To be completely honest this all started out innocently enough… I was looking for some neat facts to post onto our Twitter page (@wpgcoffeegurus) and somehow it became a complete obsession. I crave more and more factoids to share with our followers and of course the office. We have a white board here that was for daily quotes, and I’ve always been a quote lover (should’ve been a sign there), but as many months passed one of our CSR’s was no longer putting inspirational quotes up but Chuck Norris-isms. Which I mean I can’t completely complain some of the things Chuck Norris is apparently capable of blows my mind. Anyways I started doing more research into coffee, I drink it all the time especially working in Coffee Land, but I wanted to know its history, its health benefits, and pretty much anything and everything about it, I work with coffee so why not get even better acquainted with it. Well turns out I now have an entire book filled with coffee facts that I have jotted down over several months and I post a daily factoid on twitter and even use the white board in our office to write the factoid down so the staff know about all the neat things I tweet about, especially since were all coffee fanatics here.
If the staff read these factoids who knows when it might come in handy! Say perhaps at our next Annual General Meeting? Hehe I think I threw a pretty good (yet super fun) curve ball with our last AGM when we broke all the staff into groups and named them after discontinued K-Cups (again may they rest in peace). Some of the coffee questions dated back to the 9th century, you know just so everyone really had to put their thinking caps on, and I must say this was one of the funniest days of my entire time in Coffee Land (you will notice I often refer to Gourmet Coffee as Coffee Land.. as if it’s a fairy tale…well its where my dreams come true of course, Mmm coffee!). You can read all about our AGM fun in Kelli’s blog, she details the entire day in her own fabulous words, and it’s definitely worth the read!
I’ll just share a few of my factoids with you before I go. Did you know… Coffee was once a term for wine, Caffeine is on the Olympic Committee List of prohibited substances an athlete cannot consume more than 5 cups, adding coffee grounds to your soil will help it retain its moisture for a longer period of time due to the natural nitrogen it adds, some people consider caffeine a psychoactive drug, a Swedish 2011 study found women who drank 5+ cups a day had 60% lower risk of aggressive breast cancer, another study found men who drink 6+ cups of coffee a day had a 60% reduction in lethal prostate cancer, caffeine can stay in your system for 3-7 hours, the term “cup of joe” comes from GI’s in WWII being seen as big coffee drinkers. I could really go on and on forever with these but instead follow me on Twitter at: @wpgcoffeegurus for daily factoids or Facebook at: GourmetCoffeeSpecialists there is never a dull moment in coffee land!
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Wow, what a tremendous NAMA (North American Merchandising Association) show in Vegas 10 days ago! It has taken this long to complete my first round of follow up with the vendors who have new or exciting updates to equipment, technology or products that will be of interest to the Manitoba market.
On the equipment side, a nice new unit that is available right now is the DeJong touchscreen single cup brewer that not only brews wonderful North American coffee, but creates a fantastic latte. It allows 2 cup sizes and five different strengths so that everyone truly gets the cup of coffee they want! Not only that, but when you consider that the coffee is made fresh, right from the bean to the cup, and that it is packaged in a 2 or 5 pound bag, you can’t beat the value and quality combined with the smallest impact of packaging on the environment.
Another step forward on the equipment side is the number of new pod brewing options that should be available before the end of this calendar year. When it comes to minimizing packaging while creating strong variety for smaller locations, pods are the best solution.
On the product side, we are happy to say that the Reunion Island whole bean coffees that are currently packaged in 5 pound bags will be changing to a 2 pound bag by the fall at the latest. This will allow you to not have to find a way to seal left over coffee after the bag has been open to try and keep ultimate freshness. The contents of the bag will fit completely into the product hopper and mean that it is exposed to air for a much shorter period of time. Fresh means full taste!!
For those of you who enjoy your Keurig brewed coffee, put on your hardhat! You can expect a number of announcements in the next short while (one has already come out since the show) about new brands and blends that will be available (sadly, a number will only be available in the US). You will also see/hear about some new brewing technology as early as this fall.
