48 THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY
HOW DID THIS TREND TRANSLATE INTO
THE COFFEE BAR?
Adriaens continues: “As specialty coffee bars
became more and more popular, we also
focussed on tuning shoproasters and got a
lot of feedback from our clients about other
bottle necks in their business. One always
popped up: getting the milk froth right, a true
skill and quite a time-consuming part of the
coffeemaking process.
When you know that almost 80% of coffees
now served are milk-based, it was clear to us
what the next step was. Automating the milk
frothing process…and that is how Perfect
Moose was born.”
DOES AUTOMATION NOT ALSO INVOLVE
GIVING UP THE PERSONAL TOUCH?
“On the contrary. The role of the barista is
evolving from a créateur behind the bar into a
new type of host” Adriaens says.
“Personal attention for the customer, personal
attention for the product…that is what it’s
all about now. Whereas the wine sommelier
dazzles customers with his product knowledge
and way of serving, the barista now knows
where his coffee is grown and takes up a whole
new role as coffee connoisseur. Automation
enables him to do so without losing attention
for the bar.”
CATERING
WILL AUTOMATION NOT LEAD TO
SAMENESS AND BORING UNIFORMITY?
Adriaens has a clear view on this. “Both chains
and independent coffee bars are up for the
idea of automation. For us, the passion of
creating always remains key.
The Perfect Moose autofoamer for example
can be used with the liquid of your choice,
enabling you to experiment, make new
combinations, go veggie, buy local milks…
It is never our intention to impose a certain
taste or uniformize the coffee experience
by automation. Quite the contrary… we
encourage baristas to keep an open mind.
Big companies are using the smart steamer
to test their recipes before going to market,
trendsetting restaurateurs are experimenting
with steaming certain ingredients…
automation yes, but always with a personal
twist.”
SO WILLL AUTOMATION TAKE OVER
FOR THE BARISTA? We don’t think so. Just
consider automation as the next step forward
in the coffee business. Embracing innovation
always takes courage…. But providing quality
without the queue is something foodies and
coffee lovers will only applaud.