you think? Can Italy’s classic coffee culture coexist with new trends? Let’s discuss! ☕👇 Stay tuned for next week, we will be in South Africa with Robert Hurst!

Coffee in Australia One approaches the small cellar door, down a narrow back street in one of Melbourne's inner suburbs, with a degree of anticipation.  Anticipation of drinking something dark and delicious. Something carefully and skilfully extracted, from produce lovingly grown.  Although this might sound like the story of a grape, it is in fact the tale of a coffee cherry. Australians have a well known love, love relationship with coffee. It bloomed in the middle of last century with the influx of Italian immigrants (and their espresso) and we’ve never looked back.  We have a particular and strongly held affection for specialty coffee and the baristas who create it. This has led to a strong culture of independent, locally owned and operated coffee shops. The specialty coffee sector in Australia is a microcosm of global trends and arguably where we can look for future trends.  Looking back, it’s where the now internationally beloved Flat White originated (NZ we’ll argue about it later!). Looking forward, we see the tightening of the connection between coffee grower and consumer, the emphasis on sustainable production, the scientific approach to gently extracting the full gamut of flavour from the coffee bean and the appreciation of these in the consumer experience. That small cellar door on the narrow back street belongs to Disciple Roasters.  Working directly with farmers to create 15 premium coffees, they process out the back and sell to customers at the front.  Living and breathing their desire to tamper as little as possible with the coffee cherry through all elements of the roasting, brewing, packaging and transportation journey. Up the road, Bench Coffee Co. have their roastery and café, with bakery in one corner, seating in the middle and coffee production equipment at the rear, allowing customers to immerse themselves in the experience, sights and smells of the brew.  Menus at the Bench cafes are definitely ‘coffee first’, complemented with a curated selection of edibles. In the Brunswick Roastery this includes shokupan toast (a Japanese milk bread), in their flagship espresso bar in the city a house-baked dacquoise, in the Emporium (a premium shopping mall in the heart of Melbourne CBD) they take inspiration from the traditional Japanese kissaten. It's not hard to see similarities between the Melbourne artisanal coffee scene and the reverence given to growing and experiencing fine wine. If you’re enjoying our ‘coffee around the world’ series tune in next week when we’ll be in Italy!  If you missed them, Jacek Biel took us to Poland and Luke Whittam to Japan. #coffee #coffeeretail #locationplanning

Following in the footsteps of my colleague Luke Whittam, I’d like to share some of my impressions of the coffee market in Poland. For more please read my article below. #coffee, #poland, #locationintelligence, #geolytix

We had a wonderful catch-up with GEOLYTIX MAPP today! It was a pleasure to see Sarah, Imogen, and Simon. We took them on a tour of our newest kitchen (thank you, Frank!), enjoyed a delicious lunch (thank you, Dan!), and had a great catch-up session. What an amazing company to partner with! They help us identify the best locations across the UK for our premium meals. We've been working together for five years now, and we are incredibly grateful for their help, expertise and support they give us on a daily basis. Sarah Hitchcock Imogen Francis Nikki Penhaligon COOK Trading Ltd

Great line-up for our upcoming Geomob London on eve of Thursday, 30th Jan. Featuring talks by Andy Ashburner, Maxime Lenormand, Michael Dales, Helen Mazalon, Marc Prioleau, and Jack Maddalena 📍 Each talk will be 10-15 min, and then we head to the pub for discussion (drinks paid for by sponsors: GEOLYTIX, Esri UK, OpenCage GmbH, Mappery,Ed Parsons, and ThunderForest - and best speaker prize by SplashMaps) Many thanks to Geovation for once again hosting us 🙏 Full details and sign-up: https://lnkd.in/dP4xMBfX See you there! #geomobLON