As well, there will be some product and equipment announcements from Starbucks over the next 6 months although some will relate only to the at home market. We do hope to have a pleasant surprise coming forward from them before the end of the calendar year.
I will keep you posted!
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These are systems that brew a single hot beverage in as little as 30 seconds vs. tradition systems that brew a “pot” at a time. Hard to imagine that we now offer more than 16 different single cup brewing systems. 16 different systems how did that happen? You wanted options and we delivered that’s how!
The “Traditional” single cup systems are larger in size and use roast and ground coffee or even whole bean coffee that grinds the beans fresh with each press of a button. Can you smell that freshly ground Coffee?? Man, I love that smell! These systems often have hot chocolate and/or a Frothy Coffee such as French Vanilla and many different combinations of product to make you those specialty drinks you thought were only available at your favorite coffee house. Traditional Single Cup Systems can offer as few as 1 selection to as many as 15. So many choices wow!
Did I hear you say you wanted even more choices? Settle in and read on.
Over the past 10 years has been the introduction of a NEW type of single cup brewer. I often refer to these new brewers as “Cartage” style systems. These systems cartridges can be called Kcups, Tdisks , Pouches or Pods depending on the system. Hard to believe your system of choice could deliver between 1 to 60 product selections. Some of these include: 100% Arabica Coffees, fresh loose leaf teas, Hot Cocoa, Espresso, Cappuccino or Lattes in little 30 seconds, and when you add in the endless amount of combinations some of these brewers are capable of, you can reach 100 different drink combinations! Who needs to go out for coffee when you have your own built in Barista right there in your lunchroom. Have an ice machine in your office? How does a hot beverage over ice sound, making you a refreshing cold drink as summer approaches. Say what Scott? Half lemonade half tea is soooo good!!
Looking for Environmental Friendly single cups system? We have several options for you…
Want to learn more about single cup systems and how they just might win you the “Employee of the Month” award from your Coworkers?
Simply contact me via email or phone… I look forward to your call.
Now back to our single cup brewer for my next beverage of the day. Man I’m getting a lot done today, the convenience of single cup brewers I tell ya!
Cheers!
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Front Office Receptionist Required
An interesting and challenging opportunity awaits you! The leader in Coffee and Vending services in Winnipeg for over 30 years, Gourmet Coffee Specialists Ltd has an opening for a full time front office order entry receptionist position for a one (1) year term. Integrity, honesty and dependability are what our customers expect from us and these are the same characteristics that we look for in an employee. If you want to be part of a growing company and are looking to achieve great things, you have come to the right place!
Job Summary:
The qualified candidate for this position will be a key contact for our customers whether it be through email, telephones or fax. Greeting customers and data entry will be daily tasks, experience using Microsoft Office programs such as: Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel are an asset. If you are an outgoing, self-starter and are interested in learning more about joining our growing team you can contact us at the information below.
Job Duties and Requirements:
Outstanding customer service and communication skills
Answering incoming calls
Entering orders and other data
Dispatching service calls
Working knowledge of basic computer skills
Maintaining forms in Excel
Filing documents
Outbound mail
Daily emails to customers
Greeting and assisting walk-in customers
Pass criminal background check
Please submit your resume to us by fax (204-925-2239) or email (jobs@gourmetcoffee.ca) for consideration. While we thank any and all applicants, please note that only qualified candidates will be contacted.
