Those who are truly concerned with their footprint on nature and being eco-friendly can often struggle with the simplest pleasures of life. Sometimes, going out for dinner or coffee can be a stressful affair if you know that the restaurant does not ethically source its meat nor do they try to recycle where possible.
For many, these situations may be all too familiar. If that’s you or you are looking to associate yourself with companies that are more environmentally friendly, consider seeking establishments that try to minimize their impact on the environment.
The coffee industry has been rapidly growing over the last years across the world, spurred on by a strong coffee culture. This has also shone the spotlight on the waste created by this industry. From coffee waste to milk waste, wastage in cafes is a pressing issue.
This is what forced Douglas McMaster, the owner of Silo to develop a restaurant focused on zero waste and sustainability, all within an urban environment.
Silo is a cafe located in Brighton, UK and it uses a variety of environmental conservation efforts when operating. For instance, coffee and produce arrive at the cafe with no packaging, thus reducing the use of plastic. In addition, all coffee beans are locally sourced and delivered in reusable crates.
McMaster initially worked in Melbourne where he opened a small pop-up store. This experience taught him about waste and convinced him to move away from industrial practices and to focus on zero waste.
Guests at the coffee shop were served coffee in glass jars, eliminating non-reusable plastic cups. All excess food at Silo is also thrown into a compost machine and turned into fertilizer. This is then shared with local farmers. The entire concept is well thought of, from the start of the coffee process to the end. If you find yourself in the seaside city, drop in.
There are times in the morning when you might be struggling and one cup of coffee simply isn’t enough. Maybe you need more caffeine streaming through your veins to help you get through that long list of things to do, but coffee just isn’t hitting the spot anymore.
Behold, the caffeine bagel! From Einstein Bros Bagels, this is a bakery product unlike any other. It contains as much caffeine as you’d find in a third of a cup of coffee, from beans that have been added to the dough before baking. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your morning espresso as the added caffeine hit pushes you along! Coffee in bread sounds efficient as well as tasty.
And the bagel isn’t just available on its own. With fillings like bacon and eggs or cheese, it can be enjoyed at lunchtime too, making sure that the afternoon starts with a buzz. It may be a taste to get used to, but why not?
Einstein Bros are doing their bit for our wonderful nurses too. They’re offering free products for them as part of National Nurses Week. If ever there was a job where you’d need the double-caffeine hit of the bagel and the regular coffee, it’s working as a nurse on a busy hospital ward! The company’s diversification into caffeine-based bread products has been researched thoroughly and isn’t a fad. Their head of marketing has gone on record in interviews as saying that they know that this is what their new, millennial audience want and so they’re providing it.
This increase in coffee consumption has only fuelled the need for different products. More and more younger consumers are being turned back onto the drink which they previously associated with their parents and teachers, because of smoother tastes that are being introduced.
If the caffeine bagel is just as smooth, it’ll be a winner!