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Talk about starting 2012 off with a bang! This past January we at Gourmet held our Annual General Meeting and being new to the company it was my first ever AGM experience. This all day event kick-started bright and early with pastries and of course COFFEE… Shocker! On a side note since working with Gourmet I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, “Ohhh so you must drink a lot of coffee now!” The answer is yes coffee consumption has increased significantly and the daily morning coffee stops on my way to work have disappeared. Not only do I get to leave the house a little later I can now use that extra coffee money I have been saving to… well stock up on more coffee for my house:) There is to much variety here and I have officially become a coffee hoarder. Getting back to AGM, in a nutshell we spent the morning reviewing this past 2011 year including those crazy coffee markets, department accomplishments and expectations for Gourmet Coffee Specialists in 2012. But by far, the highlight of the day had to have been our Gourmet Coffee Trivia Game using coffee facts we post on twitter @wpgcoffeegurus. What can I say I am competitive! We split into groups suitably named in honour of the tragic discontinued KCups we lost over the past few months including Team Coffee People’s Jet Fuel, Team Donut Shop, Team Black Tiger and Team Island Coconut… may they rest in peace or more fittingly south of the border. Team Donut Shop came out on top! After a short break the Gourmet Team gathered at Fort Gibraltar to wrap up the night. This was the first time I had ever stepped foot on the Festival De Voyageur grounds, in my 6 years of living in Winnipeg, so I had no idea what to expect. Surrounded by log cabins, a blacksmith and should I even dare mention the Hudson Bay (insert spitting motion) we took in a sample of what Winnipegger’s have been celebrating at Festival for countless years and it was excellent! As previously mentioned we started the year off with a bang but I can assure you there was no gun fire at the Fort. Overall it was a great experience with great food, great entertainment and great giveaways to deserving staff. I look forward to 2012 and what it may have in store for the World of Coffee! Any predictions?
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One of the first major tasks I wanted to take under my wing at the beginning of the year was definitely a monster of a project that had to be tackled, but who am I kidding, I’m always up for a challenge! We have been sending out general newsletters to our entire email data base for some time now but with so many new products at Gourmet and ever expanding lines within KCup, Pods, TDiscs, and so many other coffees and supplies it was time to narrow our field of focus. Our first step is to inform our customers and followers of what is going on at Gourmet such as the changes in the coffee market as well as discontinued and new products. To do this we chose to segment our email data base into specific fields, some of these include: KCups, Whole Bean, Rural, Supplemental products, and many, many more. By narrowing things down into specific fields it allows us to send more relevant information to our customers and followers.
I know I’ve received a newsletter or two that had so much information in it that sometimes I found the overwhelming amount of articles to be a little dull and boring after a while, and because not all of the information relates to me I just didn’t bother to read them anymore. Now that is not to say if you use pods that you wouldn’t be interested in information regarding our latest whole bean coffee’s, but that’s just it, it is for you to decide what you want to hear about. We have a considerably large line of products and I’m certain no one could go through every single item and would want to receive information on every possible item. So segmenting these lists now means you will receive emails specific to your order history, your equipment, or simply your interests. We want to keep you up to date on what’s new, or even what’s to be discontinued so you get a chance to stock up on your favorites, and of course so we can notify you of sales relating to the products you’ve subscribed to, because who doesn’t love a sale?
Since there are so many groups anyone person can fall under this was no easy task, segmenting emails took hours, weeks, and possibly months to be honest but we are dedicated to informing you about things that are important to you! Now each person has been individually examined and grouped according to their particular tastes and interests. I can’t wait to get the program up and running in full so we can stay in contact with those who mean the most, you! We want to keep you up to date on what’s going on around Gourmet and what can I say there is never a dull moment in coffee land so stay tuned this coffee geek might just have a good factoid or two up her sleeve to share next time!
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Okay so it’s taken a while to start up the next debate since the Death of the Sugar Cube (is there really a debate?)…
For generations we have used petroleum-based plastic to stir our favourite beverage with few other options available. One long time customer even uses raw spaghetti as a more environmentally friendly option to the plastic stir stick. Now that is creative and “out of the brew basket” thinking!
It makes no difference if you are using plastic, raw spaghetti or wooden stir sticks; remember, they are for one time use only. Studies have shown bacteria from hot beverages can grow on used sticks regardless of type and that they should not be used multiple times unless they are rinsed off between uses. That said, who really does that???
Wood stir sticks are now widely available, more environmentally friendly and surprisingly less expensive than plastic. Wood will break down much quicker than plastic in our landfills without question. Seems like a no brainer right – save money and save the environment? Hard to have a raging debate on this one…
Ding! Ding! Ding! In this corner the winner by TKO in the 1st round and new champion – the Wood Stir Stick!! The plastic stir stick’s condition is deteriorating so watch for the obituary coming soon!
Talk soon…
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As I was driving to work this morning, I was thinking about what to make for dinner. Coming up with what to make for a meal is one of the things I dislike most about being an adult. I enjoy cooking. Doing dishes is not my favourite pastime by any stretch of the imagination. But I would gladly do both as long as I don’t have to come up with what to make.
Part of what I find so daunting about figuring out what to make is keeping things exciting and fresh. I couldn’t imagine eating the same thing for weeks on end. The way I see it, taste buds, like many parts of our bodies, minds and spirits, get bored if they are always experiencing the same thing. And yet, that is what many people do with their coffee. I have found this to be especially true with office coffee.
I know first hand from both the perspective of a customer of Gourmet’s (I worked at a couple of businesses that used Gourmet’s services prior to joining the team here) and as someone helping our customers, how difficult it is to find a coffee that the majority of the staff at a business enjoy. The dreaded task of sampling new coffees and getting feed back is a major road block in keeping things fresh and exciting – if it ain’t broke (or no one is complaining that it is broke), don’t fix it, right? But what if I told you that there was a way to mix things up without creating a lot of hassle for you? Sounds too good to be true, right?
Enter The Feature Coffee Program by Reunion Island. Each season, Reunion Islands’ team of coffee connoisseurs search the coffee world for a socially conscious, single origin coffee as well as a unique flavour that captures the essence of the season. These coffees are the perfect way to keep things fresh around the office without moving away from your chosen favourite. Packaged in 20 (flavoured) and 24 (origin) count boxes, it couldn’t be easier to make a pot or two a day of either (or both if you want to be daring!) to compliment your favourite Gourmet Coffee.
Possibly one of the best things about the Feature Coffee Program is all the information and signage available at no charge to our customers. From flyers you can hand out to each staff member to announce the arrival of the new coffee to posters that can be displayed in your lunchroom, Reunion Island has created everything you need to brew excitement for the feature coffees around the office!
If you would like more information on or would like to join this great program, please contact us today!
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As you may be aware, the members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post have been trying to reach a deal to avoid a strike. While our products are delivered by our hardworking Customer Service Representatives, many of our customers mail in cheques for their payments. Should a deal not be reached and disruption of mail service becomes unavoidable, please contact our offices and we will make arrangements for one of our Customer Service Reps to pick up your cheque at your office. We do accept other forms of payment. If you would like more information on alternatives, please contact us to discuss.
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A battle has been raging within the 4 walls of our building…For longer than I have been around, the sugar cube has been a popular way to sweeten your favorite hot beverage. But have you ever really thought about that lonely box of sugar cubes as it sits beside your coffee brewer? It’s not really the sugar cube that is the heart of the debate, it’s how that cube manages to make it’s was from the box to your beverage…
Okay…close your eyes for moment and imagine you are at the coffee machine with a coworker, both eagerly anticipating your next cup of Gourmet Coffee. You pour some black gold into your cup (can you smell it?) and add your favorite milk or cream…here’s where you need to stay with me…you then reach into the box of sugar cubes, feel several cubes then decide yes, this one feels just right, take it and into the steamy cup of joe it goes…but you like your coffee with two cubes, so you reach in again, feel a few more cubes and pick out your second cube. Your coworker is ready to sweeten their coffee, so they reach in to the box and feel around for just the right sugar cube…but what if they want only a cube and a half? What now?!
Are you thinking “Scott are you crazy?!” (Don’t answer that) “Gourmet sells piles of sugar cubes!” And you’re right, we do, but we also sell sugar in many different formats, that’s for sure. Ask us about them and I’m sure we can convince you the death of the sugar cube is not far off.
Plastic vs. Wood Stir Sticks? Stay tuned…
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